Devastators in a drop pod assault

[Bismarxist]

Hi there everyone I have a quick question for all of you. right now I am running an all podded army of CPT CMD squad Libby 30 sternguard 30 tacticals and am thinking about adding 10 devastators quad missile. the basic plan would be to drop the stern/devs turn 1 sternguard right on the enemies forehead and the devastators more on the tables centerline preferably into cover. now I know that I won't be able to shoot out of the pod but I was thinking that since the devs are down turn 1 they will have enough time to shoot over the rest of the game.

 

so anyone have any thoughts?

[DarkGuard]

I'd just deploy them in cover and drop the pod separately, preferably contesting an objective or blocking a unit off. Of course, if their pod brings you to even numbers I wouldn't get one for them anyway, just a waste of points, and if it brings them to odd numbers then I'd use it as I suggested. Seriously, if you're deploying them Turn 1 anyway in a Pod you might as well deploy them Turn 1 in cover, unless they're the only unit on the table and you're going second, then you might be validated to deploy them there. Also be in mind that quad missile does better in backfield, where they are on the edge of your opponent's mental radar for not being in an immediate threatening position while having the range to still be effective.

[Ming]

Yep, much of the marine fluff on drop pod assaults has a first timed wave landing back a bit containing devs and shooty dreads, even landspeeders and scouts. These cover the main landing of sternguard and tactical marines, who land in the midst of the advancing enemy. Third wave is a seeding of assault marines via thunderhawk fly-by or teleporting (shooty) terminators.

 

In a modern warfare doctrine for airborne assault it would likely consist of no devs at all, since heavy support would come from airpower or drone-supported stand-off weapons and smart weapons.

 

If you have a local allowance for forgeworld stuff in your games, try for fun their expanded rules for drop pod assault and the drop pod variants. Certain types of drop pods become your devastators. Would make for a different and challenging game. Not only are your pods more powerful, in balance your opponent can try to shoot them down.

 

Meant to add by equiping the devs with pods, gives you flexibility to land them or use the empty pods to make sure your next wave of full pods all comes in when you want them.

[Bismarxist]

interesting feedback eryone and I will have to try it out. originally the devastator squad had been a pack less vanguard squad in a pod but it always seemed to be too expensive for not Killy enough so the play for the devs was to land more towards my side of the table and basically try to bait the enemy into sending out something to try kill it. )LSS scouts combat squad in a R-Back) etc and then landing the tacticals around it. also if I dropped 30 sternguard on your armies forehead and a devestator squad in the back-midfield would you try to send something foreword to lock down the devs?

[DarkGuard]

A Drop Pod army is one of few armies that I believe a jump pack Vanguard unit could work. With all those potential locator beacons you stand a better chance at getting HI working. Of course, they can still be cost-prohibitive.

 

As you're using so many Drop Pods have you considered Scout Bikers with locator beacons to help land the first wave on target?

[Bismarxist]

Yeah scout bikers could work but I want to keep it as a null-deployment everyone in a pod list so bikes or packs

[DarkGuard]

Scout bikes have infiltrate so still fit in with a Null deployment theme, it just depends how you want to do it. You can do it to be just Pods, but Null deployment in my eyes means no deploying during your normal deployment phase. As infiltration happens after then units like Scouts, Scout bikers, Shrike leading Devs etc are fair game and can be handy for setting up locator beacons for Drop Pods, restricting your opponent's movement, covering objectives and providing good fire support. But it's up to you.

[Squirrelloid]

If you are going to drop pod Devastators, i'd recommend 4x Multimeltas. Range will not be an issue because of arrival by drop pod, and they'll be much more effective at anti-armor.

 

I'm not saying its necessarily a good idea. But if you're going to do it the weapon choice is obvious.

[Stercus]

If you're fighting a horde army, it might be fun to drop-pod a full ten man devastated squad with four heavy bolters right into a choke point. Lots of rapid fire goodness. Hell, why not give the sarge a combi flamer too? I can see lots of dead orks with this. Sure they'll all be killed, but they should slow down the enemy for a bit.

[ShinyRhino]

The quad-multimelta plan is a good one when combined with the flixible deployment DarkGuard mentioned. You can land the four multimeltas on an area you really want to deny to the enemy, and hold til you break. It'll work wonders against MEQ armies, less so against horde forces.

 

The one thing deploying your Devs via pod will do is give you a solid chance of dominating the fire lanes. If you end up in a Spearhead deployment on a table that grants your opponent a ton of centerline LOS-blockers, the pod allows your Devs to land in a non-deployment corner and essentially outflank the opposition.

Yes, you loose a turn of shooting, but you'd lose quite a few more if your Devs never got a shot off due to LOS issues. You can even seize areas of cover that aren't in your deployment zone by landing the pod inside or nearby, and having your Devs jump out and run to gain the cover.

 

If it's tactically advantageous to deploy the Devs on the baord, you can always do that and have that pod come in empty.

 

There are all kinds of neat things you can do with drop pods.