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Thinking of bringing my space marines out of retirement and I quite like the new (to me at least ) drop pod models, but I'm not sure how to use them.
So I was wondering if you guys could enlighten me with a few examples of how you like to utilise them to give me inspiration. To me it just seem too much like you're dropping a unit in alone and exposed to die before everyone else.
All responces appreciated I'm not looking for a 'right' or 'best' way to use them just any fun effective experiences you've had.

Thanking you in advance
Wolfenstolme

They are great for delivering Sternguard, or melta dreads to where you need them turn 1. There they can open up that vehicle you just have to kill (LR full of TH/SS termies?). They are also not bad to drop a tac squad on an objective mid-late game, however this tactic is somewhat unreliable and many will argue that a Tac squad in a Rhino does this better. They are fun to play with and have their uses

wolfenstolme wrote: I quite like the new (to me at least ) drop pod models,

You won't once you put one together.

Generally drop pods work better in numbers unless you're dropping dreads. The drop pod assault rule requires half of your pods to come in on turn one (rounding up). So if you have three pods, two will come in right away. A common defense against drop pods is holding things in reserve to make the pods land first. You can in turn counter this by going to 4 or more pods to give you some flexibility. For example, you can run, say, 2 stern guard squads in pods and also 2 tac squads. If your opponent deploys, you can choose to drop the sternguard in his face right away. If he goes into reserve, you can choose to drop the two tac squads on objectives on your side of the table and save the sternguard for later when he has better targets on the board.

Anubus gives some good points.

If you want to go for a full drop pod army, it can be really fun to play but you have to be very smart in how you play to be competative because your army will arrive piecemale and will then be pretty imobile after droping in.

Arschbombe wrote:You won't once you put one together.

Looks like I've something to look forward to then

Thanks for the points of view guys, they will certainly me taken into account when I start putting Marine army lists together. Maybe I was a little pessimistic in my initial assessment, I guess that's what this forum is for though.

Dakka, the forum of pessimism.

wolfenstolme wrote:
Looks like I've something to look forward to then

The instructions were problematic when the kit was first released and GW put new instructions on the web site, but I can't find them anymore. The most annoying part was the center console thingy and the harnesses. The best way to build it is to build it as a separate assembly and then put it on the pod base. The instructions have you putting the center piece in first and then trying to jam the harnesses in. ugh. The other problem with the kit is getting the "wings" to align with the engine piece. I built two pods and didn't get either one of them right.

One tactic I've used with sucess is taking pods, but dropping them empty to block off parts of the table. It's not always the best idea, but it makes 1 or more units take an extra turn of movement to go around or waste shots destroying the pod.

Arschbombe wrote:

wolfenstolme wrote:
Looks like I've something to look forward to then

The instructions were problematic when the kit was first released and GW put new instructions on the web site, but I can't find them anymore. The most annoying part was the center console thingy and the harnesses. The best way to build it is to build it as a separate assembly and then put it on the pod base. The instructions have you putting the center piece in first and then trying to jam the harnesses in. ugh. The other problem with the kit is getting the "wings" to align with the engine piece. I built two pods and didn't get either one of them right.

Oh yeah, they were. I actually called GW up after I put my insides together BACKWARDS-inside parts were shown facing out, out parts facing in. I told them I realized the problem was the instructions and they sent me out a new one-this was the first thing I've ever had to call GW over (out of 4 things total), and I offered to send the old one back-they told me to keep it, so I gutted it and made it a Dreadnaught Drop Pod. Those instructions were BAD-I asked a GW blackshirt at the Memphis BB if they ever fixed them, told him the story and he laughed but said he wasn't sure.

Also, on topic of tactics, run at least 2 drop pods-one is useless. You need the option of being able to drop a crap unit turn one if your opponent reserves. Even numbers of pods is best for up to 4, then after that I'd run odd numbers-so you have flexibility if you have low numbers of pods, or you can have MOST of your pods coming in turn one. Sternguard are a wonderful thing in pods, units of ten, then combat squad them.

