What's the point in drop-pods?

[Sgt. Tiberus Satio]

or the can use an orbital bombardment ahead of time.

What do you mean? Drop Pods are Orbital Bombardment with Marines.

 

Orbital bombardment is a once per game ability used by the chapter master.

[The Emperor's Champion]

Realistically, everything within 3" of a landing Drop Pod should suffer a Flamestorm Cannon attack from the huge burst of jet flames that billow out under the landing Pod, but no squish.

S6, AP3? Nah...I'd guess it was more like S3 AP-. Let's face it...it's a small-scale propulsion system. It's not squirting burning hot Promethium everywhere. :)

Uh.... Promethium, no, but this is outright crazy jetfire. Drop Pods hurtle towards the ground at speeds faster than what anti-aircraft weaponry can lock on to and hit, and then in the last tiny bit of distance, before it slams into the ground and explodes, it fires retro-thrusters which are powerful enough to slow 100 tons of Drop Pod from face melting speed to a fairly gentle touchdown.

The amount of energy required to accomplish that would HAVE TO be hot enough to melt Power Armor.

[Sgt. Tiberus Satio]

Uh.... Promethium, no, but this is outright crazy jetfire. Drop Pods hurtle towards the ground at speeds faster than what anti-aircraft weaponry can lock on to and hit, and then in the last tiny bit of distance, before it slams into the ground and explodes, it fires retro-thrusters which are powerful enough to slow 100 tons of Drop Pod from face melting speed to a fairly gentle touchdown.

The amount of energy required to accomplish that would HAVE TO be hot enough to melt Power Armor.

 

Not only would it melt armour, but in the books it is described as being able to turn ground into glass because it burns so hot (I believe it was Grey Knights Omnibus reference). I want to know what kind of G-force it is pulling before it slams the marines into the ground to do their duty. I've never heard of anything proceeding to the earth as fast as this and coming to enough of a halt to let them walk away.

[thade]

Biologically I bet the marines don't have an issue with those G-Forces...which completely disregards their armor and whatever anti-grav/gravitic/inertial dampening systems are in the Pod itself (if any). Wouldn't be that weird, given Land Speeders use similar tech.

 

And Power Armor ain't just dirt and rocks; I don't see it going down to what force may be needed to decelerate a drop pod. However fast it's going, it's not a cruiser.

[Elric the Silvercoat]

I want to point out that drop pods don't have nice gentle touchdown. They is stated it alot of novels that they leave craters, punch into underground bunkers, and sometimes punch through mulitple levels of a hive city before stopping to left its cargo out. Really Drop Pods are just hollow bullets and have a rocket on the front to slow it down so it doesn't kill everything inside when it hit, but just slows it down enough its the fluff behind why you can't assault out of one. If you want to read more about Drop Pods read the Space Wolves novel about the one where they go to save the Spear of Russ.

[The Emperor's Champion]

I want to point out that drop pods don't have nice gentle touchdown. They is stated it alot of novels that they leave craters, punch into underground bunkers, and sometimes punch through mulitple levels of a hive city before stopping to left its cargo out.

Some of that is inaccurate depictions of how they're supposed to work/be used.

But "fairly gentle" is a relative thing for a 100 ton falling object. Between the impact and the extreme downward force of the retro-thrusters it'll probably make a good crater, that much weight dropping onto an underground bunker will probably knock a hole in the roof even in a relatively "gentle" impact.

 

There's just no reason to attempt to Drop Pod onto or through a hive city. The sudden impacts and violently getting knocked around as it tumbles out of control is a good way to kill the occupants, Marines or not. If you want to land a Drop Pod in a hive city you use Lance strikes to knock the hole through the structure to the place you want to land, and THEN you drop a Pod through it.

[thade]

If you want to land a Drop Pod in a hive city you use Lance strikes to knock the hole through the structure to the place you want to land, and THEN you drop a Pod through it.

However, the Rule of Cool says it's way cooler for the Pod to hammer its way through to precisely where they want it to land.

 

Which accounts for a great deal of the way this tech is all described. ;)

[Sgt. Tiberus Satio]

I want to point out that drop pods don't have nice gentle touchdown. They is stated it alot of novels that they leave craters, punch into underground bunkers, and sometimes punch through mulitple levels of a hive city before stopping to left its cargo out. Really Drop Pods are just hollow bullets and have a rocket on the front to slow it down so it doesn't kill everything inside when it hit, but just slows it down enough its the fluff behind why you can't assault out of one. If you want to read more about Drop Pods read the Space Wolves novel about the one where they go to save the Spear of Russ.

 

Isn't the book called "Sons of Russ" or something, I believe I have that novel (if I am thinking of the correct one). Had Dark Angels in there with them hunting a fallen, while fighting the wolves, good times.

[Chapter Master Ignis Domus]

No, that's different. This one is called Wolf's Honor, I think.

[Elric the Silvercoat]

No, that's different. This one is called Wolf's Honor, I think.

