Drop Pod Assault Army

[Vilicate]

I did a search and honestly didn't find anything regarding this.

 

How do people feel about running a fully-drop podding army? I've been working on a list for my Flesh Tearers and I'm wondering if I'm coming to some of the same conclusions as others who play BA.

 

Anyone have any experiences to share?

[Murcielago]

In my personal opinion, drop pods are the way to go.

 

Maybe not a whole army with them but a few scattered around your opponent changes the game. Whenever I play against my best friend (imperial fists space marines) and whenever i drop pod a death company dreadnought right next to devastators and say smoke launchers, he practically poops his pants. Then my drop pod shoots the deathwind launcher and drops half a squad of marines typically and I have a wide cheshire cat grin...

 

So, all in all...I love them

[jeremy1391]

U cant shoot with a pod on the turn it lands.

Against an all pod army menu people just reserve everything.....

It can be effective, but it is a one trick pony.

[vharing]

Right now I am working on a list that is all drop pods except 2 squads of scout bikers with locator beacons. My idea is to have the bikes boost forward to the enemy lines or as close to as possible and remain safe as their scout move. On my first turn half my drop pods containing the bulk of my heavy hitters come in without scattering, the rest of the pods with contain RAS and deepstrike on objectives. The only problem is if my opponent gets first turn I will need to hit the scouts somewhere.

[Brother Landrain]

U cant shoot with a pod on the turn it lands.

Against an all pod army menu people just reserve everything.....

It can be effective, but it is a one trick pony.

 

 

Well, if they reserve everything.

 

I sure will not mind having 50% of my army in their deployment zone using DP's as cover just waiting to charge them as they enter piecemeal...

[Vilicate]

This is sort of what I'm thinking about taking at 2k; I'm feeling that more bodies equals more winning.

 

HQ:

Seth

Librarian w/ Shield and Sword

Honor Guard w/ Pod, 3 Meltas and PW

 

Elites:

Priest w/ PW

Furioso w/ Frag, Meltagun, Pod

 

Troops:

4 x 10 Assault Marines w/ 2 Meltas, Power Fist; Pod

 

Fast Attack:

8 Vanguard w/ 2 Power Weapons, Glaive and TH; Pod

 

Heavy Support:

Dread w/ MM and Pod

 

We'll see though, I guess this type of army is more about fun than winning all the time.

[WarpWalker]

Vilicate, if your not using Heroic Intervition on the Vanguard, your really paying too much for that squad. An 8 man death company with 2x powerfists

would be cheaper and just as deadly. Or Sternguard with cheap combi-weapons?

[Murcielago]

Quick newbie question. Where does it say that you cant shoot with the drop pod when it arrives???

 

Does that include the troops or dreadnought that walked out of it as well, because I dont think it does considering that things can shoot right after disembarking...

[Jakobus]

A Droppod is not a 'Fast' vehicle and when it arrives its counted as moving faster than 6". So unless you have dodgey Black Templar Droppods no shooting.

 

Dreads and Troops can shoot, but count as moving

[Aramis_the_Red]

I find drop pod armies to be strong against a lot of mech armies because of the ability to drop a lot of melta in their face first turn to neutralize their vehicles on the drop or as they come on the board from reserves. As a bonus, if they reserve everything, drop pods allow you to shore up objectives starting first turn.

 

The weaknesses of a drop pod list is versus hoard armies coming ob from reserves. You'll tend to find yourself too close to them to keep them from wiping you out up close.

 

Also, you will find yourself at a disadvantage in kill point missions.

 

Despite that, Drop pod armies are a blast! And, as an added bonus, they are extremely fluffy for a marine army.

[vharing]

A Droppod is not a 'Fast' vehicle and when it arrives its counted as moving faster than 6". So unless you have dodgey Black Templar Droppods no shooting.

 

Dreads and Troops can shoot, but count as moving

 

Umm to my knowledge a drop is deep striking not 'moving' when it comes on the table. Can you point me to where it says they move.

[Jakobus]

A Droppod is not a 'Fast' vehicle and when it arrives its counted as moving faster than 6". So unless you have dodgey Black Templar Droppods no shooting.

