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BA Drop Pod Army Effective?


Rommel44

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Hey mates, after taking a break from 40k to work, I have decided to jump back in and from looking around, I have always wanted to try out a Drop Pod list as it is very unique to what I am used to. Anyways, I am just looking for tactical advice on how to run a drop pod army with BA in this edition. Any advice, tactics, tips, or anything you can give me would be much appreciated, especially in this edition. Appreciate the help.

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I like to shoot for 3 fragioso's  first turn, followed by death company w/ bolters and death company dread turn 2+

The last 2 are optional for your play style really, but I think the 3 fragioso's are pretty much the norm.  They are hit and miss.  When they work, they work great.  But when they don't, it's pretty depressing.  All in all, very fun games regardless.

I had a game last week where I inflicted 14 wounds on a squad of termies, and killed 7 of the 10.  Like I said, when they work, they work.

There are few ways to counter massed drop pods, and those ways csn be mitigated. If there isn't another drop pod playerb in your grouo it will do well. Otherwise the player whongoes first in a pod vs pod can is likely to loose pretty hard.

Hey mates, after taking a break from 40k to work, I have decided to jump back in and from looking around, I have always wanted to try out a Drop Pod list as it is very unique to what I am used to. Anyways, I am just looking for tactical advice on how to run a drop pod army with BA in this edition. Any advice, tactics, tips, or anything you can give me would be much appreciated, especially in this edition. Appreciate the help.

 

Ahoy Rommel!

 

Ive used a BA/SW and  BA pod list, and they can be really solid.

 

There are a few solid "go-to's" that you want. 

 

Fragioso's have been mentioned.

Corbulo is the other one.  Not only does he provide FNP and FC, the amount of crazy firepower he can tank will save your most valuable units - either Stern, or DC.....speaking of which

DC - another really good, hardcore option.

 

Jumpers can actually work nicely with a pod list, depending on what else you have on the board. 

A few months back there was a lot of talk about the "NND lists" - near-null-deploy - where for example you had mephiston and a jumper squad and the rest in pods- only mephy deployed, hiding behind a building.  The reliability of the strike from the jumpers is a nice touch.

Thanks for the tips so far guys. Anyone have a good example of a list to run with the BA? At the moment, I am debating if it is even worth going pure Drop Pod with them, as I heard some stories of people having success with running A few Assault Squads supported by units in Drop Pods, creating a hanmer of anvil tactic so to speak, as it hopefully will give your Assault Marine units time to get into assault with your opponent. Has anyone tried it this way?

Thanks for the tips so far guys. Anyone have a good example of a list to run with the BA? At the moment, I am debating if it is even worth going pure Drop Pod with them, as I heard some stories of people having success with running A few Assault Squads supported by units in Drop Pods, creating a hammer of anvil tactic so to speak, as it hopefully will give your Assault Marine units time to get into assault with your opponent. Has anyone tried it this way?

 

Been running lists with pods for the better part of 6th, so I'll chip in.

 

The meta is constantly changing , if you expect a lot of eldar then this hammer and anvil tactic isn't going to work, Too easy to for him to take out your starting units if he gets first turn. Better then to start the majority on the table or going for a full out 0 deployment. 

 

A drop pod assault list is very flexible in terms of deployment, and difficult to defend against. The downside is having extremely limited mobility once you disembark from the pods.  

 

You can try and get around this weakness in a number of ways:

 

Make your alpha strike as devastating as possible, try to take out any linchpin units in his army early, prioritise transports and other ways to limit his mobility advantage.

 

Pregame things like terrain and objective placement is also more important to you. For example I like to focus on a few objectives when you have multiples, then place one or more of yours as 'bait' or in a really disadvantageous position (like out in the open or close to a board edge).

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

As far as units and lists go I'm still working on something that works in the current meta.... currently away from all my stuff so I have no ways of playtesting until december. 

 

What you definitely will need is sternguard, primarily for their 2+ posion and ignore cover ammo plus relatively cheap combi weapons. There's really nothing else in our codex that can reliably put enough wounds on the high T targets we see these days. It's almost impossible today to do a pure BA list that is remotely competitive without these guys. 

 

Another staple is the frag cannon dread, such a great multi purpose unit.

 

Same goes for the DC marines, excellent disruption if you don't overspend.

 

Now what you need to compliment this (besides some scoring) is reach. If all your units are slow or have limited firepower outside of 12"/template range you will have a lot of bad matchups. You need something that's fast or has good range, preferably both. Note that assault marines are not a fast unit, just average. 

 

Going with pure BA and pods in mind that leaves us with the stormraven, predators, attack bikes or devastators (in pods). I don't think speeders are survivable enough, too much S5-7 shooting these days, and a lot of it ignores cover too.

 

I hope that gave you some ideas on where to start. 

I think the FAQ to have vector strikes ignoring cover was much worse as well as extremely counter-intuitive. 

 

Either way it's not just heldrakes and nightschythes that you need to be overly worried about these days, it's the far greater number of good units in the Tau and Eldar codex and super mobile lists like raven wing and white scars bike spam.  Eldar being the worst for marines and often making up the main detachment for the strongest lists with allies we see today.

 

Playing BA right now is tough. Expect to be not only outgunned and outnumbered but also outranged and being the slower army on the board. You will probably have an advantage in close combat and leadership, but that's it. 

I think the FAQ to have vector strikes ignoring cover was much worse as well as extremely counter-intuitive. 

 

Either way it's not just heldrakes and nightschythes that you need to be overly worried about these days, it's the far greater number of good units in the Tau and Eldar codex and super mobile lists like raven wing and white scars bike spam.  Eldar being the worst for marines and often making up the main detachment for the strongest lists with allies we see today.

 

Playing BA right now is tough. Expect to be not only outgunned and outnumbered but also outranged and being the slower army on the board. You will probably have an advantage in close combat and leadership, but that's it. 

But we're going to die with pride trying right?

Well so far I've been deploying 2-3 stormravens with assault marines and let me tell you its ugly i find my self in the position to play warmachine more often than 40k just because i hate playing and having no chance to win.

I am now gathering the minis to play a drop-pod list with 2-3 fragiosos , 2-3 baals , sternguard , bolterdc and such and i really hope this will at least let me smile with a 40k game again

Well so far I've been deploying 2-3 stormravens with assault marines and let me tell you its ugly i find my self in the position to play warmachine more often than 40k just because i hate playing and having no chance to win.

I am now gathering the minis to play a drop-pod list with 2-3 fragiosos , 2-3 baals , sternguard , bolterdc and such and i really hope this will at least let me smile with a 40k game again

DC always makes me smile as do 3 Baals

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