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Good day all,

My question is as follow:

When deep striking a drop pod, do you place the pod where you want it to land on the table, then scatter it from that position, stopping beside enemies on the way? Or do you place it, the roll for scatter, check if there is space at the new location, and them place it there?

My belief is the first option, in that you can technically arrange to squeeze it in such a way between units that it will only barely be able to scatter away, due to the 1" zone from the enemy units.

Please provide your input. Thank you.

It is the second. The drop pod is not dragged by a parachute or something. It targets one spot and either hits there or where the scatter directs. It then reduces scatter to avoid impassable terrain and/or other models.

Homer

I'm not sure what the difference is between those two.

You treat it like any other deep striking unit; place it where you want it to be, then scatter it. If it was going to land on top of a unit or terrain, move it to the point where it wouldn't do that.

-cgmckenzie

I've always played, and seen it played, that you put down the pod, scatter, and move pod to the new position, bumping it back if it scattered onto a unit.

cgmckenzie wrote:I'm not sure what the difference is between those two.

The difference would be if the pod lands 2 inches away from, say, a dreadnought, and rolls 12" for scatter.

Under the first interpretation it would move an inch and stop as the dreadnought is blocking it.
Under the second interpretation it would move the full 12 inches.


The second is more in keeping with the rules. We're not told to stop scattering if anything is in between the initial chosen landing site and the final scatter position, just if the final position is on something that the pod can't land on.

insaniak wrote:

cgmckenzie wrote:I'm not sure what the difference is between those two.

The difference would be if the pod lands 2 inches away from, say, a dreadnought, and rolls 12" for scatter.

Under the first interpretation it would move an inch and stop as the dreadnought is blocking it.
Under the second interpretation it would move the full 12 inches.


The second is more in keeping with the rules. We're not told to stop scattering if anything is in between the initial chosen landing site and the final scatter position, just if the final position is on something that the pod can't land on.

I also agree with the second interpretation.
I have had more than one game where a deep striking unit scattered 11 or 12 inches over another model.
I sometimes calls for a little extra care in measuring but it is in keeping with the rules.

Ok, and when talking about moving the drop pod the shortest distance out of the way if it is landing on bad terrain, does that mean from the initial aimed location, or simply shortest distance in any direction to get out of terrain or models?

If it is IAW the initial aimed position, it could mean that the pod gets placed back very close to its landing location (depending how it is aimed and all). If it is the second (closest movement to get out of the way of impassible terrain), which makes no sense following the inertial guidance write up, it could end up even further away from its aimed objective.

How is this supposed to be ruled out? (personally, I was under the impression that the pod was "landing" at the aimed location, and that it drifted//scattered to the bad location, stopping on its way. I thought that made sense rule wise, but it appears that it does not according to this forum.

Your input please.

gorium wrote:Ok, and when talking about moving the drop pod the shortest distance out of the way if it is landing on bad terrain, does that mean from the initial aimed location, or simply shortest distance in any direction to get out of terrain or models?

You reduce the scatter, not send it off in a different direction.