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Pretty simple question mates. Looking at possibly doing a 30k list in the future and I would be utilizing Drop Pods as I love the playstyle. Saying that, I have very little knowledge on the Legion rules and whatnot for the Horus Heresy, so please let me know which Legion works best with a Drop Pod Army Rules and fluff wise and the reasons why. Should be a fun debate.

Well, Ravenguard and Night Lords iirc can take drop pods without using a Rite of War, so they're probably the best suited. All other legions with rules so far need to use the Angels of Wrath Rite of War to even be able to take a basic Legion Drop Pod...if I'm remembering things correctly.

It's an interesting question which legion would be best suited for the Angels of Wrathe drop-pod-focused Rite of War that all legions can use. Not quite sure how to answer that.

Salamanders

Night Lords do not get them by default but have to take their own RoW which grants them to certain squads and incidently removes the tactical tax and replaces them with three Terror Squads but lose out on support squads in drop pods. They do get teleporting Terminators without a RoW however.

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
Salamanders

Lol oh that's sad.

I believe all of them do it. perhaps some of them less. i cant see white scars bothering, or wolves.

I remember DA does it in Unremembered empire with like 3000 marines.

Fluff + rules (99% of the time): every last one of them since it was a very common tactic. take orbital assault, and laugh as your terminators are warping in, backed by all the drop pods of 2 regular space marine armies, and then some. do what looks cool/ whatever legion you like the fluff of. 30k should be less "I need to win!" and more "this looks cool and plays fun"

Rules only: Night lords, anyone who benefits from assault marine squads, anyone who can take vet. tactical squads as troops in drop pods (10 man tactical squads will be decimated without much effort from most ground based forces)

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the Legion that seems like the easy winner. For all the people supporting Night Lords and Raven Guard because they can play a Rite other than Orbital Assault, why not play the one Legion that can use them without using any Rite at all? Or even combine them with another Rite, like Drop Podding Pride of the Legion? Maybe you want to play Drop Pods in a smaller game and don't fancy taking a Master of the Legion?
Of course I'm talking about the masters of Drop Pods, both in fluff and in the game- Sons of Horus. The only guys who can take dedicated transports without burning their Rite slot. The only guys who can make effective use of Dreadclaws without burning all of their FA slots.

Legiones Astartes isn't particularly remarkable: Occasionally landing some free Attacks, or rerolling 1's on Reserves when hopefully the punch has already landed.
But Reavers stick out as a real winner for Pods, combining absolutely hideous close-ranged offensive output with zero defensive improvement- just the ticket for a Drop Pod delivery.
Maloghurst is dirt-cheap, opens up Reavers/Veterans as a full army template, and even gives you a Rite to combine with everything on top of that.

They also pick up major points for looking gorgeous, for being the major villain in the series, and for being relatively uncommon in the gaming scene.

UM can take two Damocles Rhinos (everybody else only gets one) that prevent scatter for any DS unit within 24" of the Rhino. I'm not sure if the selectable +1 or -1 to reserve rolls is stackable though? it does read like it...

Getting the right unit at the right time to the right place is worth a lot with a pod army, two Damocles can create a pretty big part of the table that you can hit with accuracy and the reserve rolls modifier means you'll get what you want. Combine with Ventanus and you can reroll those reserve rolls.

The Locutarus Storm Squad works well with a drop pod this even though they are jump infantry as they can shoot twice when arriving by DS, and you can cram in 3 plasma pistols or 3 hand flamers into a 10 man unit.

I like the Fulmentarus Terminator Squad for a DS based army despite its high price, five or more in a squad has tank hunter (eight has -1 to enemy cover saves) and you can give them all combi meltas, reaper autocannons or cyclone launchers. That DS without scatter behind enemy tanks is going to cause a mess.

Id really list to see what a good Drop List the Ultramarines can make WITHOUT using the Orbital Assault RoW.

Word Bearers can do a nasty list too.

Last of the Serrated Sun lets you take Gal Vorbak in pods, and whenever they land and get out, they force pinning checks on nearby opponents.

Other than that, I'd second the Reavers - either via Black Reaving or Maloghurst. Rapid-firing Banestrike rounds at close quarters is nasty, and they're no slouches in melee either.

You'll need something for heavy-duty antitank work too - I'd recommend leviathan dreadnoughts armed for hulkbuster work.....

Rules-wise, Raven Guard or Sons of Horus, who also happen to be the two strongest legions.

Word Bearers also have a nice drop pod rite.

HandofMars wrote:
Rules-wise, Raven Guard or Sons of Horus, who also happen to be the two strongest legions.

Word Bearers also have a nice drop pod rite.

I'd hardly call either of those 2 the 'strongest' legions

Good legions (like most all of them) yes, but the strongest? based on what? infiltrate for one, and more attacks if you outnumber for the other?

 Brennonjw wrote:

HandofMars wrote:
Rules-wise, Raven Guard or Sons of Horus, who also happen to be the two strongest legions.

Word Bearers also have a nice drop pod rite.

I'd hardly call either of those 2 the 'strongest' legions

Good legions (like most all of them) yes, but the strongest? based on what? infiltrate for one, and more attacks if you outnumber for the other?

Fury of the legion turn one is pretty nice IMO

 Ustrello wrote:

 Brennonjw wrote:

HandofMars wrote:
Rules-wise, Raven Guard or Sons of Horus, who also happen to be the two strongest legions.

Word Bearers also have a nice drop pod rite.

I'd hardly call either of those 2 the 'strongest' legions

Good legions (like most all of them) yes, but the strongest? based on what? infiltrate for one, and more attacks if you outnumber for the other?

Fury of the legion turn one is pretty nice IMO

Can't Fury from a drop pod.

 Farseer Anath'lan wrote:

 Ustrello wrote:

 Brennonjw wrote:

HandofMars wrote:
Rules-wise, Raven Guard or Sons of Horus, who also happen to be the two strongest legions.

Word Bearers also have a nice drop pod rite.

I'd hardly call either of those 2 the 'strongest' legions

Good legions (like most all of them) yes, but the strongest? based on what? infiltrate for one, and more attacks if you outnumber for the other?

Fury of the legion turn one is pretty nice IMO

Can't Fury from a drop pod.

Read the context of the quote, we were talking about special legion rules.

 Ustrello wrote:

 Farseer Anath'lan wrote:

 Ustrello wrote:

 Brennonjw wrote:

HandofMars wrote:
Rules-wise, Raven Guard or Sons of Horus, who also happen to be the two strongest legions.

Word Bearers also have a nice drop pod rite.

I'd hardly call either of those 2 the 'strongest' legions

Good legions (like most all of them) yes, but the strongest? based on what? infiltrate for one, and more attacks if you outnumber for the other?

Fury of the legion turn one is pretty nice IMO

Can't Fury from a drop pod.

Read the context of the quote, we were talking about special legion rules.

Fury from infiltrate for Ravenguard? My apologies.

Exactly; they can be in bolter range without needing to move - hence can open the game with a Fury Of The Legion salvo.