Heavy drop pod assault list

HQ:
kayvaan Shrike

Master of the forge w/Spacemarine bike/Stormbolter/


Troops:
Tac-squad w/x10 marines/flamer/multi-melta/ + Drop pod w/locator beacon/

Tac-squad w/x10 marines/flamer/multi-melta/ + Drop pod w/locator beacon/

Tac-squad w/x10 marines/flamer/multi-melta/ + Drop pod w/locator beacon/


Elites:
Ironclad dreadnought w/assault launcher/ + Drop pod w/locator beacon/

Ironclad dreadnought w/assault launcher/ + Drop pod w/locator beacon/

Ironclad dreadnought w/assault launcher/ + Drop pod w/locator beacon/

Heavy:
Ironclad dreadnought w/assault launcher/ + Drop pod w/locator beacon/

Ironclad dreadnought w/assault launcher/ + Drop pod w/locator beacon/


Total: 2000pts

Two questions:

1) Why spend the points on Shrike when you don't have any unit that can infiltrate with him. Just so that your Ironclads and Tact squads can fleet?

2) Why spend the points on locator beacons on all of your drop pods (15 points a piece, right?) when they have Inertial Guidance, preventing them from causing any deep strike mishaps unless you scatter off of the table?

Other than that all I have to offer you is my general warning against playing an all drop-pod army:

- Experienced players will know how to handle a drop-pod army. This game based on a three-way balance between Army Composition, Generalship, and Luck, and the only thing you can hope to gain through all drop-podding it Luck, because it is not a very tactically flexible army, nor is it the most strongly composed army.

Drop podding in mass Ironclads is an idea that's been tossed around quite a lot since the new SM Codex came out, all the result of all the play-testing and theory was the following:

- Only the Ironclads themselves should ever be put into the pods. Everything else should start on the table.

- Whatever else is in the army should make up for whatever the Ironclads cannot do. Mainly this is anti-horde and mobility. Thus great companions to Iron-clad heavy armies (drop pod or no) is Thunderfire Cannons and Land Speeders. Bikes are also useful, especially Scout Bikers with a Homing Beacon (Infiltrate + Scout Turbo Boost = Start the game anywhere on the table that you want).

- Keep it cheap and cheerful. Minimum upgrades with the maximum amount of content. Don't bring excess expensive named characters. Don't buy upgrades that aren't "must have". Don't buy transports that are unnessessary. The Ironclads and their pods are expensive enough as it is, and you'll need as much else in the army as you can fit.


Hope that helps!

To my knowledge, Shrike only allows units with combat tactics to fleet, which does not include dreadnaughts.

5 Ironclad dreadnaughts is difficult for any army to deal with, and unlike Colby I think putting the rest of the army in drop pods is not a detractor here if you remove Shrike for another squad (or half squad) in a drop pod with the techmarine(no longer on the bike) in order to give you an odd number of drop pods (the magic method).

Doing so in this list would allow you to drop all 5 Ironclads on the first turn, then in subsequent turns bring in the scoring units to take objectives or mop up what remains.

Removing locator beacons from at least 3 of the drop pods belonging to the Ironclads (who will all come in the same turn and therefore not benefit from each other) at then every drop pod in the second wave of reserves, plus removing the techmarine from the bike, and removing Shrike, should free up the points not only for another squad in a drop pod, but also at least one landspeeder with Multimelta that can also deepstrike for fun midway through the game.

Erm... I can't get rid of the Master cause I need the five 'clads. Shrike exchanges the combat tactics rule for the chapter tactics rule. I believe dreadnoughts are also affected by this as they are units, and are not fearless.

Also it doesn't matter whether or not shrike can infiltrate with a cqc killy squad with a list like this, what matters is that the clads can fleet after leaving the drop pods.
I don't want to footslog the master simply due to the fact that it's to easier to kill him without a bike, and why waste a squad to guard him?


The huge quantity of locator beacons are in case the first one's don't pass the deepstrike role, giving them all locator beacons ensures that so long as one makes it, the others probably will, and won't go anywhere other than where I want them. Sure they can't mishap, but when I need to assault as soon as the pod lands, I need to be as close as I can get.

Just looked in the book and I can confirm that Dreadnoughts do not have combat tactics hence do not receive the benefit of fleet... they can, however, still run so not a lot of mobility is lost, just on the charge.

With that in mind I offer an alternative....

Master of the Forge
Power Sword

Tactical Squad (10)
Plasma Gun
Plasma Cannon
Power Weapon
Drop Pod

Tactical Squad (10)
Plasma Gun
Plasma Cannon
Power Weapon
Drop Pod

Tactical Squad (10)
Meltagun
Lascannon
Power Weapon
Drop Pod

Tactical Squad (10)
Meltagun
Lascannon
Power Weapon
Drop Pod

Ironclad Dreadnought
Drop Pod

Ironclad Dreadnought
Drop Pod


Ironclad Dreadnought
Drop Pod

Land Speeder (2)
Multi-Melta (2)

Dreadnought
Missle Launcher
Drop Pod


Dreadnought
Missle Launcher
Drop Pod

The Total comes out to 1985

I'd also like to point out that even if the Ironclads DID have Fleet, they still wouldn't be able to assault in the same turn that they got out of the Drop Pod. Giving them Fleet would only help for the turns after the one where they arrived, but really, they'd already be in and amongst your opponent, so how useful would Fleet really even be?

IF dreds had fleet they could, because they are not assaulting OUT of the drop pod, they are running and then assaulting.

On any turn in which a unit arrives via deep strike or through a drop pod, it is not allowed to assault. Having the fleet rule does not remove the restriction on doing so.

lol but the drop pod is a open top vehicle

Prof.Brown wrote:

IF dreds had fleet they could, because they are not assaulting OUT of the drop pod, they are running and then assaulting.

Fleet allwos you to charge after running. But there are still restrictions to charging, even if you have fleet. You can't charge after entering the table via deep strike.

Also, Shrike's ability does NOT confer to dreadnoughts. Also dreadnoughts are not fearless. They don't have a Ld's value at all.

See then TECHNICALLY dreads have combat tactics, as they are not fearless... It's just not listed.

No. Vehicles lack a leadership value and never take leadership based tests unless specified by a particular special rule found in an older codex.

Combat tactics must be specifically listed in a unit's entry in order to have the rule. Fearless units can still have combat tactics. Vehicles never have it.

Ah well... thats unfortunate.