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Hi! I was having a great game with a friend of mine and one part of it had me wondering on the ruling of a particular instance. My friend used a drop pod to land his grav centurions next to a a piece of terrain counted as ruins. Said terrain resembles a broken down building with half of it missing, but it still has three floors to it. Because his drop pod landed directly next to it he claimed sense the vehicle is open topped his grav centurions could disembark from the very top of the drop pod fins and onto the second floor without having to go up the initial floor thus saving him 3 inches of movement to go up a floor normally. Now it was a fun and friendly game so I didnt make an issue out of it, but personally I think that is kinda BS lol. We joked about how they just flipped out the very top of the door like monkeys or that they just rode the drop pod down playing an electric guitar.




However I am curious as to what the ruling is on such a situation if it came up during a more serious game. What do you guys think of such a thing? Is it RAW? Would you allow it in a game?

By RAW, he would be correct... You can disembark from any point on an open-topped vehicle, so as long as he's close enough to the ruin, I don't see any issue with it, rules-wise.


I would allow it (because there's no real rules reason not to), but I probably wouldn't do it...

Would he not have to make a difficult terrain roll though?

I'm not sure that's how you place models... you place them against their access point then move them up ot 6 inches. I assume you couldn't do this in the scenario mentioned.

The dangerous terrain test adds another level of complexity; if, for example, a one had been rolled, it is possible that only one or two models would have come out.

You'd need to place the models against the hull and then move them up to 6". Centurions aren't exactly jump enabled, so they'd need to walk that 6" like any other Infantry model. In other words, they could get to the 2nd floor or a ruins if 6" is enough for them to walk away from the Drop Pod into the ruins and climb up to the second floor.

Disembarking is a move. You don't just place the models somewhere with a 6" radius "bubble" around the Transport.

If the top of the pod is close enough to the upper level, this could work.

The whole pod is an access point
If you could place the cent on the upper level, and in contact with the pod, you should be OK.

Then you can move it 6” (or less with a difficult terrain test)

Could you invoke wobbly model syndrome if he can’t actually stand on the 2nd floor of the ruins while in contact with the pod?

 Kriswall wrote:
You'd need to place the models against the hull and then move them up to 6". Centurions aren't exactly jump enabled, so they'd need to walk that 6" like any other Infantry model. In other words, they could get to the 2nd floor or a ruins if 6" is enough for them to walk away from the Drop Pod into the ruins and climb up to the second floor.

Disembarking is a move. You don't just place the models somewhere with a 6" radius "bubble" around the Transport.

I thought you did this one model at a time...

Ffyllotek wrote:

 Kriswall wrote:
You'd need to place the models against the hull and then move them up to 6". Centurions aren't exactly jump enabled, so they'd need to walk that 6" like any other Infantry model. In other words, they could get to the 2nd floor or a ruins if 6" is enough for them to walk away from the Drop Pod into the ruins and climb up to the second floor.

Disembarking is a move. You don't just place the models somewhere with a 6" radius "bubble" around the Transport.

I thought you did this one model at a time...

You do.

On a related note, does each model roll it’s own difficult terrain test?

 Nevelon wrote:

Ffyllotek wrote:

 Kriswall wrote:
You'd need to place the models against the hull and then move them up to 6". Centurions aren't exactly jump enabled, so they'd need to walk that 6" like any other Infantry model. In other words, they could get to the 2nd floor or a ruins if 6" is enough for them to walk away from the Drop Pod into the ruins and climb up to the second floor.

Disembarking is a move. You don't just place the models somewhere with a 6" radius "bubble" around the Transport.

I thought you did this one model at a time...

You do.

On a related note, does each model roll it’s own difficult terrain test?

Yes. Each model makes its own test.

Ffyllotek wrote:

 Kriswall wrote:
You'd need to place the models against the hull and then move them up to 6". Centurions aren't exactly jump enabled, so they'd need to walk that 6" like any other Infantry model. In other words, they could get to the 2nd floor or a ruins if 6" is enough for them to walk away from the Drop Pod into the ruins and climb up to the second floor.

Disembarking is a move. You don't just place the models somewhere with a 6" radius "bubble" around the Transport.

I thought you did this one model at a time...

You do them one at a time. I was summarizing the entire process. You'd place against the hull and move one at a time until all have disembarked.

