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Hi all, need some help from the great wiki of dakka.

Im making some custom drop pods and Im at the stage im going to assign them to squads.
How do drop pods get marked up, is it just a suad number to which it is to carry? Eg: 1,2,3 etc...

Shall i put a squad marking on them eg: tatctical, devestator, assault (not sure if they have one).

I cant fing anything in the Insignium Astartes about drop pods, do all squads have one.

Im gonna post some pics when i finish the drop pods.

Most of your squads CAN have a drop-pod. I really wouldn't advise equipping them all with pods. STEHL REHN isn't an actually effective tactic by any means. Also, it doesn't matter which markings your 'pods have; if you have some Tactical Marines and some Terminators in reserve with pods, it doesn't matter which of your pods you place on the table; it matters which squad you decide to 'strike.

Regardless; the number decals would suit your purposes. Rather than actually buying the transfers from GW, make some stencils from paper or something. Or paint them freehand, if you can do that.

Similarly, maybe paint the vane things black for your tacticals, another colour for Terminators? I don't know, it's up to you. As far as fluff is concerned, there is no regalia for a drop pod. Generally they're just flat-coloured the Chapter's primary colour, maybe with their secondary colour as detailing on the vane things. Optionally, there'd be their Chapter symbol on one door, but usually it's the Aquila on all doors. So, really, it's entirely up to you.

In my mind drop pods are something of a disposable item, unlike other vehicles that might be assigned to a particular squad for several different campaigns. Therefore I think that they wouldn't be overly decorated.

However, its your army. What do you feel like doing?

Flinty wrote:In my mind drop pods are something of a disposable item, unlike other vehicles that might be assigned to a particular squad for several different campaigns. Therefore I think that they wouldn't be overly decorated.

Agreed. Fluffwise, squads heading down to a planet's surface would surely just grab the next pod available in the pod launch bay, rather than having "one of ther own". Any reuse would be a slow after-battle recovery/cleanup affair, of no interest to combat troops. So I think the average pod would merely have chapter and serial number markings.

idk...
lexicanum says:

Once launched, they plummet through the atmosphere until retro jets fire to slow their descent. A machine spirit guides the Pod to its destination and can receive further commands from the mother ship.Although the Pods become immobile after having landed they can be recovered by the Chapter's Techmarines and reused.

seems there is a machine spirit in a drop pod! that means that while they might not be bound to a certain squad, it can become a relic to be worshiped, decorated and even venerated!

DijnsK wrote:idk...
lexicanum says:

Once launched, they plummet through the atmosphere until retro jets fire to slow their descent. A machine spirit guides the Pod to its destination and can receive further commands from the mother ship.Although the Pods become immobile after having landed they can be recovered by the Chapter's Techmarines and reused.

seems there is a machine spirit in a drop pod! that means that while they might not be bound to a certain squad, it can become a relic to be worshiped, decorated and even venerated!

This was always my understanding as well. Drop pods are not attached to individual squads/companies, but to ships. And like every piece of wargear in the marine arsenal, every one has a history and a personality.

As for makings, I'd probably just stick with chapter markings, although big numbers on the side might also work. Scrolls with individual names might be cool if you do that sort of things for your army. Possibly a little tag inside saying "If found, please return the the battle barge Insufferable Arrogance. Reward"

I think they'd get a number based on something, not necessarily the squad, and likely would earn a name if not already have one from the start. Sort of like Rhinos really.

I agree with the side that supports that the pods are a battle resource not attached to any specific unit. Nevertheless, some veteran units (such as terminators) might have their own pods, older, battle stained, slightly decorated.
Like modern life-boats of a cruise ship do not have their own name but instead a description like "tender to (ship's name)". Perhaps they also have a serial number that follows the pattern of the mother-ship.