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I have had great success countering drop pods with CSM and I just wanted to share my experience with others who may feel overwhelmed with pods and don't like the compromise of reserving half your force to save it from a Loyalist alpha strike. To set the stage, we play 2.5k lists at my club and that makes for some brutal matches. Four of our players use drop pods on a fairly regular basis (out of 12 reliable regulars), so I've got a good chance (36%, as I don't play myself), of facing pods. One SW player has a list of 15 DPs in one list [shudder].

My best tactic so far is Defilers (could substitute Forgefiends) and cultists. 3 Defilers, with at least 25% cover from an ADL, with a 5" space between them and the cultists (5" is just too small to place a pod, so depending on how you read it, either can't drop there, or auto mishaps) can mess up suicide meltas and the like. Now I actually run three circles. The heavies in the center, 5" space, the elites and fast units in the next circle, and the cultists another 5" out too. This ensures that the drop pods can't cut into my expensive units and can only deal with cheap expendable units while I get to move my heavies (with AP3 weaponry) and my fast units (with 12" and improved charges) into optimum fields of fire to have my counter attack be far more deadly than the Loyalists alpha strike.

So far, the tactic has paid off in spades. The nice thing about this, is that its not so much about list tailoring as it is about smart deployment. Clearly having a vindicator, obliterators, or havocs with plasma or the like will also work. Now, our house rules allow a Lords of War choice in each roster, so I've been using a Brass Scorpion and a Defiler (which are so worth it, despite the whine fest about its points inflation).

I'm also always looking to hone tactics too, so let me know if you have any thoughts.

I'm not sure about overpriced defilers, but you're right. Holing up in a corner and making layered defenses allows you to decide what they get to kill. Cultists are great for this.

Downside is they can then drop pods across the board to take objectives. I'd say the Heldrake is an integral part to any chaos list, and would be able to fly on after they arrive to allow you the chance to roast those out of reach units. Popping the Daemonforge ability as you roast a squad can wipe out an entire marine unit in one go!

This tactic is also useful against the new chaos daemons lists that spam screamers and flamers.

Spellbound wrote:

Downside is they can then drop pods across the board to take objectives. I'd say the Heldrake is an integral part to any chaos list, and would be able to fly on after they arrive to allow you the chance to roast those out of reach units. Popping the Daemonforge ability as you roast a squad can wipe out an entire marine unit in one go!

This tactic is also useful against the new chaos daemons lists that spam screamers and flamers.

At first I did go to corners, but since I've gone for the middle of my deployment zone. This makes it easier to take/retake objectives on my half of the board, and also makes my opponent decide how he wants to drop (either strong on only 1/3 of my side, if he picks a side, or weak on both my flanks... which given my maxed out fast attack slots can be dangerous). However, I can see on sub 2k lists picking a corner, but with 2.5k CSM on the board, deploying for center lines and deploying in strength seems to work best.

...and yeah, I need a Helldrake or two ASAP.

Cultists or allied guard are absolutely great against drop pods as you can prevent them from dropping inside melta rage of anything nice. Obviously the ones coming in turn 1 are the problem, turn 2-3 are harder to deal with as you are going to be manuvering to take out other things.

Another good strategy is to spread the field.

Put your troops in Rhinos, get bikers, stock up on Heldrakes, etc. Make it hard for opponents to concentrate the arrival of droppods by spacing out your units.