Drop pods for Chaos?

[Sception]

The IA13 helps with drop pod assault, which means one claw or kharybdis is guaranteed to arrive on turn one (two if you field three, but that's hella pricey), for very likely turn 2 charges.

 

The claw lacks guidance - between that and the higher points cost it is just terrible at doing a drop pod's job of close delivery of things like dreadnoughts or plasmaspam. Instead you put a close combat unit in it, deep strike far away from enemy models to avoid mishap, and use your flat out move to get closer to the enemy / out of line of sight. If anything shoots at you, you rely on your AV12, jink, and daemonic possession to stay afloat. Next turn, you move out six inches, deploy, and, hopefully assault.

 

Is it good? eh.... It's not really the deployment option we were hoping for. And it's not a dedicated transport for the units that need it most (possessed, berserkers), but it is now a dedicated transport for CSMs and Chosen. When I get back into 40k, I intend to pick one up for my Black Legion chosen in particular.

 

They can carry dreadnoughts, but that's a pretty extreme gamble considering that they're always possessed, and no exception was written into their rules to prevent them from eating the dreadnought. As such, I do not consider them a meaningful boost to our lacking helbrutes.

 

 

As for the kharybdis, it's super expensive, a sort of 'all your eggs in one basket' affair that doesn't really work for us, especially in maelstrom missions that can be won or lost based on having enough units with enough maneuverability to be contesting every objective by the end of turn one (something loyalist drop pods are amazing for, but our own claws just don't do). But if you use one there will be games that you win based purely on deploying 20 power armored or 10 terminator armored bodies exactly where you want them with guaranteed precision and safety at the top of turn one.

[Shuggnuggath]

As far as I'm aware the Dreadclaw can move up to 18 inches in the shooting phase of the turn it arrives by deepstrike. 

[Shuggnuggath]

They can be dedicated transports for CSM, so certainly can be ObSec. However, it's unlikely that they'll ever be within 3"of an objective, given how tall the flying base is.

 

I can't find the section about measuring from the hull in the current objectives rules.

[The Yncarne]

 

 

I can't find the section about measuring from the hull in the current objectives rules.

 

 

“You control an Objective Marker if there is at least one model from one of your scoring units (see below), and no models from enemy scoring units, within 3" of it. As different Objective Markers vary in shape and size, it is important to agree at the beginning of the game exactly from where this distance will be measured. ”

 

So, 3" but you decide where to measure from RAW. Personally, I'd refer to the appropriate vehicle type (and measuring) rules. For example, the skimmers and measurement rule for measuring from the hull (emphasis mine):

 

“Unlike most other vehicles, Skimmers have flying bases under their hull. However, distances are still measured to and from the Skimmer’s hull, with the exceptions of the vehicle’s weapons and Fire Points, which all work as normal.”

[Sception]

The claws are specifically made to be removable from their bases and stand on the claws when hovering. This is a deliberate aspect of the model, part of its design and intent. When flying it may be a bit high to claim objectives, but when hovering that isn't an issue.

[jimjimjimmyjim]

There's no reason why chaos dont have drop pods, they have mostly everything else and each legion had DP in HH

[Ishagu]

You can't give every army every toy from a gameplay perspective.

 

I'm sure Loyalist Marines would enjoy a Vector Striking flyer with a Torrent Flamer ;-)

[Sception]

A line has to be drawn somewhere. Drop pods are just a dumb place to draw it, whether from a narrative or from a gameplay perspective.

[Chaeron]

I wouldn't object to Storm Ravens, personally - but I think all armies should have a near equivalent, and it's obvious we do not for the Drop apps in the standard Codex.