# Warp Rift (Drop Pod Substitute)



## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

Games Workshop used to sell vortex templates for Storm of Magic (Fantasy). For those of you who may know the size of them (A c-cup at best), what do you think about substituting them into a game in place of a drop-pod?

I'm starting a World Eaters army using the Blood Angels codex, and my Death Company (Berzerkers) come in using a drop pod. It's a fluff based, casual army and I don't really like drop pods... Painting them is a pain in the arse and they never really look that great IMHO. I would be using the fireball one (Bottom center of the link) and I'd just ignore the fact that I technically have a storm bolter; I'm only there for fun. 

I've actually already purchased the item, was just wondering on opinions from you guys. 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/c...od1250222a&setLocale=en_AU&_requestid=1706202


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

Sounds fair enough to me, I always like alternative spins on things and this is a beauty.

I don't see any real advantage you might gain by doing it so I'd be fine with it.


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

It doesn't have doors, so I believe that it might technically give me more room to disembark.


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

I guess so but nothing says you actually have to open the doors on the Drop Pod either


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

I guess. Nobody insists on you opening the doors of a Rhino when you disembark.

On a side note, can you re-embark upon a drop pod or does it become impassable?


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

NO the rules say once you get out no one can get back in.

I'd play it that you can move through it and even stay "inside" it but your not embarked on the vehicle or under its armour or whatever.


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

Where does it say that? I can't seem to find it. 

Do Death Company have any rules that over-ride the 'cannot assault' rule for a Drop Pod?


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## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

no. nothing can assault from reserve, not even from a drop pod.


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## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

You may be better off getting the BA Codex over the fancy tins... >_>


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## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

those look to be a little big for drop pods, 5" is the size of a large blast.


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## Archon Dan (Feb 6, 2012)

The 3" one from 40K, used for Webway Portals or Vortex Grenades might work better. The Storm of Magic ones are 5" and while quiet nice, may be too big. I like the idea but would insist that since a Drop Pod does not block Line of Sight, neither could this, eventhough it technically does.But Chaos should have access to something like a Warp Rift, at least for models with the Daemon Rule.


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

Silens said:


> Where does it say that? I can't seem to find it.
> 
> Do Death Company have any rules that over-ride the 'cannot assault' rule for a Drop Pod?


Check the rule for Drop Pods on Page 32 of the BA Codex under "Transport"


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

Magpie_Oz said:


> Check the rule for Drop Pods on Page 32 of the BA Codex under "Transport"


I see it. I think I prefer the idea of it being open when it lands, so you can run inside it and use it as a bit of cover (6+ or something).


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## Insanity (Oct 25, 2011)

If the diameter was a real issue, you could probably just cut the fantasy one to size.


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## Hellados (Sep 16, 2009)

When you land in a drop pod what is to stop you from sitting inside it till the next turn till you can assault? Using it as a A10 open topped vehicle...

On topic though I've seen drop pods used to block the route of someone with its doors open as its technically a unit in your army so impassable. also when you open the doors and deploy within X of the doors it can give you a lot of extra range, think the doors are about 5 inches long


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

Hellados said:


> When you land in a drop pod what is to stop you from sitting inside it till the next turn till you can assault? Using it as a A10 open topped vehicle...


The rule that says you must disembark when it lands and cannot re-embark, page number as quoted above. The SM Codex is the same rule but on Page 69



Hellados said:


> On topic though I've seen drop pods used to block the route of someone with its doors open as its technically a unit in your army so impassable. also when you open the doors and deploy within X of the doors it can give you a lot of extra range, think the doors are about 5 inches long


I agree, the DP is an immobilised vehicle so until such time as it becomes a wreck ,the enemy can't run through it. Friendlies can and enemies once it is a wreck but not before.


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## ntaw (Jul 20, 2012)

Drop pods 'hatches are blown' immediately upon being placed on the table, however you want to take that wording. 

This sounds like a great idea, I doubt it would matter the size since drop pods have inertial dampeners anyways and basically always land. You lose out on some cover, but whatever. Cool army attack!

Only thing that can assault from reserve from a BA dex is the vanguard veteran squad. A dreadnought drop pod from FW allows it as well, but that ain't so much out of the dex.


