Help!

[Stargazer]

I run a reasonably successful army list including 5 drop pods, but would like some help on tactics

 

My main problem is when my opponent decides to start their whole army in reserve, this makes my life very difficult as it means I either need to set up at the back of the board and drop my pods empty, however this means I have almost no mobility and lack the long range firepower to be effective.

 

The second option is to Drop anyway but this always seems to leave me in a no-mans land and my opponent can easily out manoeuvre me and bring his most effective troops to bear on whatever has come out of the pods.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

Many thanks

 

Stargazer

[Giga]

The way I understand the rules, you can't land empty drop pods. The units who have dedicated transport drop pods must start the game inside their drop pods

[Grey Mage]

The way I understand the rules, you can't land empty drop pods. The units who have dedicated transport drop pods must start the game inside their drop pods

 

Wrong.

 

There is no rule, anywhere, that says a transport or dedicated transport must start with a unit in it.

 

Drop pods are just a dedicated transport. As long as a squad has the option to take it... the choice is perfectly legal. You can deploy on the ground have the pod come down and join your forces.

 

So what you need to do is start taking some heavy weapons with a decent range in your lists and then using the DPs to block LOS and castle up a bit. Works well. Perhaps if you showed your list I could give better advice.

[Koremu]

Drop Pod with a Devastator Squad inside. Drop it on a mid-board objective (one your opponent can't reach with his units from is board edge) and run like hell for cover.

 

If you do his with 3 Pods, including a Dreadnought and a Tactical Squad, then your opponent has just given up the Tactical advantage *and* allowed you to Pod onto an Objective, and he now has to advance into a position held by a Dev squad and Dreadnought.

 

Bonus points are awarded for cunning use of Deathwind and Locator Pods.

[My_Craft_is_Death]

I guess I am not seeing what the insurmountable problem is with your opponent placing his whole army in reserve? :P

 

Admittedly it does give him some very useful flexibility in reacting to your deployment, bringing on each unit where it is most advantagous for him, but on the other hand if he is playing the Reserves rule properly, there are some significant penalties involved, you just need to take advantage of those penalties he has. Since you start out on the board alone, that gives you the opportunity to move without fear of shooting or assault for the first turn, it allows you to deal with his army piece-meal as they come on (otherwise known as "defeat in detail") and chances are it will be at least the third or fourth turn before his whole force is on the board, which means at least 2-3 missed turns of shooting/assaulting for those late comers as well as 2-3 turns during which he will be outnumbered.

 

I would use the less contested initial turns to fort up on objectives (if you are playing missions that use them) or in table quarters or whatever the victory conditions may specify, use multiple units to shoot/assaut his individual units as they come onto the board, and just accomplish as much as I can before his whole force is on the table.

 

Reserves can require a change of tactics to address, but they are not automatically a game-winning situation. You just need to be aware of not only the benefits of the special rules, but also the drawbacks. :D

[Hellios]

The main problem is your playing against a fast list especially if it has reserve modifiers (such as mech eldar with Autarch) otherwise like others have said just come up with a plan rather than reacting to what the enemy does... be ready :P