DreadTober 2026: Week 1

 

Hi folks,

DreadTober 2026 has officially begun!! A full week of the challenge has yet to pass, but we are already seeing some progress on various hobby sites. Most people have made a start on there project, even if that just meant finding the pieces. For me, finding a Dreadnought body was easy enough. Unfortunately, I was a couple of arms and a base short, so had to do some deep bitz-box diving in the garage. 

It is time to introduce our challengers for 2026. These entries are being posted on a number of different platforms, which is great for inclusivity but a little bit tricky to collate. If I happen to miss your post, or make some kind of mistake, please leave a comment.

As always, if you see something you like, consider following a project and leaving the challenger some comments. DreadTober is all about building community and making real connections. And stompy robots.

Here we go...

Name: Wachtmeister
Project: 2nd Edition Chaos Dreadnought
Blog: https://wachtmeisterspatrol.com/
Instagram: @Wachtmeisters_patrol

I am going to be saying this a lot this year, but: old school is the best school.

Name: Adrian Bell
Project: 2nd Edition Imperial box dreadnaught (marines errant)
Crown of Command discord: https://discord.gg/3xjN9BvZ

Marines Errant!! I haven't seen those for a looong time.

Name: Dr. The Viking
Project: Rogue Trader Dreadnought
Blog: http://cowabungajournal.com/
Instagram: @oldhammer_c0wabunga

Just look at that sculpt! We have had a couple of these painted over the years, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with this one.

Name: Tom
Project: Epicast Ork Stompa
Instagram: @university_dave

I just *KNOW* this is going to be incredible. No pressure. 

Name: DAM
Project: Legio Custodes Galatus Dreadnought
Blog: http://262krieg.blogspot.com/
Instagram: @262_krieg

Another glorious Custodes Dread. We will need to get a group shot with your collection at the end DAM.

Name: Dawe
Project: Parkouring Dreadnought
Instagram: @painted.to.play

Dawe's parkouring Dreadnoughts are a sight to behold. I'm really looking forward to seeing this one posed up and painted.

Name: Julien
Project: 2nd ed. Boxnaught
Instagram: @Delayed_painting

Twin-linked Lascannon and Missile Launcher, a classy combination.

Name: Grant C
Project: 2nd Edition Chaos Dreadnaught of Nurgle
Instagram: OldMagicMusings 

Another classic Chaos Dreadnought sculpt!

Name: Grot-Cast Dave
Project: Lamenters Chapter Boxnought
Crown of Command discord: https://discord.gg/3xjN9BvZ

Sadly, this Raven Guard Dreadnought died of angst so hard that he is going to turn into a Lamenter.

Name: Ted & Erik
Projects: Metal Space Wolves Bjorn the Fell-handed & Horus Heresy era Thousand Sons Contemptor Dreadnought
Blog: http://oddgitshut.blogspot.com/
Instagram: @oddgits.hut
Crown of Command Discord

Another classic sculpt. Bjorn the Fell-handed is rightly feared amongst 2nd Ed. players and has been a feature on this blog previously. Interesting that Erik is working on a Thousand Sons Dread; do I sense family rivalry?

Name: jabberjabber
Project: Saturnine Dreadnought
Blog: https://warpstoneflux.blogspot.com/

I am pretty sure this is how jabberjabber started things last year!! Just goes to show that every journey begins with a single step.

Name: Agis
Project: First Legion Deredeo Dreadnought
Blog: https://agis40k.blogspot.com/

Agis has a reputation for amazing DreadTober projects. We will have to settle for a week of suspense and see what gets posted next time.

Name: Sachiel.
Project: Dark Angels Venerable Castra-Ferrum Dreadnaught.
Blog: https://sachiel-returns.blogspot.com/?m=0

An amazing Dark Angels sculpt. I love the concept Sachiel has for this project; make sure you check out the blog for the full story.