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

So might I technically be at a disadvantage for disembarkment with this template? 

I imagine a drop pod would fit quite snugly inside of the template, to be honest.


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## scscofield (May 23, 2011)

The actual base of a DP, which you use for deployment is roughly the size of a dread base. Hence the reason you see soda bottles and what not used as proxies.


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## Hellados (Sep 16, 2009)

However you will be losing out on the advantage that the doors give you when deploying your men. The extra distance


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## scscofield (May 23, 2011)

We always play it from the base and not the doors. The doors are after all blown off on impact.


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

I'm sure it'll be fine in casual games.


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## Zion (May 31, 2011)

Fallen said:


> no. nothing can assault from reserve, not even from a drop pod.


Well you're close. Any unit that doesn't specifically have a rule that makes/lets them assault the turn they arrive from Reserves can't assault the turn they get on the board.

And there is a Drop Pod that allows Dreadnoughts to Assault when they hit the table (but they have to first roll a D6 and see if they become immobilized instead).


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

scscofield said:


> We always play it from the base and not the doors. The doors are after all blown off on impact.


I'd go with that ruling. You are supposed to measure from the access point which is really the hull and then "run down" the ramps.


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## Quozzo (Oct 2, 2010)

Zion said:


> Well you're close. Any unit that doesn't specifically have a rule that makes/lets them assault the turn they arrive from Reserves can't assault the turn they get on the board.


One of the reasons I favour the BA Vanguards is their heroic intervention rule but you need to purchase the jump packs separately and for a hefty sum, the rule also doesn't work when disembarking from drop pods. Seriously, even tacticals use drop pods on a frequent basis but vanguard vets clearly don't use them enough to be "experienced" (I suppose they use their jump packs instead :blush: )


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## kiro the avenger! (Nov 8, 2010)

Just a rules q, but how does disembarking from a drop pod work on 6th?
as the vehicle technically moved at full speed the passengers can't move or disembark (but there kicked out) and you now just move out of the access ports, so if they can't move, how do they disembark?


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## ntaw (Jul 20, 2012)

They're allowed to disembark within 6" from any exit point on the vehicle. Drop pods aren't changed by the new rules for disembarking as their troops have to disembark upon deployment of the drop pod.


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

kiro the avenger! said:


> Just a rules q, but how does disembarking from a drop pod work on 6th?
> as the vehicle technically moved at full speed the passengers can't move or disembark (but there kicked out) and you now just move out of the access ports, so if they can't move, how do they disembark?


The Drop Pod looks to be a bit of a special case for disembarking. A unit that has Deep Striked counts as having moved a cruising speed to it should preclude the unit inside getting out but on the other hand the DP is an immobile vehicle so it can never move any distance.

It does appear tho' that the DP rule allows the unit to disembark normally. So they are placed in base contact with the Access Point and can then move 6", this seems to be the intent of the rule.

I'm a bit surprised DP's weren't covered in the FAQ


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## Da Joka (Feb 20, 2009)

Hellados said:


> However you will be losing out on the advantage that the doors give you when deploying your men. The extra distance


Wait... you play you can get out from the tip of the door laying on the ground????

How does that make any sense? Being "Open Topped" you disembark from the hull, extra bits sticking out are not the hull.


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

Da Joka said:


> Wait... you play you can get out from the tip of the door laying on the ground????
> 
> How does that make any sense? Being "Open Topped" you disembark from the hull, extra bits sticking out are not the hull.


I have a feeling this notion of the end of the door being the access point is another one of our mate Darryl's, from a certain Beastly miniatures website, "tactics"


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## ntaw (Jul 20, 2012)

I doubt DP's were covered in the FAQ because GW isn't into lewd conduct on their website. This is a family event.

However....I actually think they weren't covered because their rules for transport says specifically how and when the embarked troops are to get out. The 'how' being by the disembarkation rules in the BRB and the 'when' being when the drop pod arrives from reserves.

This bit about disembarking from the tip of the doors is ridiculous. I can see the argument that you can't pass over it because it's technically impassable as it is an enemy unit, but even then I would say just the actual hull is what impedes LoS and movement.


