Empty Drop Pods

[The Rose Princes]

so i was posed the question of deploying a Tact Squad, splitting them with Combat Patrol but still leaving the purchased Drop Pod in reserves to drop later on in the game to block line of sight for Broadsides, Heavy Weapons Teams, or other hugging the table edge heavy units.

 

 

Can you pick a Drop Pod but not put the unit in it?

 

 

 

 

i tried search but nothing was detailed it.

 

thank you for your help in advance.

[IronDuke]

As far as I know yes. I am looking at doing the same thing vs horde armies, but putting a deathwind in it ;)

ID

[Rohaen]

I asked this same question direction to GW in an email almost a year ago

 

Original question I posed to them:

"Can a drop pod be deployed empty, or must it contain a unit of some type?

The Codex is unclear on this, and I hear conflicting accounts amongst my gaming community.

 

ie: May I select a drop pod, arm it w/ a deathwind launcher, and have it land via deep strike (empty) inside enemy lines?"

 

Response I received:

"You can deploy a drop pod empty, but it still has to be purchased for a unit and that unit may not have any other transports."

 

Hope that helps. This came from their customer service department.

 

Based on that explanation I think you're good to go.

 

~Rohaen

[Wildfire]

First off, ignore any replies by email or telephone "rulez boyz". They're wrong better than half the time, and even their wrong answers conflict. It's better to roll a die than call them.

 

Logic for empty drop pods is very simple. You buy a squad. If the entry permits, that squad may take a single transport. You do not have to deploy inside that transport, instead deploying normally. A drop pod is a transport. Hence, you are not required to deploy in the drop pod.

[Leonaides]

However - both the squad and its transport have to deploy at the same time. So you cant have the squad on the board at the start of the game, and the pod in reserve to use Drop-Pod assault. Equally, you cannot use Drop-pod assault to have the unit come in automatically in your first turn sincve they are not using the drop-pod to enter play (so they must be rolled for as normal reserves).

 

You could deploy the pod on the battlefield like a normal vehicle (so in your deployment zone and at the normal time - no waiting till the other guy's deployed or anything).

 

Just a few things your ooponent may say to you if/when you try this one. See also all the discussions in the BA forum about "bunker-pods" from about a year ago.

[The Rose Princes]

but i thought drop pods HAD to be put in reserves? therefore the whole unit would HAVE to be in reserves if the drop pod is being used?

[Kephri]

As far as I know, you can deploy pods empty.

However they still follow the drop pod assault rules.

So if you had empty pods, half come down in round 1, the rest come down as per reserves.

 

I am not aware of a restriction stating that a squad and it's transport must be deployed at the same time. (though if they are starting in the transport they do arrive/deploy at the same time)

 

I could be wrong.

[Grey Mage]

However - both the squad and its transport have to deploy at the same time. So you cant have the squad on the board at the start of the game, and the pod in reserve to use Drop-Pod assault. Equally, you cannot use Drop-pod assault to have the unit come in automatically in your first turn sincve they are not using the drop-pod to enter play (so they must be rolled for as normal reserves).

 

You could deploy the pod on the battlefield like a normal vehicle (so in your deployment zone and at the normal time - no waiting till the other guy's deployed or anything).

 

Just a few things your ooponent may say to you if/when you try this one. See also all the discussions in the BA forum about "bunker-pods" from about a year ago.

Can you give an actual rules quote that says you HAVE to deploy both unit, ie the Infantry unit and its dedicated transport, at the same time? That you cannot reserve a rhino in DOW but deploy its tactical squad?

 

Thats what Id ask in return. In the game, including deployment, they are seperate units- just one can, using the normal rules, be embarked inside the other during deployment if I so choose.

 

And I dont know what your codex says, but mine says that DPs must always deploy via DS.... no other option there.

[Frosty the Pyro]

However - both the squad and its transport have to deploy at the same time. So you cant have the squad on the board at the start of the game, and the pod in reserve to use Drop-Pod assault. Equally, you cannot use Drop-pod assault to have the unit come in automatically in your first turn sincve they are not using the drop-pod to enter play (so they must be rolled for as normal reserves).

 

You could deploy the pod on the battlefield like a normal vehicle (so in your deployment zone and at the normal time - no waiting till the other guy's deployed or anything).

 

Just a few things your ooponent may say to you if/when you try this one. See also all the discussions in the BA forum about "bunker-pods" from about a year ago.

This is false. The transport is a seperate unit, it has no restriction to come into play at the same time as its parent unit. You may not deploy a drop pod like a normal vehicle, it MUST be placed in reserves as per its own rules.

 

As far as I know yes. I am looking at doing the same thing vs horde armies, but putting a deathwind in it

ID

Just remember that a drop pod may not fire the turn it lands, due to deepstriking vehicles counting as moveing at cruising speed, and drop pods not being "fast"

[Agrab]

I do this all of the time, but usually to ensure that my selected troop come down first turn

You can decide not to use the DP as a transport (during deployment). At such, the DP and the troop are separate units, and are rolled separately

 

 

THE DP must come down via deepstrike, and half (rounded up) must come down first turn. You can use this to ensure your dreadnaughts are in first turn, or to keep your stuff out for later

[Bobman]

I do this all of the time, but usually to ensure that my selected troop come down first turn

You can decide not to use the DP as a transport (during deployment). At such, the DP and the troop are separate units, and are rolled separately

 

 

THE DP must come down via deepstrike, and half (rounded up) must come down first turn. You can use this to ensure your dreadnaughts are in first turn, or to keep your stuff out for later

 

As you said you'd roll seperatly for the units, so how would your dreadnaughts come in first turn?

