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Rule of cool, which this sounds like it fails.

No one is forcing you to use a GW drop pod outside a GW store... but you better use a MODEL not a lump of garbage.

The model can be custom, but make some effort. Even cardboard and paint can make a nice-looking model.

800 points is not that much... Maybe you should use 800 points of what you have instead of trying to meta-spam out your list with stuff you don't? If you want to meta-spam, play a video game where you can choose anything. At some point you need to play with what you got. The whole point of a weekly 800pt event is low model count and reasonably easy for most participates to get to 800 points WITHOUT needing proxies or coke can carnifexes. When people start proxying the first 500 points of an escalation league or something, it has defeated the entire purpose.

I like Grot6's link. That is a totally reasonable level of effort people should expect if you want to avoid buying 3-4 GW pods.

The droppod in the link is actually one of the lesser quality scratchbuilds I've seen or done. Still, it would do the job.

Some sceleton-droppod made out of sprue? Pyramidshape?

Not so much.


Imho: If you can't afford it, put the effort into a decent scratchbuild. If you don't want to put the effort into a decent scratchbuild...
Well, if your army isn't worth the effort to you,
then I won't be making an effort to play you.



I am aware of how elitist this mentality might be, but I can and do choose my opponents, I see no need to stoop as low as to play "LULZ IT's made from GW-sprue, you seeeee?!!!!1111oneeleven...."

(this is not aimed at the OP, but rather a general statement)

The group I play with is pretty nice about such things... so long as you do it once, for a playtest. Case in point, the cokebottle drop pod was used two weeks ago. We gave him some friendly trouble over it, and moved along.

The next week, it came back. The trouble was not so friendly. The general consensus was if you can't buy one, that's okay, but try to make something that at least looks the part. Or, just don't use drop pods.

This week, he comes in with a picture of a drop pod (in appropriate colors, no less) printed on cardstock, in the correct size, on a base of the correct diameter. He says he plans on building one from scrap. The general consensus was that this was a reasonable effort and all is good now.

Will that fly at GW? Heck No! But we don't play at GW, because most of us have various 'alternate manufacturer' minis in our armies.

Mr Mystery wrote:

Grot 6 wrote:!@##$ GW.

They want you to pay 50.00 for the same thing. Guess its some sort of status symble, or something, but this is the same compnay that had plans in WHITE FRIGGIN DWARF of the very same things.


Tanks, Bunkers, Tents, towers, wall sections...

You might try this instead.... then tell them to suck it.

http://santacruzwarhammer.blogspot.com/2007/11/low-buck-drop-pods-that-dont-suck.html

What happened to the "Hobby" of the hobby?

Calm down petal. He's asking specifically about an instore session. If playing anywhere but you're own house, you kind of have to obey the rules. And not just in gaming. I swear like a trooper, yet when in polite company, I know that this is not acceptable, so I moderate my language. Not your place? Other persons rules. Your place? Do what you like and to hell with everyone else!

So then by that train of thought- You shouldn't be allowed to play on anything but Realm of Battle Boards, with GW trees, and GW buildings, painted with GW paints.

"The Hobby." I guess.

There is anial and then there is pretty !@#$ing stupid. It's about playing a game of miniatures, nothing more, nothing less.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Eilif wrote:I call for a picture of this sprue-pod.

As everyone else says, it won't fly with GW. As for me, I'm all about "rule of cool". If it looks cool, I'll be happy to play with it. If it doesn't, I'll probably play anyway, but there may be hints dropped on how to make it cooler or replace it.

I agree. Post pictures of this chaos infused drop pod of which you speak of!

You could always scratch build them from materials other than sprue. I did and get no complaints about my drill tanks:



Even the base is cardboard cut to shape. The only issue I get is the lack of a stormbolter, but it could easily be done. If you'd like the pattern for the drill top (the most difficult part to get right) send me a PM and I'll shoot it over to you.

When the Space Marine Codex first came out, and the new plastic Pods were released there was a guy in our group that wanted to test out his Pod list. He used Coin boxes as proxies. No one had any problem as it was a completely new tactic none of us had tried. 3 months later, he was still using the boxes, had not bought the first Drop Pod, and had even bought models for a completely new army. At that point we had to not allow him to use them any more.

Gavin Thorne wrote:You could always scratch build them from materials other than sprue. I did and get no complaints about my drill tanks:



Even the base is cardboard cut to shape. The only issue I get is the lack of a stormbolter, but it could easily be done. If you'd like the pattern for the drill top (the most difficult part to get right) send me a PM and I'll shoot it over to you.

That is beautiful! The drill top and the imperial fists logo are especially impressive.

I really like the Ramshackle version also

Though Like your version drop pods, it's a model I presently have no use for.

RatBot wrote:As much as it pains me to agree with Worglock, he is correct.

While being made out of sprue might technically be following the letter of the law (IE, it contains no non-GW items), it definitely violates the spirit.

I wasn't aware that exclusion of hobbist's was the spirit of Games Workshop. I suppose, good thing for Games Workshop, that there is an LGF when I got into the hobby way back when, because I would have exited it pretty quick if that was the attitude I encountered.

Like I said, I might allow it, and I imagine most FLGS wouldn't ban it outright, but it's my understanding most GW stores are pretty strict about this kind of thing.

RatBot wrote:Like I said, I might allow it, and I imagine most FLGS wouldn't ban it outright, but it's my understanding most GW stores are pretty strict about this kind of thing.

