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Hi guys, my guess is that you've heard this one before, but I couldn't find any clarification in a quick search:

Getting to grips with the new rules after a period out of the game and I wondered, can you have your entire army starting in reserve, if they're all in drop pods?

The rules say this: 'When deploying their armies, players can choose not to deploy up to half of their units (rounding up) keeping them as Reserves to arrive later. Units that must start the game in reserve are ignored for the purposes of working out how many other units may do so.'

If drop pods don't count towards the half of my army as they have to start in reserve, can my whole army chill in them and BAM BAM BAM rain living hellfire upon the enemy in turn 1 and subsequent turns?

Thanks in advance.

 Sledgio wrote:
Hi guys, my guess is that you've heard this one before, but I couldn't find any clarification in a quick search:

Getting to grips with the new rules after a period out of the game and I wondered, can you have your entire army starting in reserve, if they're all in drop pods?

The rules say this: 'When deploying their armies, players can choose not to deploy up to half of their units (rounding up) keeping them as Reserves to arrive later. Units that must start the game in reserve are ignored for the purposes of working out how many other units may do so.'

If drop pods don't count towards the half of my army as they have to start in reserve, can my whole army chill in them and BAM BAM BAM rain living hellfire upon the enemy in turn 1 and subsequent turns?

Thanks in advance.

Perfectly legal. Of course if you go first and your opponent kills everything that just came in, you will lose, as you will have nothing on the table at the end of the game turn.

Yes but you'll find it hard to put your HQ units in there too depending on your army. If you have 1 HQ and every other unit can drop pod you can do it but otherwise it won't work unless you have drop pods for HQ choices in your army.

 liturgies of blood wrote:
Yes but you'll find it hard to put your HQ units in there too depending on your army. If you have 1 HQ and every other unit can drop pod you can do it but otherwise it won't work unless you have drop pods for HQ choices in your army.

It really is not all that hard to find space for 2 IC's on drop pods (Or in a Stormraven).

A lot of HQs can ride along in Drop Pods....

Yeah sorry my bad, I just assumed full drop pods for some reason. Plus there are DA, SW characters and HQ choices that cannot ride along.

nosferatu1001 wrote:
A lot of HQs can ride along in Drop Pods....

IIRC all of the Codex:SM can.

However Codex:BA have some that cannot as they are not IC's or would have jump packs,etc.

Same stuff for SW's

nosferatu1001 wrote:
A lot of HQs can ride along in Drop Pods....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=GPRscxQZs8E#t=20s

Ahh great, thanks guys!

So I just need to be careful of getting all intercepted as I'm coming in then? Sounds good to me.

Yeah, just remember that ICs do NOT count as part of the unit that takes the Drop Pod for the purposes of the half-up reserves rule. Which means that you can only take one of them in a standard list if you want to drop everything.

 Jimsolo wrote:
Yeah, just remember that ICs do NOT count as part of the unit that takes the Drop Pod for the purposes of the half-up reserves rule. Which means that you can only take one of them in a standard list if you want to drop everything.

Where's that at?

In the IC section it states its part of the squad for all rules purposes after joining right?

In the reserves section, underneath where it says that units that must start in reserve (or units that begin in a dedicated transport that must start in reserve) do NOT count against your half-up limit.

I've read it half a dozen times hoping I had misread it, but if someone wants to double check me, it's entirely possible I've had an attack of consumptive stupidity.

And per the FAQ, any unit that starts embarked on a transport that must start in reserve (ie Drop Pod) does not count. Is the IC embarked in a transport that must start in reserve? Yes, therefore he does not count.

When I get my rule book back I will check that and compare it to the FAQ. *shrug* It's not like I'm trying to screw anyone. Heck, it only benefits me if that's the way it works.

BRB FAQ wrote:Q: Do units that are transported in a vehicle that MUST start in
reserve count towards the number of units that can be placed in
Reserves? For example, must I count the units in a Drop Pod or
Valkyrie towards the 50% of units I can place in Reserves? (p124)
A: No.

So again I ask, if an IC is embarked on a DP, does he have to start in reserves?

I will be more than happy to play it that way in games with you, brother. Unfortunately, most other people I've played would probably try to accuse me of cheating if I wanted to play it that way, I think. My group were the ones who loudly and angrily pointed the rule in the BRB out to me and whacked me on the nose with a newspaper about putting more than one IC in my drop army. Even if you're right, it's one of those situations where it isn't worth it trying to fight the tide. Something to keep in mind when I travel, though.

 Jimsolo wrote:
I will be more than happy to play it that way in games with you, brother. Unfortunately, most other people I've played would probably try to accuse me of cheating if I wanted to play it that way, I think. My group were the ones who loudly and angrily pointed the rule in the BRB out to me and whacked me on the nose with a newspaper about putting more than one IC in my drop army. Even if you're right, it's one of those situations where it isn't worth it trying to fight the tide. Something to keep in mind when I travel, though.

Why wouldn't two IC'c be able to go in a Drop pod?

A BA army can have a unit of 5 with 5 IC's in a single Drop Pod.

I think it was more the way IC's are counted for reserves that caused the problem but that no longer matters thanks to the FAQ.

JinxDragon wrote:
I think it was more the way IC's are counted for reserves that caused the problem but that no longer matters thanks to the FAQ.

Pretty much. I'm afraid if I try to put two ICs into Reserve with no units on the table, people are going to accuse me of pulling a fast one, but if that's the consensus, then who am I to argue? Thanks for the help!

Deathreaper, there was never an issue with putting two ICs into a Drop Pod. The issue was with putting two ICs into reserve without having any units on the table. Sorry for the confusion.

Ohh, yea, if the IC's are in a drop pod no issue.

If the IC's were just in reserve walking on or in termi armor Deep Striking then there is an issue as you need to count them both.

Put one of them in a Pod or a Stormraven, or both and you are good to go.

Depends on what Codex it is and how TDA is worded in said Codex. "May always start in reserves" and all that.