 EnTyme wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:

Ffyllotek wrote:

 Kriswall wrote:
You'd need to place the models against the hull and then move them up to 6". Centurions aren't exactly jump enabled, so they'd need to walk that 6" like any other Infantry model. In other words, they could get to the 2nd floor or a ruins if 6" is enough for them to walk away from the Drop Pod into the ruins and climb up to the second floor.

Disembarking is a move. You don't just place the models somewhere with a 6" radius "bubble" around the Transport.

I thought you did this one model at a time...

You do.

On a related note, does each model roll it’s own difficult terrain test?

Yes. Each model makes its own test.

Each model makes its own dangerous terrain test, but you only make 1 difficult terrain for the unit.

 Nevelon wrote:
If the top of the pod is close enough to the upper level, this could work.

The whole pod is an access point
If you could place the cent on the upper level, and in contact with the pod, you should be OK.

Then you can move it 6” (or less with a difficult terrain test)

Could you invoke wobbly model syndrome if he can’t actually stand on the 2nd floor of the ruins while in contact with the pod?

Being able to be placed in base contact with the Drop Pod while simultaneously being able to be placed on the upper level of a ruins is possible, but would require a somewhat rarified placement of the Pod.

In terms of Wobbly Model Syndrome... you can invoke it basically whenever you want, but you won't automatically get it. WMS is predicated on both players agreeing that the model should be able to stay somewhere, but keeps falling over. In essence... it's most useful for situations where the "ground" isn't flat. Many players won't agree that WMS covers models who are "floating" as even the most precarious balancing act won't allow a model to hover in mid air.

 Kriswall wrote:

Being able to be placed in base contact with the Drop Pod while simultaneously being able to be placed on the upper level of a ruins is possible, but would require a somewhat rarified placement of the Pod.

In terms of Wobbly Model Syndrome... you can invoke it basically whenever you want, but you won't automatically get it. WMS is predicated on both players agreeing that the model should be able to stay somewhere, but keeps falling over. In essence... it's most useful for situations where the "ground" isn't flat. Many players won't agree that WMS covers models who are "floating" as even the most precarious balancing act won't allow a model to hover in mid air.

Good thing that players only have to agree where the position of the model is.

"as long as both players have agreed and know its ‘actual’ location." (Wobbly Model Syndrome rules)

WMS being envoked can not be denied. you can disagree on its ‘actual’ location. but not the use of the rule itself.

KharnsRightHand wrote:

 EnTyme wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:

Ffyllotek wrote:

 Kriswall wrote:
You'd need to place the models against the hull and then move them up to 6". Centurions aren't exactly jump enabled, so they'd need to walk that 6" like any other Infantry model. In other words, they could get to the 2nd floor or a ruins if 6" is enough for them to walk away from the Drop Pod into the ruins and climb up to the second floor.

Disembarking is a move. You don't just place the models somewhere with a 6" radius "bubble" around the Transport.

I thought you did this one model at a time...

You do.

On a related note, does each model roll it’s own difficult terrain test?

Yes. Each model makes its own test.

Each model makes its own dangerous terrain test, but you only make 1 difficult terrain for the unit.

Oops. You are 100% right. I misread that as a dangerous terrain test.

DeathReaper wrote:

 Kriswall wrote:

Being able to be placed in base contact with the Drop Pod while simultaneously being able to be placed on the upper level of a ruins is possible, but would require a somewhat rarified placement of the Pod.

In terms of Wobbly Model Syndrome... you can invoke it basically whenever you want, but you won't automatically get it. WMS is predicated on both players agreeing that the model should be able to stay somewhere, but keeps falling over. In essence... it's most useful for situations where the "ground" isn't flat. Many players won't agree that WMS covers models who are "floating" as even the most precarious balancing act won't allow a model to hover in mid air.

Good thing that players only have to agree where the position of the model is.

"as long as both players have agreed and know its ‘actual’ location." (Wobbly Model Syndrome rules)

WMS being envoked can not be denied. you can disagree on its ‘actual’ location. but not the use of the rule itself.

How are these two functionally different? I my opponent invokes WMS and claims his Pod is floating above the ground at the level of the second floor, but I claim that the Pod wouldn't fit on that level in any normal circumstance and is therefore is at ground level, where do we place the model? Probably where it will physically stand (at ground level). Since we both have to agree where the model is located, I'm pretty sure the physical location of the model will have to also be the functional location of the model.

