Drop Pods

[Rythlan]

I know this has to have been asked before, but I cannot find it in my searching.

 

What do the drop pod doors count as exactly?

 

Can I deploy the contents of my pod within 2" of the tip of one of these doors? Or do I have to be within 2" of the base?

 

Can units of either team move over these doors? Are the doors difficult terrain?

 

If you can only see a door, can you still shoot at the drop pod (with cover of course)?

 

Does the targeter on the drop pod stop the doors from hitting terrain when they open too? Or can I park that bad tear drop right next to a wall and just not have one door open completely (effectively smashing into the wall). Does this damage my drop pod as well?

 

These are several questions that have came up with my friends and I while playing. We are all fairly new to this game and are unsure where to find expanded explanation on these damn doors.

 

Thanks for the help!

[Tesama]

To answer all your questions:

1. You deploy 2" from the centre of the model.

2.It is NOT difficult terrain and any models can move over the doors.

3. If you can only see a door you cannot shoot at the whole drop pod.

4. The targeters only move the main drop pod body 2" away from cover, if one or two doors can't open then your models deploy from the other side and your drop pod doesn't get damaged if doors cannot fully open.

 

I hope this helps.

[Mal]

Well there was quite an argument (aka heated discussion) over this issue...

 

Its actually a bit of a grey area.

 

Personally I believe that all measurements should be taken from the hull of the pod not the doors, since this is the general held rule for all vehicles and lets face it, those pod doors are BIG, so it would be a bit cheeky to land and then disembark about 8 inches away from the hull of the pod....

 

Personally i'd check with your opponent before the match as that will save problems later on.

[Rythlan]

Ok, I agree within 2" of the hull, and everything else stated. It seems like 2" of the center would leave you with less than 1" of actual eployment area. I don't think you could even get 10 marines in that.

 

Thanks for the replies!

[Brother Gothard]

Yes that it indeed certainly wrong - why would only drop pods follow this arbitrary and unwritten rule?

 

I think the last time this debate raged, we concluded that you disembark from the HULL of the pod, not the doors, but that if you still count the doors as "part of the model," then neither you nor your enemy can move over them.

 

Personally, I am of the view that this is how it should be done: 2" from the pod hull, count the doors as part of the model, creating a huge footprint of impassable terrain and potential cover, for both you and your enemy. If you take a look at pg 66 of the disembarking rules, it says "2" from an access point," and for emergency disembarking it says "2" from the hull." The "access point" diagram clearly shows them disembarking 2" from the hull where there is an access point, and not the doors.

 

However, if the doors of the model were down, it would not change the disembarking rules, but it would change the footprint of the model.

 

Anyway, I think enough has been said.

[Obliterator]

Drop pod doors count as doors IMHO, so nothing special (no special rules for terrain etc.). There are no rules for Rhino doors, so there shouldn't be special rules for drop pod doors (even if they are friggin' HUGE).

 

Drop pods are vehicles, so you deploy your troops within 2" of the hull of the model (page 67 of the BBB).

 

If you want to fire at a vehicle, you need to be able to see the hull or a turret (BBB p.60).

[Brother Gothard]

Drop pod doors count as doors IMHO, so nothing special (no special rules for terrain etc.). There are no rules for Rhino doors, so there shouldn't be special rules for drop pod doors (even if they are friggin' HUGE).

Right. But there are no rules for "doors" as far as I know, and so when I mentioned terrain I was attempting to address the follow-up question of, "Well, okay, but how do we treat the extended doors?"

 

The doors are treated as impassable terrain for both friendly and enemy models. I.e., just like you cannot move through or on friendly vehicles or enemy models or vehicles, you cannot move through or on extended drop pod doors.

 

...right?

[Rythlan]

Just throwing this out there (and I know people hate the "but in real life" arguments) but wouldn't the units moving out of the drop pod have to walk over the doors (akin to a rhino) thus making them perfectly passable terrain?

 

Along with Obliterators comment, I would think the doors would be pretty much ignored. But it sounds like this has been a fiery topic in the past that can have to real conclusion without the official FAQ I have been hearing so much about.

[pwrserge]

That's why I build my drop pods closed. Saves a heck of a lot of arguments. If it looks like it would be an issue, just don't open the doors.

[Isiah]

This has been extensively discussed here Deploying from Drop Pods, How far?.

 

So have a trawl through there for the arguments so please add/ask something new if you have it. Personally there isn't a clear cut answer to this as three sets of rules seem to conflict:

 

• that of measuring distances from a vehicle (ie from the hull);

• what is considered "decoration" (ie are drop pods doors decoration and therefore not counted for measuring purposes);

• and the rule for disembarking from an open-topped vehicle (ie disemabarking with 2" of 'any part of the vehicle').

 

One for the Grey Area list I'd say :lol:. In the meantime this one is closed to save reapeating the same old arguments.