Drop Pod Assault

[Thylacine]

If Drop Pods are used in a game, is this considered Deep Striking, formally a term used for Terminators teleporting in and such? Or does the use of Drop Pods come under "Drop Pod Assault" from the Space Marine Special Rules? If bringing in units by Drop Pod now entails the use of the "Deep Strike Mishap Table" I can see a number of people putting their DP's on the shelf to gather dust.

 

The FAQ says use the rules in Codex SM but on the weekend my opponent insisted I use the rule from 'Mission Special Rules' which does not seem right, as under those rule our OBEL scouts could be forced to roll on the "Deep Strike Mishap Table"!

 

Any thoughts on the issue?

[OnlyInDeath]

1. drop pods actually have special rules, i believe layed out in a white dwarf a little while back. pretty much states that a drop pod coming down into impassable terrain, an enemy unit or off the table will instead land 1 inch outside of such bad news as they have a targeting ability or some such. Bjorn, do you have the scroll regarding drop pods from WD?

 

2. OBEL scouts come in from reserve. That is most definately not deep striking. Instead of coming in from reserve on our side of the table, they are coming in on the enemy's board edge.

 

3. Your opponent cannot make you play against the rules. FAQ's are official rulings on the rules. If we are supposed to use the space marine dex for something, that's what we use.

[Bobman]

In the blood angels thing it's called inertial dampening or something, but yeah drop pods have a special rule like OID said. Meaning they'd not usually need the deep strike mishap thing. Which they'd use if they scattered off the table I think.

[saphius]

Bob is right. Only use the mishap if they scatter off the table. Use the Drop Pod rules otherwise.

[Torin]

as far as i have been playing, drop pod have their own set of rule... the rule for deepstrike states nothing about drop pod just regular deep strike.. bare inmind that other chapter dont have to pay to teleport... we SW have to pay for drop pod. So i think its only fair that they have their own sets of rules. Just like ork having some special ability with their trukk. Eg: trukk get shot and roll closer by 3D6 in random direction then troops disembark... :devil: .. pure evil.

[Wolf89]

Space Wolves use page 21 of the C:SM for drop pod rules, plain and simple. :devil:

[Thylacine]

I was hoping for some more in-depth comments as the new rule is being used as a 'catch all' by some unscrupilus players. Some of you wrote that the DSMT only comes into play if the DP scatters off the table, why do you think it comes into play then, surely you would accept that the DP and contents is lost.

 

The rules on p 21 of the SM codex don't cover scattering off the table but I assume that if the DP scatters off the table it is the same as a squad running off the edge of the table eg; one goes they all go.

 

I have seen some strange things done with DP's and as a DP players I don't agree with them. A player wants to land a DP on a flat roof to take advantage of the buildings height. The scatter puts the DP just off the roof, no problem the player uses his dice boxes to build a tower to place the DP on and places troops on roof of building! I would have thought that the DP is just placed on the ground 1" from the building and the troops are placed in front of the hatches that can be opened.

 

Second instance (from that same player), he attempts to place the DP in terrain that won't physically accept the DP, (jagged spires of rock) the guy jams the DP in between the spires, damages the terrain in the process and plays on taking the advantage.

 

Third instance, (yes from the same player) lands DP on a flat topped rock spire 7-8" high, because it was declared as WYSIWYG (blocks line of sight) but not impassible (opponent did not think the player would try a trick like that). Then removes terrain because the DP may fall off and be damaged!

 

I thought the rules for DP's were straight forward but some players love to find loop-holes. So using those cases would you simply move the DP the shortest distance for it to safely land, placing it 1" from the terrain or use the DSMT.

 

To my mind the DP rules are clear and the DSMT should never be used for DP's

 

Any further comments?

[OnlyInDeath]

What this player refused to accept was the fact that impasable terrain means that the drop pod ends up 1 " from the said terrain piece. In the case of the spire of rock, this is impasable and he would have ended up on the board, one inch away from it. There's NO way a model can reach them or walk across the terrain: it's impasable. For the spired rocks, in this case, you would have to discuss before the game whether or not the terrain counted as impassable or difficult terrain. If you decided this terrain is only difficult, then he could have landed the drop pods there. If you did not discuss this beforehand (which, mind you, you ought to just to protect your butt from situations like this) then roll a dice if you two cannot agree. Winner of the score declares what the terrain is. The miss on the roof of the building is just plain cheating, what the hell? if he misses the terrain piece, he sets up where he lands, not the elevation equivalent. My GOD that's just blatant BS!

 

I would use the DSMT only if you scatter off the board, as this is the only way in which you can actually reach a manner in which you would use the table. Any other instance (scattering onto a unit or impassable terrain) would result in the drop pod simply moving 1" away from the obstruction. The DSMT is to be used if you actually scatter onto the unit or terrain or off the table. With a drop pod's rules, you dont actually scatter onto the unit or terrain, simply next to it. The only way to screw up a drop pod is to actually scatter it off the table. Keep in mind: a drop pod IS deep striking, it just has additional rules to cancel out most of the things that would mess up a deep striking unit. Off the table is the only one not covered and therefore you would then use the DSMT.

[Grimfoe]

I agree with everything OID said. More importantly, I have one thing to add. Thylacine, stop playing with this drop podding moron. I can't be much fun. If he doesn't get his act together and stop the BS, find another opponent. These games are intended as strategic contests pitting one commander against another with equal forces. They're not supposed to be debates on loop holes in the rules.

 

Tell him to get a life.