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Well I really having found a dedicated thread to the discuss the new drop pod assault rule in the space marine codex. Half coming in on turn one if a recall correctly(don't have the codex in front of me). But that's how I understand the new rules. A lot like demons it seems. So basicly it seems that a full drop pod army is now more reliable. But what are the key units? Well the new shiny sternguard unit seems to be popular with all the combi-meltas and/or special ammo. The ironclad dreadnought is something I've seen popping up as a popular choice.

I could see the sternguard all combi-metla squad being effective against the nob bikers and MCs, which are definite threats that will be faced. But what about hordes? What are the most have units for a DPA list to bring to deal with hordes?

What would be the must have HQ to take for a DPA list?

I've seen Ironclads tie up hords like no other. Throw in Telion or a Vindicare to kill off the powerclaw and I've seen an Iron clad go through 20+ orks in three consecutive turns.

The three main problems with drop pods are as follows:

1. Scatter. Usually not TOO big of a problem after you get your first pod or two down but it can cause some headaches.

2. Kill points. 12 armor with an open top is not too hard to kill and in a full drop army of 7-8 drop pods that is a lot of easy kill points.

3. You HAVE to drop half first turn. When facing drop pod SM armies in the few games I've played against I start nearly everything off table, it works even better in dawn of war when I get 2nd turn. Of course it might even be more messy if I have an INQ with a couple mystics, as I'm now ALWAYS taking at least one of these in a unit seeing how there are a ton of drop pods, deamons, and DA players in my area.

The combi melta sternguard are a great unit when facing heavy armor. However, don't feel like you need to always drop them in first turn. Sometimes deploying them and taking advantage of the 30" range is better if you have a libarain available to gate them later on.

Never use a drop pod for a TF cannon just a waste of 35 points IMO.

Must have HQ is either a libarain to take advantage of the cheap locator beacons of the pods, Pedro to make the sternguard scoring, or a MOF to get some ironclads into the Heavy Support choices.

However, when it comes down to it a full drop pod army is something I'm not very scarred of, unless there are 4-5 Ironclads comming my way.

Well, Drop Pod armies have a flaw since halve of the units arrive during turn one while the rest stays in reserve and their arrival depends on reserve rolls.
To counter this, one needs to think about what units are to be deployed first. In missions required to occupy objectives, one safe bet is to let the Pods land on objective in or close to the own deployment zone. This allows to shoot and so weaken the enemy first before he is able to take on the Pods. Later the Pods carrying units with more staying power, like Ironclads, should arrive to contest or clear objectives, eventually in the enemy deployment zone.