It really has nothing to do with that.

It does, however, have everything to do with context.

If you want to proxy Drop Pods in some pick-up games, they most likely won't say anything. You'd see this in both GW shops and independents. Once it gets beyond three or four weeks worth of gaming days though, people are going to start getting far less accepting.

If you want to show up for a tournament--you'd better have something not made out of sprue with nothing more done to it. There's rules in place for tournaments that all players have to abide by, and if they make an exception "for just this one time"--it sets a bar that can be moved up/down depending on the excuse people give.

Well, yeah, I mean the store's official stance. I've never been to a store that flat out denied extensive and prolonged proxy use as official policy, but it was the de facto rule in the sense that eventually, people will stop playing with you.

I've always been under the impression that, regardless of circumstances, GW does not allow "non-GW" models in their store, and this would include proxies such as soda can drop pods, or, more relevant to this thread, stuff made entirely of GW sprue pieces. If you want to proxy, say, MANZ as Terminators for a few pick up games, they don't mind.

I see no problem with it.

as long as you have put some effort in and it looks decent then uou should be ok.

I used card ones like this and my local GW thought it was cool:



would need pics of what you have done to say accurately but it doesnt sound the same.

Aren't pods little more than glorifed scenery anyway?

But we need to see the sprue-pod before making a judgement on its suitability for use.

Howard A Treesong wrote:Aren't pods little more than glorifed scenery anyway?

The Deathstrike Launcher is nothing more than glorified scenery as well. But try using one in your list without the model and see how far you get.

But we need to see the sprue-pod before making a judgement on its suitability for use.

We really don't. If it's for proxying for a few games--you're going to be okay.

Tournament setting or month after month after month--you're going to get laughed out of the building for having a Drop Pod just made out of sprue.
If that 'spruepod' is the basis of something more? Then yeah. People tend to look a little bit more seriously at it.

Effort matters. If you just try to make it cheap, then gamers by and large won't like you or it. There's an undercurrent of "If I have to pay cash to field X, there's no way in hell I'm letting you use X without paying or making an effort to make something that looks better than the kit I paid for" that's pervasive in the hobby. It's understandable, imo.

Kanluwen wrote:

Howard A Treesong wrote:Aren't pods little more than glorifed scenery anyway?

The Deathstrike Launcher is nothing more than glorified scenery as well. But try using one in your list without the model and see how far you get.

That can drive around and stuff, the pod just sits there doesn't it? Apart from the bolter it doesn't *do* anything, though I'm not up on the rules, you're free to correct me there.

Howard A Treesong wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:

Howard A Treesong wrote:Aren't pods little more than glorifed scenery anyway?

The Deathstrike Launcher is nothing more than glorified scenery as well. But try using one in your list without the model and see how far you get.

That can drive around and stuff, the pod just sits there doesn't it? Apart from the bolter it doesn't *do* anything, though I'm not up on the rules, you're free to correct me there.

The Deathstrike can move, but it can't fire on the first turn of the game OR if it's moved that turn and there's no real reason to move it around anyways, since the Missile is one shot only.

After that, it just sits there.

I did kitbash my Deathstrike out of a baslisk kit and a V2 rocket though.

If ever I field a Deathstrike, I'm just using my Crassus with its comms array and saying the rocket's an orbital strike.

I hate the Deathstrike model with a fiery passion.

Would you be able to use that foam core on in a GW? Or tournament?
I would much rather make that then spend the ton-o-cash on a kit from GW.

2 reasons - save money! and you get the opportunity to make something that is your own!

Mine is in my gallery, I did it for a dakka painting competition I think. If I went for any more dakka and made the rocket any bigger, the tank would fall over.

I like it, but not nearly as much as the knit Beholder.

Howard A Treesong wrote:Mine is in my gallery, I did it for a dakka painting competition I think. If I went for any more dakka and made the rocket any bigger, the tank would fall over.

And that's the problem I have with it and the Manticore plastic kit.

It's the rockets, held outside of any kind of protection and strapped onto a launch gantry. The Forge World Manticore, while still exposing the rockets, at least makes it look like a SSM system.

This brings up other questions with regards to models. For example, DE webway portals. There is a model for the marker, so would using one you've made be illegal, even though it's just a marker?

Abstract Catalyst wrote:This brings up other questions with regards to models. For example, DE webway portals. There is a model for the marker, so would using one you've made be illegal, even though it's just a marker?

Depends, do you play with jerks?

Ouze wrote:

Abstract Catalyst wrote:This brings up other questions with regards to models. For example, DE webway portals. There is a model for the marker, so would using one you've made be illegal, even though it's just a marker?

Depends, do you play with jerks?

I try not to.

I meant more in terms on in GW tournaments and stuff.

My view is that if it looks nice, I'll allow it. The drop pods above are made from household crap, but hey are converted and painted up nicely.

If you want to field something once or twice just to try, I have no problem with a makeshift proxy. If however you make a habit of bringing an ugly block to the game, I won't play.

There is a dude at my hobby store that has created a bunch of IG tank turrets out of styrofoam and wooden dowels. Nothing is painted. The whole thing just looks ugly. It's not a very enjoyable experience for me, so I won't play with him.

in a GW shop i would have to say that wont fly. They exist to selll their product. in NON GW tournis i have played against all manner of non gw related figs. sometimes to the point where i was a little put off by their being admitted. one guy had an entire army in a tourni that was composed of different toys. It was frustrating since i couldnt tell what anything was by looking at it.