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Hey everyone,

I am slowly getting into 30k. I've bought some Emperor's Children units, currently painting up Eidolon as a generic Captain for my army. Very excited!
I've been watching some batreps, haven't really gotten into the army books yet.. but I have been thinking about my future purchases.

I want to buy the Forgeworld tactical squad but I don't know how I feel about footslugging them from objective to objective,
I'm not all too fond of Rhino's (silly boxes) but I love drop pods.
What are my options if I want to drop troops on objectives with drop pods? Can Tactical Squads just take drop pods like in 40k?

Any other ideas on how to move about my troops?

The simple answer is "it's complicated". As you've already picked a Legion its a bit simpler as many of them have access to special units or options that sideline any generic advice. So sticking with the Emperors Children Tactical Squad- by default they only have access to a Rhino as a dedicated transport, you can however take the Rites of War(By having a character with the Master of the Legion special rule in your force.)"Orbital Assault" to give them drop pods(but your entire force MUST deepstrike). The other slightly saner option is to give them Dreadclaw Drop Pods taken as fast attack choices, Dreadclaws are AV12 flyers with the drop pod assault special rule for a little over 100 points that are very very good at getting you where you want to go.

Try reading the 1d4chan tactica, and getting battlescribe if you don't already have it as these may give you a better feel for 30k list building-
https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Space_Marine_Legion_List_(30k)

As David says, it's complicated. In 30K, there are Legion Drop Pods, Legion Dreadnought Drop Pods, Anvillus Pattern Drop Pods (Fast Attack Choice), Deathstorm Drop Pod (Heavy Support) and the Legion Kharybdis Assault Claw (Heavy Support).

The Legion Drop Pod is a dedicated transport, but no squad can actually take it unless they take the Rite of War that unlocks it for certain squads. Or there is a Legion Specific rule that allows them to take it. You'll have to get the Legiones Astartes Age of Darkness Army List book (generic Legions and Rites of War along with the rules for 30K) and the Age of Darkness Legions book(Legion Specific rules). Only certain Legions have actual rules so far- for Emperor's Children, those are the only two books you should need.

The Legion Dreadnought Drop Pod can be taken by the various forms of Dreadnoughts as a dedicated transport. However, there are several different types of Dreadnoughts (six different patterns? All with different rules and options).

The Deathstorm Drop Pod has no troop carrying capacity. Instead, it has a Deathstorm Missile Launcher that attacks EVERYTHING when it lands within 12". After that, it has a respectable gun, but it's on an open topped, Immobile, AV12 plateform with only 3 HP.

The Anvillus is actually a Fast Attack choice that is also a flyer. It can use the drop pod assault rule, kick out it's models, and then start flying around on the table burning everything it flies over. Pretty niffty if you ask me (I use two of them in my Sons of Horus army).

That leaves the Big Kahuna, the Kharybdis. If a Land Raider could be a Drop Pod, this would be it. It has a larger transport capacity of 20 models, can carry any Dreadnought or Reaper light artillery pieces, has guns, is a flyer, can burn models it flies over, and did I mention it's BIG? Like four times the size of a regular Drop Pod?

Good luck, and have fun!

Wow that really clears up a lot for me.
Thank you for explaining so thoroughly

Don't forget the other transport options - Land Raiders (available as a Heavy Support option in squadrons, or as Dedicated Transports to your Terminator options) and Spartan Assault Tanks.

Land Raider Proteus - The original-flavour Land Raider. Transport capacity 10 and no assault ramps, but is only 180pts. Can take an Explorator Array for Scout and reserve shenanigans.

Land Raider Phobos - The Classic version you know from 40k. Cheaper though.

Land Raider Achilles - More of an actual Tank than a Transport. Transport capacity is only 6, but has a hull mounted Quad Mortar, sponson multi-meltas and immunity to the Lance and Melta rules. Is the most expensive though, at 275pts.

Spartan Assault Tank - essentially an oversized Land Raider - AV14 all round with 5HPs, 25 Transport Capacity (!) and the option to take a Flare Shield (-1S to non D weapons hitting the front arc, -2S if they're a Blast or Template). Use this to transport your deathstar units around.