I think your correct its the Second one in the series and they used drop pods to get to the surface and the way they described it was something that any Marines doesn't want to do. Ever. Not even a Dreadnought.

[Leonaides]

Given that it has been said a normal human would be killed by the impact, i dont think a drop pod lands particularly softly...

[Capt_Darius]

I want to know what kind of G-force it is pulling before it slams the marines into the ground to do their duty. I've never heard of anything proceeding to the earth as fast as this and coming to enough of a halt to let them walk away.

I imagine the G-Force is something akin to this video.

 

[Ming]

Played 2 games this week using a pod list for fun. 1850. For fluff reasons (and that I have only 3 pods) the list is split - fictionally half of the force has podded down (off-board) and deployed onto the battlefield. This half consists of devastators, scouts, etc. Then the tactical marines and sternguard and HQs arrive turn 1 as the second wave. The comes reserves by pod. Draw vs MechEldar, Win vs GKs.

 

To the original post:

 

In the current 5th edition world, pods have only two real tactical uses:

 

1. Having a pod to drop in your shock-troop dreadnaught (like an Ironclad, or venerable) so it gets into the enemy backfield on turn 1.

 

2. Using nothing but pods for ALL units to drop right on the enemy and just go for the win.

 

Going half way (like I did above) can be very bad. Sometimes you get lucky.

 

As far as VALUE for your dollar - buy a razorback instead - as it can be used as a rhino or a multitude of razorback variants. Most flexible transport model kit in the game. IIRR Forgeworld still sells pods....at the original price? Crazy...

 

The plastic Pod kits are nice though. Mine are painted for use by Ultras or BAs (red and blue), as a fleet asset, so to speak.

[NeoSamurai]

I like using drop pods to contest objectives late game. My opponent focuses so much effort on the payload, they often ignore the non-moving vehicle that's keeping them from scoring before its too late.

[DarkGuard]

I like using drop pods to contest objectives late game. My opponent focuses so much effort on the payload, they often ignore the non-moving vehicle that's keeping them from scoring before its too late.

 

The major problem with this tactic being you need quite a few pods, resulting in the first elements of your army being unsupported, while your late objective grabbing is left at the mercy of the dice gods unless you bring Tiggy along for the ride.

 

IMO, the easiest and best way to use a Pod is to drop a suicidal melta unit for an alpha strike on enemy mech. That being said, I prefer Rhinos every time for anything, more reliable, and easier to take with you to a game.

[thade]

Drop Pods change the style of your army to one that requires more planning and clever reacting (to the vagaries of the dice gods). That has its own value in being interesting to use. <3 If you are so inclined.

[NeoSamurai]

The major problem with this tactic being you need quite a few pods, resulting in the first elements of your army being unsupported, while your late objective grabbing is left at the mercy of the dice gods unless you bring Tiggy along for the ride.

 

Never really been a problem except when I forgot to have it targeted around an objective. Pods fill out my army (mostly mech/transport and fast attack) and help with precision support when I need it. But I see your point if you're going full pods.

[Laughingdagger]

As for the speed at which they hit the ground, even with the retro thrusters, the impact would kill any non engineered human instantly. Much like assault squad jump packs. The acceleration rate of jump packs would kill a human, same with the impact landing.

[Destaro]

Personally, one Drop Pod fits the bill for me. A MM Dreadnought deployed to speed bump my opponent and, dice gods willing, take out a juicy tank target. Plus, my two squads of CC Scouts in LSS enjoy the backup :tu:

[Ranting Fool]

@ OP

Like those above have said drop pods tend to be for alpha strike type things, dropping down and unleashing hell. Or getting some nasty killy up close quickly.

 

I've played quite a few games vs pod armies (Whole force of Elite termie space wolves) and there are two other very useful things that they can do... VS horde armies if they set up streached out you can drop in and cut off half their force, drop pods can just be a big fat wall with nice enough armour. That and the drop pods contest objectives and people tend to ignore them once they are down (Those big old space marines shooting at you tend to hold the eye)

 

Downside is once you're down on the ground its time to foot slogg it, strike to close to troops and you're getting charged and the always funny time when the drop pod gets shot and when it exploads it kills off some of your men.

 

But the fluffy falling out the sky to bring death to the enemy is cool, I like them:)

[nurglez]

I am the player Ranting Fool is talking about. I used to play logan wing, with 3 drop pods. Vs horde armies it is great. Drop 2 squads of terminators on a weak flank, and then roll up it. Vs imperial guard it works well too. If they are tank heavy, and you go second, you force them to castle up to defend against side or rear shots. making the enemy react to you can be a powerful tool. Of course, I have also acted stupidly with them, and deployed 2 units unsupported and had them eaten by the whole army.

 

The other reason I went for them, is because space wolf terminators cant deep strike without them (teleporting isn't natural, or something). A drop pod is the cheapest way to get my terminators up the field, as much as I love landraiders, I dont use them often in "pure terminator/paladin" forces, as each one you take means 1 less squad, and in a small elite force, I need all the squads I can get :P