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My fellow Dakka-ites,

I am making the transition from Orks to Space Marines and thinking about running drop pods. I have a question regarding their actual physical placement on the table top.

What are the requirements for space required to deploy a pod? Is it with the doors open or closed? Specifically, what is the ruling if a drop pod can fit in between a few units of enemy models, but there is no room to open the doors. How do you play it?

Thanks,

The rules say to ignore the doors on the Drop pod, so that is what we do in our group.

Open, closed, really doesn't matter. Everybody knows what they do, just make sure you point out what the weapon on the inside is.

I know a guy who has his be removable, so if it strikes into an area that the doors can't lay down in you can still see the weapon. Sorta neat but a tough looking conversion.

-cgmckenzie

As per the rules, and what others have said, you ignore the doors opening for purposes of determining where it can fit.

However, do keep in mind that the models inside have to be able to come out legally as well. Assuming a Drop Pod lands legally, it will always stop at least 1" away from an enemy unit. Depending on the surrounds of the Drop Pod, it may be difficult for the models that were traveling it to come out and remain in coherency while also remaining 1" away from an enemy unit.

But it is open topped when it lands, so unless the enemy units are in a circle and you are dumb enough to attempt a deep strike right in the middle of that perfect circle, you should be able to find somewhere to deploy.

time wizard wrote:But it is open topped when it lands, so unless the enemy units are in a circle and you are dumb enough to attempt a deep strike right in the middle of that perfect circle, you should be able to find somewhere to deploy.

Which is what the OP proposed. He suggested putting the Drop Pod in an area "in between a few units of enemy models, but there is no room to open the doors." He made it sound as though it was that tight of a fit.

Rurouni was trying to tell him not to try it.

Would have to measure to be sure but the doors are somewhere around 6-8" long when opened.

You might not be able to fit the door but still be a lot more than 1" away from enemy models.

Not trying to argue here, just saying.

Well, I wasn't suggesting putting a drop pod into a perfect circle of units. It was more a matter of trying to get an idea for how much space is actually required to put the model into play (i.e. doors open or shut). Since doors technically do not count, then it only seems like a coke can-ish diameter plus disembarking space is required.

DeathReaper wrote:The rules say to ignore the doors on the Drop pod, so that is what we do in our group.

any chance you can point me to that rule?

I'm not saying i don't agree with you as that is how i have always played it, i just don't remember ever reading that and i cannot find it.

The rules for vehicles say that for measurement you go to and from the hull. On vehicles which have moving doors/ramps which can be swung down (including landraiders, wave serpents, chimerae, rhinos, etc.) the door generally is not counted as part of the hull.

The same principle applies here.

One might be able to make an argument that the pod's doors are much bigger and more substantial, and thus ought to be counted as hull, but doing so makes them a giant PITA to play with (and makes it necessary for the unit coming out of them to move AROUND the doors instead of being able to walk on them like they're supposed to), which seems an absurd and inappropriate result.

Mannahnin wrote:The rules for vehicles say that for measurement you go to and from the hull. On vehicles which have moving doors/ramps which can be swung down (including landraiders, wave serpents, chimerae, rhinos, etc.) the door generally is not counted as part of the hull.

For an example of this, check out the disembarking rules in the rulebook, and note how the for the rhino in the example diagram the disembarking zone ignores the lowered ramp.

But remember it is opened top so you could deploy from those doors, and any other part of the vehicle.

No, you can't deploy from the doors. If you're not counting them as part of the pod for the pourposes of the pod's footprint when landing, then they don't count for any other purpose either.

You can't have it both ways. Either they count, or they don't.

And if they count, the pod becomes practically unusable.

Well I don't have it both ways, and I always treat the doors as the hull, just sayin this is the way I play with huge metallic death flowers that pop out little tiny supermen with deathspitters . (Our gaming groups just seems this is the correct way to play it)

Grey elder wrote:Well I don't have it both ways, and I always treat the doors as the hull, just sayin this is the way I play with huge metallic death flowers that pop out little tiny supermen with deathspitters . (Our gaming groups just seems this is the correct way to play it)

So how in the name of the God-Emperor of Mankind do you manage to fit them on the table??!!

Revenent Reiko wrote:

Grey elder wrote:Well I don't have it both ways, and I always treat the doors as the hull, just sayin this is the way I play with huge metallic death flowers that pop out little tiny supermen with deathspitters . (Our gaming groups just seems this is the correct way to play it)

So how in the name of the God-Emperor of Mankind do you manage to fit them on the table??!!

I have actually never encountered a problem with fitting them on the table and most of the time we play a 3 on 3 with a 4500 pts cap split between us. Its actually never caused us any problems at all. Just make do with what you have.

I would suspect that you're not using enough terrain, then.

insaniak wrote:I would suspect that you're not using enough terrain, then.

Well when playing with 2 Ork players one has little need of terrain cover . (But seriously we actually do use enough cover and our board is 48 by 74)

Grey elder wrote:

insaniak wrote:I would suspect that you're not using enough terrain, then.

