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Probably been covered before, but I'm lazy and want any fresh thoughts anyway

My local club has come to the decision that if a drop pod scatters off the table, it must roll on the deep strike mishap table as there is nothing in the codex or rules saying that it avoids anything but models and impassable terrain. Theoretically this could also mean that you could end up in dangerous terrain (difficult would also count as dangerous obviously).

Now imo that is being stupid and reading the rules as written at the expense of common sense, and is clearly not what was intended when the rules for drop pods were made.
If this came up in a tournament I would argue that the definition of Impassable terrain in the rule book is:
"Impassable terrain cannot be moved across or into"
and therefore, off the table edge counts as impassable terrain, so the drop pod would avoid it.

What do you think?

I fully and totally disagree.

Scattering off the table edge is explicitly mentioned in the Deep Striking rules (as something different from impassable terrain, BTW), so GW knew full well that scattering off the table edge is something that Drop Pods could do and they did not include that in the list of things they are able to ignore.

Drop Pods are already amazingly effective and give you a tremendous advantage over standard Deep Striking, so if ONE negative is that you actually have to stay clear of table edges, then I really think that is perfectly fair.


And by the rules it is pretty darn clear: There is no proviso stopping Pods from scattering off the table so they can and doing so per the Deep Strike rules results in a mishap.


Finally, if you choose to declare table edges as impassable terrain do you also not allow reserves to enter play from them?

I agree with yakface.

Its easily avoided by placing the drop pod ~12" from the edges, as you'll still be unlucky to get two 6's etc.

Drop Podding is already amazing and don't need to be buffed.

agreed, if you land off the table your outta luck

Agreed. Sorry dude. I believe in the 4th ED rules drop pods didnt scatter off of the table (so you could place them right on the edge of the enemy deplyment and basically never mishap) but that rule is not in 5th.

But ~12" from the edge is still great and still within range of most weapons carried by the troops in the pods (or the dread).

Cheers

Instead of thinking; "Oh, damn. My Pods can still Mishap when going off of the table", one should think; "Great, my Pods get to ignore units and impassable terrain for Mishap purposes."

Glass half full.

Steelmage99 wrote:Instead of thinking; "Oh, damn. My Pods can still Mishap when going off of the table", one should think; "Great, my Pods get to ignore units and impassable terrain for Mishap purposes."

Glass half full.

Or even more accurate: Enemy units and impassable terrain STOP my pods from drifting off the board, so all I have to do is put an enemy unit between my pod and the table edge and I know I can't scatter off.

So really we're talking about a glass 3/4 of the way full here and being sad that the last 1/4 isn't filled.

Wait, if the drop pod clears over the enemy unit completly and STILL lands off the table, it has to roll the mishap, right?

Emperors Faithful wrote:Wait, if the drop pod clears over the enemy unit completly and STILL lands off the table, it has to roll the mishap, right?

No, you're right, I had a brain fart.

Yakface is correct

Off the table is NOT Impassible Terrain.

So by what you said above, a drop pod can also land on/in area terrain including ruined buildings and trees, but land on top of intact buildings. So if you land in trees but pass the dangerous terrain test, how the hell do you deploy the pod, open the doors and get the unit out? I presume that you would have to agree with your opponent that such terrain is impasable to vehicles?

Grim.Badger wrote:So by what you said above, a drop pod can also land on/in area terrain including ruined buildings and trees, but land on top of intact buildings. So if you land in trees but pass the dangerous terrain test, how the hell do you deploy the pod, open the doors and get the unit out? I presume that you would have to agree with your opponent that such terrain is impasable to vehicles?

Errm, no. Ruins and Trees are difficult Terrain. You can deploy in them just fine. A Drop Pod May not land on top of a building.

Grim.Badger wrote:how the hell do you deploy the pod, open the doors and get the unit out?

Very carefully?

This could get into another debate about whether or not the doors on the Drop Pod are part of the hull (hint: they aren't), but I would just leave them closed and have the unit disembark as normal. Now as for whether or not the drop pod can actually be placed there... I'm not entirely sure how that would work... destroy the forest?

Gwar! wrote:

Grim.Badger wrote:So by what you said above, a drop pod can also land on/in area terrain including ruined buildings and trees, but land on top of intact buildings. So if you land in trees but pass the dangerous terrain test, how the hell do you deploy the pod, open the doors and get the unit out? I presume that you would have to agree with your opponent that such terrain is impasable to vehicles?