Name: Dave Weston
Projects: 2 Adeptus Titanicus Warounds [plus weapon options] and 2 Adeptus Titanicus Porphyrion Knights
Blog: 40kaddict.uk
Insta: @40kaddict.uk

Dave is dishing up another smorgasbord of stompy robots. He said something on his blog about needing some community spirit to help him through the challenge this year, so make sure you drop by and give him a poke now and then. 

Name: Henry
Project: 2nd edition Legion of the Damned dreadnought
Insta: Dangle_Tactics

This model has gone for a swim in paint-stripper. So many projects start right here covered in goop and waiting to be brought back to life. As a fellow Legion of the Damned painter, I am very interested to see how this one turns out; good luck!!

Name: Neverness
Project: Ultramarines Balistus Dreadnought
Blog: https://nevernesshobby.blogspot.com
Bluesky:‪@neverness92.bsky.social‬

The Ballistus Dreadnought hits like a truck. I never leave home without one. 

Name: Chris
Project: Imperial Guard Sentinel Squad
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dutcholdhammer
Crown of Command Discord

It's lovely to see some old school Sentinels. These things are a terror in 2nd Ed. 40K, sprinting around and ripping into things with their Str 8 D10 damage -3 save assault cannons. And jams. So many jams...

Name: XarfaiEngel
Project: Eldar Dreadnought
Blog: https://abutterflyshobbytally.blogspot.com/
Instagram: @XarfaiEngel

XarfaiEngel is working on some classic Eldar, which will no doubt greatly benefit from the support of a Dreadnought.

Name: Vectis
Project: Blood Angels Librarian
Instagram @vectishammer

I love the concept of these Librarian Dreads, though I have never painted one myself. I have used that force weapons arm on a number of projects, however; great sculpt!

Name: Siph
Project: Necron (Imperial) Knight counts-as
Blog: https://weemen.blogspot.com/

Colour me intrigued...

Name: Zamnil
Project: Horus Heresy era Blood Angels Contemptor
Crown of Command Discord

Now this is an interesting one. Inspired by the Visions of Heresy artworks, this Contemptor is going to take a lot of hobby skill to even get to the painting stage. Good luck!!

Name: TJM
Project: Rogue Trader Contemptor and Space Marine Boxnaught
Crown of Command Discord

That yellow is looking spectacular already.

Name: OzMonster

Project: Tau Riptide

Oz usually paints models in one sitting, so it will be interesting to see how this model tests his patience. It has a lot of detail...

Name: M4cr0Dutch

Project: Blood Angels Castraferrum Dreadnought

Blog: https://oldschoolg4m1ng.blogspot.com/

Instagram: @m4cr0dutch

Bluesky: @m4cr0dutch.bsky.social

I should have checked earlier, but my old school Dreadnought was missing arms. I have had to dig pretty deep into my stockpile of bitz to find what I need to finish off the construction. As a result, it won't have the usual multimelta loadout. Perhaps one of those Str 8 D10 damage -3 save assault cannons will suffice...

That's it for the first round-up. As you can see we have a ton of entries this year, with a gloriously high proportion of old school models (my favourite!). Whatever it is that you are working on, I wish you all the best for the following week.

DreadTober 2026 is About to Start

 

By name and by deeds, they FEAR NOTHING! With October a couple of weeks away, it is time to start planning your Dreadnought themed project for DreadTober. 

DreadTober brings people together from all around the world to share in the hobby we all love. Last year we followed the progress of 16 hobbyists as they awakened the machine spirit of their projects. Who will answer the call in 2026? The invitation is open to all.

This year I have also set up an Instagram account to share our progress, please join and share the dread @dreadtober.

How to Join

Collectors of every faction and game are welcome to participate; the only guideline is that your model should fit on a 60 mm base (or larger!). Something with legs, or equivalent, is more likely to fit the theme. If you would like to be involved, please post your name, project and site/blog address in the comments. If you post primarily on other social media sites, feel free to provide a link so that people can find you and follow your progress, or let us know which Discord server you like to haunt. Additionally, using the hashtag #dreadtober2026 will help people find your work.