BA Dread army, In an army of BA you get dreads in the elite slot (Furioso's), Heavy support (regular dakka dreads) and Troop (Death compnay dreads). WUsing the FOC you can run a total of 11 dreads (3 Elite, 3 Heavy and 5 in troop, you have to take a 25 man strong unit of DC for them) There's no scoring units but having 6 Dreads drop on your opponent in the first turn is pretty fun!

With Drop Pods you want to take them in odd numbers. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. You get half rounding up on Turn 1 no matter what. Using 3 in a hybrid list can work sometimes, but they have to support one another and you have to give them suppressing fire from other units (Razorbacks, Devastators, Land Speeders, etc). All Drop Pod lists can work as well if you play it defensively.

Basically, if you do all Drop Pods your enemy is likely to just reserve his army. If you have enough Drop Pods this isn't a problem. If its Objectives, build yourself a fort of Drop Pods, use them to force dangerous terrain tests on vehicles and block line of sight, use them to block enemy units from getting on the board, whatever will give you an edge with the terrain on the table. Then you basically play a foot list with more reserves coming in later.

You can even use empty pods by the way. So take 3 pods for example, and for one unit you deploy them on the table and hold the pod in reserve. The other 2 pods come in on turn 1 then and you don't have any of your army "missing".

And don't be afraid of putting Heavy Weapons on units in Pods. Most people don't, but if you have an all Drop Pod army the chances are they can drop down midfield, letting you use Multi-Meltas on Devastator/Tactical squads in Objective based games. Most people, especially if they are going first, are going to want to reserve giving you time to setup. If they don't, all the better for you!

Please note, if you do bring a devastator squad or two in Drop Pods you want to get some of those ablative wounds. They'll actually be able to use their Bolters after all.

Oh and one last thing: you can Combat Squad when you disembark from a Drop Pod. Means moot for my Space Wolves but I can see that being handy.

I usually run seven drop pods at 2000 points.

Getting four pods on first turn means that enemy deployment is already going to be out of whack. With that much melta/plasma/bolter death dropping you can usually scour a sizeable chuck of the enemies force in a single turn. It more that makes up for the three straggler squads that come in later.

One sizeable drawback if you do intend to go entirely drop pods - they are not transports. By that I mean they give us zero mobility after the initial strike and other that some cover offer zero protection. You can't sit there going "Yay, the enemy has to kill a metal box before they can shoot me." You will get shot the first turn after you drop.. You will get shot ALOT the first turn after you drop.

Is that empty drop pod move really legal? It seems so... broken. Dropping pods full of marines is damaging enough as it is. As I chaos player I want to drop a dread for disruption, and maybe some havocs for point defense. Feel privileged.

i hate to step in and ask questions but since you guys are talking about drop pods anyway i had a noob question.
Drop pods can be used for units or dreads but i have never gotten a good look at a drop pod for either so are they different? and if you construct a pod for a dread can you still use it for regular units?

sorry if this is a stupid question and i appreciate any answers.

They are the same AFAIK. I mean really, would proxying hurt, even if they were a touch different?

GW only makes the "troop" drop pod. Forge world makes a dread pod which is a little "fatter" looking. I dont think anyone will call you out in a game if you use one or the other.

Munga wrote:Is that empty drop pod move really legal? It seems so... broken. Dropping pods full of marines is damaging enough as it is. As I chaos player I want to drop a dread for disruption, and maybe some havocs for point defense. Feel privileged.

Space marine codex FAQ 1.2, page 2, right side.
Q: Can you use a Drop Pod on its own, with no squad
inside? (p69)
A: Yes you can.

Also of note, Putting your drop pod in difficult terrain will force your passengers to take a dangerous terrain test! It will give you cover, but any failed test will kill you unless you have invunrable saves.

Rulebook page 14
DANGEROUS TERRAIN
As mentioned previously, some terrain features will be
dangerous to move through. This is represented by the
dangerous terrain test. Roll a D6 for every model that
has entered, left or moved through one or more areas
of dangerous terrain during its move. On the roll of a
1, the model suffers a wound, with no armour or cover
saves allowed (wounds and saves are explained in the
next section).

