Drop Pod Devestators?

[Chengar Qordath]

I'm warming to this idea.

 

I think a full 10 man squad of Devastators packing 4 Multi Meltas could be a parking lot lists worst night mare.

Multi-melta definitely seems like one of the best weapons for drop pod devastators on account of their range. A multi-melta needs good field position close-ish to the enemy, as opposed to the 36-48" range Devastator weapons, which on a normal board should have something they can shoot at just about every turn without ever leaving your starting deployment zone.

[MordentHex]

Or and this is very situational, say you have someone making a rhino/killa kan wall, Just drop your devs in on one of your opponents long edge table corners with great field of fire and all of a sudden those heavy weapons next turn can either rake into there advancing line behind them, or start hitting rear armor all over the place. Also you may not be able to shoot the heavy weapons the turn they come in but you can run or if you take a full 10 squad rapid-fire a weak flank target of opportunity and then setup for dealing out the pain next turn. Personally I think about 4 plasma-cannons opening up into my flank from a safe distance and shudder. This gives you a delay to choose where your heavies will be placed and possibly to maximum advantage out of your own deployment zone. nothing sucks more than having a mission where almost everything starts in reserves, In this situation they would shine even more as you just put them down on the first turn and wait for your opponent to walk in to your fire line next turn with little in the way of harming them the turn they arrive. Until warming to this idea I would have probably laughed at someone that took devastators in a drop pod, and I imagine a lot of others that have not seen this will too. With a little planning and some luck you could make them go from "you noob" to "omg where are my teeth." Anything that give you the chance to completely throw your opponents plan out the window and put them on the defensive is A+ for a vanilla marine player. You also have the option or just setting them up as normal and raining in that drop pod to constrict the opponents line of fire or with a locater beacon use it to lock in your other drop pods for the following turns. This is all subjective obviously and sometimes dropping your devs is a bad things, but it gives your versatility and thats always a great thing to have.

[Koremu]

If you want Deep Strike Capable Heavy Weapons platforms, you are better off with Land Speeders.

 

A 10 man (vanilla 'dex) Devastator Squad with 4 Multi-Melta is 230 points.

 

A Squadron of 3 Land Speeder Tornado with Multi-Melta & Heavy Flamer is 210 points.

 

The Speeders arrive later, which means they take less firepower, and can shoot the turn they arrive.

 

If you are worried about things shooting your scoring units, you are probably better served having an extra Scoring Unit.

 

If I was Drop Podding Devastators (and I have, in the past), I would use PCs, not MMs, and go more mid-table. MMs just get you too close and will be combat locked.