[Frosty the Pyro]

When you put units into reserve you must declare how they will enter, if they will be embarked on a transport, and if any IC have joined the unit. you will roll together for the transport and any unit embarked inside the transport.

 

Unless you are asking a different question then its simple

 

you have 2 dreadnaughts and each take a drop pod. Half of the drop pods arive first turn via drop pod assault. So thats one dreadnaught. Now if you also purchase a pod for tactical squad, but do not embark the squad (aka empty pod) then you now have 3 pods, and half of that (rounding up) is two, so now BOTH dreadnaughts arive first turn and the empty pod arives at some later time as per standard reserve rules.

[Agrab]

I do this all of the time, but usually to ensure that my selected troop come down first turn

You can decide not to use the DP as a transport (during deployment). At such, the DP and the troop are separate units, and are rolled separately

 

 

THE DP must come down via deepstrike, and half (rounded up) must come down first turn. You can use this to ensure your dreadnaughts are in first turn, or to keep your stuff out for later

 

As you said you'd roll seperatly for the units, so how would your dreadnaughts come in first turn?

 

Sorry, my dreds would come in in their DPs guaranteed first turn

Frosty explained it well

[werewolf_nr]

Can you give an actual rules quote that says you HAVE to deploy both unit, ie the Infantry unit and its dedicated transport, at the same time? That you cannot reserve a rhino in DOW but deploy its tactical squad?

 

Thats what Id ask in return. In the game, including deployment, they are seperate units- just one can, using the normal rules, be embarked inside the other during deployment if I so choose.

 

And I dont know what your codex says, but mine says that DPs must always deploy via DS.... no other option there.

 

After re-reading the transports section of the rulebook and reserves section, there is nothing that says a dedicated transport has to arrive when it's squad does. The only restriction on dedicated transports is that they can only transport their squad onto the field, not another.

[Myxx]

There is also a GW/FW datasheet for a drop pod assault (Apoc. I think). The drop pods have multiple assault cannons or deathwind launchers and arrive without any sqauds.

[thor1234]

there is nothing in our FAQ for this but the DA FAQ says that you can purchase a squad with a drop pod, deploy the squad (combat if desired) then deploy the pod later:

 

Q. Can you take a Drop Pod with a 10-man

squad and then put a Combat squad in it,

deploying the other Combat squad on the table,

or leave it in reserve but not in the Drop Pod?

A. No, because squads that are placed in reserve

may not break down into Combat squads.

Q. Can you use a Drop Pod on its own, with no

squad inside?

A. Yes you can.

[Vulkan 94]

You can take the empty drop pod because it is a dedicated transport and it says in the rules that

It is not necessary for the purchasing unit to be embaeked on it. Its the same reason as you using a rhino to carry

Any squad that fits in

[Grey Mage]

You can take the empty drop pod because it is a dedicated transport and it says in the rules that

It is not necessary for the purchasing unit to be embaeked on it. Its the same reason as you using a rhino to carry

Any squad that fits in

That is correct.... but why the Thread Necromancy?

[Brother Anvilus]

Hmm, might as well use this opportunity to be sure :lol:

 

Does a unit ( example: Dreadnought ) HAVE to be put in reserves if you decide to NOT put it in the pod?

 

IE: can you deploy your dread on the field and let the pod rip in later?

 

thanks, anvil

[Grey Mage]

Yes, you can. The placement of the transport has nothing to do with the placement of the squad.

[Brother Anvilus]

Sweeeeet, My LGS manager popped this question when I first did it ( placed my Dread on the table and dropped the pod in his lines ) and we weren't sure that it could be played like that, since the dread and the pod are 1 FOC slot ;)

 

Any chance you could point out the rule particulars?

[Grey Mage]

Sweeeeet, My LGS manager popped this question when I first did it ( placed my Dread on the table and dropped the pod in his lines ) and we weren't sure that it could be played like that, since the dread and the pod are 1 FOC slot :P

 

Any chance you could point out the rule particulars?

Sure- check your rules for reserves, youll see everything there is 'units'. An FOC slot does not equal a unit. Some things give multiple, independant units for each FOC slot- an example being the death cult assassins of the C:DH, and Grotesques of C:DE. Each operates independantly, KPs are given up for them seperately, and unless noted otherwise they are seperate units for the purposes of reserves.... because nothing says we ignore what unit is what in favor of their FOC slot.

 

Now, in cases where a unit is put in reserves as one with other units of the same FOC slot, its stated- an example being IG infantry platoons, or SM combat squads.

 

Another being the aforementioned Rhino, wich can be deployed as its own unit- thus taking up one of the troops slots in DOW deployment. Nothing forces you to deploy the tactical squad that goes with it. This is shown in the example for the DOW deployment, where it states the Rhino is one of the two troops the SM player can deploy.

 

Does this make sense?

[Brother Anvilus]

Totally :D thanks alot GM, Virtual cookie :cuss

[The Thirst]

As far as tactics go for them I employ them against lightly armoured hordes(guard/orks and 'nids)

[Vincent Black Shadow]

I personally will never take an empty drop pod for two reasons:

 

1) why would the space marines launch an empty drop pod?

2) how did the unit for whom the drop pod is a dedicated transport get to the surface before the drop pod did?