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Maybe I find it hard to English, or there was something in my coffee this morning, but I find this section particularly hard to digest, so please help me out:

7th ed BRB, p.135, Reserves, Preparing Reserves:

"When deploying their armies, players can choose not to deploy some of their units, keeping them as reserves to arrive later." (e.g. a unit of space marines inside a drop pod) "In addition, if it impossible (sic!) to deploy a unit for any reason, it must be placed in reserve." (again, I'm thinking about the drop pod) "The only exception to this are units that cannot move after they have been deployed" (i.e. drop pod) "Such units are removed as casualties if it is impossible to deploy them during the Deployment step of Preparing for Battle." (WTFFF)

so are Drop pods immediately removed as casualties since they 1) cannot move after they have been deployed and 2) it is impossible to deploy them during the deployment step?

It is just as you read. We've all heard of the game where a guy has an entire drop pod army. So to counter P2 just infiltrates an entire army of scouts, filling up the field, thereby eliminating any area for them to deploy and winning.

That is correct. How else could it work?

You deploy drop pods on turn 1 since that is the turn they arrive via deep strike (at least half of them, rounding up)

You deploy "normal" units during the deployment phase (which is before turn 1)

The rule says, a unit* that cannot be deployed during the deployment phase (i.e. drop pod - since it arrives on turn 1) will get destroyed and removed as a casualty.

*that cannot move after it has been deployed


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 BladeTX wrote:
It is just as you read. We've all heard of the game where a guy has an entire drop pod army. So to counter P2 just infiltrates an entire army of scouts, filling up the field, thereby eliminating any area for them to deploy and winning.

Did I miss an FAQ where the drop pod rules have been altered in that they arrive during the deployment phase now instead of turn 1?

What are you trying to say?
They are on reserve so the deployment phase does not concern them.

This Rule interaction has been brought to my attention in the past, and it was just the consequence of some Rules interacting with each other in unseen ways. Given that no one will ever seriously consider it in a game, as it is clearly not the intent for a whole range of Units to be made unplayable, it doesn't get much discussion around here as evident by the people whom didn't even click on about what your trying to allure to. Mark it down as an anomaly and move on is the best answer I can supply. However, if you want some Rule written reasons as to why it doesn't apply to Drop Pods there are three below which occur regularly. I do not find them to be the strongest of arguments, but they should be enough to create doubt on the interaction being correct.

For Example:
- Drop Pods are not naturally immobile, it is forced on them at a point in the time-line which occurs after Deployment
- As it is an exception to the previous Rule, it is still only talking about Units forced into Deployment due to lack of room
- Special Rules modifying Reserves side-step this, and a few other, Restrictions which simply do not make sense

That rule has nothing to do with drop pods (the part about models that cant move).

Drop pods are in fact moving when they deploy. They are deep striking onto the field (which is movement).


That rule is there for models that cannot move at all that you might stick (if your stupid) in reserve. Examples being Sabre defence platforms and/or Fortifications.


It is technically legal for you to hold fortifications and saber defence platforms, and tarantula automated guns in reserve at the start of the game. However, since those models cannot move, they can never enter the field of play and thus are automatically destroyed. Thats what that rule is talking about.

The first rule addresses situations where your deployment zone is completely full and units cannot be deployed. Any unit left to deploy must be held in Reserves. If any such unit is Immobile then it counts as destroyed.

This has absolutely nothing to do with Drop Pods.

 Sir Arun wrote:
Maybe I find it hard to English, or there was something in my coffee this morning, but I find this section particularly hard to digest, so please help me out:

7th ed BRB, p.135, Reserves, Preparing Reserves:

"When deploying their armies, players can choose not to deploy some of their units, keeping them as reserves to arrive later." (e.g. a unit of space marines inside a drop pod) "In addition, if it impossible (sic!) to deploy a unit for any reason, it must be placed in reserve." (again, I'm thinking about the drop pod) "The only exception to this are units that cannot move after they have been deployed" (i.e. drop pod) "Such units are removed as casualties if it is impossible to deploy them during the Deployment step of Preparing for Battle." (WTFFF)

so are Drop pods immediately removed as casualties since they 1) cannot move after they have been deployed and 2) it is impossible to deploy them during the deployment step?

