Drop Pod recovery

[Blackcloud6]

What does the Fluff say about recovering Drop Pods? How do they get them back to the drop ships?

I see a scenario potential here.

[Mr Mystery]

Thunderhawk Transporters are described as having recovery slings for that very purpose.

[Blackcloud6]

Thunderhawk Transporters are described as having recovery slings for that very purpose.

Another reason to buy the Forge World Model. :eek:

[Kirsten]

there are secretly elderly retired space marines who come along and sweep them up with big machines muttering about the youth of today and their littering

[Wolfshade]

In Hi-viz with their arse hanging out?

[Lunar Camel]

Why recover them? There are plenty of planets with resources to be scoured and plenty of workers who won't be missed in the construction of new ones.

[Blackcloud6]

Why recover them? There are plenty of planets with resources to be scoured and plenty of workers who won't be missed in the construction of new ones.

Maybe to turn them quickly to launch another assault right away or soon without having to send the fleet back to get more? I'm looking for some background to make up a scenario.

[deinol]

Why recover them? There are plenty of planets with resources to be scoured and plenty of workers who won't be missed in the construction of new ones.

Would you really want to leave imperial technology lying around where enemies can find it?

[jgebi]

it would be recovered I would expect any properly buy thunderhawks at that but if they weren't available then you would use civilian ships or stormravens something the such

[Psychosplodge]

How do they get them back to the drop ships?


Magnets.

[Magpie]

ceramite isn't magnetic tho'

[Psychosplodge]

But it would make sense to have in built magnetic grapple points to aid recovery.

Magnets!

[Blusox69]

Magnets.

Lasers

[Psychosplodge]

Lasers

Magnetic lasers? or Laser forged magnets?

[Wolfshade]

You can use laser to form a tractor beam, well in theory anway. So far the largest objects are still atomic in scale.

Magna grapple would make sense

[gwensdad]

My guess-they get disassembled, loaded onto transports, and taken back to the orbiting ships for re-assembly.

[Nabterayl]

Maybe to turn them quickly to launch another assault right away or soon without having to send the fleet back to get more? I'm looking for some background to make up a scenario.
Mystery's got it right - IA2 says that they're recovered using Thunderhawk Transporters.

As for why you'd want to recover them, I can think of two reasons other than the fact that you might want to use them again soon (though how soon you can reuse them would depend on your strike force's techmarine support, I think, since IA2 also says they need to be refurbished before reuse):

Space marines don't generally have very much manufacturing bandwidth. Even building a Rhino is a big deal; if drop pods were treated as disposable, the chapter would quickly outstrip its capacity to replace them.
Drop pods have machine spirits, which makes them just as much a part of the chapter as any other vehicle. You don't just leave your chapter's faithful steeds behind. You pick them up, and if necessary, you fight to techevac them, just as you would fight to techevac a knocked out Rhino, Land Raider, or dreadnought.

[chromedog]

ceramite isn't magnetic tho'

In that case, the T-hawk transporters wouldn't be able to carry the rhinos OR land raiders, either.
Something the fluff shows them VERY much able to do.

So ceramite is either magnetic or else they use a physical hydraulic clamp setup.

[Psychosplodge]

Or like I suggested they have magnetic grapple points...

[Daemonette666]

Another reason to buy the Forge World Model. :eek:

Yeah but you have to wait until FW have recast the mold for it, as it has degraded so badly that they can not make it anymore. Also there is the rumoured WH 30K Heresy era version of the Dreadclaw that is suppose to be in the works for future release.

[Daemonette666]

They would have to transport them in the same manner as current 20th/21st century forces lift their artillery pieces, small tanks and cargo into or out of hard to to get to positions. They use cargo lifters/ Helicopters with either underslung cargo nets, or lifting slings that attach to lifting hooks or rings on the vehicle's hull. All modern vehicles have towing and lifting rings somewhere on their hulls, so logic would dictate that drop pods do as well.

They just have to have a way of delivering it to the battlecruiser safely. Perhaps drop it into the top of a transport/ drop ship that enters the lower atmosphere or lands itself, and once the drop pod has been loaded through the roof, they move out to the Battlecruiser, dock with it, and slide the drop pods into the cargo bay. They would normally have a Mechanicus element that would be tasked to refit the drop pods if they regularly use them. Also they should have regular resupply of replacement parts.