New Drop Pod

[Crimson Longinus]

9 hours ago, Chyttering said:

I thought the longstanding FAQ was that drop pod doors were ignored for measuring distance, and only the 'vertical' hull counted as a vehicle. Do I have that completely wrong?

 

That is the sane way to play them, but it is not an actual rule.

[Mogger351]

Let's face it, them not having an entry/kit for drop pods is the most obvious gameplay based solution, as its functionally discarded on use anyway.

[Mandragola]

I think I kind of prefer this way to design drop pods, with the doors open. Hopefully they’ll produce decent rules for it. I don’t think the model is particularly good though. It’s a shame to lose interior detail, though I suppose a balance has to be found between that and speed to build. 
 

I am a bit confused by GW’s design philosophy, if it even has one. Vehicles like the gladiator or even primaris marines have vast numbers of pieces and take forever to build. Then some of the time they give us very simplified kits like these. The death korps cavalry have about 25 pieces but some of the new sanctifiers for kill team have as few as five. 
 

Well now have a more detailed drop pods in epic scale, with opening doors, than the 40K one. The LI one has just been FAQd to say the doors have to be open, which is awkward for people who’ve glued them shut. 

[happyslugger]

I only have two drop pods so not sure if I will need to buy these for my BA.  I don't tend to use them too much and I am pretty sure my group wont care if it is a new / old model so long as the rules are used.

 

Suppose it depends on the price also.

[Lord Clinto]

20 hours ago, Ayatollah_of_Rock_n_Rolla said:

A big no from me. While I had some issues with the old doors not locking it properly, their movability was for me an important part of the vehicle feel, so to say. Not to mention the modelling experience. Besides, the harness is now modeled in the open position as one, ugly solid block with the inner "walls" - another modelling and aesthetic downgrade. Just look at it. Something like that in this scale?!?!? But hey, it's better that they removed the storm bolter completely rather than exchanged it for a heavy stubber.

 

 

 

 

Personally, I like the doors being fixed open for game purposes; seeing 6 closed drop pods lined up next to each other to form a LoS blocking wall was one of the more stupid things GW has allowed in this game. Though, I do acknowledge transporting these as they're shown will be an issue.

 

My issue is: what is up with the scaling here?

 

Look at the arrestor arms that are supposed to swivel down onto the top of the SM's shoulder pads to secure them for the trip...there physically isn't room for both interior arms to swing down, let alone have the room for two Primaris Marines stand face to face...you better hope Brother Ezekiel brushed his teeth this morning, because you're all but kissing him for the entire trip down from orbit...

[Nephaston]

1 hour ago, Lord Clinto said:

you better hope Brother Ezekiel brushed his teeth this morning, because you're all but kissing him for the entire trip down from orbit...

You say that like it's a bad thing.

 

Eyeballing it, they just about fit inside, but the backpack slot is a tad low. Then again the drop pod is a vehicle, and most if not all vehicles aren't at the same scale as infantry anyway.

[ThePenitentOne]

There have been a couple people saying they like doors modelled open.

 

This is strange to me, because the model with hinged doors could also be used with doors open. If you liked open doors, nothing about the old model prevented you from opening them. You could have had your cake and ate it too with the old model. I think it's disingenuous to celebrate this model for doing something that the old one could already do.

 

Edited Tuesday at 05:13 PM by W.A.Rorie
Removed off topics

[DemonGSides]

2 hours ago, ThePenitentOne said:

There have been a couple people saying they like doors modelled open.

 

This is strange to me, because the model with hinged doors could also be used with doors open. If you liked open doors, nothing about the old model prevented you from opening them. You could have had your cake and ate it too with the old model. I think it's disingenuous to celebrate this model for doing something that the old one could already do.

 

 

 

People can like a thing without being disingenuous. They could like the old ones modularity because it let them model it open and then like the new model because it's always open.

 

Edited Tuesday at 05:13 PM by W.A.Rorie
Removed off topics

[tychobi]

So tactical rocks instead of a gun is the big new upgrade?. . .  Space marines needed a new place to pop all their lieutenants after they forgot to put a door on the hammer fall suppose.  At least it has a fun a sized footprint that will be a joy to play around?. .   . I feel a bit lost on this one

[TheCelticRaven]

 

Edit: to expand on this, a genuine argument would be to bring forward the opposing points, such as how not having to engineer the doors to be able to close has allowed the models to be more easily manufactured for less cost and has meant that less sprue are needed allowing them to put 2 in the box, directly passing possible savings to the end customer.

 

Edited Tuesday at 05:12 PM by W.A.Rorie
Removed off topics

[RedFox]

This has probably been answered already but is it the same size as the old one?

[HeadlessCross]

3 minutes ago, RedFox said:

This has probably been answered already but is it the same size as the old one?

