Building a Drop pod ONLY army.

[RIGHT-Titan]

Well the title says it all...

 

I'm turning my land based marines into the Angels of Death. At least I hope to. My goal is to field an army that is entirely borne from Drop Pods or deepstriking, while still remaining competitive. The biggest problem I think I'll run into is getting heavy anti-tank weapons to bear.

 

I'm thinking of using my Heavy Support slots to drop in 2-3 Thunderfire Cannons. They should put the hurt on enemy infantry pretty badly, but the real challenge is going to be liberating them from their metal boxes.

 

How can we make it work brothers? I want to strike from the skies with holy fury, help me get there.

 

I am thinking so far something along these lines:

 

Unknown HQ - Possibly Librarian with Gate

 

Tac Squad in Pod

Tac Squad in Pod

Ironclad in Pod

Ironclad in Pod

Thunderfire in Pod

Thunderfire in Pod

Thunderfire in Pod

 

It gets pricey fast though. Looking at 3 point levels. 1850 as the primary, 1500 and 1000 points as secondary goals.

 

I could do some landspeeders, either Tornado or Typhoon variants. 2 Krak shots each has the potential to do some damage while keeping range.

 

I can also look to the humble tac squad or devastator squad, although I've never fielded them before, due to other things clogging up the heavy slots (cough vindicators...)

 

Goal in mind, what works? What doesn't? Help me find my way.

[Jackelope King]

I'm thinking of using my Heavy Support slots to drop in 2-3 Thunderfire Cannons. They should put the hurt on enemy infantry pretty badly, but the real challenge is going to be liberating them from their metal boxes.

The thunderfires will be dead before they even get a chance to warm up, most likely. They need to be dug into heavy, bolstered cover to stand a chance at surviving. I'm not a fan of the Thunderfire Cannon, thanks to the terrible artillery rules in 5th edition, and giving up what might be their only chance at shooting to drop them in seems like a mistake.

 

Otherwise, make sure you stick to an odd number of pods. The more control you have over the drops, the better!

[RIGHT-Titan]

True enough. The heavy weapon/no move and shoot does hurt them a bit. I'm not sure what to do here really. I like the idea of 12 Heavy blasts a turn... and if they do get stuck in some cover they should be pretty hard to remove. Most of the time they'd have 2+/3+ cover.

 

In their stead, if you are opposed to them, what would you fit in there?

[Chapter Master Ignis Domus]

If you drop them, they'll easily be assaulted and destroyed. Plus, they can't shoot on the turn they come in, so you lose a lot of shooting. I might recommend dumping locators on some pods and bringing in some form of termies.

[Jackelope King]

True enough. The heavy weapon/no move and shoot does hurt them a bit. I'm not sure what to do here really. I like the idea of 12 Heavy blasts a turn... and if they do get stuck in some cover they should be pretty hard to remove. Most of the time they'd have 2+/3+ cover.

 

In their stead, if you are opposed to them, what would you fit in there?

Analyze Drop Pods for one. You're going for what amounts to an alpha strike. Having to sit and twiddle your thumbs on turn one doesn't behoove this style of play.

 

So you want to hit hard. A librarian isn't a bad HQ (in my mind, it's usually the best), but this is one case where I'd consider a Master of the Forge. Being able to take Dreads as Heavy Support, either with Sternguard as Elites or spamming 6 Dreads, opens up some utility for your Heavy Support in a Drop Pod list. An option to consider if you're not able to get enough firepower on the ground otherwise. Drop in your heavy hitters to start things going. Your first wave will need Melta weaponry to open up some vehicles, so your anti-infantry options can start doing their jobs. Dreads can do this, as can sternguard.

 

Be wary of the two main defenses against drop pods: the enemy can castle and protect more critical units, or he can simply go all into reserves and alpha-strike you. Codex: Blood Angels gets Blood Lance... Librarians in Codex: Space Marines don't. The closest we can manage is Vortex of Doom, which isn't nearly as scary, and will require the Librarian wear Terminator Armor in a Drop Pod list.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Jackelope has the same idea as I -- a Master of the Forge to move Dreadnoughts into the Heavy slots. Use them for your anti-tank firepower with assault cannons and multimeltas and Riflemen, and the occasional melta from your Tacticals and perhaps some Sternguard (if you so choose).

 

As for the MOTF's gear, you have three real options: leave him bare to save points, fit him out for close combat (best bet being PW, pistol, and digital weapons), or swap his harness for a conversion beamer. What I plan to do for mine is my drop pod list is to give him a beamer and stick him with a Tactical Squad dropping in the backfield on Turn One with a lascannon or plasma cannon for fire support (and in most scenarios, to hold an objective). It's not the best bet, but at least I might get some good damage out him.

[RIGHT-Titan]

Some very good ideas. I'm well versed on the benefits of Melta, and all my tac squads were going to take plenty. Most of them having a melta and a combi-melta, then some variation of a heavy weapon.

 

I had also added a small sternguard unit, I think 5 man at the moment... and the librarian was going to ride with them. I had given them a bunch of combi weapons too.

 

Master of the Forge is a good idea though. I like the idea of sitting them in a 3+ cover piece in the backfield. I could even throw him in with some scouts or something with camo cloaks. 2+ cover for the lulz.

 

I think you're right in trying to get more dreadnoughts in the list. I think if you're going to go drop pods, then it's crucial. Some autocannon or lascannon or even plasma cannon dreads would probably be pretty effective at opening things up a bit. Riflemen dreads should handle Dark Eldar pretty easily I think, and lascannon/plasma dreads should be able to deal with tougher stuff.

