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.

[gendoikari87]

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

[plawolf]

I cannot see how anyone could argue that an all drop pod army cannot all start in reverse. What, you are supposed to start half your army on the table and drop empty drop pods?

I think you have covered it pretty well already. Drop pods have to start in reserve, if you choose to have all your units start off embarked in drop pods, then they must all start in reserve. Simples.

Same thing with a BA or GK all stormraven list. If your entire army can embark on transports that must start in reserve, and you choose to embark them, everything starts in reserve.

[isotope99]

I cannot see how anyone could argue that an all drop pod army cannot all start in reverse. What, you are supposed to start half your army on the table and drop empty drop pods?

I think you have covered it pretty well already. Drop pods have to start in reserve, if you choose to have all your units start off embarked in drop pods, then they must all start in reserve. Simples.

Same thing with a BA or GK all stormraven list. If your entire army can embark on transports that must start in reserve, and you choose to embark them, everything starts in reserve.

Although I agree that air cav lists like this should be allowed, I don't think that they are because of the fact that they cannot be taken as dedicated transports per the rules quoted above. Some houseruling would therefore be needed here, maybe trading some flakk missiles or extra skyfire units to balance things out .

[helvexis]

Same thing with a BA or GK all stormraven list. If your entire army can embark on transports that must start in reserve, and you choose to embark them, everything starts in reserve.

i think this only applies to dedicated transports but yes also things like Al'Rahaem have to outflank

[Tynskel]

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

don't forget, Guard has special rules for deployment of their Platoons. They act as 1 FOC until they hit the board.