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So I've just been perusing the Dark Angels FAQ to get a handle on how much it changed them from the original printing and I came across this peculiarity.

In the Errata section, it tells you:

Page 23 – Combat Squads
The third paragraph’s last sentence should be ignored,
and the penultimate sentence should be changed to “If
you decide to break the unit down, then each Combat
Squad is treated as a separate unit for all game
purposes from that point.”

The third paragraph's last sentence in question is as follows

Units held in reserve cannot be split into combat squads and vice versa.

I am confident this is the right sentence to be ignoring, because the one immediately before it (the penultimate one for that paragraph) begins with "If you decide to break the unit down" matching the replacement text provided in the Errata.

However, further into the document there is an FAQ as follows

Q. Can you take a Drop Pod with a 10-man squad and
then put a combat squad in it, deploying the other
combat squad on the table, or leave it in reserve but
not in the Drop Pod? (p35)
A. No, because squads that are placed in reserve may
not break down into combat squads.

Just want to clarify, despite this FAQ would you still be eligible to combat squad at the time the unit deploys (which is when they arrive by deep strike) much like the normal marines codex? It seems that way since the FAQ seems to only prevent breaking down into combat squads when initially placed into reserves, but I'm just not clear on how it would work, the issue I can see is, without the Drop Pods explicit permission of combat squadding after deep striking, you are technically having 2 units arrive from reserve in a single transport which isn't legal, even if they are immediately kicked off it.

Yes they could Combat squad when they are deployed, even if they are in reserve at the start of the game.

The FAQ Just prevents you from trying to combat squad and deploy one unit on the table, and hold the other part of the combat squad in reserve.

Drunkspleen wrote:However, further into the document there is an FAQ as follows

Q. Can you take a Drop Pod with a 10-man squad and
then put a combat squad in it, deploying the other
combat squad on the table, or leave it in reserve but
not in the Drop Pod? (p35)
A. No, because squads that are placed in reserve may
not break down into combat squads.

Just want to clarify, despite this FAQ would you still be eligible to combat squad at the time the unit deploys (which is when they arrive by deep strike) much like the normal marines codex? It seems that way since the FAQ seems to only prevent breaking down into combat squads when initially placed into reserves, but I'm just not clear on how it would work, the issue I can see is, without the Drop Pods explicit permission of combat squadding after deep striking, you are technically having 2 units arrive from reserve in a single transport which isn't legal, even if they are immediately kicked off it.

GW has this exact same ruling in all the SM FAQs (or most of them) and it based on the other clarifications they've provided in the FAQs it is painfully clear that the ruling means what it always did:

You can't combat squad units that are in reserve. You can still combat squad them when they're deployed from Reserve but you cannot combat squad them IN reserve which is what it would take to get a single combat squad alone into a Drop Pod (which was the point of the question in the FAQ).

So NO, you cannot put half a squad (a single combat squad) alone into a Drop Pod (which is what the FAQ answer clarifies), but YES you can drop pod a whole squad in a drop pod and then split them into combat squads upon arriving.

Dark Angels suffer from being old, the days when equipment worked differently. This is perhaps made up for by not having to follow the drop pod assault rule.

The reason normal marines can have a split squad in a drop pod is due to a specific exception detailed in the updated combat squads rule. The DA combat squads rule does not allow them to split after drop podding.

Um, DA can combat squad out of a drop pod just like anyone else.

I don't see where it allows this. Under normal circumstances you can't have 2 units embarked on the same transport.

erikwfg wrote:I don't see where it allows this. Under normal circumstances you can't have 2 units embarked on the same transport.

And they aren't. You don't combat squad until you deploy.
You don't deploy a drop pod squad until after the pod drops.
Poof, combat squad after landing.

Just like normal marines. Like, exactly the same.

So a squad could be embarked in a rhino and come in from reserve, then split when they disembark?

I think the squad counts as deployed once it comes in embarked, you just don't place models yet. That is why the recent combat squad rules mention drop pods as an exception to how it normally works.

erikwfg wrote:So a squad could be embarked in a rhino and come in from reserve, then split when they disembark?

No, because they're on the board. Combat squad once they're on the board, not while in reserve.

I think I understand you. What I was saying with the rhino is that it's exactly the same as a drop pod the turn it enters play with a unit inside. I think we all know you can't have 2 combat squads in a rhino, so a drop pod should be the same. Just because a drop pod forces you to disembark the turn it comes in doesn't change anything.

You're missing the fact that drop pods have a specific exception that allows the embarked unit to break into combat squads once they exit the pod. Rhinos (and other Space Marine vehicles) have no such exception.

The drop pod doesn't have an exception, it's the combat squad rule that does. DA don't have the updated rule.

So am I wrong? I've had alot of trouble understanding the deepstrike and combat squads interaction (not sure why). I thought I finally had it, just want to know. I think for DA it's just a case of outdated codex.

Yes you are incorrect.

you combat squad when you deploy. A unit in a drop pod deploys when it exits the drop pod.

The DA FaQ, while not about combat squads, address that troops that arrive in a drop pod are in fact deployed (by deep strike) and you combat squad when you deploy.

Q. Can troops deploying from a Dark Angels Drop Pod
assault on the turn it lands? (p35)
A. No the embarked troops can’t assault, as they have
deployed by Deep Strike that turn and troops that
Deep Strike can’t assault.

Well that's because a transported unit always counts as arriving in the same way as it's transport right?

So if the marines don't count as deploying until they disembark, how is that different from coming in on any other transport?

If they are split before disembarking where does it say you are allowed to have 2 units in a drop pod?

They are not split before disembarking, because you can not have two units in a single transport.

It is different because the Drop pod is not deployed until it scatters and ejects its contents.

The same is not true of other transports.

erikwfg wrote:Well that's because a transported unit always counts as arriving in the same way as it's transport right?

No, that's because if you're in a transport that Deep Strikes, you count as Deep Striking.

When they get out of the drop pod, they count as deep striking, hence it's the initial deployment.
When you get out of any old transport that comes in from reserve you're deploying the unit from reserve - when you disembark you're not deploying.

I could be wrong, but there are so many things that make no sense. It all made sense before.

So a blood angels squad in a land raider deep strikes, how does this differ from the drop pod?

So you'd deep strike, split the unit then, and half of it would be forced out of the transport? Something just seems weird.

Because the drop pod forcibly ejects its contents as a part of its deep strike process. So only after you deploy the embarked unit is the Drop pod's deep strike finished.

The Land Raider does not forcibly eject its contents, and the guys are stuck inside the Land Raider, as they can move no further since they count as deep striking as well.

As we all know, only one unit per transport is allowed.

That is the difference.

I don't see how being forced to disembark changes anything. Why would the modern combat squads rule specifically mention allowing splitting after a drop pod?

erikwfg wrote:I don't see how being forced to disembark changes anything. Why would the modern combat squads rule specifically mention allowing splitting after a drop pod?

Because otherwise you'd have the same situation with the BA LR; the unit was deployed in a vehicle as 10 models. Without the reference Dp's wouldn't allow combat squadding either. I can find no rule allowing Dark Angels to CS from a Drop pod, however I would definitely allow it, as that's just silly.

It is stupid, and the only DA I face use basically all the modern rules. However, the conversation was about whether DA can legally, which it seems no because of old wording.

I thought I finally knew the combat squad rules, and things made sense. I had to know if I was wrong, because if I was then i'd probably be wrong about related things. Now I can safely enjoy my 3 days of not playing 40k, before I find out none of it matters.