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I am visiting a friend quite a distance away and don't want to lug my drop pods over. What have you folks used for Drop Pods when you were unable to bring your own (or unable to afford them yet?). I definitely need something that is light and if it doesn't take up much space even better. Thanks in advance!


UPDATE:

Since a pod is really only 4.5-5 inches wide at it's widest point with the fins included, I'm thinking the bed risers, at 6.5 inches wide, might be a little too wide.
I did just find this even cheaper solution, mini cheerphones! Lol. They are 5 inches wide (pretty much perfect) and only a little too tall. Best thing is they are dirt cheap and mega stackable....

http://www.spiritline.com/spirit/mini-cheerphones/pgp/5l088c

1 litre bottles, or your standard red solo plastic cup, have both seen service ferrying the Emperor’s finest to the battlefield,

 Nevelon wrote:
1 litre bottles, or your standard red solo plastic cup, have both seen service ferrying the Emperor’s finest to the battlefield,

Duh, those solo cups are everywhere, I should have thought of that. You know what would be great, if they had plastic disposable cups that were five or six sided, instead of round. They'd look even more like pods that way lol.

Another option would be PVC pipe caps. They were one of the standard drop pod stand-ins before GW made the model.

*cough*

https://louistaylor.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/droppod1.jpg

 goblinzz wrote:
*cough*

https://louistaylor.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/droppod1.jpg

Also a good idea!

I think I am going to look for the possible mythical five or six-sided round cup first and that paper pod will be my back up.
Anyone know of a five or six sided cup? lol.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hexagonal+plastic+cup

There's tons of them, most seem to be in china - it's a google link because your local search might show you something closer

kb_lock wrote:
https://www.google.com/search?q=hexagonal+plastic+cup

There's tons of them, most seem to be in china - it's a google link because your local search might show you something closer

Thanks! I tried looking into five sided cups first, which is dumb, because what are the odds those exist, lol.

So far the six-sided cups all seem to be too short and small as they are tiny dessert cups, but perhaps bigger ones are out there...

So long as you can find a suitable diameter, you can make them 'taller' by gluing two together Although admittedly that would mean they were no longer stackable...

If you've got a warehouse or something nearby, sometimes packing inserts are perfect for things like this. Alternatively, the risers people put under their beds could work (and stack).

That's a good point, packaging. Get some foam or Styrofoam and cut it to shape. virtually indestructible, light and can be packed with no fear at all - in fact, it actually becomes a transport for your models

kb_lock wrote:
That's a good point, packaging. Get some foam or Styrofoam and cut it to shape. virtually indestructible, light and can be packed with no fear at all - in fact, it actually becomes a transport for your models

This is why I like asking question here. You guys come up with great ideas.

If I can't find anything light and stackable I am going with foam, since I have plenty of other models I need to be bringing anyway...


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 RiTides wrote:
If you've got a warehouse or something nearby, sometimes packing inserts are perfect for things like this. Alternatively, the risers people put under their beds could work (and stack).

And that's another thing I didn't think of. Also a great idea!

If you cut off the bottom lip with a saw, these would totally work imo:

Risers 1

Risers 2

Risers 3

Last one is out of stock but they have lots of others on that site. I'd look at a set locally in Walmart / Target / etc and see what you think. You'd definitely need to cut off the bottom, though, and they may already be a little too wide.

Ok, so I found some bed risers that don't look horrible. They are 6 inches high and 6.5 inches wide at the very bottom. I am not home so I can't measure the drop pods I do have, but it seems close, maybe a little big on the bottom:




Since I only have 5 real drop pods anyway and want to test some lists with a lot more that will help with this too. What do you guys think of the size of these things? And what would you think if someone used these on you in a game? I'll mostly be playing my buddy who won't care but there's a decent chance I'll be playing other folks too...


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honey-Can-Do-6-in-H-x-6-5-in-L-x-6-5-in-W-Black-Round-Bed-Risers-STO-01004/203526218


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 RiTides wrote:
If you cut off the bottom lip with a saw, these would totally work imo:

....

Last one is out of stock but they have lots of others on that site. I'd look at a set locally in Walmart / Target / etc and see what you think. You'd definitely need to cut off the bottom, though, and they may already be a little too wide.

Ah ha! Ninja'd! And your number one is the same as the one I posted lol. Thanks dude!

Add some greeble (random details to break up the flat surface) and a lick of paint and I think those would be fine!

A drop pod has a footprint roughly the same as a large blast marker, so 5” across. It’s about 6” high, with the gun halfway up.

I would play you, and tell you I wouldn’t have a problem with it. I would prefer real pods, as the visuals of two well painted armies clashing on the tabletop is one of my main draws in the game. Proxies detract from that. But as someone who has put together 3 pods (Hsssssss.) and had to transport them to my FLGS before getting custom foam for them (Grrrr.) I totally get where you are coming from.

Especially if you are testing lists. That the one place I have the most forgiveness for proxies.

As a tangental aside, when I was looking at picking up custom foam, drop pods were one of the things the it looked like Battlefoam does better then KR. If I were more pod-centric, I’d have gone with them.

 Nevelon wrote:
A drop pod has a footprint roughly the same as a large blast marker, so 5” across. It’s about 6” high, with the gun halfway up.

Right, so my stand-ins would be a little wide. Which means a model who is in line of sight "cover" from the 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of the side of my pod, would not actually be in cover at all. I haven't used proxies l, and my conversions are almost always the same size, but when there is any differences I go with MFD, modeling for disadvantage, lol.

I would play you, and tell you I wouldn’t have a problem with it. I would prefer real pods, as the visuals of two well painted armies clashing on the tabletop is one of my main draws in the game. Proxies detract from that. But as someone who has put together 3 pods (Hsssssss.) and had to transport them to my FLGS before getting custom foam for them (Grrrr.) I totally get where you are coming from.

Especially if you are testing lists. That the one place I have the most forgiveness for proxies.

If I like a 9 pod list it'll be a long ass time before I build more real drop pods to have those, let alone paint them! Heck, I may spraypaint and drybrush my stand-ins for my trip so I won't feel too foolish fielding those things lol.

Other than LOS, just make sure to deploy the appropriate amount less from the edge of the pod after deepstriking it, too (say 1/2"). But I think they're an extremely workable solution and great for transport and testing your list

Take a measurement yourself though, because if they're counting that "skirt" a part of the base width, you can easily ignore it in-game and it will be closer to the correct diameter.

Since a pod is really only 4.5-5 inches wide at it's widest point with the fins included, I'm thinking the bed risers, at 6.5 inches wide, might be a little too wide.
I did just find this even cheaper solution, mini cheerphones! Lol. They are 5 inches wide (pretty much perfect) and only a little too tall. Best thing is they are dirt cheap and mega stackable....

http://www.spiritline.com/spirit/mini-cheerphones/pgp/5l088c

That should do it! Heck, if you add doors/hatches and basecoat them those are not bad at all (just be sure to close the small open top end with some type of hatch/bit).

 RiTides wrote:
(just be sure to close the small open top end with some type of hatch/bit).

Nah man, it's open topped. The Imperium of Man needs their fresh air.

I actually bought some of those mini-cheerphones! When I get around to slapping some stuff on them and calling them pods I think I am going to do a little tutorial...