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I'm slowly assembling my DA but since he coded isn't out yet I'm only buying units that I know are safe. I have to sets of DV dark angels plus 2 rhinos and 1 drop pod. I don't know what will be in the DA dex so I'm just going to shoot for a 1500 point list to start. Is 1 drop pod enough or should I get 2nd or more. How many should a beginning marine army have on hand to be flexible.

Also does anyone know if the drop pods used for termi's have to be painted bone color too or are they all the standard dark green color?

Best advice i had was take odd numbers of drop pods so it forces more pods to come down the first turn because of the rounding up on the figures.

So if you are going to go for two i would say buy 3 so two the first turn 1 the second.

Cant say I know of any drop pods for termies?

If you want 2 drop pods, you're going to need to buy 3 since you should take them in odd numbers for this edition. You probably won't need more than 3 unless you are making an all drop army or are dropping dreads.

The white honors for Deathwing apply only to the TDA, and their Land Raiders (and thus, I would assume, their drop pods as well) are still the standard DA green.

I'm going to say the same thing everybody else is.
Take an odd number so the maximum number of units touch down on turn one.

3 or 5 is a good number depending on how many you want down on the table right away.

Unless I misremember, DA terminators don't use drop pods. Back in 4th edition, all the SM terminator variants had the option to take a pod, but I believe the only one that still has it is Space Wolves, because of their fluff that they don't like to teleport.

Black Templars also had it until recently, because their codex hadn't been updated, but they lost it in the new 6th ed FAQs.

Anyway, odd numbers or even numbers can both work; it all depends on the context of the list in question.

If you're not making the alpha-strike your main strategy, two pods can be quite good. A friend of mine usually runs/ran an Ironclad in one and a big tactical squad with melta, multimelta, and combi-melta in the other. He'd usually drop the Ironclad first as an early threat, then drop the marines later, letting the Reserve rolls give him more time to decide where he needed that scoring unit. Another way to do it is to have one strong anti-infantry unit in a pod, and one strong anti-tank in a pod, and decide which to drop T1 based on what your opponent has on the table.

With DA, if you're taking terminators and planning to use the Deathwing Assault rule, with some of the terms DSing on turn 1, you're probably better off with an odd number of pods, because that will help to maximize the number of units that hit all together on turn 1 and increase your concentration of force.

Also remember that we haven't had a 6th edition codex with Drop pods yet. So it's possible that GW pulls some sort of switcharoo and the DA drop pods work differently.

That being said, I think 2 is best. That way if you happen to not use them when the codex drops, you don't have too much lying around. And if you do use them, you only need to grab one more to be effective.

I wouldn't use drop pods for terminators. Much easier to just teleport them in via beacons on the back of bikes if you need to be very specific with your drop. I'm sure the new codex will include this or another version of ravenwing calling in deathwing, since that is their big thing.

3. I rate 3 over any number. each pod is its own cost+unit. A tac squad (C:SM) is 160- a pod tac squad is 195 with no upgrades. A pod GH squad is 185 with no upgrades. Each pod is setting you back close to if not more than 200p. So 5 pods takes up close to 1000p. You have 1500 to play with, at that point I'd say go full pod list.

3 pods will set you back ~600p, give or take, and give you options on what to pod first- Pod A&Pod B; B&C; A;C. In SW I go 2 dreads, 1 GH squad. GH is for midfield capping/pressure/shenanigans (has RP with it to) and the dreads are...a little more complicated in 6th than in 5th. But I can drop the GH midfield and the dread upfield, I can drop both the dreads mid/upfield on the first turn- I have options. I am happy to arrive anywhere on the board except my deployment zone. This is different to say 5 sternguard with combimeltas- they want to drop close to the enemy armor, as close as possible. The philosophy that has worked for me is the deployment options the pod presents is its power- not that i can drop down next to X unit with Y unit that's loaded up to counter X (melta pods/plasma pods/flamer pods... you know)

I had been wondering this myself as I need to bite the bullet and buy some for my BA. I knew I needed three but was hesitant to spend that much at once on what are pretty much table decorations, this might be enough kick in the butt for me to make the purchase. Death co inbound!

You are probably going to want 3, but so much depends on the codex. If you are fielding death/ravenwing forces, what's left in your list to ride a pod down from orbit? Particularly if you get to take them as troops. I'd hold off buying more until you see what the book says. Drop pods are a massive PITA to assemble and paint. I'd not want anyone to have to get more then they need.

As for drop pod painting:
I always viewed drop pods as fleet resources, not attached to any particular squad. They might have the strike cruiser or battlebarge's name and launch bay number on them, but painted in normal chapter colors. Terminators normally deep strike, so wouldn't have any set aside for their use.

If you are planning on doing deathwing or raven wing, don't get any drop pods at all. We have no idea how they will work and the current trend is for non-Power Armour Infantry to be unable to take them. As 2 - 3 Drop Pods is a large $ investment, wait until after the codex has been released.

What makes painting them so difficult?

They are too expensive in the Dark Angel codex, so do not take them.
If you want drop pods use allies. This works well with DWA.

Drop pod rules will probably change also their price very may well change as well. So there is no guarantee the pods will be affordable or usable in the new codex.
I would wager on deathwing and ravenwing being good in the new codex, they are solid choices now, the ravenwing less so but they are easier to collect. Start here.

You can get away with one, the list just needs to reflect that

Ie locator on the pod and deepstriking terminators

SM often use sternacide squad like this although ideally you support all units you bring down