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

Apparently drop pods are about 4.5" in diameter. (Presumably from the widest point) so I don't see using the 5" template being much of an issue.  When you disembark from the drop pod, do you place yourself 2" away from the access point and then move 6" during movement? Pushing you 8" away from the vehicle?


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

ntaw said:


> I doubt DP's were covered in the FAQ because GW isn't into lewd conduct on their website. This is a family event.
> 
> However....I actually think they weren't covered because their rules for transport says specifically how and when the embarked troops are to get out. The 'how' being by the disembarkation rules in the BRB and the 'when' being when the drop pod arrives from reserves.
> 
> This bit about disembarking from the tip of the doors is ridiculous. I can see the argument that you can't pass over it because it's technically impassable as it is an enemy unit, but even then I would say just the actual hull is what impedes LoS and movement.


Double entendres aside the rule says you "disembark as normal" the "as normal" rules say that you cannot disembark if the unit has moved more than 6" so a clarification might have helped, given that conceptually the DP has moved from orbit.

Transporting troops has changed from 5th to 6th so a rule regarding disembarkation from a 5th ed Codex should always be regarded with some caution.




Silens said:


> Apparently drop pods are about 4.5" in diameter. (Presumably from the widest point) so I don't see using the 5" template being much of an issue.  When you disembark from the drop pod, do you place yourself 2" away from the access point and then move 6" during movement? Pushing you 8" away from the vehicle?


The rule says you disembark to be in base contact with the access point and then make a normal move. No model can finish their move more than 6" from the access point.


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

So d'you reckon I'll be okay with just moving 6" away from the portal? My main concern is finicky people in the shop, not that I want to play there much...


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

Silens said:


> So d'you reckon I'll be okay with just moving 6" away from the portal? My main concern is finicky people in the shop, not that I want to play there much...


That would be fine with me but you can do almost anything on my table ! 
Only those finicky guys in the shop know what they'll say about it.


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## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

Silens said:


> So d'you reckon I'll be okay with just moving 6" away from the portal? My main concern is finicky people in the shop, not that I want to play there much...


i would inquire to them personally, those are the people who you are playing.

what we say doesnt really matter much on the internet...


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## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

TBH those blasts look overpriced. It's a tin bubble with fancy painting on it for a lot of money. Just go to a hobby store and get some of those plastic/foam spheres which come in halves or whole. Use half, prime it and paint it something fancy yourself. 

50 bucks for a freakin hemisphere with flames painted on it??!!


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

I got my fancy hemisphere for £5


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## ntaw (Jul 20, 2012)

Sorry to pull this back up, but to shed some light on DP's and troops disembarking from it:

pg.36, arriving by deep strike, underneath the bullets:

'In the movement phase during which they arrive, deep striking units may not move any further, other than to disembark from a deep striking transport vehicle if they are in one.'

So....we can disembark after deep striking from our vehicles. GW didn't FAQ it because they didn't have to, haha


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## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

I'd say if anything, you are at a disadvantage using these over regular DPs because you've got less cover to hide behind. I may well steal the idea myself!


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

ntaw said:


> Sorry to pull this back up, but to shed some light on DP's and troops disembarking from it:
> 
> pg.36, arriving by deep strike, underneath the bullets:
> 
> ...


The rules for disembarking say you disembark then make a normal move. The rules for deep strike says that you can disembark and may not move any further. :grin:

Can you move your 6" or not?


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## ntaw (Jul 20, 2012)

I think you're misinterpreting the disembarkation rules for this. That 'normal move' I think they refer to is just the 6" disembarking move. The rule for disembarking says that you place the model, and then it makes a normal move that is effected by terrain but that has to end within 6"of the access point (not the size of the model's base plus 6").

When the deep strike rule says that a unit cannot do anything other than disembark, I would think it means that it disembarks the troops the only way troops normally disembark. The rule says the deep striking unit, ie. your drop pod, cannot move but the unit inside it may disembark with no restriction listed.


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

Yes that is probably the best way to read it and I am sure most people play it that way, me included. You are however "making a normal move" which Deep Strike might be seen to prohibit. The rule does seem to segregate the act of disembarking and moving but I am sure they mean it to be all in one.


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