Example:

Name: Marc

Project: Blood Angels Castraferrum Dreadnought

Blog: http://oldschoolg4m1ng.blogspot.com/

Instagram: @m4cr0dutch

Progress Deadlines

I will be doing a round-up of progress at the end of each week. The progress deadline is every Friday at midnight, with the aim of posting your work here every Saturday until the end of October, with a final post or two at the start of November to celebrate our successes. Note: this year, the first Friday is only the 2nd day of the month, so a photo to show your starting point would be appropriate.

If you have questions about participating please ask; I aim to be inclusive as possible. Feel free to share the invitation to join with your friends and followers.

Good luck everyone; eternal glory awaits!!

Coming Soon...

 

DreadTober 2025: The Grand Finale!!

 

Hi folks,

The DreadTober challenge is officially over for another year and it is time to see who made it through to the end. This has been an interesting year with a diverse range of projects on offer. A number of hobbyists managed to finish their projects early, whilst a bunch were still fighting hard to get their work complete by the deadline. Please note, if I have designated you as "Lost in Warp" and you manage to finish later, I would be happy to update the post, just let me know. Let's take a look at what we managed to achieve.

Name: Neverness
Project: Celestial Lions Dreadnought
Blog: https://nevernesshobby.blogspot.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/neverness92.bsky.social

Neverness has finished this venerable Castraferrum off with some neat decals and iconography. The Celestial Lions are such a cool Chapter, it is great to see them getting some love this year; bravo!!

Name: Agis

Project: First legion Saturnine Dreadnought

Blog: https://agis40k.blogspot.com/

Instagram: @agis.40k

Honour to the First!! This is a fantastic finish to a huge project, and could very well be the "poster boy" for this year's challenge. Gritty and detailed, this Saturnine Dread is a work of grim/dark art.

Name: Dave Weston

Project: Adeptus Titanicus Warlord Titan

Blog: 40kaddict.uk

Dave didn't quite get his bonus model finished, but his main project is fantastic. The execution of the paint scheme, the iconography and the weathering are all spot-on. Beautiful work.

Name: XarfaiEngel

Project: 2 Adeptus Titanicus Reaver Titans; stretch goal: Ghrastak (Luna Wolves Contemptor)

Blog: https://abutterflyshobbytally.blogspot.com/

Instagram: @xarfaiengel

Continuing the titan theme, Xarfai finished this pair of Reavers off. I think you will agree that the colour scheme and added details look amazing. I am a particular fan of the hazard stripes, knowing full-well how difficult they are to do.

Name: Wachtmeister
Project: 2nd Edition Dark Angels Dreadnought
Blog: https://wachtmeisterspatrol.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wachtmeisters_patrol/

This old Dark Angels version of the Castraferrum is one of my favourite models of all time. The Meister has certainly done it justice. The addition of some decals and a great mossy looking base finish it off nicely. Love the blue lenses too. 

Name: Wachtmeisterson 
Project: Ork Deff Dread

Wachtmeisterson has made a great effort to get finished in time. This Dread will look great on the battlefield and the progress made during the challenge has been significant; well done!!

Name: DAM
Project: Dark Angels Brutalis Dreadnought
Blog: http://262krieg.blogspot.com/
Instagram: @262_krieg

It was worth the wait. What a classy finish; really neat brushwork and great use of decals. I have to say this is an inspiring model, I may need to pick one of these up myself.

Name: Tom
Project: 2nd Ed Blood Axe Ork Dreadnought
Instagram: @university_dave

It is no secret that I love this project; incredible execution of a gorgeous paint scheme. The secret ingredient is surely pure Waaagh. I have had the pleasure of seeing many of Tom's models in the Cowabunga 2nd Ed. Army Painting challenges, so my expectations were high. This exceeds them.