 

Dreads and Troops can shoot, but count as moving

 

Umm to my knowledge a drop is deep striking not 'moving' when it comes on the table. Can you point me to where it says they move.

 

p95 under Deepstrike - ...vehicles count as having moved at cruising speed

[blankmass]

Stormbolters are strength 4. ie defensive weapons, you can still fire them.

[Aramis_the_Red]

Stormbolters are strength 4. ie defensive weapons, you can still fire them.

 

I believe the initial argument was about the Deathwind Launcher, which is strength 5 and thus cannot fire on the turn the pod arrives.

[Jakobus]

Stormbolters are strength 4. ie defensive weapons, you can still fire them.

 

I believe the initial argument was about the Deathwind Launcher, which is strength 5 and thus cannot fire on the turn the pod arrives.

 

Actually you can fire niether the Stormbolter or the Deathwind. If you look at the Vehicles moving and Shooting summary chart on page 73 you will note that at Cruising Speed, the speed at which a droppod is counted as moving on the turn it arrives, you can fire No Weapons also note that the asterix is not there to indicate you can use defensive weapons. You can not fire a defensive weapon if you move at Cruising Speed on a non-Fast vehicle

[Aramis_the_Red]

Stormbolters are strength 4. ie defensive weapons, you can still fire them.

 

I believe the initial argument was about the Deathwind Launcher, which is strength 5 and thus cannot fire on the turn the pod arrives.

 

Actually you can fire niether the Stormbolter or the Deathwind. If you look at the Vehicles moving and Shooting summary chart on page 73 you will note that at Cruising Speed, the speed at which a droppod is counted as moving on the turn it arrives, you can fire No Weapons also note that the asterix is not there to indicate you can use defensive weapons. You can not fire a defensive weapon if you move at Cruising Speed on a non-Fast vehicle

 

While I'm not disagreeing with you(don't want to argue rules when I'm not sure I'm right and don't have a rulebook in fron of me), I do think we are highjacking this thread at this point. This should really be discussed in a thread dealing with specific drop pod rules, not on one that is an overall opinion thread on the viability of a drop pod assault army.

[Burningblood]

Guys.

Drop pods have POTMS.

Read your codex.

[Red Fury]

:D No they don't. I read my codex, and the pups codex and the smurfs too, no potms anywhere to be found.

And it is not a fast vehicle and counts as moving at cruising speed on arrival. No weapons may be fired.

 

The deathwind launcher does cause a bit of panic though and make the drop pod a priority target instead of being able to deal with it at your leisure, possibly absorbing some of the fire that would have went into the freshly disembarked squad.

 

I like drop pods and try to include a dread or two in a pod whenever I can. I don't care for the new 'drop pod assault' rule but it might work out all right if you have half your army coming in that way...

[Grey Mage]

U cant shoot with a pod on the turn it lands.

Against an all pod army menu people just reserve everything.....

It can be effective, but it is a one trick pony.

Who cares if they reserve everything?

 

Your slamming down anyways... so enjoy the extra time theyve given you- If your going first via deployment, then simply drop into areas that set up good lines of fire and black lanes of fire and travel, move up your support units to more advantageous positions, and ready yourself for the assault.

 

If your going second, then by all means deploy units with good ranged capabilities that you dont necessarily want up front- like a good tactical squad for instance. Then drop in empty pods in locations that cut down on his deployment opertunities and force him to come out in front of your guns and pound him while you wait for your successive waves to come in.

 

Seriously, reserving everything is far more of a one trick pony then a DP army, and there are for more efficient ways for most armies to deal with it. Though Eldar can pull it off remarkably well, and DoW deployment will help some.

 

A BA DP force in and of itself has little to nothing going for it that a codex SM army doesnt and SWs certainly do it the best of the modern codices, but mixed into a combined armys force I think theyre far more valuable in moderation for a BA army.

 

I think that DPs should be a secondairy consideration for a BA army, at best. Fast vehicles are such a marvelous advantage, and your troops are much better on the charge then receiving it. Now, that doesnt mean that a DP assault is worthless by any means, I simply think it would be better to drop in a pair of Dreads and pods with homers on them and keep a tac squad in a pod for reserves. Then use those beacons to bring in your RAS and VV safely and reliably, the latter getting an even better chance to assault.