From C:SM - "Immobile: A Drop Pod cannot move once it has entered play ..". This tells us that it is not immobile until it has entered play (ie: deployed on the battlefield)
They are placed in reserves during Preparing for Battle. They are not destroyed and removed as casualties immediately upon the start of the game as they are not (yet) immobile, nor is it impossible to deploy them (in fact, you are implicitly told to deploy half of your drop pods in T1).

I would also argue that the (term) "cannot move" =/= immobile (special rule/vehicle damage result).

Probably not the best written bit of rules, but it still works.

I would say also that the drop pods allow a certain 'liberal' interpretation of the rules. eg interceptor. can anyone explain the permission for targeting of the Drop Pods AND the units within them?

 carldooley wrote:
I would say also that the drop pods allow a certain 'liberal' interpretation of the rules. eg interceptor. can anyone explain the permission for targeting of the Drop Pods AND the units within them?

both arrived from reserves during your movement phase, at the end of the phase shoot one.

just because they arrived from reserves in a drop pod doesn't mean they unit inside didn't also just arrive from reserve.

sirlynchmob wrote:

 carldooley wrote:
I would say also that the drop pods allow a certain 'liberal' interpretation of the rules. eg interceptor. can anyone explain the permission for targeting of the Drop Pods AND the units within them?

both arrived from reserves during your movement phase, at the end of the phase shoot one.

just because they arrived from reserves in a drop pod doesn't mean they unit inside didn't also just arrive from reserve.

? ? How many units arriving from reserves does Interceptor allow you to target?

 don_mondo wrote:

sirlynchmob wrote:

 carldooley wrote:
I would say also that the drop pods allow a certain 'liberal' interpretation of the rules. eg interceptor. can anyone explain the permission for targeting of the Drop Pods AND the units within them?

both arrived from reserves during your movement phase, at the end of the phase shoot one.

just because they arrived from reserves in a drop pod doesn't mean they unit inside didn't also just arrive from reserve.

? ? How many units arriving from reserves does Interceptor allow you to target?

one, so either the drop pod or the unit inside. both are legal targets for interceptor. like I said, shoot one.

OK, that's what I thought (at work, no rulebook) So, carldooley, where are you getting that Interceptor says you can shoot both?

1 per weapon. at least that is how it works on models with 2 or more weapons (provided you are okay with not firing at all on your turn). I was thinking riptides, but the same can apply to hunters or hydras as well.

**edit** anyway, my point was that the transported unit isn't coming from reserve, it came from its transport.

The "Combined Reserve Units" entry makes its clear both come in from reserves together.

Ahh, one per weapon. Got ya.

Ok, so, was the embarked unit placed into Reserves? Yes, when Reserves were declared, the owning player had to state that he was placing the transport AND the embarked unit with any attached ICs into Reserves. So both pod and the unit have arrived from reserves. IMO. Course, I'm old and it's been that way for a long time so it may not be mentioned in the current rules any more, but I think that since you have to place them into reserves and now they're on the table should pretty much cover it.

lol, you cant shoot at dudes *inside* a drop pod, silly ^_^

 Sir Arun wrote:
lol, you cant shoot at dudes *inside* a drop pod, silly ^_^

But, but, but I wanna!! And my little pony unicorn with wings says I can, so there!

 Sir Arun wrote:
lol, you cant shoot at dudes *inside* a drop pod, silly ^_^

It's a good thing they aren't inside when it comes time to use interceptor then!

 Sir Arun wrote:
lol, you cant shoot at dudes *inside* a drop pod, silly ^_^

You might think that, but you can shoot at the guys teleporting in from orbit, who are at least as far away!

Interceptor lets you shoot at the end of the Enemy Movement Phase anyway, so there's no point in shooting the pods (well, not much) then anyhow. The units have to deploy out of them after they arrive from reserve*, which is before the end of the movement phase, so you're just shooting at the guys who got out (or teleported in, or warped in, or tunneled up from below). Using Interceptor there's no way to shoot the pod down 'in the sky' as far as I can tell. You wait till it lands and then shoot it. Kind of dumb tactic, to me, but thanks GW!

*I think, since hardcover codexes put an end to my purchasing every codex, whether I played it or not, to read it.