Podded Guard?

[hendrik]

 

Fluff wise, I'm going to say that a drop pod is going to need some serious retrofitting to make it safe for stormies, much less regular mooks.

In the HH novel Legion random people jump in a Alpha Legion drop pod and hit the go button. And live.

 

that's because back then their trusters underneath the pods worked well! after 10000 years those things have slowly begun to give in,making droppoding only viable anymore to space marines

[NoNameMerc]

In a team game my ally told me he could have an extra empty pod. Was debating throwing a bullgryn squad with a commissar in it. Playing around with him adding an apothecary and possibly a Ministorum Priest.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Bullgryns in a Drop pod sounds good, if anything IG could handle it it's them. Still though, they don't like dark cramped spaces...

[NoNameMerc]

Reason for the Commissar. Force those big guys in there.

[SW1]

Reason for the Commissar. Force those big guys in there.

Nah ... Only way is some poor fool with a big bag of grub. He runs in and they chase him. You then have to close the door before they realise what's happening. Or knock them out Mr T style and lug them in. Even a Commissar would get slapped for trying to force them into a drop pod!!!

[sedibear]

podded Ogryns sound ridiculously fun hahahaha

 

Wonder if there's an actual Ogryn-focused IG army someone is playing with somewhere

[Captain Caine 24th]

Though an admitted violation of the fluff, I tried it out in a few games with vets and command squads 3xmelta or 3xplasma and vox casters. It was actually fun as this is not how you are supposed to play blood angels, nor how you are supposed to play guard.  So it was something new to fight. It did really well against a 3 knight list, but lost to balanced mechanized guard list, a 4 flyrant list, and a necron decurion. 

 

What attracted me to it was the idea of orders for the alpha strike, as I often fight tyranids with 2+ cover saves (which if you've got any ideas on how to defeat that I'm all ears). The relatively cheap points cost was also interesting. Deathwind missile launchers were a comically bad idea without some armor on those vets. Storm trooper squads were also a thought, especially being 5 strong could allow some pregame adjustments if need be. I think maybe a single stormtrooper squad might be effective, they just get to be too many points. I wish I would have brought demo charges, but you and I both know how that would have turned out. Kurov's aquila might be another good idea, but it's a lot of points. 

 

Overall I think there is a tactic there, I just didn't quite figure it out.  Their performance was mediocre as the volume of fire didn't seem to rise to the level of earning their points back in kills or stalling the enemy advance. Fighting the Decurion didn't go so well, but then again, what would have? I will note inquisition squads can be very tiny and could also supplement depending on the number of detachments allowed in a tourney. In a way it's almost like empty pods with guard fill the role of artillery, or at least provide a way of striking the enemy in an unexpected way. Anyway, still love the guard, on to the next list...

[Emicus]

2+ Coversave?
Ignores cover order!
Ignores cover templates!​

[WarriorFish]

As Emicus says cover ignoring stuff is relatively easy to get in our codex. Send in a couple of Wyverns and obliterate them through weight of dice, or some nice artillery and good template placement. Best of all of course is the outright cover ignoring stuff - again giving the ignores cover order is good as it can be very versatile depending on the squad receiving.

 

Let's not forget Hellhounds, they've been BBQing 'nids for years and the cheap Eradicator is aptly named for what it'll do to hordes of gribblies!

[RhysW]

I would actually see it as viable thing in 40k, but only with units like Stormtroopers, who have maybe got equipment which makes them resistent to motion sickness that a drop pod would probably give the unit, I actually like the idea of a unit like ODSTs in Halo which aren't superhuman themselves but could drop down and cause some hurt, and Scions fit the description perfectly, I'd love one unit like that, but I wouldn't go all out.

[CoffeeGrunt]

As far as the 'Nids, I find Manticores or Basilisks to be pretty adept at dropping Instant Death plates on those pesky Venomthropes. Land the shot well and they'll only get a 5+ Cover Save.

[*Furyou Miko]

March is right - special weapon squads with demolition charges are absolutely lethal deployed this way. At least, I'd assume so - back when I could do it with my Elysians, they were mad vicious without deep strike protection. They got nicknamed "Assassins From the Fifth Temple".

 

I would actually see it as viable thing in 40k, but only with units like Stormtroopers, who have maybe got equipment which makes them resistent to motion sickness that a drop pod would probably give the unit, I actually like the idea of a unit like ODSTs in Halo which aren't superhuman themselves but could drop down and cause some hurt, and Scions fit the description perfectly, I'd love one unit like that, but I wouldn't go all out.

 Then you should borrow some Dominica-pattern Drop Pods from the Sororitas and let the bad guys say hello to your little (girl) friend. ;)

[Inso]

_{I can't get my head around Imperial Guards riding in drop pods. It just doesn't fit (in my opinion).}

 

_{That said, if it is legal in the rules I would have no problems playing aginst them... but I'd tut, look at the sky and probably mumble a bit about "oh... that's just not cricket" etc.}

 

_{... but I'd be smiling while I did it :)}

 

_{Alternatively... you could 'counts as' a tunnelling vehicle as a drop pod and that would fit in much better (especially seeing as Death Korps have their little seige tunnellers). That I could get on board with :)}

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Stormies in drop pods is vicious. In one turn of shooting after all of my stuff arrived, I had near tabled my opponent. It's brutal especially when you're running wolves as the allies, and using a huge melee threat from said wolves. 

 

Fluff says it shouldn't be done, crunch says go for it, but it seems to WAAC for my tastes. I'll take my Drop regiment thank you, it's basically the same only with Flyers instead of drop pods. 

[CoffeeGrunt]

I have two Vulture Gunships with Punisher Cannons on the way, so I'm going to be trying an Elysian list soon. :)

[*Furyou Miko]

Stormies in drop pods is vicious. In one turn of shooting after all of my stuff arrived, I had near tabled my opponent. It's brutal especially when you're running wolves as the allies, and using a huge melee threat from said wolves. 

 

Fluff says it shouldn't be done, crunch says go for it, but it seems to WAAC for my tastes. I'll take my Drop regiment thank you, it's basically the same only with Flyers instead of drop pods. 

 

Sadly the Drop Regiment rules specifically nerfed the SWS option. :( Elysian special weapon squads get Breacher Charges instead of Demo Charges. Breachers can only be used in close combat and strike at I1.

[CoffeeGrunt]

And are S9 AP3 rather than that hilarious S8 AP2.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Yeah the Drop regiment isn't perfect, but it's pretty darn good. I'll take valkyries over drop pods.