Rulebook page 95 (halfway down the left side)
DEEP STRIKE
Models arriving via deep strike treat all difficult terrain
as dangerous terrain.

Rulebook FAQ 1.4 page 5
Q: If models disembark from a transport into
dangerous terrain, do they take a dangerous terrain
test? Unlike Pile-in or Consolidation moves,
disembarking does not specifically states that it doesn't
trigger dangerous terrain tests. (p67)
A: Dangerous terrain says you test for every model that
has 'entered, left or moved through' the terrain. As
there is no exception in the text, disembarking models
do have to test. However, if they disembark at the
beginning of their move and then move after the
disembarkation, only one test is needed, not two.

Rulebook FAQ 1.4 page 8
Q: Does a unit being transported by a vehicle that has
arrived by Deep Stike that turn also count as having
arrived by Deep Strike? (p95)
A: Yes.

I have been to several tournaments that got this wrong.

Thanks sketchy Larry and munga for the answers

Arschbombe wrote:The instructions were problematic when the kit was first released and GW put new instructions on the web site, but I can't find them anymore. The most annoying part was the center console thingy and the harnesses. The best way to build it is to build it as a separate assembly and then put it on the pod base. The instructions have you putting the center piece in first and then trying to jam the harnesses in. ugh. The other problem with the kit is getting the "wings" to align with the engine piece. I built two pods and didn't get either one of them right.

Thanks for the heads up I'll keep that in mind when I get round to putting mine together.

Munga wrote:Is that empty drop pod move really legal? It seems so... broken. Dropping pods full of marines is damaging enough as it is. As I chaos player I want to drop a dread for disruption, and maybe some havocs for point defense. Feel privileged.

I understand it to be legal, but I don't like it and won't be doing it myself it just doesn't seem right to me if that makes sense.

Thanks again for the information certainly will be some intereestring things to try out in the (hopefully near) future.

wolfenstolme wrote:

Munga wrote:Is that empty drop pod move really legal? It seems so... broken. Dropping pods full of marines is damaging enough as it is. As I chaos player I want to drop a dread for disruption, and maybe some havocs for point defense. Feel privileged.

I understand it to be legal, but I don't like it and won't be doing it myself it just doesn't seem right to me if that makes sense.

Thanks again for the information certainly will be some intereestring things to try out in the (hopefully near) future.

Why does it feel wrong? Drop pods are disposable, and some chapters even use weapon pods that don't hold any troops at all. If it confuses the enemy and gets them looking the other way it seems like something a smart commander might order. You can even justify it as a tapped out SM force trying to scare the enemy by making it look like they're sending in more troops.

Canadian 5th wrote:Why does it feel wrong? Drop pods are disposable, and some chapters even use weapon pods that don't hold any troops at all. If it confuses the enemy and gets them looking the other way it seems like something a smart commander might order. You can even justify it as a tapped out SM force trying to scare the enemy by making it look like they're sending in more troops.

Which is fine if you want to theme your chapter in such a way, and I've no real objection to an opponent doing it, but it's not for me.

It's an immobile transport which you have to buy with a unit to take, how can it possibly serve in it's role of transporting them if they don't deploy in it

You don't have to buy a transport as a means to transport a unit and this unit only.
The only restriction for a normal transport is that the only unit that can deploy inside is the one who bought it. Otherwise, it can transport any other unit that fits inside, serve as a firing platform or as a piece of terrain, what have you.

Even dogmatic Space Marines take pride in their tactical flexibility. They're not going to deploy by drop pod "because we bought it, dammit" if going on foot would be more practical.

C:SM even has a fluff example of empty drop pods being deployed. During the Fall of Damnos, when Tigurius and Sicarius were fighting the Necrons, they covered their retreat with unmanned Deathwind Drop Pods at one point (at least I think that's what happened, don't have my codex handy).