Today we will be checking out if and why drop pods are still viable after the FAQ in 8th Edition 40k, and what if anything they are even good for anymore.
Whats the FAQ? The FAQ basically said that deepstriking units had to arrive turn 2 if they weren’t going to show up in your deployment. After the FAQ dropped, if you were quiet enough you could hear the collective screams from Blood Angel players from across the world.
Drop Pods as a Tool
Drop pods sit at a juicy 85 points and can carry up to 10 marines. From the beginning of 8th Edition, You would see melta squads drop down and liquify a tank before giving their opponent a chance. People would also load a drop pod with Gabriel Seth and Death Company to get attacks and more attacks…. oh yeah and more attacks. What we’re trying to say is that pre-FAQ drop pods were a nasty “one and done” mode of transportation to get into the enemies safe space before they even started moving models.
Warhammer Community realized that 8th edition turned into an alpha-strike nightmare and decided to change the rules by forcing the player to wait a turn to deepstrike behind enemy lines. Unfortunately, it neutered the last thing that made Grey Knights playable in this edition and nerfed the Blood Angels playstyle.
Drop Pods Post FAQ
Are Drop pods worth taking any more? Short answer: Absolutely.
In other editions, drop pods have been used to practically slam your junk on the table and claim everything you wanted. You had no reason to not be aggressive. Post FAQ, drop pods are still definitely worth their 85 points but have to be used reactively.
How many of you play with tactical objectives? Placing 6 objectives on the table and then sprinting across the board to get score a point is rough. That’s where the drop pod comes in. On top of this, even having something in deep strike forces your opponent to deploy differently and be cautious of what angry people could pop out of it.
You gotta Be Quicker Than That!
The funniest strat is slamming drop pods on the objectives that your opponent is trying hard to get to. Hammer-fisting a drop pod full of guys that want to hurt the enemy right in their path is hilarious. They may be able to deal with what comes out of the dop pod but they still have to deal with that awkward T7 model that plopped directly onto the point.
Oh yeah, and they cant just shoot it off. They’ll need to charge that bad boy to get close enough to score the point.
Ultimately, we hope you give the tin cans of doom another shot after the FAQ. They really don’t suck. Remember they have to be played differently from previous editions.
Have you tried drop pods after the FAQ yourself? Tell us how it went in the comments on our Facebook Hobby Group!
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
