Black Templar Drop Pods

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**Caminoman**

Anyone else feel that the next BT codex should make the army that is famous for its orbital bombardments and drop pod assaults have drop pods that are more...assaulty? Being able to assault out of a drop pod would be amazing for the Black Templar, and could be toned down a bit (for those of you who feel that this would be a bit strong) in points cost. This would play to the fluff a bit more, and give the Black Templar a different viable build besides mech assault. Opinions or suggestions?

**Your Friend Doctor Robert**

They'd have to not be able to shoot as compensation. So it's basically the Heroic Intervention rule.

**DarknessEternal**

Caminoman wrote:Anyone else feel that the next BT codex should make the army that is famous for its orbital bombardments and drop pod assaults have drop pods that are more...assaulty?

No.

A drop pod assault doesn't mean making assault moves out of drop pods. It means using drop pods.

**Your Friend Doctor Robert**

He's right, actually.

I think that when they do a Drop Pod Assault, they should also get some Orbital Bombardments(S10 AP 1 Large Blast scatters 2d6)

**Lord Magnus**

Assaulting without shooting from a pod might work, if you tacked on extra points.

**Caminoman**

Instead of an assault drop pod, it could just be an assault upgrade or additional boarding ramps of the sort.

**Tactical Nuclear Panda**

That would definatly fit the fleet based theme, but it would have to be a pretty exspensive upgrade. That way you have to choose between having a few units that can assult out of drop pods but having a good numer of units, or have all of them doing that but you would have almost no units.

Conversly there could be a rule saying you can assult out of your drop pods, without shooting, but all units must be in drop pods so you would lose out on any vehicles and most of your heavy support.

**G00fySmiley**

i think it'd be cool to do drop pod assault where BT could only assault out of a drop pod, or choose between shooting or assaulting but definatly nto both, that'd be overpowered to do both

**Daemonhound63**

Or possibly a difficult Terrain test to assault on 2 or 3 dice.

**Your Friend Doctor Robert**

Black Templar Drop Pods

During a Black Templar player's Drop Pod Assault, they may fire 1 Orbital Bombardment for each Drop Pod being used.

Obital Bombardment
S: 10 AP: 1 Type: Ordinance 1, Barrage, Scatters full 2d6

However, if Doubles are rolled either on the Drop Pod's scatter or the Orbital Bombardment's scatter, the drop pod lands and the hatches blow, which is immediately followed by one of the Orbital Bombardment shots being placed directly on top of the Drop Pod.

**Amanax**

Your Friend Doctor Robert wrote:Black Templar Drop Pods

During a Black Templar player's Drop Pod Assault, they may fire 1 Orbital Bombardment for each Drop Pod being used.

Obital Bombardment
S: 10 AP: 1 Type: Ordinance 1, Barrage, Scatters full 2d6

However, if Doubles are rolled either on the Drop Pod's scatter or the Orbital Bombardment's scatter, the drop pod lands and the hatches blow, which is immediately followed by one of the Orbital Bombardment shots being placed directly on top of the Drop Pod.

Yeah... Pretty sure almost no one would take that risk unless it was a just for kicks game...

I agree though, the Templar should have some way to make their pods more viable, and they should actually get orbital strikes.

Even a rule similar to the Blood Angel's Dante rule (Where his squad doesn't scatter or something like that). Make it a special rule for a special character available to the templar, so that the pods don't scatter. Even that in and of itself would make them more viable.

**Your Friend Doctor Robert**

Or maybe just a few points extra upgrade to Drop Pods that makes it only scatter a d6?

**Amanax**

Your Friend Doctor Robert wrote:Or maybe just a few points extra upgrade to Drop Pods that makes it only scatter a d6?

That could work too. Even that little change would make dropping in your opponents face less dangerous (As everyone in my area likes to crowd board edges in the first few turns to avoid BA drops and Space Wolf drops from getting too terribly close)

So at least here, that would peak my interest

**Your Friend Doctor Robert**

I just don't like having to take a special character for a bonus that only works on one unit.

**Amanax**

I was thinking of a army wide drop pod rule.

Think of Lysander (I think that's who it was) from the fourth edition space marine book. He had a rule that made it so if any of your terminators arriving via teleportation rolled in from reserve, you could opt to have them all teleport in that turn instead of waiting for them to roll in.

(Still not sure why he got changed, it was an epic rule that imo didn't do anything worse than some of the newer rules o_O)

**Your Friend Doctor Robert**

All right: Black Templar Drop Pods may exchange their Storm Bolter for Gyroscopic Guidance. If they do so, they only scatter d6. Cost: 15 Points

**AlmightyWalrus**

Shameless self-promotion!

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/359804.page

Or, more specifically, my revamped vow for the EC:

Let the skies tremble!: The Black Templars strike from their ships in orbit, annihalating everything in their way. Drop Pods, assault marines and terminators who deep strike may re-roll their reserve rolls. Furthermore, they may also reroll their scatter dice. Any Black Templars unit that deep strikes gains a cover save the turn they deep struck. Vehicles instead count as obscured.