[Ming]

Yes, more dreads, or sternguard. Speeders. Dreads are your tanks. Other buffs are importan as well. And practise, practise...

[hazardousZERO]

Agreed here. MotF and a bunch of dreads. Call yourself the o i dont know Iron Hands maybe. I did it when I played the IH fun times.

[RIGHT-Titan]

It's going to end up being a pre-heresy army though. LoL the idea of converting that many dreads to be era appropriate makes me vomit a little.

[spartan249]

One thing you want to try out with your pod army will be having some sort of infiltrating board control. Something that will punish castling opponents by closing off their escape route and helping even the playing field by having more of your army present on turn 1. The primary reason why castling works is that they are pitting 100% of their army against approximately 50% of yours.

 

In this way, Shrike can help you cover the weaknesses of Devastators or Assault Terminators by getting them into favorable positions and applying pressure to your opponent. Infiltrating devastators into that piece of high ground when your opponent has reserved everything can help you provide good fire support for your dropping troops when those reserves do come in. Infiltrating terminators as close to the enemy formation as possible, then supporting their advance by dropping a few units to obliterate transports/whittle down the bubble wrap for them, works much better than simply dropping troops all around against anti-drop tactics.

[Brother Xeones]

Some excellent advice has already been handed out here so I have little to add, but I suggest you check out THIS thread from the Tactica Astartes Project.

 

You definitely want an MoTF so you can switch the dreadnoughts to heavy support slots. Not only are dreadnoughts the best HS slot option for a typical All-Pod list, but, as others have said, moving them to a heavy slot also frees up your elites for either more dreadnoughts, or other things like sternguard or terminators.

 

Deus Ex Ferrum's suggested loadout for the MotF (Powerweapon, Pistol, and Digital Weapons) is a very good option. Don't think of this kit so much as a dedicated CC build, but as a deterrent for being charged after you drop in. 5 PW attacks (with a re-roll to wound) even without the charge is not something your opponent should take likely.

 

A slightly controversial suggestion would be to swap out his bolt pistol for a plasma pistol. This, combined with the tl-plasma pistol from the harness, allows the MotF two plasma shots at 12 inches. Will it blow up in your face sometimes? Yes. But you do have two wounds and a 2+ save so it's not as suicidal as you might think. A MotF is just about the only HQ I'd ever consider taking a PP on. Even then, I'd only take the PP sometimes though as the 15 points can often be spent elsewhere.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

A quick addendum to Xeones' post -- also remember that the MOTF may be WS4, but he's BS5, so taking a plasma pistol means that those two plasma shots are hitting on 2+ (and one of them being twinlinked means you get to reroll it, saving you from Gets Hot!).

[Brother Xeones]

A quick addendum to Xeones' post -- also remember that the MOTF may be WS4, but he's BS5, so taking a plasma pistol means that those two plasma shots are hitting on 2+ (and one of them being twinlinked means you get to reroll it, saving you from Gets Hot!).

 

Good point. The BS5 is really one of the key features that make this build worth considering in the first place.

[gettothegone]

Master of the Forge / Servo

Drop Pod - Tacticals

Drop Pod - Tacticals

Drop Pod - Tacticals

Drop Pod - Tacticals

Drop Pod - Assault Squadx5

Drop Pod - Assault Squadx5

Drop Pod - MM/HF Dread

Drop Pod - MM/HF Dread

Drop Pod - MM/HF Dread

Drop Pod - MM/HF Dread

Drop Pod - MM/HF Dread

Drop Pod - MM/HF Dread

 

I'm not 100% sure of points but should be close to 1850.

 

6 Pods first turn, drop all your Dreads.

 

Drop scoring where you need it, drop 5 man throwaway assault squads where applicable.

 

I've run this army before with pretty good results. Its terrible vs mobile armies, and reserve armies. Its also terrible against tarpit armies such as Tyranids as your dreads can get locked into combat forever and then ignored.

 

VS Mech though, this army can cause a real huge headache. Beware of bubblewrap and castling. If they bubble wrap, drop a few dreads, get rid of the bubble wrap with flamer spam, then drop the rest when you need to punch tanks in the face.

 

Vary up your tactical squads some for defence, some for offence, *multi meltas or missles* Try to keep the prices down.

 

The assault squads are just there to bump you to 12 pods. You can run it with 11 as well and still get the same effect.

[spartan249]

that list is about 2090 pts. It's also rather... lackluster in terms of killing power.

[gettothegone]

Drop a tactical, should bring you in line.

 

As for killing power, depends on what you're playing against. But then again if you play the same way against every army, then I guess it would seem lacking yes.

[waaanial00]

Throw in a few scout bikers with Locator beacons, rather fluffy addition IMO, and you have greater accuracy of pod deployment. Nothing worse than having all your pods go slightly awry and ending up just out of the range of your guns.

 

Dont discount a full MM dev squad in a pod, dropped near a key place on the battlefield and you will act as a decent area denial unit.

 

Despite the fact that I find the Thunderfire to be effective it doesnt belong in this list. Either you deploy all three and use the pods as objecting contesters, in which case the enemy has far too much time to shoot at you with all his/her guns if you dont get first turn, or you waste their shooting potential by coming in at the wrong time. They have their place but its not in this list.

 

If you are going Landspeeders then generally MM/HF are decent for deep striking, Typhoons are decent for just floating onto the board. MM speeders need to be close, whereas Typhoons generally do better at a distance (better survivability if heavy weapons are busy shooting up the dreadnoughts which have just arrived in front of their important units)