One question I have is if what if the fin of the pod is not touching the building? I would think because it's not touching that the guys inside can't disembark into thin air in order to move from the top of the pods fin to the second floor of the building.

 DeathReaper wrote:

 Kriswall wrote:

Being able to be placed in base contact with the Drop Pod while simultaneously being able to be placed on the upper level of a ruins is possible, but would require a somewhat rarified placement of the Pod.

In terms of Wobbly Model Syndrome... you can invoke it basically whenever you want, but you won't automatically get it. WMS is predicated on both players agreeing that the model should be able to stay somewhere, but keeps falling over. In essence... it's most useful for situations where the "ground" isn't flat. Many players won't agree that WMS covers models who are "floating" as even the most precarious balancing act won't allow a model to hover in mid air.

Good thing that players only have to agree where the position of the model is.

"as long as both players have agreed and know its ‘actual’ location." (Wobbly Model Syndrome rules)

WMS being envoked can not be denied. you can disagree on its ‘actual’ location. but not the use of the rule itself.

Right, and if both players don't agree on the 'actual' location, the rule fails to be applied, since it's contingent upon the agreement... "as long as". In other words, you can invoke it whenever you want, but without your opponents agreement on the 'actual' location, WMS won't allow you to pretend the model is where you want it to be. You invoke the rule and say your model is "right there". Nope. I don't agree. WMS effectively fails.

Just a step away from the theoretical into a practical. Here is a legal deployment:


Marine is touching an access point (any part of the open topped pod) and is ready for his disembark move.

He’s not wobbling, or in thin air.

He’s also not walking out the doors, but while that is encouraged and sensible, not required by RAW.

Looks legal to me, Nevelon. As someone else said (or at least alluded to), a marine couldn't disembark into thin air and then move, but this would work fine. Don't know that it's RAI, but I would allow it.

For ruins, I could see the same trick getting you onto the balcony here:



or up top on a skyshield. But I don’t have those models to pose pods next to.

When a pod lands do all of its doors have to open? I was under the impression that they do.

 nurgle86 wrote:
When a pod lands do all of its doors have to open? I was under the impression that they do.

That’s a topic that’s frequently debated. I don’t think there is a RAW rule forcing you to. RAI I think you should. Do note that keeping the doors closed will effect the LOS for the stormbolter. Among other things.

 nurgle86 wrote:
When a pod lands do all of its doors have to open? I was under the impression that they do.

There is no rule that would require them to open, no.

Fluffwise they open on landing so that the models inside can disembark... but fluffwise every enclosed vehicle opens its doors so the models inside can disembark. There is no more need to actually represent this on the table than there is for your models' legs to move as they run.

In the Movement phase during which they arrive, Deep Striking units may not move any further, other than to disembark from a Deep Striking Transport vehicle if they are in one.

Units Deep Striking into ruins are placed on the ground floor. Deep Striking units count non-ruined buildings (except for their battlements) as impassable terrain

The first sentence implies that the unit inside the pod is considered to be a Deep Striking Unit (even though many people might consider just the Pod as the DSU). And if that is the case, then second sentence should force them to disembark onto the first floor of the ruins and not up higher.

I am not married to this interpretation but thought I would throw it out there and see if it stuck.

They're Deep Striking, but they're not Deep Striking into ruins. They Deep Strike (inside the pod) onto the table, and then disembark into the ruin.

 insaniak wrote:
They're Deep Striking, but they're not Deep Striking into ruins. They Deep Strike (inside the pod) onto the table, and then disembark into the ruin.

wasn't there a spot in the new FAQ draft that specifically stated that units that arrived in a transport via DS counted as arriving by DS themselves? or am i mis-remembering? i know it's not in effect yet, just curious.

Yes. So they count as Deep Striking.

They're still not Deep Striking into the ruins.

Depending on where the pod lands, arent they?

He's saying that their Deep Striking movement is while Embarked. Once they move to Disembark, they are not doing the actual Deep Striking movement, but for the consequences of those actions such as Charging, they still count as Deep Striking.

Theres a d6 disembark into difficult terrain. If yhats rnough to make a level, sure why not.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Theres a d6 disembark into difficult terrain. If thats enough to make a level, sure why not.