You CAN Have a Fully Reserved Drop Pod Army

[Chris Copeland]

I’ve recently heard it suggested that I’m going to have to shelve my Drop Pod Space Marine army. I’ve heard arguments that, even with a Drop Pod army, I can’t start entirely in reserve.

To put it mildly, I disagree. I think GW is pretty clear on this one, although they did leave it just ambiguous enough to cause a bunch of arguments. Here is why you can place your Drop Pod Army fully in reserve:

• The Basic Rule Book says that up to 50% of your army can be held in reserve. Further, units that MUST start the game in reserve do not count toward this percentage.
• Drop Pods MUST start in reserve.
• On page 124 it says “A unit and it’s Dedicated Transport are counted as a single unit for these purposes.” That is a key point.
• Thus, my unit of Marines and their Drop Pod are one unit. Full stop. Period. The Drop Pod is required to start in reserve.
• There is NO rule that says I need to separate the two. There is no rule that says I need to break them up. There IS a rule that says “a unit and it’s Dedicated Transport are counted as a single unit for these purposes.” GW is not being ambiguous about this point at all. My Marines and their Drop Pod are a single unit.
• Thus, they start in reserve. They have to. The Drop Pod's rule dictates that they do. The same goes for all of the unit’s that I choose to give Drop Pods to.

I will close with this: this doesn’t mean that putting troops in ANY dedicated transport gives you the choice to have them start in reserve. I could put Marines in a Rhino. That unit (again, one unit) could start in reserve or could be forced to start on the table. The same goes for putting Marines in a Land Raider. They could go in reserve or could be forced to start on the table. The 50% rule covers them nicely.

That covers Rules as Written. Clearly, I think that Rules as Intended (the spirit of the rules) also means that my Drop Pod army can start fully in reserve. However, I don’t feel that I need to turn to RAI since I think that RAW covers this quite nicely.

Cheers and good gaming to all. Copeland

[Tynskel]

someone was arguing with you on this point?

[Chris Copeland]

Yes. A buddy of mine was trying to tell me otherwise so I thought that I'd put my thoughts down succinctly.

[olberon]

amen to that!! indeed droppod armies are still a good way to go

[Demonus]

Yup however a full reserve outflanking Khan army is no more.

[Daemonette666]

GW has made an army that if you do not take allies, every model has to go into reserve, and half deep strikes on the first turn, with the rest turning up via deep strike in the later turns- Codex daemons.

Since the drop pod assault rules means that half of the drop pods deep strike on the first turn, and the rest arrive randomly in the follow up turns, with the rest of the reserve units like fliers, you have a good example of how GW allow for your drop pod army to be used in an all reserve army.

As long as some of your forces arrive via deep striking and surviving until the beginning of YOUR next turn of the game, then you can get the rest down via reserves in later turns. Your only risk is that your opponent destroys all of your units that are currently deployed before the start of your next turn. A hard task to do, but if they can do this, then they have achieved a very fast victory. Just deploy one unit where the enemy will not be able to destroy them, and you can keep bringing your forces in the following turns.

[sludig]

ok so we have decided that an all drop pod army is viable. Now, is the auto loose on any game turn? If is is hope you go first.

[Daemonette666]

ok so we have decided that an all drop pod army is viable. Now, is the auto loose on any game turn? If is is hope you go first.

If that were the case, Codex Daemon players who use a daemon only army with no allies are "Forced" to go first, and if your opponent gets first turn or steals it, you auto lose the game because you will have no forces deployed by the end of the first players turn? You would be seeing daemon players selling their armies in droves as their codex rules specifically state that the whole army must deploy in reserves and half the army arrives via deep strike in the first turn (on the Daemon players turn, not their opponents turn).

GW have on page 122 of the 6th edition rule book answered your question. It states that "Likewise, if at the end of any game turn, one player has no more models on the battle field, his opponent automatically wins." The term GAME TURN is used not player turn. This means both players must have their turn before the victory condition comes into effect.

[Sainhann]

ok so we have decided that an all drop pod army is viable. Now, is the auto loose on any game turn? If is is hope you go first.

Actually I think you can go 2nd since I consider that both players must take their phases.

But while yes you can run with an all Drop Pod army you will have to put something onto the table on your first turn and hope that it is still alive at the end of both players turns.

So going 2nd this would work quite well since your unit would be still alive if there are no mishaps.

I think some are trying to come up with ways so that they can wait until turn 4 or 5 before having to put something onto the table.

Then they come down and cause havoc and garner kill points etc...

Which is probably why GW put in the rule about having to have something on the table at the end of a turn or you lose.

Myself since I run with nearly 190 models for Imperial Guard and more for Orks I would love to have you wait until late in the game to bring your Drop Pods down.

Since I will be spending my time in covering the tabetop with my units so that you will have a limited area to drop into.

Remember there are rules on where and how close you can drop to enemy units.

[gendoikari87]

Half your army? points wise or unit wise, unit wise i'm good, I play Guard/GK