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I'm pretty sure the answer to this is yes as I've seen answers to the various parts of it in other threads or in FAQs(the Dark Angel one in particular), but I just want to run it by everyone and make sure it is allowed.

Can you have a unit, buy it a drop pod as a dedicated transport, deploy the unit on the table in the beginning of the game and then drop the pod in during a later turn as a normal reserve?

For instance can you take 6 units, buy them all drop pods, deploy 3 of the units as standard on the board at the beginning of the game, drop the 3 remaining units via their pods on turn 1 of the game and then roll for and bring the other 3 pods(whose owners are already on the table) in as standard reserves? Essentially I'm buying 'empty' drop pods for units that don't need a vehicle and will be stationary so that I can bring the half of the army I want to drop in on in the first turn.... like 3 assault terminator units in drop pods and two devastator squads with pods they don't ride in so I can turn one drop all the assault terminators and in later turns bring in the empty pods wherever.

Thanks,

Cogito

I do not see any reason why not. If you get to choose what you want for the first wave then yes you can. If it is random then no you cannot. Its just that easy. Kind of expensive insurance if you ask me but if ya gotta do something...over do it.

ummm, you may be thinking of demons. If you check the SM codex you get to pick, no dice roll required. Page 69 in the codex under drop pod assault.

Cogito

Taking extra, empty drop pods in order to pad out your army so that the pods which you really want to arrive first can do so doesn't seem any worse than spreading equipment around a multi-wound unit to avoid removing models. Otherwise, you're spending the points and buying the plastic (and increasing your total kill points) ...

But isn't there an option to buy melta-guns or something for the pod so you could try saying "It's not cheesy, it's a fire support pod" with a straight face?

Actually Solkan that very start you stated *is* in the SM codex (the new one). I beleive it is in the 'fluff' section talking specifically about one of Sicarius's attack on some world where he dropped a bunch of those missile loaded drop pods in the mist of the enemy and then assaulted with his troops on foot.

So, totally 'fulffy' and well within the rules.

Great for boxing in/blocking static firepower and for contesting (or completely obstructing) objectives

And it's a great offensive weapon versus units with poor armor saves or low toughness. More than half the time a destroyed drop pod will explode, and that explosion *will* kill models.

Just remember, they can't fire the turn they come in, and the each count for a KP.

SM's can do the first turn drop pod tactic. Dark Angels can not.

coredump wrote:Just remember, they can't fire the turn they come

Unless they are a Deathstorm Pod

True, but that is an IA item, so you wont run into a lot of those. Not in most tournaments anyway.

coredump wrote:Just remember, they can't fire the turn they come in, and the each count for a KP.

just because alot of people I know seem to dispute this on the basis that it's immobile, the immobile rules say merely to count it as having suffered an immobilized result, and the deep strike rules say it counts as moving at cruising speed. So consider for example a Space Marine Predator that drove 8" at which point it hit the edge of an area terrain piece, failed it's dangerous terrain test, and became immobilized, regardless of it's current state of being immobilized it travelled at cruising speed, and therefore would not be entitled to fire it's weapons.

The only time where being currently immobilized takes precedence over your move distance is for attacking vehicles with grenades.

Drunkspleen wrote:

coredump wrote:Just remember, they can't fire the turn they come in, and the each count for a KP.

just because alot of people I know seem to dispute this on the basis that it's immobile, the immobile rules say merely to count it as having suffered an immobilized result, and the deep strike rules say it counts as moving at cruising speed. So consider for example a Space Marine Predator that drove 8" at which point it hit the edge of an area terrain piece, failed it's dangerous terrain test, and became immobilized, regardless of it's current state of being immobilized it travelled at cruising speed, and therefore would not be entitled to fire it's weapons.

The only time where being currently immobilized takes precedence over your move distance is for attacking vehicles with grenades.

Correct except for last line . Immobilized takes precedence on any assault vs a vehicle.

Cogito wrote:Essentially I'm buying 'empty' drop pods for units that don't need a vehicle and will be stationary so that I can bring the half of the army I want to drop in on in the first turn.... like 3 assault terminator units in drop pods and two devastator squads with pods they don't ride in so I can turn one drop all the assault terminators and in later turns bring in the empty pods wherever.

Thanks,

Cogito

Emphasis mine. I was under the impression that termies couldn't use drop pods in the new codex. Am I missing something?

You are correct. Terminators cannot use drop pods in the new SM codex. They have to teleport in or get a ride in a Land Raider. This is why I stick locator beacons on all my drop pods.