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So I'm delving into the BFG books again and I notice the lack of drop pods in the rules. Which makes me wonder, from what part of the ship are drop pods launched from? The torpedo tubes? Launch bays?

"WHERE OUR BATTLE BRUTHAS ARE STATIONED IN SPEHESSS!! PREPARED TO DEEP STRIKE!! CODEX ASTERTES CALLED THIS MANUVERE STEEL REIHN"

Battle Barges, or other Space marine ships that are equipped properly have entire bays dedicated to drop pods I think. Boarding torpedos are obviously launched from torpedo tubes, and aircraft are restricted to proper launch bays.

So these would be separate bays?

Persumably, Drop Pods are covered by the Space Marines planetary assault rule which is unaffected by the vessel losing its torpedo tubes or launch bays.

 Engine of War wrote:
"WHERE OUR BATTLE BRUTHAS ARE STATIONED IN SPEHESSS!! PREPARED TO DEEP STRIKE!! CODEX ASTERTES CALLED THIS MANUVERE STEEL REIHN"

Battle Barges, or other Space marine ships that are equipped properly have entire bays dedicated to drop pods I think. Boarding torpedos are obviously launched from torpedo tubes, and aircraft are restricted to proper launch bays.

It took all of one post for this thread to get Indrick'd.

I'm not even mad, I'm impressed.

SerQuintus wrote:
Persumably, Drop Pods are covered by the Space Marines planetary assault rule which is unaffected by the vessel losing its torpedo tubes or launch bays.

Exactly.

The BFG rules state that Drop Pods are covered by the advantages SM ships get in a Planetary Assault scenario.

I believe they have separate launchers specific for Drop Pods located in banks on the bottom of the ship(and maybe a few in other places for emergencies)


Other than those advantages, Drop Pods don't factor into BFG gameplay at all.

I'd say from Strike Cruisers. Battle Barges are more for space warfare/superiority, with a higher focus on ship-to-ship ordnance and launch bays for Thunderhaws and such. Strike Cruisers are more geared towards getting Marines planetside ASAP, which to me would imply a higher focus on Drop Pods.

As for delivery... hmm not sure. As neither traditional torpedo tubes or launch bays seem to fit the bill for Drop Pods, I'd go out on a limb and say that the craft in question would have a specialised bay/tube battery on the underside of the ship which deposits them straight into descent trajectory. Like a bomber aircraft.

Drop pods out of the bottom of the ship smacks of a lack of imagi ation in a 3d volume unconstrained by normal gravitational rules. I like to think they are deployed the samurai pizza cats way

 Anfauglir wrote:
I'd say from Strike Cruisers. Battle Barges are more for space warfare/superiority, with a higher focus on ship-to-ship ordnance and launch bays for Thunderhaws and such. Strike Cruisers are more geared towards getting Marines planetside ASAP, which to me would imply a higher focus on Drop Pods.

As for delivery... hmm not sure. As neither traditional torpedo tubes or launch bays seem to fit the bill for Drop Pods, I'd go out on a limb and say that the craft in question would have a specialised bay/tube battery on the underside of the ship which deposits them straight into descent trajectory. Like a bomber aircraft.

Actually Space Marine Battle Barges are specifically designed for planetary assault. They are extremely heavily armored to survive planetary defense guns and carry orbital bombardment cannons as a standard armament. It just so happens that this makes them totally boss in space combat. Drop Pods are fired out of their launch tubes like bullets out of a cannon. This was borrowed from Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" only those guys had individual pods.

Drop Pods are launched out of Space Marine warships from low orbit

Just look at the intro for the old game Quake 2. That's how I always imagined drop pods.