Apparently about the same size but with smaller doors

[SkimaskMohawk]

In terms of pods though, no matter what edition they were in, their mechanics were either very feast or famine, and the models always caused issues. The doors being glued shut to deny line of sight; the doors being open to deny a chunk of the board from enemies (especially with the 3-5 that was popular). Hopefully there's a valid reason to take them in the new book, because pods were a pretty iconic part of the marine list after they got a model, and it's be really cool to see them again.

Edited Tuesday at 05:12 PM by W.A.Rorie
Removed off topics

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

21 hours ago, Marshal Reinhard said:

So... it has modular tactical rocks?

Drop Pod has now the high ground rendering attacks upon it futile.

[W.A.Rorie]

=][= TOPIC IS ABOUT THE NEW DROP PODS =][=

STAY ON TOPIC OR THREAD WILL BE CLOSED

THIS YOUR FIRST WARNING

[Rhavien]

They don't look as good as the old ones, but if that keeps them cheap, more easy to play with the shorter doors and finally brings them back to the tables, I'm happy. 

[Naryn]

Looking at it again I actually really like the change to the top of the model. In the old one the doors covered up a lot of interesting detail, but the shorter doors of the new one let them play with some cool angles up there. The shortened doors will reduce the footprint a little too, although I'm not sure the difference will be that noticeable. Overall, I'm cautiously optimistic about this revamp, looking forward to seeing what it looks like on sprue

[Ayatollah_of_Rock_n_Rolla]

10 hours ago, Lord Clinto said:

 

Look at the arrestor arms that are supposed to swivel down onto the top of the SM's shoulder pads to secure them for the trip...there physically isn't room for both interior arms to swing down, let alone have the room for two Primaris Marines stand face to face...you better hope Brother Ezekiel brushed his teeth this morning, because you're all but kissing him for the entire trip down from orbit...

 

I've noticed that and it also got me wondering how it's supposed to work. Although, to be fair, I don't think that in the old Drop Pod the harness would be able to move up and down (if it was supposed to and not to be locked in) or house a marine with a backpack.

[jaxom]

51 minutes ago, Ayatollah_of_Rock_n_Rolla said:

it also got me wondering how it's supposed to work.

Same way 15 Marines fit in a Land Raider Crusader 

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

Can someone explain the appeal outside of a fluffy army aspect? I’ve never understood the drop pod love.

[Tokugawa]

If GW straightly retire the drop pod unit, people may bother less.

[Moonstalker]

1 hour ago, Inquisitor_Lensoven said:

Can someone explain the appeal outside of a fluffy army aspect? I’ve never understood the drop pod love.

 

When introduced, drop pods provided several significant advantages:

1. Deep strike for units that could not deep strike.  Multimelta Devastators, Dreadnoughts, whatever you want to put in your enemy's face, suddenly they can just appear there.

2. 50% of drop pods deep strike turn 1, the rest come in as reserves as normal.  Old reserve rules you had to roll, starting on turn 2, for your units to show up.  The roll got easier as the game went on (I think, 5+ on turn 2, 4+ on 3, 2+ on 4, and on turn 5 it automatically comes in).

3. Deep striking units would scatter - in previous editions of the game, we had scatter dice (a die with arrows or 'hit' symbols on it paired with d6's for distance).  You picked where you wanted the unit to show up then rolled scatter.  If you scattered into terrain, enemy units, or off the table, you suffered a deepstrike mishap (which could include complete loss of the unit).  Drop pods automatically reduced scatter distance by the minimum amount necessary to avoid these types of obstacles.

 

Nowadays, they mostly only provide the first option, and for a significantly higher points premium.  You no longer roll for your reserves, you choose when they come in.  You can bring them in as early as you want.  The ability to deep strike literally right next to an enemy unit is severely curtailed (getting 6 inch deepstrike is the most you can hope for in most cases these days).  Drop Pods in their current iteration just aren't good, but in the past they were incredible.  Maybe with new rules, they could be again.

[Nephaston]

They're also, surprisingly, ok to use as an inpromptu handegg to toss between you and a couple of mates across the table.

[ThaneOfTas]

4 hours ago, Inquisitor_Lensoven said:

Can someone explain the appeal outside of a fluffy army aspect? I’ve never understood the drop pod love.

They're cool both conceptually and aesthetically. Rules come and go, Looks and lore stick around for a fair bit longer.

[Frogian]

6 hours ago, Inquisitor_Lensoven said:

Can someone explain the appeal outside of a fluffy army aspect? I’ve never understood the drop pod love.

i've never owned a drop-pod - i'd stopped playing long before the plastic one came out, and haven't picked one up since getting back into it - but I'm definitely interested in being able to drop in my bladeguard or flamestorm aggressors. (insert marge simpson 'i just think they're neat!' meme)