Name: Ed

Project: Night Lords Contemptor Dreadnought
Blog: https://berserkerbladeblog.blogspot.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnage_x_scissors

Name: jabberjabber
Project: Iron Warriors Contemptor Dreadnought
Blog: Warpstone Flux - https://warpstoneflux.blogspot.com/

The weathering on this Contemptor is a great touch, particularly across the hazard stripes. Lovely base too, bravo!!

Name: Thousand Eyes/Mac an tSagart
Project: A leaping hellbrute
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steppingbetweengames/

Name: Sachiel

Project: Bray'Arth Ashmantle
Blog: https://sachiel-returns.blogspot.com

Sachiel didn't quite get finished; life is like that sometimes. Still, the progress is excellent. I am looking forward to updating this one when it is finished.

Name: Siph
Project: Armiger Warglaives
Blog: https://weemen.blogspot.com
Instagram: @siph_horridus

Siph's Warglaive's are neat as heck. I painted on of these not long ago, so I have a sense of how much work goes into each. To knock over two in one challenge is an impressive feat.

Name: Beanz
Project: Hive Fleet Leviathan Tyrannofex

Name: OzMonster

Project: Commander Farsight

OzMonster is rightly proud of his finished Farsight. He has had a go at some OSL and NMM, which I think is pretty gutsy for a young lad. A bright future ahead of him, I'd say.

Name: Marc

Project: Hive Fleet Numereji Tervigon
Blog: https://oldschoolg4m1ng.blogspot.com/
Instagram: @m4cr0dutch

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/m4cr0dutch.bsky.social

That leaves me, I guess. The colour shift paints I use need to go over a gloss black undercoat. The night I tried to finish it off was ridiculously humid, which caused all kinds of complications. Still, I think I managed to achieve the finish I was aiming for. To photograph it, I had to use some directional lighting. When you move it around, the colour shifts from green to a dark purple, which look pretty rad in my opinion. Perfect for a "Rainbow Serpent-themed" Hive Fleet.

That's a wrap for 2025!! As always, a huge thanks to all of you for making this challenge happen. It really is a pleasure to put these posts together every week to celebrate your efforts. Shout-out to Dave Weston from Confessions of a 40K Addict for his design expertise in creating the blog banner and our digital badge reward:

Feel free to post it on your blogs in recognition of your efforts this year, in celebration of 10 years of DreadTober. 

Hopefully, if the stars align, we can meet up again next year for another month of Dreadnought madness. Until then, stay safe and keep painting!!

Kind regards,

Marc

October DreadLine Approaches!

 

Helbrute by Anton Solovianchyk

Hi folks,

The challenge deadline is swiftly approaching. I am getting my lightbox ready to take some final photographs with my new camera; hopefully it is less potato in nature than my usual device. Over the weekend I will put all of the final photos together and I hope to get the last post out on Monday. That gives you a couple of bonus days to finish if you are cutting things close...

In the meantime, I recently put out a call for challengers to answer some questions about their favourite Dreadnought. Dave Weston from Confessions of a 40K Addict, who is responsible for our blog banner and other DreadTober-themed designs, has provided some insights into one of his awesome projects. 

1) In what year did you first join the DreadTober challenge?

2017 was the first year I’d managed to clear my hobby schedule in such a way as I could plan to join in. I think I’d been aware of it at least for 2016, maybe even 2015 when it began. But in 2016 I was focused on my Armies on Parade board, which didn’t allow me to participate. It’s crazy now to look back and see so many 2025 participants who were taking part in 2016 - Siph, DAM, thousandeyes, even yourself. Obviously we credit Greg and Todd for starting it way back in 2015.

Indeed; we stand on the shoulders of giants - Marc

2) What is your favourite Dreadnought?

