Unit of the Week: Drop Pod

[SnorriSnorrison]

No one considering a squad of DC with bolters? Could even chain Lemartes with UWoF for charge re-rolls if you're feeling confident. (Obviously with fire support)

Sternguard/Company Veterans + Company Ancient (and maybe Tycho or equivalent)?

Not a big fan of walking Bolter DC myself. A turn 1 charge for fewer command points than Fury Forlon for sure, but also less guaranteed and you’re committed with the pod squad; a failed charge here will spell this unit’s doom. Shock troops that want to be in close combat I’d rather see with JP or inside a SR.

 

Obviously the pod offers good area denial as pointed out by the other Frater above.

I could see Sternguard in a pod working well, or the mentioned Grav devs.

[Aothaine]

No one considering a squad of DC with bolters? Could even chain Lemartes with UWoF for charge re-rolls if you're feeling confident. (Obviously with fire support)

 

Sternguard/Company Veterans + Company Ancient (and maybe Tycho or equivalent)?

 

My personal feeling on Bolter DC squads is that you want them max sized. I would rather run them with jump packs in a max sized unit so they could move around and position correctly to unleash bolter hell. They could work in drop pods but it would just be better to use tacticals at this point as they are cheaper and do the same thing the DC does when dropped in with a pod. Unless I'm missing something. 

 

Also, The Spider from Tabletop Tactics used grav devastators to devastating effect in drop pods. I think that assaulting from the drop pods is the wrong way to play them. Use them for area denial and suppression fire from support units. Though I could easily be proven wrong. Everything seems to be changing a lot with the new Space Marine rules and we'll honestly just need to see how it performs on the table top. But if you get first turn and have two units of 5 devastators with grav in one pod it is going to be messy for your opponent.

[MeltaRange]

Librarians in Drop Pods are an interesting choice, particularly Mephiston.  Now even better coming down to smite you on Turn 1!  And forcing you to waste anti-tank into the drop pod due to the CHARACTER rules.

[Panzer]

DC in a Drop Pod can work if your list right. You need lots of other first turn threats so the enemy can't focus them down if you fail the charge (which is not very unlikely unfortunately).

[The Unseen]

If we get the grav strategem that let's you reroll to wound and damage for a unit's grav weapons, I could see podded grav devs being good.

Get a captain in there somewhere, or even better Dante, and that's gonna hurt, even hitting on 4s, plus the signum+cherub so your getting 5 grav cannons effective, 2 hitting on 3s.

And with no risk of overcharge too.

 

And if the ability to hold back past turn 3 doesn't get FAQed out, which I think it will, but if it doesn't, a 5 man tac squad held in reserve for late game objective grabbing might be a decent choice.

 

I still think they're too expensive though.

Especially if gravis stuff really did gain a wound without a points increase, as inceptors are scary good at that point.

[Aothaine]

And if the ability to hold back past turn 3 doesn't get FAQed out, which I think it will, but if it doesn't, a 5 man tac squad held in reserve for late game objective grabbing might be a decent choice.

 

Really like this idea. 

[Spagunk]

Turn 1 Drop pod shooting unit and foot DC with meph or a foot chaplain, rhino rushes and JP DC are likely the go-to tactic I'll try next time I play a game of 8th.

 

The DC and tacs sitting in someone's face turn 1 will allow me to rush more squads up field. Then I can start landing assault squads in on turn two plus back rhino contents to wipe what the DC or drop pods could not.

[Karhedron]

Drop Pods can also help Captain Smash assuming you have used UWOF/FF to move him up the field for a T1 strike. Drop in a unit of 10 Sternguard with stormbolters and that is 40 shots at close range, perfect for clearing chaff screens and, with good positioning, they may benefit from Smash's reroll aura too.

 

Secondly, they will help Smash survive afterwards as it will cut down on the number of enemy units that can target him as the "closest enemy model".

 

I have been looking for an excuse to run some Sternguard for a while and this could potentially be it. 180 points for 40 shots is not bad in the grand scheme of things.

[Charlo]

Excited to bring back my 7th Ed Meltacide. Except now you get 6 Melta Shots across two squads in one pod.

 

Flamers not being in range is very upsetting, but I think I'll still bring a quad flamer Tac Squad (Flamer, Heavy Flamer, 2 Hand Flamers) if it's still legal. As you can make a decent forward base with them.

 

Honestly the pressure turn 1 pods put on is so synergistic to our fast jump units is crazy. Especially Forlorn Fury DC.

[Panzer]

A flamer squad between all the other units you drop could be a fun turn 2 threat. If there are enough other threats your opponent will want to get rid of those first and hopefully leave your flamer squad alone for a turn. :P

I think I'd go for Heavy Flamer Devs instead of mixed flamer Tacs though.

[Karhedron]

Excited to bring back my 7th Ed Meltacide. Except now you get 6 Melta Shots across two squads in one pod.

What is the best way to do this in 8th? I can see 2 meltas per 5-man RAS but what does the Sergeant pack? I don't see access to a combi-melta, is it an Index option?

 

Sadly, my RAS both have Sergeants with dual inferno pistols which doesn't help with the 9" range issue.

[Spagunk]

 

Excited to bring back my 7th Ed Meltacide. Except now you get 6 Melta Shots across two squads in one pod.

