Drop pods, are they worth it?

[Blackcloud6]

As I ponder my long term planning for my Crimson Fists, I wonder if Drop Pods are worth the acquisition. No one in our group uses them so I wonder about their utility as I have not yet seen them in action. How do you use them? What are the advantages/disadvantages of Drop Pods?

I do see a "story line" utility for them with my Crimson Fists. Since my Fists are being built to be an ally to my Sisters, I could see having some Marines ready to drop as a contingency force to reinforce the Sisters.

[Wolfshade]

Space Marines can benefit from the Drop Pod Assault rule which means that half the pods rounding up appear on the first turn.
You can put a squad in them and drop them, so they deep strike and with the rules in codex space marines they scatter but away from impassible terrain.

The most common way I have seen it happen (or at least the tactic used by a friend) is to drop in a squad of sternguard veterans with combi-meltas and take out the rear armour of tanks and with an attached librarian who then casts blood lance to take out any others that survive the shooting.

The big disadvantage is that you cannot assault the turn you arrive so you can be stranded and face an assault.

[Blackcloud6]

The most common way I have seen it happen (or at least the tactic used by a friend) is to drop in a squad of sternguard veterans with combi-meltas and take out the rear armour of tanks and with an attached librarian who then casts blood lance to take out any others that survive the shooting.



That sounds cool!

How many figures does a pod carry? (I'm at work with no Codex handy)

[Lost Vyper]

Another downside might be, that you miss your mark and give your opponent pretty easy First Blood -target...Blood Angels -player in our club uses pods for Sternguard and Dreds, and yes, they are extremely annoying...

[Wolfshade]

It is either 10 or 12.
I think Codex Space Marine is 12 and the rest are 10

[Aegwymourn]

It is either 10 or 12.
I think Codex Space Marine is 12 and the rest are 10

correct. all the other chapters must have bought the discount 10 man ones while all the basic marines upgraded =P

[Houghten]

Oh, they're the same pods. Ultras just have the extra 2 men cling to the storm bolter...

[DarkLink]

Drop pods are awesome. 10 Sternguard with combi-weapons in a pod is one of the nastiest units in the game. You can now disembark 6" from the pod, and combat squad into two separate units, so it doesn't matter if you scatter, you can drop in and dump a bunch of plasma and melta into multiple targets.

[olberon]

either way... just a tactical in a pod is pure awesomeness (Ravenguard player here)

they are also great for disrupting your enemies carefully planned tactics which you will always screw up

[Iyandagar]

Seeing as how a Space Wolf player I face ALWAYS drop pods atleast one in, a suicide squad with Meltas to screw over my tanks in his turn 1 and invariably succeeds I would say YES do it, wind some other poor unfortunate soul up... The only tie I ever get the urge to punch him in the face is during his turn one and the inevitable grin he employs as he rolls to determine hits on my vehicles.