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If a new player was making a drop pod marine force, what chapter tactics are superior? Fists for bolter drill? UM?

Salamanders for TL Flamers and Melta (always take the Forgefather).

UM are also a pretty good shout with the Doctrines.

FW best tactics are Fire Hawks and Star Phantoms who follow a similar pattern.

Ultras are the best IMO. Two turns of preferred enemy for everyone, and twinlinked for tacs and or devastators

Essentially everyone but Raven Guard can do well with them.

Raven Guard does get Shrouded Turn1 though. I mean, if you pod in and stick yourself in terrain, it's hard to die from shooting. Assaults are a different story though

Ravenguard seems pretty legit in the Skyhammer formation with additional pods. Just saying

Always go BlackTemplar.

No Pity
No Remorse
No Fear

Saythings wrote:
Raven Guard does get Shrouded Turn1 though. I mean, if you pod in and stick yourself in terrain, it's hard to die from shooting. Assaults are a different story though

Ravenguard seems pretty legit in the Skyhammer formation with additional pods. Just saying

Except they don't. If you start in a transport you don't get shrouded according to the Ravenguard CT.

As to the question at hand, different CTs have different advantages in a drop pod army. From a pure alpha-strike standpoint, Ultras are very good. Salamanders with flamers and IF with bolterdrill are also nice.

Iron Hands on the other hand have the staying power (especiially if you rule IWND for all vehicles); BT and WS can deal well with the inevitable countercharges.

Sad times, but at least the ASMs get shrouded in the formation, but being a Drop Pod post, I'd steer clear of RG XD

Yeah, there is a clear lack of internal balance on the CTs sadly.

One thing to consider: Using Demi-Company or Gladius formations, IH, BT and WS can get doctrine re-rolls on top of their own CT. As such they combine alpha strike capabilities of the UM and their own useful CTs.

Sentinels of Terra are pretty good now, specially with Sternguard.

 Frozocrone wrote:
Salamanders for TL Flamers and Melta (always take the Forgefather).

UM are also a pretty good shout with the Doctrines.

FW best tactics are Fire Hawks and Star Phantoms who follow a similar pattern.

Wait, do salamander chapter tactics let you TL meltaguns? I don't think they do

 luke1705 wrote:

 Frozocrone wrote:
Salamanders for TL Flamers and Melta (always take the Forgefather).

UM are also a pretty good shout with the Doctrines.

FW best tactics are Fire Hawks and Star Phantoms who follow a similar pattern.

Wait, do salamander chapter tactics let you TL meltaguns? I don't think they do

No, but their SC Vulcan He'Stan does.

Currently he lets you master-craft them (small difference but with things like a multi-melta it could matter)

 luke1705 wrote:
Currently he lets you master-craft them (small difference but with things like a multi-melta it could matter)

AFAIK, there isn't a melta weapon that fires more than 1 shot, so technically master-crafted on a melta ~ twin-linked (albeit I agree on using the correct word)

Crimson Fists with Pedro Kantor. Objective Secured Sternguard for the win.

If Close Range Bolter Drill worked with Sternguard Special Ammunition, it would be indisputable.

Salamanders.

Black Templars any good for this?

I doubt it is half as good as TL flamers and such but I'm thinking the BT tactics give your squads some added flexibility and power in close quarters

 Dakkamite wrote:
Black Templars any good for this?

I doubt it is half as good as TL flamers and such but I'm thinking the BT tactics give your squads some added flexibility and power in close quarters

They can deal better with being charged in subsequent turns. The opponent must trade of between shooting at them first, and giving them rage and counterattack or engaging them in CC straight up. Not as stellar as some others, but decent enough.

The best pod army is smurfs with wolves.

Star phantoms. TL ALL THE THINGS!

It's just one turn.

 Dozer Blades wrote:
It's just one turn.

Its a DP army

That first turn better count

I'm going to vote space wolves with an allied detachment of regular marines. Maybe something that can buff the devs coming out.

3x spacewolve drop pods with 2x shield dreads and the hero dread. Drop the 2 shielders with the sky hammer force, then the following turn the hero dread.

Devs focus on killing what can most easily kill the dreads, and then the assault marines swarm what ever can hurt the devs.

Turn 2 win.

Wolves are so good in pods.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Desubot wrote:

 Dozer Blades wrote:
It's just one turn.

Its a DP army

That first turn better count

The thing some armies can shrug off the alpha strike.

 Dozer Blades wrote:
Wolves are so good in pods.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Desubot wrote:

 Dozer Blades wrote:
It's just one turn.

Its a DP army

That first turn better count

The thing some armies can shrug off the alpha strike.

Tailoring against those alone wouldn't make a very good list would it?

DP armies are meant to strike REALLY hard with the right tools right where they are needed. twin linked appears to be nearly the best and it benefits all with the CT and not just Tacs or Devs for a turn. Also just realized Sali dreads have CT as well

Phantoms seem clearly superior. I wish I didn't hate their look so much.

 Dozer Blades wrote:
The best pod army is smurfs with wolves.

Expect if you put a single wolf character into a smurf unit, you can't use the chapter tactics on the smurf unit per the new rules.


My vote is going to be imperial fists

Centurion Devastators with Tank hunters can get a Pod as FA if you run a CAD.
Also Re-roll ones on the AP3 gets hot shots (forgetting the name at the moment) is awesome

 casvalremdeikun wrote:
Crimson Fists with Pedro Kantor. Objective Secured Sternguard for the win.

If Close Range Bolter Drill worked with Sternguard Special Ammunition, it would be indisputable.

Bolter Drill does work with Sternguard now. Go forth and profit.

Remember when people were arguing for BA? Really? Really?

The close range bolter drill in the SoT supplement specifically says it does not.


BA is really good.
Flammer, heavy flamer on the tact squads and double melta and the assualt squads for super cheap
BA assualt squads still bascially get a drop pod for 15 points and can take 2 melta guns.