Drop pod deployment....

[The Plumber]

My friends and I have been using drop pods quite alot as of late and a few questions have sprung up about deployment of and from a drop pod. I have checked the official FAQ's as well as other forums but cant seem to find any solid rules, just opinions.

Normally, this would not be a problem as we would just agree on a house rule but we have started entering(and I have started running), competitive tournaments, so it would be nice to know which method is more correct.

The questions are as follows:

Are the ramps classed as part of the hull?

Do the ramps have to be deployed?

If the ramps do count as the hull, can I legally deploy 2" from the end of them?

I will be greatfull for any feedback.

[Schlitzaf]

My friends and I have been using drop pods quite alot as of late and a few questions have sprung up about deployment of and from a drop pod. I have checked the official FAQ's as well as other forums but cant seem to find any solid rules, just opinions.

Normally, this would not be a problem as we would just agree on a house rule but we have started entering(and I have started running), competitive tournaments, so it would be nice to know which method is more correct.

The questions are as follows:

Are the ramps classed as part of the hull? No

Do the ramps have to be deployed? I'd say yes, but some will argue will not have. I forget the exact codex and wording, but I believe Codex: Space Marines says the doors are blown while Codex: Blood Angels and Wolves do not. But that said it is nicer, and more inaligned with how it should work fluff wise for doors to be blown open. It depends if you play RAW vs RAI, RAW for the non-vanilla (minus Templars b/c I don't believe it is mentioned there), you can keep the ramps up but and for vanilla you have to open them. RAI you should open them

If the ramps do count as the hull, can I legally deploy 2" from the end of them? No

I will be greatfull for any feedback.

Hope that helps

[Fellend]

while a clear answer is neat. What are you using as a reference?

[Schlitzaf]

For which question?

[gwensdad]

Our BA player who likes to do drop pod assaults insists that the open doors part of the hull (as much as I've tried disagreeing)
Granted, whenever it looks like it will be an issue with objectives-I blow up the droppod.

Anyway, ramps do not have to be deployed. The model can be be glued shut.

[Capn Stoogey]

As far as I know the ramps do NOT count as part of the hull, and are not used to measure the 2" deployment from. They also do NOT count as impassible for the enemy.

As for the open/closed debate, I'm absolutely sure I've seen an FAQ from GW themselves saying that you can leave as many ramps up as you like, which will block LOS.. They explained it something like this:

The space marines receive up to the minute data on battlefield conditions and enemy positions. This enables them to adjust which ramps of the drop pod remain closed, providing them with some cover when they arrive in the thick of battle.

This does leave room for abuse though (naturally...) as you will get jerks who want to leave all the doors up to block LOS but still have their dudes jump out through the closed doors...

I will try and find where I read this, i think it was something to do with the 40k grand tournament, because so many people seem to be of the all open or all closed school. Unfortunately, as with many GW FAQs, there is a lot of room for abuse and you will probably have to just agree with your mate before the game or pick which ruling you like and enforce it at your tourneys.

Hope this helps

[Capn Stoogey]

This site has an excerpt.

[url]http://space-wolves-grey.blogspot.com/2009/06/drpo-pod-faq.html?m=1[/url]

Still unable to find the full FAQ but I hope this helps ( and doesn't just complicate things further... )

[SonicPara]

This site has an excerpt.

[url]http://space-wolves-grey.blogspot.com/2009/06/drpo-pod-faq.html?m=1[/url]

Still unable to find the full FAQ but I hope this helps ( and doesn't just complicate things further... )

The FAQ you are looking for was for a tourney, not GW's official FAQ section of their website. The fluff clearly states that the doors are blown open as it lands and, considering the massive balancing implications of allowing some doors to remain shut (especially when dropping Ironclad Dreadnoughts), I have always played them as completely open even if the model is glued shut. When I play with a player with glued-shut pods we allow TLOS through them but always with a cover save as an open Drop Pod almost always confers a cover save due to the cluttered interior.

[thecactusman17]

Hatches do NOT hold objectives. I can absolutely accept that a pod lands on top of an objective and holds it, but I will never accept that increasing your control and placement denial range by over half a foot is an acceptable method of play.

I'm 100% OK with people modeling their pods to deploy fully or partially open as they see fit, and have no issue with it. And I have no problem with players getting out of a "closed" hatch. The reasons are simple and straightforward.

Firstly, the official plastic model is designed to be able to do this. Every hatch can individually swing open or shut to let models in or out.

Secondly, many players have models made (either by Forgeworld or following numerous official and unofficial guides online and from GW itself) prior to the plastic model release, and they should be able to play with their models. I just ask that the models possess a footprint roughly equal in size to the plastic release, perhaps mounted on a scenic base if necessary. Many of these models cannot be modeled to open up, either completely or partially.

Thirdly, the model simply enables a fun, fluffy tradeoff--keep the doors up and block true LOS for everyone (which offers huge benefits to both sides) or lower them down and risk shots zapping through to kill friendly models on the opposite side.

The only restrictions I place on the model are these: you have between when you deploy the model and the end of disembarking your last model out of it to finalize the placement of your doors. After that, the only way to change it is to explode the thing. If you ask to play a glued model as "open" then I can make any reasonable claim to see models on the opposite side through petals or vanes without contradiction. Finally, if you proxy another model as a pod, the model must be of similar size and footprint to a real pod.

[doom-kitten]

The way I see it the ramps are no different from a Rhinos rear ramp, you don't measure the 2" from the end of the ramp but from the access point it'self, as to it being model shut, well it looks better open and looks like what it's meant to be and prevents confusation as to how it shoots it's weapon through a door. Using it to block LOS with the doors closed seems like a sad use of the rules and the model it'self, it's counted as open topped so should appear so, atleast I feel that way.