Venerable Dread, worth it or no?

[colonelbrigham]

As an Ultramarine player I have long though of using dreadnought in my army. I used to use them a lot and have three of them but now they tend to sit on the sidelines. I like the concept and am working on fluff for one that I would like to turn into a venerable dreadnought. However, before I do such a thing I want to hear people's experiences with venerable dreads and whether or not it is worth spending the points on. At my own store I have seen Venerable dreads survive to the point of madness for their opponent (usually me) which prompted me to think they may be more survivable then my current dreadnoughts which almost all die instantly.

[ElegaicRequiem]

Ven dreads are good. Ironclads are better, unless you're determined to sit and shoot. Why would you not use dreadnoughts?

Also, ven dread (great for shooting) + drop pod (puts things in enemy lines, and forces you to only shoot when you arrive) = nice even 200 points. Coincidence?

Also, don't forget that all dreads now have the smoke launchers.