Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I have a question in regards to using drop pods with my Space Wolves. I am setting up a list for a 1,000 point game.

Quickly I have a Rune Priest as my HQ, 3 units of GHs (2 with melta guns and one with plasma guns), 2 units of Long Fangs (a leader and 5 MLs in both units) and then three drop pods.

At first I was going to put one of each GH unit into a drop pod and have two Drop Pods in on turn one and then the next in whenever I successfully deepstrike that one in.

However I was thinking about having my first two drop with the GHs in them and then the third one I would drop empty with an upgraded Deathwing ML. In this case I would deploy my third unit of GHs before the game and have all of my units on the battlefield on turn one... with my Deathwing ML drop pod ready to come in and just add support in the following turns.



Thoughts?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also I keep flipping through the brb and can't seem to find a section on the drop pods. Only on dedicated transports as a whole or the deep strike special rule. I'm trying to figure out if it is even legal to drop a pod that is empty?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

BlandYoshi wrote:

However I was thinking about having my first two drop with the GHs in them and then the third one I would drop empty with an upgraded Deathwing ML. In this case I would deploy my third unit of GHs before the game and have all of my units on the battlefield on turn one... with my Deathwind ML drop pod ready to come in and just add support in the following turns.

Not a bad plan. I usually do something like this as it stops your units coming in piecemeal. Everything is down and ready to go. Although if you have the points, a great way to do it is:
GH DP
GH DP
GH rhino/razor
LF DP (empty)
That way you won't have GHs who are foot slogging. If you're in the enemy's face with 2 dop pod GH units, they're less likely to shoot that rhino too. If you're going second, it should be relatively easy to hide it.

However, don't use the Death Wind launcher. It's an over priced pile of gak. Too short range, not enough power. Just have the pod empty, dump it somewhere to block enemy movement or LOS.

Also I keep flipping through the brb and can't seem to find a section on the drop pods. Only on dedicated transports as a whole or the deep strike special rule. I'm trying to figure out if it is even legal to drop a pod that is empty?

Completely legal. A DP is a dedicate transport, you don't need to start in the transport. There doesn't have to be a specific rule for DPs, it's already covered.

can you drop an empty pod? I thought it was like a dedicated transport and had to have a squad assigned to it.

It is a dedicated transport but it doesn't need to start with it's unit inside. The same way you can deploy an empty Razorback just to have an extra heavy weapon. I love dropping empty pods and cutting off paths of movement for my opponent. Especially when it's Nids and I can force them into a kill zone. Muahaha!

Exalbaru wrote:
can you drop an empty pod? I thought it was like a dedicated transport and had to have a squad assigned to it.

There's nothing that states dedicated transports require the squad they're dedicated to, to start inside.

Edit: Already cleared up by previous poster.

DW launcher is kind of over rated in my experience*. It looks good on paper, but can't shoot the turn it arrives, and it's easy pickings. I'd just put more points elsewhere if you can.

Do consider deploying one squad though, it can be really useful to just place an empty pod T1 or 2 to block a movement route or firelane.

Don't forget it's your choice every game depending on the situation, so keep an open mind as to which squads come down first/second and if it makes better sense to deploy and of them instead.

*edit: my experience is on the receiving end of it as an Ork player.

Thorgrim Bloodcrow wrote:
It is a dedicated transport but it doesn't need to start with it's unit inside. The same way you can deploy an empty Razorback just to have an extra heavy weapon. I love dropping empty pods and cutting off paths of movement for my opponent. Especially when it's Nids and I can force them into a kill zone. Muahaha!

I had no idea, that is amazing if I would have known that I would use it against my buddies orks.

Why not Wolfguard combi bombs? They might possible be the most annoying thing I've played agianst. It's like a guarenteed first blood. Drop Pod, 5-8 wolf guard, 3-5 combi plasma, 2-3 combi melta. Unit comes in at 219 on the high end. Your opponent can only reserve so much if they understand the S-storm thats about to land in thier lap. When you land you search the best targets and just blank out an important portion of the opponents army that they couldn't stop from happening. I've seen two tervigons just get erased before they could even measure how far they could move...

A lot of people aren't big fans of deathwind launchers on their pod, but i think they aren't bad as they can't be ignored.

They'd do well in the current meta against horde infantry, and let's say they do get targetted straight away before they fire ... at least your GH's aren't being shot

 batfink wrote:
A lot of people aren't big fans of deathwind launchers on their pod, but i think they aren't bad as they can't be ignored.

They'd do well in the current meta against horde infantry, and let's say they do get targetted straight away before they fire ... at least your GH's aren't being shot

A lot of people are not a big fan of them even more so now is that they do nothing the turn they come in.

 Goat wrote:

 batfink wrote:
A lot of people aren't big fans of deathwind launchers on their pod, but i think they aren't bad as they can't be ignored.

They'd do well in the current meta against horde infantry, and let's say they do get targetted straight away before they fire ... at least your GH's aren't being shot

A lot of people are not a big fan of them even more so now is that they do nothing the turn they come in.

They have never been able to fire on the turn they come in, I believe the drop pod counted as having moved flat out when it lands.
Anyway, I've taken them a few times and they have never gotten a kill for me. Maybe I'm unlucky, but it seems like they just don't have enough range to be stuck in one place.

 JEREMSTER wrote:

 Goat wrote:

 batfink wrote:
A lot of people aren't big fans of deathwind launchers on their pod, but i think they aren't bad as they can't be ignored.

They'd do well in the current meta against horde infantry, and let's say they do get targetted straight away before they fire ... at least your GH's aren't being shot

A lot of people are not a big fan of them even more so now is that they do nothing the turn they come in.

They have never been able to fire on the turn they come in, I believe the drop pod counted as having moved flat out when it lands.
Anyway, I've taken them a few times and they have never gotten a kill for me. Maybe I'm unlucky, but it seems like they just don't have enough range to be stuck in one place.

they have moved at cuising speed so storm bloters can at least snap fire but the blast template cannot.

str 5 pie plates should murder blobs, you take them on your first wave and ok they can't fire but if they go ignored they will be a huge pain for your opponent from turn 2.
As for range, you should be dropping close anyway.

It's just forcing an opponent to have to make decisions, a greyhunter squad next to a armour 12 storm bolter is a no brainer, but if its a large blast missile launcher .....