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This rule question has three parts.

First, can i start a dreadclaw on the skyshield if the skyshield is upgraded with the "ready for takeoff" rule?

Relevant rules:
Ready for Takeoff:

A Sky shield Landing Pad can be upgraded to have this special rule. When deploying your army , you can deploy one of your Flyers with the Hover type on top of each of your Sky shield Landing Pads that has this upgrade, even though Flyers normally have to start the game in reserves. Flyers that deploy in this way start the game hovering and cannot Zoom in the first game turn.

and the Dreadclaw's Drop pod assualt:

A Chaos Dreadclaw, and any unit it transports, must always be held in reserve and always enters play using the Deep Strike rules, and counts as a Drop Pod for the wider use of the Drop Pod Assualt rule for the army.

Keep in mind that the Dreadclaw is a vehicle with the Flyer and Hover type

I would think that the drop pod would be able to start on the board, as the skyshield's rule specifically states that "you can deploy one of your Flyers with the Hover type on top of each of your Sky shield Landing Pads that has this upgrade, even though Flyers normally have to start the game in reserves" which supersedes the Drop Pod Assault special rule.

Secondly, assuming it were to be the case that i could start one of my drop pods on the skyshield landing pad, could i then enter more pods than the usual half rounding up?

Say i have two dreadclaws, and one skyshield with the ready for takeoff special rule. Could i start one on the skyshield, and the other enter play using the drop pod assault?

Here are the relevant rules from the drop pod assault:

At the beginning of the controlling player's first player turn, they must choose half of their Drop Pod units to make a Drop Pod Assault. These units arrive on their controlling player's first turn.

So, I would choose half of my drop pod units [the drop pod that is still in reserve] to make a drop pod assault. This would then enter play using the deep strike special rules.




Third, and finally, the positioning of the skyshield's shield during the first player turn.

Here are the rules for the positioning of the landing pad's configuration:

At the beginning of the Movement phase, before rolling for Reserves, a model in base contact with a Sky shield Landing Pad can change its configuration from shielded to unfurled (or vice versa).

As well, keep in mind this relevant rule from the BRB

During your game, you may encounter rules that say that an action or event happens ‘at
the start of your turn’. These are always resolved before your Movement phase.

So, having noted that, could I drop in with a drop pod onto the unfurled skyshield on the first turn and then change the configuration to shielded? The Drop Pods that arrive via drop pod assault arrive at "the beginning of the player's first player turn", while the skyshield changes it's configuration "at the beginning of the movement phase, before reserve rolls are made" meaning that the drop pods that arrive on the first turn arrive before the beginning of the movement phase, before reserve rolls are made.

I think this one has the least discussion associated with it, but that's just my opinon.


Please let me know your opinions on all of these rules, and please speficy which rule query you are addressing!

Thanks,
Thisisnotpancho

Yeah i'm not seeing any problem with anything you posted. It seems to be good to me rule wise.

The Dreadclaw has two rules forcing it to start in reserves - Flyer and Drop Pod. RFTO overrides Flyer, not the other.

Yep, Dreadclaw rules are more advanced than flyer ones.

Drop pod assault's restriction overrules the allowance, as ready for take off doesn't explicitly state it overrules drop pod assault.

I'm pretty sure drop pods come in at the same time reserves would, so if you want the guaranteed deep strike, no invuln save. Otherwise, people would use that For everything.

Not 100% on the second, but I am about dpa/rto.

What you can do however is turn one or turn two drop some of the pods on the landing pad.. they don't scatter and end up on there for the invulnerable save anyway.

No, you can't start it on the board. The rules for the dreadclaw are extremely specific that it has to be in reserves. The skyshield rules are more generic and so they don't come into play.

The effect though is going to be similar. If you have 2, drop the first one onto the pad T1, set it to furled. On T2, roll for the second. If you only have one then drop it T1.

I'd say no for the same reason everyone has pointed out. The dread claw has to start in reserves and must deep strike.