What is the best way to do this in 8th? I can see 2 meltas per 5-man RAS but what does the Sergeant pack? I don't see access to a combi-melta, is it an Index option?

 

Sadly, my RAS both have Sergeants with dual inferno pistols which doesn't help with the 9" range issue.

It's in the sargeants equipment list: second part that says "may choose one of the following".

 

7th saw inferno pistols but in 8th a combimelta is a far superior choice since you can shoot the melts as often as you need.

Edited August 14, 2019 by Spagunk

[Are Verlo]

But sergeants in assault squads can’t chose from the sergeant equipment list. They can take pistols and melee weapons

[Karhedron]

But sergeants in assault squads can’t chose from the sergeant equipment list. They can take pistols and melee weapons

That was my reading also although I would be glad to be proved wrong.

[Spagunk]

But sergeants in assault squads can’t chose from the sergeant equipment list. They can take pistols and melee weapons

Sorry, thought this was the sternguard thread. Ignore my comment.

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

Just out of curiosity this doesn't affect Dreadpods or the pods with ass cannons or whirlwind launchers? If FW do the right thing and produce a FAQ quickly, which the bloody well should, as our more codex compliant brothers can't even use FW units without losing combat doctrines, I think three Leviathans in Dreadpods could prove to be a lethal, albeit extremely expensive, alpha strike.

[Panzer]

Only if those Datasheets get an Errata that includes the same thing.

[Charlo]

Just to note, FW do not write the rules for 40k anymore, it's the GW design team now (since the Custodes FW units update).

 

They just did a big FAQ/ Update for the FW knights so I'd hope we get something soon for the astartes units. It may even be full datasheets (lol at the wasted index money I guess)

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

Normally I prefer buying hard copies of things like codexes and such, but I bought the FW Index Astartes from iBooks as it basically contains nothing but data sheets, no fluff etc. I’d gladly have it invalidated for better rules. Edited August 16, 2019 by Captain Smashy Pants

[SnorriSnorrison]

So, the grav-bomb didn’t quite hit for the Blood Angels yet, as wargear costs remain unchanged for now and the grav-stratagem is yet not available for us.

 

What other units are good in combination with the drop pod other than Sternguard or a tactical squad?

[Aothaine]

I think I'd go for Heavy Flamer Devs instead of mixed flamer Tacs though.

 

This is what it is all about. Dropping three pods with 8 heavy flamers and 2 flamers per dev squad on your enemies' front lines. Back it up with 3 quad las predators and 3-6 5-man tactical squads with a las cannons and a Librarian Flynought, cpt smash and a few other toys. Sounds like my kind of list!

[SnorriSnorrison]

 

 

I think I'd go for Heavy Flamer Devs instead of mixed flamer Tacs though.

This is what it is all about. Dropping three pods with 8 heavy flamers and 2 flamers per dev squad on your enemies' front lines. Back it up with 3 quad las predators and 3-6 5-man tactical squads with a las cannons and a Librarian Flynought, cpt smash and a few other toys. Sounds like my kind of list!

So those squads will eat the entire anti-infantry guns of the opponent’s army, and the flamers can’t fire. Swarms will just overrun them despite the overwatch. What’s the deal with the flamers besides that BA are the only ones who can do it?

[Panzer]

 

 

I think I'd go for Heavy Flamer Devs instead of mixed flamer Tacs though.

This is what it is all about. Dropping three pods with 8 heavy flamers and 2 flamers per dev squad on your enemies' front lines. Back it up with 3 quad las predators and 3-6 5-man tactical squads with a las cannons and a Librarian Flynought, cpt smash and a few other toys. Sounds like my kind of list!

So those squads will eat the entire anti-infantry guns of the opponent’s army, and the flamers can’t fire. Swarms will just overrun them despite the overwatch. What’s the deal with the flamers besides that BA are the only ones who can do it?

 

 

They definitely can't be the only thing standing infront of the enemy army or they'll just be expensive sacrifices. One or two squads hidden behind scarier threats like Deathcompany and stuff maybe, but that's it.

[SnorriSnorrison]

 

 

 

 

I think I'd go for Heavy Flamer Devs instead of mixed flamer Tacs though.

This is what it is all about. Dropping three pods with 8 heavy flamers and 2 flamers per dev squad on your enemies' front lines. Back it up with 3 quad las predators and 3-6 5-man tactical squads with a las cannons and a Librarian Flynought, cpt smash and a few other toys. Sounds like my kind of list!

So those squads will eat the entire anti-infantry guns of the opponent’s army, and the flamers can’t fire. Swarms will just overrun them despite the overwatch. What’s the deal with the flamers besides that BA are the only ones who can do it?

They definitely can't be the only thing standing infront of the enemy army or they'll just be expensive sacrifices. One or two squads hidden behind scarier threats like Deathcompany and stuff maybe, but that's it.

Yeah, maybe that could work. Or something inexpensive to soak up shots so the flamers can go to work. Or a combination of the two.

 

I’d just love to get the cheaper grav guns and the stratagem. I love painting BA devastators. :D

[SnorriSnorrison]

Just realized that you can do full drop pod armies again and null-deploy with Marines. Huh, that’s interesting considering how cheap the drop pod is when you get like 5-8 of them. Still plenty of points left.