Raven Guard and 8th Edition Drop Pods.

[SanguinaryGuardsman]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/comments/6ebveo/drop_pod_rules_leaked_infantry_only/

 

 

So the new drop pods in 8th are infantry only and you choose when they deploy.  Oh.. and they cost 100 points.  So there is a ton of doom saying and acrimony about these changes.  

 

From my perspective as a relative newbie I think the big picture is largely positive.  

 

You can call the pods down whenever and virtually wherever you want.  This means you can  grab objectives in a timely manner without scatter.  So we lose dreadnoughts in pods but gain reliability.  Sternguard/vets in pods will be better than 7th since you wont scatter.  Devastators in pods will be devastating since shooting heavy weapons after moving is now only -1 to hit.  Pods themselves are durable and can probably still hold objectives. (not 100% on that one)  Tacticals in pods are probably going to be really sexy also since you can load them up with all kinds of bling and split fire all over the place.  

 

I understand Blood Angel players being overcome by the black rage because of this change but for Raven Guard I think these more reliable pods are tactically superior to the old pods.  You get em on time and on target, every time.

 

Are the new pods good, bad, or otherwise?

 

 

[shandwen]

That combined with combi-weapons means stern guard will be as frightening as they were in 6th.

I never found pods to be as good for RG in 7th as walking/jumping was, so I doubt anyone here will be horribly effected by the change.

[Race Bannon]

Based on the OP, they are awesome in my opinion. Will the skies be raining pods? Probably not, and that's okay.

[deathspectersgt7]

Drop pods raining from the sky the Angels have arrived . Iconic Astartes  Insertion is not viable anymore the nu guys don't fit.

[Race Bannon]

This is not about the Primaris Marines though ...

[Mr. Poe]

You can't spam them anymore because of their cost and because of the deployment restrictions. In general I think this is a good thing but I can understand players disappointment in not being able to field their dozen or so drop pods haha.

 

Tactically drop pods are the only way to dynamically deploy non jump pack infantry now so they should see play. Alpha strike lists will still be a thing, no way around that.

[Carcosa]

I'm a little bit frustrated about the new rules because i just finished two pods without the harnesses just for my dreads.

[Race Bannon]

Glue the doors and problem solved!

 

Seriously thoigh, that was surprising to me as well. The conspiracy theorist in me says that was intentional to get people to buy the FW Lucius Pod.

[mertbl]

That FW pod is gone. Mold is broke and they have too much stuff going on to redo it.

[Race Bannon]

No way ... really?!

 

But the rules exist, ya?

[Lephisto]

No way ... really?!

 

But the rules exist, ya?

 

I assume we will get rules for it in the FW indices.

[Wolf_Lord_Hardrada]

"The mold is broke" is a line we've heard many times before though.

 

As for pods costing 100pts....meh? I can see how its going to break some peoples lists but at the same time, now that they are more reliable for time of arrival, that 100pts puts the squad you need right where you need it right when you need it. That's pretty valuable. Though I'm not sure its 100pts of value (75pts maybe?).

[GreyCrow]

You can make some pretty beasty Hammer and Anvil lists now, with your Tacticals/Sternguards in Pods, supported by Devastators hiding in the shadows ready to pounce when your coordinated strike goes down.

 

EDIT : Rule cheesing here, but Devastator combat squads would count as 2 units for the purpose of Tactical Reserves. Just sayin'!

[Kua]

I'm a little bit frustrated about the new rules because i just finished two pods without the harnesses just for my dreads.

 

Just wait a bit for the FW rules and use them.

 

As for the pods:

I’d like to see a place for them but I don’t. The reliable 9" deep strike is a good thing, but it’s a general rule. There are many units using it. Instead of dropping your combi-plasma Sternguard with a pod you could save points by taking Vanguard with double plasma pistols landing using their own jetpacks.

I don’t see devastators being really useful after landing (with -1 to hit on this turn) either.

TTs are not strong enough to make an expensive drop pod worthwhile.

Who do we have left?

Maybe some character combinations I’m missing?

[SanguinaryGuardsman]

 

I'm a little bit frustrated about the new rules because i just finished two pods without the harnesses just for my dreads.

 

Just wait a bit for the FW rules and use them.

