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Hi
Just wondering do many people use tacs in drop pods?

Seems like if you loaded up on melta, you could hurt some armour early. Have a scoring unit in position and could even pull termies in with a locator beacon.

I use 5-6 drop pods on my normal list. What I have learned is never use just 1 or just 2. You'll have a unit sitting in the enemies territory that will get obliterated in one turn. With just one unit you will most likely not even do anything, maybe strip a HP or two if you get lucky, but never use just 1 or 2. I've tried a mix with rhinos/razorbacks and pods and, while effective, is no where near effective as all pods (I have yet to use all rhinos/razors as I only have 4 of them).

IF you are dead-set on using just one pod (and I mean dead-set when I say that), most people drop an ironclad or a MM/CCW dread to take out that one BigA-MoFo across the table that will ruin your day. Don't use a tactical squad as a suicide unit, you'll get like one MM shot in and then you will be dismantled.

But, like everything, one is none, two is one, and three is a tonn.

Edited: Shorthand wasn't clear.

I use to run 7 drop pods in a 2,500 point salamander army. Yes, the twin link melta/flamer helps. I run two dreads, 1 sternguard, and 4 10 man tactical squads. It worked well. Usually would drop the two dreads and one tactical squad, and vulkan and the stern in the last first turn.

As the above stated, you need to dedicate to drop pod. I would suggest running an odd number all the time. 5 works well for most lists. Tacticals in a drop pod are great. Keep them as your last coming in. That way when they come in late game, you can pop down on an objective.

The DP assault can be a nasty trick if your opponent doesn't expect it, and leaves a unit exposed on T1 , as you can use the pod to isolate and destroy said unit. This works even better with multiple pods, simply because it gives you more resilience overall, as one tac squad in the open will not last long.

Remember that thanks to the pod's rules, you will not mishap, so you can be very daring in your placement. If you can put the pod between 2 pieces of impassable terrain, then you can essentially never scatter more than a couple of inches in those directions, giving you far more reliability.

The other way they can work is combined with a few rhinos, as they have the potential to hide/cover the rhinos or simply distract the opponent, which can allow the rhinos to flat-out into the midfield and deploy troops without giving away first blood as easily. The idea is that you can get 40+ marines in the midfield on T1, in position to start shooting the next turn, and they can largely get cover from the pods. It works on the same basis as rhino-rush lists, focusing on taking an area fast and holding it, but with less rhinos, and therefore less 'weak' units. 3 rhinos moving up behind 2 pods can have the same effect as 5 rhinos, but with far less chance of throwing away first blood.

Of course, if you are only running one, then a Ironclad dread is probably your best bet.

Remember to combat squad when you hit the ground depending on the situation. If against Tau you are going to want to maximize the targets they have to pick from for their mass intercept stuff. I maximize on this now that I have picked up 40k and many of my opponents are multi-riptide and broadside lists.

I storm on the first turn with Sternguard drop pods. Still debating whether a third pod with an ironclad or another sternguard squad would be preferable. After that everyone I have mass rolls for the other three drop pods and the four or five flyers in order to overwhelm the availble enemy intercept.

I've had success with 3 DPs, two Ironclads and a tactical squad. The ICs have a locator beacon and let me choose to block the enemy movement or place the tacticals near an objective. Since nobody wants either they move more shooting into the dreads and their pods than the rest of my army.

Never forget that just because you bought the DP doesn't mean you have to deploy in it. If your opponent has some disrupting units of their own (whether DS, outflanking, flyer drop) you can have the tacs or dread walk on to contest or recapture an objective.

*edited for clarity

I was thinking about using 3DPs that way. Are the Ironclads and pods holding sturdy?

Yes and no. Sturdy tactics wise but at the shooting range the DPs yield first blood and the ICs are in LCs and melta range. Typically the ICs die for retaliation or if I missed my shot they die to prevent damage and then a followup assault. If any survive then the pods eat small arms fire to glance it to death. That's the only time I've seen my pods last is if he shoots everything at the ICs. This is on turn 1 mind you, I use this time to move my other units into range like a vindi (or two) or flat out my rhinos to get my other troops to LOS blocking terrain/objectives.

If the army has flyers or Necrons where basic troops can glance the vehicles to death I gang up on one flank and try to flame the whole unit out of existence. Nothing worse than killing 10 of 15 necrons only for them to not break and then glance the IC away. If the list seems to play to flyer strength (last minute obj grab) I'll try for 2nd and use empty pods to block LOS to objectives. Yeah they'll die but they may provide some cover to my tanks moving up. It also lets my walking dreads get a any warriors that were dropped off on my backfield obj or any deathmarks that DS in.

So in a vacuum 3 DPs can be ok but don't expect them to break the gunline or stop LR/flyer spam. They disrupt and if you REALLY want to get someone's ire try FW Lucious Drop Pods. I capitalized the name for a reason

I love Tacs in Pods, although I'm also quite partial to 5 strong BA ASM with a meltagun in them to buff up my pod count. I have taken 9 pods in an 1850 point list before, TFC's and combat squads out of the second four allow me to put two heavy weapons down in bolstered ruins with the TFC's while the other five drop down first turn. Leaves just two 5 strong squads with meltaguns coming down in subsequent waves. Deployed aggressively, in clusters, they can be lethal, extremely disruptive, and a lot of fun.

