Starbuck_ Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I'm off to GW Cambridge to play my first few games under 5th ed, and after speaking to the manager he told me there are two rival groups in the store. These guys make up 90% of the guys who play here. One group is Ork players and the guys in the other group is Drop pod Assault using C:SM. Orks I can deal with as at my old store(GW Hammersmith) had a lot of orks in 3rd/4th ed when i used to game. Drop pod assault on the other hand is different kettle of fish. I've never played a drop pod army before. I was thinking the way to go would be to spam plasma and power weapons. However I appricate that not only has 5ed changed a lot but also that there is more to it than just spaming those two. My goal is to right a list to deal with both, I don't want tow seperate lists. So anyone got any ideas/tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warp Angel Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 The strength of drop pods is their ability to focus a lot of firepower in one place and destroy isolated units. The weaknesses are that they aren't able to assault on the turn they arrive, making them vulnerable to being assaulted, and they're stuck out in the open, subject to counterfire. Don't let your opponent pick on isolated chunks of your army, make sure that they are within mutual support range. Overwhelm them in hand to hand combat whenever possible/practical. Winning CC will often inflict more total casualties than shooting will. Concentrate fire/assault to completely wipe out one of the dropping units before moving on to the next. Keep all or most of your army in reserve, maybe giving him a tempting target to go after to set him up for your reserves to smash. And if you want to be really mean, convert up a Land Speeder storm or two and force him to deviate 4d6" - sometimes off the table, which (if I'm remembering right), drop pod's don't get any special rules for. You shouldn't have to change your army though, just your tactics, especially deployment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperator Mos Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I play a 5-pod list with two dreads, tac squad, sternguard, and assault squad (also sniper scouts). Anyway, the units that give me fits are manueverable, cuz I can't catch 'em once I'm out of the pod. Also, keep your units spread out so they can't be corraled by multiple pods. Just hope the first wave scatters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starbuck_ Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Thanks for the tips guys. Warp Angel; does a dev squad count as a tempting target? Can I take Land Speeder Storms in a C:DA list? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warp Angel Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Imperator Mos is right about mobility being an enemy for Drop Pod armies. Similarly, those vehicles used for mobility can be used to screen your troops from impending drop pod landings. I'm not quite sure that I agree with the "spreading units out" though. You need to consider the inability to concentrate firepower. And yes, a Devastator squad, if you're willing for it to die horribly, makes suitable bait. If you're running 10 men, you can combat squad to two separate, but mutually supporting areas of your deployment zone and either force him to split his drops to take them both or leave one unit that can tear him apart intact. Hrm.... must think. Oh, and C:DA is used intact and references only itself. No Storms, Storm Shields that only offer a 4++ in cc, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargazer Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Well being one of the aforementioned guys at GW Cambridge who runs 5 Drop Pods in an Army I think I might be able to answer your question even if it might spell doom for me and my comrades. Stay in Reserve!!!!! That means I have to Drop half of my pods on turn 1 and then you are completely free to react to wherever I place my pods Hope this helps now I know if i lose to a new marine gamer then it will definately be you! look forward to seeing you there, good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharik Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 but if you hold your whole army in reserve you have no control over which units enters the board when and you risk being shot to piece meal by the space marines hugging cover or objectives only waiting for you to enter. And a smart marine player will just keep his dreads/sternguard in reserve and drop them down next to your incoming troops in one of the following turns. IMHO keeping your army in reserve is only really a good idea if you can add to your reserve roll or reroll it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargazer Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 However on average about half of your army will turn up and if you have 5 Pods then you have to commit 3 Pods on turn 1 meaning even if only half of your opponents army turns up they can position themselves ideally to destroy your units Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starbuck_ Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Stargazer; I'll look out for you on Tuesday, my target for next tuesday is to contruct/convert 40 pa marines, convert a beilal + I have feathering to do on my test mini for the highlights. Mobility tends to take the shape of deathwing + 2 rhinos. Warp Angel, thank you for righting those brilliant Killhammer arcticals. I'm still processing a lot of it and taking it in, but it has allowed me to look at tactics in a way I did not consider; so thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koremu Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Killing any beacons the enemy has is top priority. If you're going for a reserve-heavy setup yourself, consider Tigurius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starbuck_ Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 ^^I'm using C:DA not C:SM mainly cause I'm a arogant and don't wanna give in to the smurfs. I'd really like to take C:SM as I love sterguard. ****Does anyone know how long forgeworld orders take? It's been almost a week since i ordered the deathwing pads for my termies and i ain't heard a peep from them**** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glsn Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 An idea I had that will cost you 32 points. Daemonhunter inquisitor with 2 