 

As for the pods:

I’d like to see a place for them but I don’t. The reliable 9" deep strike is a good thing, but it’s a general rule. There are many units using it. Instead of dropping your combi-plasma Sternguard with a pod you could save points by taking Vanguard with double plasma pistols landing using their own jetpacks.

I don’t see devastators being really useful after landing (with -1 to hit on this turn) either.

TTs are not strong enough to make an expensive drop pod worthwhile.

Who do we have left?

Maybe some character combinations I’m missing?

 

I think devs in pods will be good.  For example... you stuff a 4 heavy bolter dev squad into a pod.  Maybe even make it a 10 man squad.  Then have 10 assault marines or some terminators deep strike down with your devs to act as a screen against close combat or as a threat to shooty squads.  With this setup you can land in the back field against close combat armies and shoot them from behind.  You could create a situation where the enemy has to split off some of their force or just take punishment from your devs.  You could even add in a bare bones captain to give them re-rolls on 1s.  If you had some speeders or scout bikes that could get up field really fast you could create a pincer like setup in the backfield.  This could be really really annoying.  

[GreyCrow]

@Kua : pods are good but not in every list in the new 8th edition ;)

 

They're mainly good for lists that mainly rely on number of infantry models for their survivability, and positioning for damage.

 

Basically, with these kinds of lists you are looking at damage over The course of the game driven by weight of fire and a couple of Heavy weapons.

 

Victory conditions is going to be to emphatically take a critical zone with multiple pods, and defend, push from there.

 

It can work If your support units managed to help you gank The bigger threats and turn this in an infantry versus infantry battle.

[MajorNese]

Devs in pods...with few exceptions, those guns have a huge range anyway. Tacticals would benefit more from it, but are too cheap to justify the cost on more than one or few squads. Assault squads are so cheap that they can do the trick without. Just for the pod, you'd get 5 assault marines including 3 plasmas.

[Damo1701]

I've pre-ordered the Forgeworld book, so I can look at the FW drop pod rules.

 

Other than that, I don't really see my Ravens using drop pods anymore, not purchasing rhinos.  The points jumps are insane and totally not worth the effort.  IMO.

 

At their previous points cost, even including upgrades, they were hit or miss as to whether they were worth their points.

 

I do have 3 razorbacks, so, I might look at whether they are worth the effort/points, as, generally, they were great distraction pieces in 7th.  However, I don't see myself using many vehicles in general with the fact they can be hurt by anything and everything under the sun/moon/whatever.  The exception might be to fielding a pair of contemptors once again.

 

One of the dreads will go in a "counts as" Forgeworld pod, as I have a pod designed for dreads.

[Race Bannon]

I agree, pods are not for every list. I believe that is applicable to pretty much everything. So one-size-fits-all list building may be short-sighted, humbly speaking.

[MajorNese]

Other than that, I don't really see my Ravens using drop pods anymore, not purchasing rhinos.  The points jumps are insane and totally not worth the effort.  IMO.

 

At their previous points cost, even including upgrades, they were hit or miss as to whether they were worth their points.

 

I do have 3 razorbacks, so, I might look at whether they are worth the effort/points, as, generally, they were great distraction pieces in 7th.  However, I don't see myself using many vehicles in general with the fact they can be hurt by anything and everything under the sun/moon/whatever.

They can be hurt by anything, true. But unless it's high damage and AP, it won't do anything. Gone are the days were a few bolters to the back or a handfull of scatterlasers wrecked a rhino in no time. Especially the razorback with double shots now sports a considerable firepower (12 shots assault cannon), they will keep the heat off other units that would otherwise be instagibbed by heavy weapons, but are surviving everything else for a while (like terminators, centurions, primaris,...).

[GreyCrow]

Indeed ! Razorbacks are going to make a come back !

 

They are not the preferred fighting method for the Raven Guard in the fluff, but they are still a unit that deserves to be loved ! And I'm sure the Shadow Captains wouldn't discount such a great tool of war :)

[Claws and Effect]

I actually bought a Razorback the other day. Springing for FW doors and AssCan turret.

 

I'll figure out what to put in it by trial and error.

[Kua]

Don’t try putting in 10 marines!

They will hate you!