Anyone tried BA Drop Pods?

[bushman101]

I've always wanted to try a Drop Pod list but never did due to having to buy so many pods.

Anyone have any experience with this kind of list with the new 'dex?

[Bearman71]

I saw a kid run them with success, That being said. I dont(wont) plan on taking them.

[Toomanyprojects]

If you take pods, don't use them for assault squads, vanguard vets, CC dreads, or assault termies. (Basically anything that needs to get close) If you do, the following will happen (I know from personal experience here lol) -they will arrive, they move, they probably won't be in range to fire their bolt pistols, and next turn they get wiped out by mass shooting, assaults etc.

 

Now I still use my drop pods, but mine now contain tacticals and Sternguard who can hold their own in a ranged firefight. And even then, my guys are in place like that only to pin the enemy in place while Seth rides up and smacks em upside the head with blood reaver.

 

Ultimately They can work, but you need to support those troops with other distractions and I still wouldnt hold out much for their survival. However, watching ten Sternguard Fire their ignore cover shots into tau Pathfinders after having dropped down unexpectedly is a feeling to be savoured :)

[InquisitorBlack]

I'm running 7 pods at 1850, currently preparing the army for a tourney. I'd be running 9 if it wasn't for a external comp system that regulates the power level of armies

[Shaezus]

If you take pods, don't use them for assault squads, vanguard vets, CC dreads, or assault termies. (Basically anything that needs to get close) If you do, the following will happen (I know from personal experience here lol) -they will arrive, they move, they probably won't be in range to fire their bolt pistols, and next turn they get wiped out by mass shooting, assaults etc.

Now I still use my drop pods, but mine now contain tacticals and Sternguard who can hold their own in a ranged firefight. And even then, my guys are in place like that only to pin the enemy in place while Seth rides up and smacks em upside the head with blood reaver.

Ultimately They can work, but you need to support those troops with other distractions and I still wouldnt hold out much for their survival. However, watching ten Sternguard Fire their ignore cover shots into tau Pathfinders after having dropped down unexpectedly is a feeling to be savoured

Exception to this (bolded) would be the meltacide ASM squads. Pods are the only way you can get that unit down in turn one.

Haven't played since the new dex but looking forward to a tourny in 2 weeks. Got 3 pods, 1 with meltacide ASM, 1 5-man sternguard with combi-grav and 1 with 10-man tactical frying squad.

Rest of army is 10 SG (with Dante & 2 Epistolaries), 5 jump DC, 5 sniper scouts with sicaran support and a damocles.

Used to run all-pod armies in 6th ed mainly for the fun of it, with fraggy dreads and DC dreads galore. Would be even harder to win with thaT now though. I think pods serve as a complement now rather than a backbone.

[Captain Caine 24th]

I used to have a good deal of success with a 7 pod list. 3 Furiosos w/frag cannons, DC dread, death company, 2 command squads, 2 librarians, and a stormraven. I would add Mephiston or a callidus assassin depending on points. The idea was to drop as much in a concentrated area as possible. Against gunlines or static type armies this list was just nasty. I ran this assassin, even though she isn't particularly game changing because she was a turn 1 threat. This was important. 

 

A pod list has somewhat limited mobility, so if I failed to deliver a hammer blow the first turn I'd be in  a lot of trouble. The problem I had with mixing units besides pods is that less pods show up on turn 1.  Units just showing up at random times and places is not good for a reserves style list. 

 

I would worry about getting into close range firefights. Imperial guard and Tau get significant bonuses when shooting close range. It's one thing to drop in and wreck a few tanks and cause chaos. It's a whole different matter to drop in, not kill the enemy, and expect to survive an ongoing firefight. Dropping in on the enemy's strongest point is not always the best option. Since pods can drop relatively safely just about anywhere on the board away from the table edge, you can outmatch smaller enemy units and wipe them out. Alternatively, running with a smaller 1-3 pod list isn't necessarily a bad option. Above I was talking about getting the most pods in one place at one time to do the most damage--Fast tanks can meet your pods upfield. Attack bike squads can be good for that as well. 

 

Now, I can't use my old list. And that makes me sad, but... there are new options. I've been thinking a lot about tactical squads combat squadded with a heavy flamer, grav gun, and maybe a grav gunslinger sergeant. I'll likely do assault squads in pods with meltas. I've only got the one stormraven so that'll stay in the list. I've really been thinking about mephiston coming in with a number of sternguard pods (re-rolling hits, ignores cover, or 4+ invuln powers would be great). I haven't figured out what I want for assault or long range weaponry to help this list. . 

 

Furiosos, are still nasty, they just need proper cover from supporting units to make it into hand to hand. S10 AP2 at initiative is very serious. I suppose you could drop pod the furioso in, but put him behind the pod (away from the enemy line of sight) to keep him alive for a turn to get into hand to hand. If this could work, you'd want a number of other units supporting him. There again, the whole pod idea would be to confuse the enemy's target priority by saturating the field with nasty targets. 

[bigted]

Pods are really really useful for supporting your army with meltacide squads, tac squads with 3 flamers or sternguard with whatever you want. I use 5 in my 2000 pt list (3 meltacide squads and 2 frying tac squads). I highly recommend them!

[veneratedaniel]

im doing an army now with 5 pods, had 3 games against grey knights, lost 2 won 1, that being said i usually have a losing streak against this opponent as he is a VERY good player, and had to change my list slightly and tactics for the 3rd game which i won, best thing about playing against him is that he allows me to make mistakes, then tell me i made the mistake and continue to make sure i learn that mistake.

 

 

ANYWAY, i have corbs as my warlord, podding him in is rather fun as it almost forces your opponent to assault you, most of the time, and also being BA if you take our CAD from our dex you get the +1 I and FC on the charge, so your opponent will be either fighting 

 

marines with +1 I (with corbs floating around) 

 

OR 

 

marines with +2 I and +1 S on the charge..........

 

the way i see it at least.

[MadMek83]

Pods are disruption units. When used few, tactical placement is critical, when using many, its all about Saturation. Fewer pods range is critical, with more pods you can bring fragiosos or meltacides on range for punishement. Fragiosos on pod are simply brutal against Xeno's like Tau or Eldars... Pod Fragioso in a pod with deathwind launcher and see xeno's player squirm...

[Red-beard]

Pod lists are fantastic. Next to biker-spam and imperial knight spam, strong pod spam lists are one of the most dangerous lists an imperial army can field (if played properly).