mystics. Anything deepstriking within 4d6" gets shot when it arrives by a unit within 12" of the inquisitor. I'd put a 5 man 4x plasma cannon devastator squad above him in a building or something and let them come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starbuck_ Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 As good as an idea that is I want to have a relitively fluffly list and as Dark Angels don't accept help from outside the unforgiven espically deamon hunters, it doesn't really fit in. But really only 32pts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glsn Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 20 for the inquisitor and 6 for each of the mystics. That is the elite inquisitor, you can get an HQ inquisitor for 25 points more. Also, the rules say you can include them but "Hunt for the Fallen" special rule is suspended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reclusiarch Darius Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 20 for the inquisitor and 6 for each of the mystics. That is the elite inquisitor, you can get an HQ inquisitor for 25 points more. Also, the rules say you can include them but "Hunt for the Fallen" special rule is suspended. Seeing as 'Hunt the Fallen' doesn't even exist anymore :huh: thats not even a drawback. If you don't feel comfortable with a Daemonhunter Inquisitor, call him a junior Librarian or something. The best way to use him is to stick him inside a tough vehicle like a Landraider (or if points don't allow a Rhino). He really is excellent against drop pod armies, especially if you already have the right tools for killing the meat inside the pods (plasma cannons on Tacticals/Devastators, massed bolter+AC from your Deathwing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warp Angel Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Stargazer; I'll look out for you on Tuesday, my target for next tuesday is to contruct/convert 40 pa marines, convert a beilal + I have feathering to do on my test mini for the highlights. Mobility tends to take the shape of deathwing + 2 rhinos. Warp Angel, thank you for righting those brilliant Killhammer arcticals. I'm still processing a lot of it and taking it in, but it has allowed me to look at tactics in a way I did not consider; so thank you. You're welcome. It's a work in progress. And to put Drop Pods in Killhammer terms: What they do for you: Decrease K2 of half your dropped units by reducing K2 to 0, while kicking the initial D of all dropped units up (you can't kill what's not on the table - see my reserves article). But by the same token, they decrease the S of your army by reducing post-drop mobility and eliminating their ability to make an assault when they arrive. Their D doesn't get any good things after they've done their shooting, since they're standing out in the open and subject to every weapon on the table that has range. How they stack up as a target: You can manipulate overall K of the enemy downward by being more mobile than him, and significantly decrease D2 by concentrating firepower on them at a time and place of your choosing by keeping them in reserves. I think the overall effect on relying heavily on them in your army is that of dramatically reduced army S (you're not as adaptable or mobile as you could be). My personal opinion is 1 or 5. You lose efficiencies on even numbers and 3 drop pods: Doesn't give you enough first turn offense to avoid being overwhelmed and takes an inefficient percentage (about half) of most armies off the table. Obviously you need to scale numbers based on game size.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargazer Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Hey Starbuck how can you take Rhinos to transport Termis? Btw I'm the guy bout 16 with the quartered red and black marines so might see you there on tues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatcrusade08 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Hey guys, i will probably see some of you in the coming weeks at Cambs GW. Ill be the guy running an all scout force and mumbling bad things about drop pod armies ive no doubt :( Seriously though a packed corner of the table (not too close cuz template damage), and storms to throw deepstiking/drop pods off would be fun to try. GC08 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starbuck_ Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Hey Starbuck how can you take Rhinos to transport Termis? Btw I'm the guy bout 16 with the quartered red and black marines so might see you there on tues My pa marines will be in the rhino's. What chapter is that? So in other words Warp Angel, give him first turn to save me a wasted turn of shooting. Then by holding some of my stuff in reserve like my dual preds I am able to dictate to him/her what they can and cant shoot? Finally having 2 of my squads in rhino's + scoring terminators gives me a chance to out menourver and the counter attack him/her at a time of my choosing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargazer Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 It's my own chapter The Knights Sanguine but anyway look forward to seeing you guys and perhaps playing a few games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warp Angel Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Hey Starbuck how can you take Rhinos to transport Termis? Btw I'm the guy bout 16 with the quartered red and black marines so might see you there on tues My pa marines will be in the rhino's. What chapter is that? So in other words Warp Angel, give him first turn to save me a wasted turn of shooting. Then by holding some of my stuff in reserve like my dual preds I am able to dictate to him/her what they can and cant shoot? Finally having 2 of my squads in rhino's + scoring terminators gives me a chance to out menourver and the counter attack him/her at a time of my choosing? Pretty much. You need to find the right balance between reserves and deployed, as well as what to reserve/deploy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Gathurn Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Posibly take some tac squads in drop pods and a bunch of land speeders (vary the weapons) or whatever DA have thats mobile and dishes out many shots. The only problem with that is that your own tac squads would be targets. Hmm I'll have to think on that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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