I’ll be controversial by nominating a ‘dread-sized’ model, rather than an actual Dreadnought. My favourite is the ‘human-dread’ the plastic Imperial Guard Sentinel from the 1990’s. 

3) What is it about this model that resonates with you?

Well it was a complete surprise to me how much I liked it that I only discovered painting two of them for my first DreadTober in 2017. The kit was incredibly simple yet still created a posable robot, with options for loadouts and if it was a scout or armored sentinel. Throw in they were relatively cheap on ebay and I just loved how you can scratch that ‘giant freaking robot’ itch for a bargain, if you were so inclined. 

4) What can you remember about the modelling/painting process?

That’s easy enough as I enjoyed painting them so much I got another two and they were part of my pledge last year. Although, I didn’t quite get them done alongside my main pledge of a Norn Emissary. But it was still a fun experience. They were painted for my Genestealer Cult, whose vehicles are all ‘construction vehicle’ yellow. They’re rusted and oily, with flaking paintwork. Absolutely perfect for hiding how badly these ebay rescues had been put together. They also were all supposed to come with Flamers as I wanted the auto hits to mitigate the low Ballistic Skill of their Genestealer hybrid drivers.

Lots of rust and weathering effects gave me plenty of practice. I can’t tell if it’s realistic or a cartoon recreation of weathered vehicles but it was a lot of fun to do. One of the Sentinels is actually armoured though. I was short a 4th Flamer, its chainsaw and its armour. It came with a multi-laser so I decided to armour it up using plasticard and cardboard. Again, the battered nature hides a multiple of hobby sins. The chainsaw was actually a 1st Edition Adeptus Titanicus Warlord Titan Chain Fist! 

5) Tell us about the base of the model.

I’d got some resin urban/mechanicum bases full of cogs and broken mechanical bits. I used them on all my GSC models, so it was great to have some in the same size for Sentinels. Adding rust and weathering to the bases helped link the battered walkers to their environment. I’d also got a spare Dreadnought base that helped round out the group.

6) Does this model have a background story?

Armed with Flamers and Sentinel Chainswords I envisaged them going about their business clearing forests with a scorched Earth policy. The GSC Hybrids are called Turqs, they’re vat grown worker clones, made using Genestealer DNA. It’s based around the clones from Space Above and Beyond. I liked the idea that they were turquoise skinned to connect them to my Tyranid army but also create a bit of variety and unique alienness about them. 

Ahhh, I used to love that show! Hawkes (a "tank") was my favourite character - Marc

7) Have you used this model in a game? How did it go? How would you use it, if you got the chance?

Back in the day when I went to 40k Tournaments regularly I went to a random double’s tournament where each round you were matched up with a stranger, so you got to pair with a mix of people and just enjoy playing weird random games with random allies and opponents. I used my 2 original Sentinels in Double Trouble 3. My reports say they died in at least two games with 3 out of 4 explosions! Not sure what happened in the 3rd game. I think I suffered from the double edged sword that is the ‘scout’ move. Sure, it’s great to be able to put your models right up in your opponent’s face. But they’re weak and exposed so inevitably unlikely to survive. I think by game three I just had them baby-sitting an objective. They did nothing, maybe survived, but we didn’t win the game.

Never really played them since and I’m not sure I probably will. But the first pair have featured in a couple of Armies on Parade fighting my Deathwatch and maybe one day I’ll have added enough to their numbers that they get their own Parade. I’ve a lot of Hybrids and a Chimera that I can’t wait to paint in the same yellow rusty style with a bulldozer blade for ‘clearance actions’.

That top Sentinel is levitating!! - Marc

I think we can all agree that these Sentinels look fantastic. It was great watching them come to life on Dave's blog, so if you get a chance, swing by and take a look at what he is up to this week. 

There will be more opportunities to share your favourite Dreadnought next year, assuming the fates align and I can get the challenge up and running in 2026. Until then, let's make sure we finish the challenge strongly in 2025; eternal glory awaits!!