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It just seems completely pointless, since they can just take jump packs and do the same thing. The only thing you're getting from a drop pod is a storm bolter/missile launcher and less manuverability for assault marines.

- Drop Pod Assault t1
- Reduced chance of mishap
- Greater precision thanks to disembark move
- Useful to claim objectives (even if not obsec)
- Blocking off movement for the enemy

They're the main reasons I can see. Granted, the question then becomes "Why use Assault Marines for deep striking instead of Tactical Marines," and that's a very different question...

For suicide squads. Drop pods allow you to instantly be in the best position to use your special weapons before being shot to pieces.

Also they are a very good way to boost the pod count of your army, so you can have more sternguard/etc. hitting the table first turn.

They are also a good way to get non-JP HQs downfield early, without springing for a command squad. I’ve done this for chaplain Cassius, and it worked well.

It's free for my Blood Angels.
It allows me to drop them on T1, without mishap and precisely where I want them.
And I can combine it with a Special Character that can't take a Jump Pack, like Corbulo.

Compare that to JP's which often scatter 2D6", come in on T2 or T3.

All of the above, really. The faster deployment, greater reliability, better pod count, additional scoring unit and movement/LoS blockers are all factors.

That, and I like Assualt Marines look without Jump Packs.

1. Fun
2. Visuals
3. Tactics
4. Fluff
5. Other

I play Salamander and often run this. 5 Assault Marines in a pod with two flamers is only 95 points, and definitely not a bad choice if you have 100 points to drop somewhere.

Those Narratives dude, they need to be forged!

Because it makes for a decent suicide Anti-Infantry squad. 2 Flamers wherever needed is 95 points, forces many saves, and can hold an objective thanks to everything being scoring. Bonus if you run Blood Angels or Fire Hawks, who get the ability to take Hand Flamers too.

It's a super cheap way of getting 5 power armored dudes with flamers in enemy's back field (85pts vs 105pts for the equivalent tactical squad). It's also the cheapest way to get extra drop pods to turbo-boost your drop pod assault.

And if you're playing Blood Angels, it's a very inexpensive way of dropping a couple of meltaguns into an enemy's deployment zone on turn 1.

Well, let's look at it from a game play perspective.

Assault squads with Jump Packs are EXPENSIVE, and if they are placed in reserve, must deepstrike. Deepstrike means random time they will arrive, and chance of mishap. When on the table, they will be a very fast unit that has Thunder of Wrath attacks when they charge (and they should always charge- never be charged).

Assault squad inside a Drop Pod- still in reserve, random when they arrive, but no chance for a mishap. When they arrive, they basically become a short ranged Tactical Squad that will do a little better in close combat thanks to +1 attack. Depending on your formation, they may or may not have objective secured.

Nah, the real question is- why are you NOT taking a Command Squad that costs 45 points more in a drop pod then the same sized Assault Squad. They have way better options, higher LD, +1 base attack, can get an Apothecary and a Company Champion... yeah, I'd rather use a Command Squad in a Drop Pod then a Assault Squad in a drop pod.

As others have noted, Assault Squad in a drop pod pretty much becomes a suicide squad. With the only options being Plasma pistols or gravpistols- well, it's not a very good suicide squad (or very, very good depending on how you look at it...).

In the old Blood Angels codex, it was TOTALLY worth having an Assault Squad in a drop pod- but that was a different codex under a different rule set.

 Tamwulf wrote:
Well, let's look at it from a game play perspective.

Assault squads with Jump Packs are EXPENSIVE, and if they are placed in reserve, must deepstrike. Deepstrike means random time they will arrive, and chance of mishap. When on the table, they will be a very fast unit that has Thunder of Wrath attacks when they charge (and they should always charge- never be charged).

Assault squad inside a Drop Pod- still in reserve, random when they arrive, but no chance for a mishap. When they arrive, they basically become a short ranged Tactical Squad that will do a little better in close combat thanks to +1 attack. Depending on your formation, they may or may not have objective secured.

Nah, the real question is- why are you NOT taking a Command Squad that costs 45 points more in a drop pod then the same sized Assault Squad. They have way better options, higher LD, +1 base attack, can get an Apothecary and a Company Champion... yeah, I'd rather use a Command Squad in a Drop Pod then a Assault Squad in a drop pod.

As others have noted, Assault Squad in a drop pod pretty much becomes a suicide squad. With the only options being Plasma pistols or gravpistols- well, it's not a very good suicide squad (or very, very good depending on how you look at it...).

In the old Blood Angels codex, it was TOTALLY worth having an Assault Squad in a drop pod- but that was a different codex under a different rule set.

A. It's only random when they arrive if I choose to not get them as one of the turn 1 pods.
B. A command squad in BA is an elite, which means I would be taking it over death company, stern guard, or, most importantly, FRAGIOSOS.
C. 5 man ASM with 2 melta/flamer in a pod is a good cheap way to boost your total number of pods in a pod army, while still having a decent chance at some kind of effect. In fact it's probably the cheapest outside of just taking empty FA pods. A 5 man asm squad apparently is great at haggling, because they manage to snag a pod for only 5 jump packs.
D. Aside from the new heavy flamer option for the BA tacs, I find asm squads better for dropping in, because, while the tacs will get one extra bolter shot on their drop turn before they get stuck in a combat they can't win because they suck at melee, the asm will get an extra attack every half-turn. If the opponent decides to deal with other threats and ignore the squad, the asm charging does more damage, especially the BA kind with furious charge and +1 init, and lastly, if the opponent decides to just shoot them to death, then the choice was irrelevant anyway, because they both die the same.