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So this is kind of complicated but in essence, my question is can you take Dedicated Transports for units in Formations that are part of a larger Detachment (like the formations in a Decurion or Gladius). Note that this is only for formations that explicitly have DTs as part of the formation.

I'm asking this because under Force Organization Charts and Slots it says Occasionally, a Force Organisation slot will not specify a Battlefield Role, in which case any type of unit can be taken, or it will specify a particular unit or units, in which case only those particular units may (or must) be taken.

Obviously a Decurion is a Force Organization Chart that specifies units instead of Battlefield roles and no specific permission is given to take DTs compared to the Gladius where it says Any unit from the Battle Company that has the option to take a...Dedicated Transport may take one at no points cost. Permission is granted in this case to take DTs for your Battle Company.

Furthermore, they go out of their way to require a certain amount of DTs for some Formations under Restrictions (Reclusiam, Emperor's Wrath, Emperor's Blade, and Counterstrike Cadre, etc...) instead of just including the model(s) as part of the Formation as their own slot

The rules get pretty murky when it comes to Formations and DTs so let me know what you think

 Skimask Mohawk wrote:
So this is kind of complicated but in essence, my question is can you take Dedicated Transports for units in Formations that are part of a larger Detachment (like the formations in a Decurion or Gladius). Note that this is only for formations that explicitly have DTs as part of the formation.

Unless it is listed in the Restrictions of the Formation, why not? They are options in the units, and they become part of the detachment the purchasing unit belongs to.

 Skimask Mohawk wrote:
I'm asking this because under Force Organization Charts and Slots it says Occasionally, a Force Organisation slot will not specify a Battlefield Role, in which case any type of unit can be taken, or it will specify a particular unit or units, in which case only those particular units may (or must) be taken.

Obviously a Decurion is a Force Organization Chart that specifies units instead of Battlefield roles and no specific permission is given to take DTs compared to the Gladius where it says Any unit from the Battle Company that has the option to take a...Dedicated Transport may take one at no points cost. Permission is granted in this case to take DTs for your Battle Company.

The units in the list provide the permission. When you take the units in the Choices listed, the options come with them, including the DTs, unless specifically restricted, of course.

The unit entry having the option does not sound specific at all compared to specific limits on a specific FOC.

As for it not being under restrictions, if there was a rule that put a blanket limitation why would they feel the need to put "no DTs" on everything individually after that?

Rulebook, page 121 wrote:Army List Entries That Do Not Use Force Organisation Slots
Occasionally a unit’s Army List Entry will state that the unit it describes does not take up a slot on a Force Organisation Chart. These units can be included in any Detachment, even if all the slots of the appropriate Battlefield Role are filled with other units or if the Detachment had no slot for their Battlefield Role.

DT's don't take up a slot, therefore may be included in any Detachment (remember, Formations are Detachments), regardless of whether there is a space for them, dependent on and restrictions on the Formation itself.

As you've noted, some Formations require DT's, and some others disallow them (the Ork Green Tide, for example, specifically says you can't take DT's). Wherever there is no mention of either a mandatory requirement or restriction, surely the option remains that of the player as to whether they purchase a DT? Maybe I'm simply not understanding your question?

Exactly. The fact that some formations require and forbid means that any that don't retain the option.


A Saint Tylus Defence Force Formation consists of 1+ Tyrannic War Veterans Squads, which "May Not Take Drop Pods".

Drop pods are not the only dedicated transport available; so by banning one choice out of three you're explicitely permitting the option of the others - because if you wanted no transports at all, you'd have said so.

As for it not being under restrictions, if there was a rule that put a blanket limitation why would they feel the need to put "no DTs" on everything individually after that?

If there was a blanket limitation on taking DT as upgrade options in formations then an additional restriction would not be needed.

However, no such blanket limitation exists in the rules and therefore denial of the DT option needs to be listed in the formation restrictions to prevent them from being taken.

 Skimask Mohawk wrote:
The unit entry having the option does not sound specific at all compared to specific limits on a specific FOC.

A specific unit's specific options are not more specific than the more general specific limits of an FOC or Unit List?

 Skimask Mohawk wrote:
As for it not being under restrictions, if there was a rule that put a blanket limitation why would they feel the need to put "no DTs" on everything individually after that?

There is not rule that puts a blanket limitation on it. Some Formations specifically restrict the purchase of Dedicated Transports, either to a specific Transport like the Reclusiam Command Squad and the Skyhammer Annihilation Force for Devastators, or by denying them all together kind of like the Skyhammer Annihilation Force for Assault Marines. Most Formations do not carry any Restrictions regarding Dedicated Transports, though, so the unit's options are still viable where applicable.