**Caminoman**

I don't think the Emperor's Champion should have any play in BT drop pods, instead their should be an armywide rule or a rule given by a separate IC. Having the EC have a vow for the rule would hinder the use of AACNMTO too much, and to balance having AACNMTO and the drop pod rule the separate IC could be mildly more pricey.

**Brother Sein**

One way you can do it is to simply give the Drop Pod special rules and increase the cost of them the way BA vehicles have fast and cost more than the UM vehicles or just give them a unique Drop Pod.

ASSAULT DROP POD....................................55 points

Special Rules: Inertial Guidance System, Immobile, Drop Pod Assault, Impact Dampeners

Impact Dampeners Because of the use of additional retro-thrusters on their Drop Dods, Black Templars can assault immediately after landing. The diminished impact upon landing allows the BT to ready themselves instantly where other Chapters would require a moment to gather their bearings after the intense impact of normal Drop Pods.

A player using Assault Drop Pods can elect for the squad being transported to assault upon landing, declaring it before scatter dice are rolled. If he declares an assault upon landing the squad cannot shoot (or run) that turn but can still assault (provided they are close enough).

A DoA type rule wouldn't be wise here because it would be OP considering that if you land on something that could normally cause a Mishap then IGS kicks in and being able to get a IC that close would again be a bit OP. I believe the cost of this is fair considering that the same rule that Vanguard Squads have is what makes them so expensive.

**chobarba**

maby have a vow that allows them to assult out of it???.. they prayed so hard that they bounced out of their D. pod and landed into the enemy..... prayers answerd

**AlmightyWalrus**

As long as we somehow manage to avoid "Drop Pod Assault" (not likely). That rule is the bane of drop pod armies and the reason that the Templars, IMO, are the ones who do all-pod lists the best at the moment.

**Zid**

Assaulting out of drop pods is kinda... op? They'd have to make the pods 60+ points to compensate for the ability to do something that only a few units in the game can do...

**thenoobbomb**

I think this is all a bit Blood Angely..
They are the true masters of the sky, after all.

But well, I really like that drop pod profile.

**Caminoman**

More like Blood Angels are a bit Black Templar-y...

That Assault Drop Pod would work well, but would be a bit risky due to scatter pulling you out of assault range. Maybe 1D6 or 1D6+2 or 3?

**Brother Sein**

Well BA are more inclined to jumping out of planes then Drop Pods assaults to be honest and that's the reason I play BA.

I was basing the Drop Pod on Heroic Intervention which is 2d6. Its the risk you take with it because being able to get into combat right away is huge. The BA Vanguards have 1d6 but you also have to compensate with that because if you can land on the enemy or on some dangerous/impassible terrain and never make onto the board. If you have HI on a Drop Pod you the guidance system to move you out of the way so your guaranteed a landing and with 1d6 you are pretty much guaranteed an assault. And as we all know nothing is guaranteed in 40K.

**Miraclefish**

Hmm how about:

For each Drop Pod that deploys in a turn, you may make one Orbital Strike. This hit happens outside of the normal phase, once the Drop Pod is committed, but before it is placed.

Shoot 'em up then drop Pods on 'em.

**Xca|iber**

I'm on the side of not allowing assaults out of Drop Pods.

I think an orbital strike alongside each Drop Pod landing is a good buff, alongside a rule that increases the ability of BT pods to arrive en masse rather than piecemeal.

Also, having multiple strike types would help make such a rule viable. (So a single shot S10 AP1 Large Blast, D3 S6 AP4 Large Blasts, or D6 S4 AP6 Small Blasts).

**Brother Sein**

I agree that allowing them to have too many units assaulting from DS would be OP. How about we limit the amount they maybe able to take. One way of limiting it might be to only allow Assault Squads or Veteran Vanguards to use it by adding the following rule to their profile if the Assault Drop pod is included in the Dedicated Transport section.

(Assault Squad) The squad may remove its jump packs and count as infantry. It can then have any transport any Dedicated Transport.

(Vanguard Veteran) If the squad does not have jump packs it may select any Dedicated Transport.

You could also add a squad size requirement like the one the TS have in C:SM, requiring them to have 10 models in a unit before they can take a ADP.

This would change the VV in the fact that they can avoid Mishaps which is huge but at the same time very BT. Giving it to the AS would allow them to have this rule on a cheaper unit seeing as it is in their theme. Any SM army can take 3 units with HI so this would not be overpowered in that sense, it would still be 2d6 which would not make it a guaranteed assault.

And adding a Dantesque rule for a special character in a BT army would be pretty bad ass.

**AlmightyWalrus**

Having Helbrecht make Sword Brethren troops doesn't feel too far-fetched, if a bit too similar to Dante for my taste.

**Caminoman**

If the assault pod was to be limited to assault squads as Brother Sein suggested, how many points would you assign to the pod? Because already taking 5-10 assault marines is pricey, and the pod itself shouldn't make the unit too point-ineffiecent.