Drop pods and drop pod assault

[VinceBlack]

My question is simple, if you employ drop pods in your marine army are you forced to make a drop pod assault. When I looked at the rules it appears that if you employ drop pods you are forced to drop 1/2 rounding up the first turn and the rest as reserves arrive normally... If this is the case that really limits the usefulness of drop pods because although I have tossed around the idea of using a fully deepstriking army more often I just want them to arrive later in the game...

Read closely and tell me what you think, thanks.

[Dingareth]

At the beginning of your first turn, you must choose half of your Drop Pods to make a 'Drop Pod Assault.' Units making a Drop Pod Assault arrive on the player's first turn.

Why do we need to read closely? This is one of the most cut and dry rules in the book... If it doesn't fit your playstyle maybe consider a different army rather than trying to bend the rules? So, yes, you do have to send in half.

[BuFFo]

My question is simple, if you employ drop pods in your marine army are you forced to make a drop pod assault. When I looked at the rules it appears that if you employ drop pods you are forced to drop 1/2 rounding up the first turn and the rest as reserves arrive normally... If this is the case that really limits the usefulness of drop pods because although I have tossed around the idea of using a fully deepstriking army more often I just want them to arrive later in the game...

Read closely and tell me what you think, thanks.

You are trying to find a way to finagle the rules to allow you to drop your whole army turn one?

LOL

Read the rule. It tells you that you can't quite overtly.

It is powerful enough as is.

[Dingareth]

You are trying to find a way to finagle the rules to allow you to drop your whole army turn one?

Actually BuFFo, I'd say just the opposite. Reserve armies like Drop Pod and Demon armies are more powerful the later they come in, especially if they're a shooty army. It allows you to skip more of your opponent's turns giving less time for them to counter what you do.

[VinceBlack]

I didn't mean to sound like I am trying to drop everything turn one, in fact quite the opposite I would rather be able to hold reserves and deploy them in later stages... I believe this is a change from the last edition where drop pods were just a way to deepstrike troops and it just caught me by suprise. I will just have to revise tactics a bit.

[The Green Git]

You must drop half your pods, and you must round up. If you have three pods that means you drop two on your first turn. No exceptions.

This has to be one of the more clearly defined rules in the GW universe.

[StrikerFox]

I didn't mean to sound like I am trying to drop everything turn one, in fact quite the opposite I would rather be able to hold reserves and deploy them in later stages... I believe this is a change from the last edition where drop pods were just a way to deepstrike troops and it just caught me by suprise. I will just have to revise tactics a bit.

currently i think black templars have to keep their DP in reserve and dont get the droppod assault rule. if you wanted stuff to come on later, that might be your army of choice? XD

[Arschbombe]

All the variant chapters with their own codices lack this drop pod assault rule so all their pods go in reserve. I play BA. Sometimes I really wish I could bring in my DC furioso dread on turn 1 and sometimes I'm really glad I don't have to.

[StrikerFox]

All the variant chapters with their own codices lack this drop pod assault rule so all their pods go in reserve. I play BA. Sometimes I really wish I could bring in my DC furioso dread on turn 1 and sometimes I'm really glad I don't have to.

currently space wolves can use the space marines codex drop pods. i dont know how thats gonna be affected come october.. but i hope beyond hope that they dont make ALL the wolves HAVE to droppod.... *shudders*

anyhoo, yeah, so far all that i know is BT have to buy them for 50pts, and use them as in their own dex..

[Dosadi]

I'm hoping the rumour about all SW having to use drop pods if any are used is wrong. I can't see a fluff justification for it and I think it would be an unnecessary limiter on the SW list. I mean, they want to sell new plastic kits, not 1/2 new plastic kits and a bunch of drop pods (well, maybe they want to sell everything). On a similar note, I really hope SW can get TH & SS. I know quite a few people who will be ripping arms off models if they can't.

Back on topic; I've recently started dropping a pair of Ironclads on the first turn using a locator beacon on a Scout bike that turbo boosted into the enemy's deployment zone. It's nice to be able to put a pair of AV13 monsters right where you want them. Then the enemy army has to deal with them while the rest of your force sneaks up the field. In order to do this I have a third drop pod that comes down empty in later turns. Some people argue that I can't drop an empty drop pod, but I've yet to have anyone show me where it says I can't. It's the same as having an empty rhino really. Hrmmmm...this may not be on topic after all.

Anyway, to the OP; if you want more control over your drop pods then you will need to take more of them. It's as simple as that. I do wish that they had given the player the choice to round up or round down, that way it would be up to the player where the odd pod would go (first turn or reserves).


Dosadi