Errm, no. Ruins and Trees are difficult Terrain. You can deploy in them just fine. A Drop Pod May not land on top of a building.

Wrong, a deepstriking unit or model counts difficult terrain as dangerous. If the top of a building is not counted as impassable, such as a landing pad or raised walkway, then the pod can land on it just like terminators could deepstrike onto it.

But what do you do if there isn't the physical space for the pod to land in a wood or other area terrain? There is nothing to say that it scatters away.

Grim.Badger wrote:If the top of a building is not counted as impassable.

Yes, it is. Read the rules for buildings.

Namely the rule that says they use the Transport Vehicle Rules.

And what happens when you Scatter onto a Rhino?

Of course you can house rule it however you like, but that is all it is, a House rule.

If you cannot physically place a model, read up on Wobbly Model Syndrome.

Gwar! wrote:

Grim.Badger wrote:If the top of a building is not counted as impassable.

Yes, it is. Read the rules for buildings.

Namely the rule that says they use the Transport Vehicle Rules.

And what happens when you Scatter onto a Rhino?

Of course you can house rule it however you like, but that is all it is, a House rule.

If you cannot physically place a model, read up on Wobbly Model Syndrome.

I said IF. For example the new Skyshield building.
Wobbly model syndrome doesn't cover landing a large vehicle like a drop pod into a heavily wooded area, does it crush the trees?

Landing pads are for flyers, not drop pods, in fact drop pods exist specifically to deal with the situation of no landing strip. Drop podding onto a landing pad would likely result in the destruction of the landing pad or the pod, or both. As for landing in trees I would say work it our between yourself like adults as the situation arises, but obviously common sense has no place here so I'd say, take your dangerous terrain check for the pod and stick it down as close to where it should be as possible.

Interestingly, RaW , drop pods always mishap if they scatter onto models. You move them the minimum distance away to avoid landing ontop of another model, but you will always then end up within 1" of a model and mishap yourself.

Aramoro

Perhaps you balance the drop pod on top of the trees, and the troops absail out

There have been issues with vehicles fitting into woods and other pieces of difficult area terrain for as long as there have been vehicles and terrain features. Which is to say, forever.

“Wobbly Model Syndrome” is the section of the current rulebook which comes the closest to giving you guidance. Essentially, you have to adjust as best you can with whatever terrain you have.

As noted, the rules on this are actually pretty clear. Pods are the safest means of DS-ing onto the table short of using a teleport homer or locator beacon. They land in Difficult Terrain without issue, stop short of enemy models or impassible terrain, and only ever worry about rolling on the mishap table if they scatter off the board.

Mannahnin wrote:They land in Difficult Terrain without issue...

I thought they still took a dangerous terrain test when they hit difficult terrain.

Since all that can happen is they become immobilised, and the pod becomes immob anyway, I don't think one is needed...

Immobilized results on an immobilized vehicle = weapon destroyed.

Except that immobilized vehicles that get immobilized lose a weapon. That means the storm bolter/deathwind launcher gizmo falls off.

Hmmm, the "new" super cool Lucius pattern pod that allows assault after DS doesn't have a weapon. Would that mean if it scattered into terrain and failed the test would mean it was destroyed?

The Lucius pattern dreadnought drop pod is destroyed if it should fail a dangerous terrain test.

Webbe wrote:The Lucius pattern dreadnought drop pod is destroyed if it should fail a dangerous terrain test.

So, if the Lucius is destroyed by dangerous terrain, what happens to the dreadnaught inside of it?

He disembarks like any other passenger. He just doesn't take a pinning test.

God D*mn my cheating space wolves playing friend tied a game that way....but now i know! thanks guise!

Ennkay wrote:God D*mn my cheating space wolves playing friend tied a game that way....but now i know! thanks guise!

He made a mistake, so he is a cheater?

Wow, glad to know I don't have you in my local group.

I read it like this:

Ennkay wrote:space wolves playing fiend

three times.

Arschbombe wrote:He disembarks like any other passenger. He just doesn't take a pinning test.

I thought they also took a S-something hit. Wouldn't matter if it were a S3 hit, but if it were a S4 hit, which armor facing would be struck?