Oh, never field them in even numbers. The Drop Pod Gods do not like it......

 dracpanzer wrote:
I love Tacs in Pods, although I'm also quite partial to 5 strong BA ASM with a meltagun in them to buff up my pod count. I have taken 9 pods in an 1850 point list before, TFC's and combat squads out of the second four allow me to put two heavy weapons down in bolstered ruins with the TFC's while the other five drop down first turn. Leaves just two 5 strong squads with meltaguns coming down in subsequent waves. Deployed aggressively, in clusters, they can be lethal, extremely disruptive, and a lot of fun.

Oh, never field them in even numbers. The Drop Pod Gods do not like it......

While I agree not to use even numbers if you can help it, I bolded a strange part. What do you mean to combat squad them in ruins while the other five drop down? If they're in the pod I thought you could combat squad them after they get out but not when deploying? All or none to reserve but no comabt squad deploy and still keep half in the pod.

 mrwhoop wrote:

 dracpanzer wrote:
I love Tacs in Pods, although I'm also quite partial to 5 strong BA ASM with a meltagun in them to buff up my pod count. I have taken 9 pods in an 1850 point list before, TFC's and combat squads out of the second four allow me to put two heavy weapons down in bolstered ruins with the TFC's while the other five drop down first turn. Leaves just two 5 strong squads with meltaguns coming down in subsequent waves. Deployed aggressively, in clusters, they can be lethal, extremely disruptive, and a lot of fun.

Oh, never field them in even numbers. The Drop Pod Gods do not like it......

While I agree not to use even numbers if you can help it, I bolded a strange part. What do you mean to combat squad them in ruins while the other five drop down? If they're in the pod I thought you could combat squad them after they get out but not when deploying? All or none to reserve but no comabt squad deploy and still keep half in the pod.

FAQ changed the way Combat Squadding works in 6th.

IIRC you can Combat Squad a unit and have 5 in the pod and 5 deployed normally since combat squads are nominated before deploying.

Ah right, I was hanging on to the part about combat squads in the pod and on the field for reserves count so just kept both in the pod. Too late now as the new dex is incoming. So we'll see if any of this is worth anything.

Oh wow, thanks for pointing this out. That helps my plans quite a bit.

Imagine a Pedro 3500pt list with all sternies and 2 tacs all in DPs

Apparently you can take x5 Marines in Pods now which really helps stretch points out that your need. I am planning on either a Salamander or a Imperial Fist Successor Chapter because of this rule.

 gmaleron wrote:
Apparently you can take x5 Marines in Pods now which really helps stretch points out that your need. I am planning on either a Salamander or a Imperial Fist Successor Chapter because of this rule.

Nothing stops you from doing this already, with the other Marine Codexes as well. With Marines, the size of the unit has no bearing on what transports it can or can't take, besides being able to actually fit inside it.

My current plans now include 3 sternguard in DP with different weapons setups, and 4 tacticals in DPs and having them already combat squadded with the heavy weapons already on the board. I appreciate whoever mentioned it was legal now, definately opens up firebase tactics a bit more.

 Super Ready wrote:

 gmaleron wrote:
Apparently you can take x5 Marines in Pods now which really helps stretch points out that your need. I am planning on either a Salamander or a Imperial Fist Successor Chapter because of this rule.

Nothing stops you from doing this already, with the other Marine Codexes as well. With Marines, the size of the unit has no bearing on what transports it can or can't take, besides being able to actually fit inside it.

I believe the 5th ed book required units of 10 tacs to get a drop pod. Not 100% sure though.

No, any of the transports are available I think. 12 man drop pods too. That goes away tonight at midnight though.

It wasn't illegal to take 5 marines in a drop pod but it was kind of pointless,considering that you need(sorry,needed) 10 to be able to take any special or heavy weapon.
Of course it had limited uses as a mean to get an uneven numbers of pods.
What really make this useful is the fact that you can now take a special weapon along with the sarge combi.

Theres some false infI here. In c:sm 5th Ed you needed ten tacticals to unlock drop pod as dt AND you combat squad AFTER the pod has landed. It's all in the codex people.

My question now tho is, can anyone with 6th please give us a rundown on the new rules? Can we take a pod with 5 marines OR can we combat squad BEFORE we land?

Thanks

Jamo wrote:
Theres some false infI here. In c:sm 5th Ed you needed ten tacticals to unlock drop pod as dt AND you combat squad AFTER the pod has landed. It's all in the codex people.

My question now tho is, can anyone with 6th please give us a rundown on the new rules? Can we take a pod with 5 marines OR can we combat squad BEFORE we land?

Thanks

And the FAQ for the codex changed how combat squads worked in 6th (ruleset) including how they worked with drop pods. 5th ed. (ruleset) prevented you from using combat squads in reserve. However, when 6th ed. (ruleset) came out the FAQ to the 5th ed. (codex) made the change allowing you to combat squad before deploying. This let you combat squad while in reserve, making you able to deploy the pod with a whole unit, a combat squad, or empty.

Now combat squads are determined immediately before determining your warlord trait. There are also no restrictions on taking a 5 man squad with a Drop Pod as a dedicated transport.

I like to run 1 DP and 5 rhinos. anyway happy new codex in 26 minutes y'all

 Largeblastmarker wrote:
I like to run 1 DP and 5 rhinos. anyway happy new codex in 26 minutes y'all

What you talkin' 'bout? I gats mine!

They went on sale a day early (today).