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I would simply like to know your opinions on which is the best form of transport for a SM army. I have a tactical squad kitted out with meltas and a melta dreadnought that I'd like to get up close to my enemy and I'd like to know which form of transport is best for the squad and which transports are best in general before I buy any. Thanks

Pods work well for shooting units that can do their thing immediately upon arrival. Podding sternguard seems a popular choice. Assault units work less well because they have to disembark immediately and can't do their thing when they do. Rhinos, even though they are not assault vehicles, are a better choice for assaulters as you can control where they go and the unit can wait inside and not have to disembark. This lets them disembark on their next turn and then assault.

Good advice from Arsch...

Its really much mor complex than 'which one is better'

They can both be the right choice, and you need an overall vision of what your final army is going to be like before you decide.

IMO, if you want to go the drop pod route, then I feel like you'll want to go whole hog, maximize the use of the drop pod assault rule. Take an odd number of drop pods, put aggressive killers in the larger half, and troops choices/empty drop pods in the other half. Have all of the aggressive units come in on turn one, and have your scoring units trickle in as the game goes on.

If you don't want to dedicate to an all out drop pod force, then the rhino is an excellent choice.

What else did you think you'd add to your army?

I wonder if planetstrike will make drop pods more effective or less expensive? I have a hard time justifying taking pods when a few points more gets you a rhino.

FoxPhoenix135 wrote:I wonder if planetstrike will make drop pods more effective or less expensive? I have a hard time justifying taking pods when a few points more gets you a rhino.

LOL! Luckily for me I don't have that problem. BA drop pods cost more than a Rhino. The only thing a BA player seriously thinks about podding is a dread, preferrably a Furioso.

How about...both?

you could always just use LRs for the assaulty units and just leave the heavy weapon tac squads in rhinos. Sternguard in drop pod, pew pew pew

Thanks for replying. The only reason I am considering drop pods is because I have terminators deep striking in that may need support and a dreadnought with a multi-melta that I'd like to use to pop a tank and then use for cc. I think I'll go with Rhinos because they can block TLOS. Btw, what are the rules for fire points and movement, which weapons can fire and when?

Nenya97 wrote:you could always just use LRs for the assaulty units and just leave the heavy weapon tac squads in rhinos. Sternguard in drop pod, pew pew pew

Really, you cabt go wrong either way. The only plus I can think of is that your marines can't get caight in the wreckage of a pod like they can in a rhino. Big benefit against tau or anyone carrying big guns.

One thig to remember is that in KP games each DP gives 1 KP to your opponent.

Random addition - For the people who want to argue, a DP is considered imobilized once it hits the ground AND all imobilized vehicles count as dead for counting KPs at the end of the game.

Backno wrote:One thig to remember is that in KP games each DP gives 1 KP to your opponent.

Random addition - For the people who want to argue, a DP is considered imobilized once it hits the ground AND all imobilized vehicles count as dead for counting KPs at the end of the game.

Immobilized is a long way from destroyed. Since when does immobilized count as anything other than immobilized? Just curious, since maybe I've been overlooking something all this time, but the rulebook says:

At the end of the game, each player receives 1 'kill point' for each enemy unit that has been completely destroyed.

I will agree that the auto-immobilize on the pods does make it easier to destroy. Knock off the single weapon and the whole thing is automatically destroyed.

Nenya97 wrote:Sternguard in drop pod, pew pew pew

Sternguard with Lysander in Drop Pod. pewpew pewpew pewpew

One other point to consider, Drop Pods can be across the board on Turn One, but once they drop, that's it. The squad is walking from there. Sometimes, this is fine, like when you drop a Troop Pod on top of an enemy objective. Rhinos, carefully played, or taken in numbers, can provide versatile mobility that is re-useable for the entire battle.

It's the difference between a can-opener and a corkscrew. Both great tools, but for different jobs.

I have always had a thing against rhinos. I own 3 of them but have never used them once. I for one am a Dakka lover, so the idea of me getting closer to the enemy is practically Hersey to me. But drop pods give me that flexibility to drop some backup units with my deathwing, be it a dread or a tactical squad.

It really doesnt help that most games I play are on a terrain littered battlefield, so the movement options are somewhat limited for tanks in general.