Well when playing with 2 Ork players one has little need of terrain cover . (But seriously we actually do use enough cover and our board is 48 by 74)

pretty big board

IIRC correctly, you can shoot trough the drop pod when he is landed since his doors are supposed to be open (the unit that is being shotg ets cover save of course). So you have to think that the drop pod does not block LOS if you do not open the doors.

Average board, assuming inches. That is just over 6' x 4'

nosferatu1001 wrote:Average board, assuming inches. That is just over 6' x 4'

true, but a foot more makes a table look way bigger.

I play on a 5x5 usually, so 7 inches of deployment availble looks nice!

Well, from the fluff, the doors of the drop pod are actually blown off when it lands. So, to best use them, IMHO, don't have any doors at all when they're on the board. There's three ways to do this (from easiest to coolest):

1) Build the model without any doors.

2) Build the model and magnetize the doors. Leave the doors on when it's on the shelf, but take the doors off when you deploy it.

3) Build the model with doors attached. Place small explosives around the edge of the doors. Deploy the model with doors, and then set off the explosives to remove the doors.

Grakmar wrote:Well, from the fluff, the doors of the drop pod are actually blown off when it lands. So, to best use them, IMHO, don't have any doors at all when they're on the board. There's three ways to do this (from easiest to coolest):

3) Build the model with doors attached. Place small explosives around the edge of the doors. Deploy the model with doors, and then set off the explosives to remove the doors.

wouldnt that make the pod a one time use?

Serder wrote:

Grakmar wrote:Well, from the fluff, the doors of the drop pod are actually blown off when it lands. So, to best use them, IMHO, don't have any doors at all when they're on the board. There's three ways to do this (from easiest to coolest):

3) Build the model with doors attached. Place small explosives around the edge of the doors. Deploy the model with doors, and then set off the explosives to remove the doors.

wouldnt that make the pod a one time use?

Most likely. But, that one time use would be pretty awesome. It would definitely be an epic legend at your FLGS. Whether or not you'll be banned from your FLGS for setting off explosives is another issue...

Grakmar wrote:

Serder wrote:

Grakmar wrote:Well, from the fluff, the doors of the drop pod are actually blown off when it lands. So, to best use them, IMHO, don't have any doors at all when they're on the board. There's three ways to do this (from easiest to coolest):

3) Build the model with doors attached. Place small explosives around the edge of the doors. Deploy the model with doors, and then set off the explosives to remove the doors.

wouldnt that make the pod a one time use?

Most likely. But, that one time use would be pretty awesome. It would definitely be an epic legend at your FLGS. Whether or not you'll be banned from your FLGS for setting off explosives is another issue...

I would suggest putting a kicking mechanism on the magnetized to make them go off instead of the explosive, that way you get the noise (thing hitting the door) and it is reusable. can still be pretty awesome. Can be pretty ahrd to pull off!!

Grakmar wrote:Well, from the fluff, the doors of the drop pod are actually blown off when it lands.

The doors are 'blown'... not 'blown off'. Which simply means that they're opened. And it's a piece of fluff, nothing more. Fluff-wise, the doors of a Rhino would also have to open for the models inside to get out, but there is no requirement to actually do so on the table.

There is no rule that would require you to open the doors of the pod. Although it's advantageous to do so if you want to fire the pod's weapon, since you will be unable to draw LOS from it otherwise.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Serder wrote:IIRC correctly, you can shoot trough the drop pod when he is landed since his doors are supposed to be open (the unit that is being shotg ets cover save of course). So you have to think that the drop pod does not block LOS if you do not open the doors.

There is no such rule. You can draw LOS through the pod if you can draw LOS through the pod. If the doors are closed, you can't draw LOS through the pod. Nor can the pod draw LOS to anything with its weaponry.

I always assumed the pods doors were for decoration purposes. When i deploy troops from mine i deploy from the main hull, that usually means the marines are standing on them but that's what they're for anyway.

I believe that the doors of a drop pod are assumed to be 'always open' the moment it hits the table, but they do not affect the footprint of the drop pod. Drop pods do not block LOS and instead confer a 4+ cover save to any units who are targeted through them.

This is roughly the answer that GW Customer Service provided, but how they gleaned all this from "the hatches are blown", I have no idea.

junk wrote:I believe that the doors of a drop pod are assumed to be 'always open' the moment it hits the table,

There is no such rule. The doors of the pod are open if the doors of the pod are open.

but they do not affect the footprint of the drop pod.

That much is correct.

Drop pods do not block LOS and instead confer a 4+ cover save to any units who are targeted through them.

This is a bit of a simplification. They block LOS if they physically block LOS. So yes, if you can draw LOS through the pod to a unit behind, you can shoot at them, and they will have a cover save if they are partially obscured.

If the pod's doors are closed, there is no rule that says we should pretend they are not there for LOS purposes.

So, if you wanted to be TFG, you could land your pod, deploy the squad inside and then close the doors again to block LOS?