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Quick question, been a couple months since my last game (prior to last week) and its been longer since I play against a DP army. In my previous game against an all DP Black Templar Army, my opponent stated that he could choose to keep the doors shut. Thus preventing me from getting LoS on the models on the other side and having to shoot at AV12. I was under the impression that once DP's landed the doors were blown open, one could draw LoS through them and they were AV10. I don't play any time of SM army myself so I was hoping someone could clear this up for me.

Thanks

Grix.

I don't believe that is the case, though I can't site chapter and verse at the moment to prove it. Every game I've ever played with them has counted a down pod as obstructing visibility (thus providing a cover save) but not as completely blocking LOS. That's not proof of course, but that has been the standard in all the games I've played.

There's no rule saying that you have to open the doors. But if you can't draw LOS through it, neither can he. Also, it's going to be tough to shoot the storm bolter inside when it can't draw LOS to anything.

Finally, Drop Pods are always AV 12. However, they're also Open-Topped. Opening/closing doors does not change the fundamental mechanics of the unit itself.

Thanks guys for the clarification.

Normal play is thus.


Drop pod lands
Doors must open (if they are glued shut, that is an exception see *)
TLOS is used. You can see through it, but stuff gets cover.
Enemy models can stand on the doors, and the "Hull" of the Drop pod is all that counts.


* if the doors are glued shot, then you can not see through it, BUT you can not fire the Storm Bolter/Deathwind Laucher either (it has no LOS to anything)

svendrex wrote:Drop pod lands
Doors must open

There is no permission to move part of a model in game except for vehicle weapons.

The doors must be open when the model is placed or left closed.

Revise my statement thus

The drop pod is placed on the table with the doors open. As the doors are not part of the hull, the door can be placed within 1" of an enemy model.

The way i have always played it is that the doors of the drop pod are a "decorative element" They are not the hull of the vehicle, and as such there is no restriction on enemy models being near them.
The effect is that there is no in game difference between a Drop pod with no doors modeled on it, and a drop pod with the doors open.

The only exception is when you build your drop pod incorectly and the doors do not open. Then you are allowed to still use it, if you forgo the use of the drop pod Weapon.

Rhino doors are not opened for units prior to debarking, so it is logical to assume that Drop Pod doors don't need to be opened. Regardless, if you are unsure of a rule during the course of playing a game you can consult your rulebook and/or ask your opponent to show you the exact spot in the rules/codex where the rules that are being quoted can be found. Based solely upon your OP I would consider that opponent moved to the lowest spot on the list of people I play the game with.

In the rules for the Drop Pod, it States

Once the drop pod has landed, the hatches are blown and the squad immediately disembarks

Is that a rule or is it a piece of fluff?

the age old question of 40k....

svendrex wrote:Is that a rule or is it a piece of fluff?

Unless you're going to take it literally and apply small explosive charges to your models before the game, it would seem to be a piece of fluff. There is no rules mechanic anywhere in the drop pod rules that tells us how to apply 'blowing the hatches' on the table.

Fluffwise, the doors open. But fluffwise, the doors on a rhino open to let the passengers out as well. There is no requirement in the rules to actually do so in either case, though.


But, as said, leaving the doors closed doesn't stop the pod from counting as open topped, and will prevent the pod from firing its weapon.