Reserves and Drop Pods

[Polaria]

"When deploying their armies, players can choose not to deploy up to half of their units (rounding up) keeping them as Reserves to arrive later. Units that must start the game in reserve are ignored for the purpose of working out how many other units may do so. A unit and its Dedicated Transport are counted as a single unit for these purposes." (BRB p.124)

So the way I read this the plural (...these purposes) means that a unit with a Dedicated Transport is ignored for the purpose of working out how many units can be kept in Reserve. So if my army is:

Captain
Dreadnought with Drop Pod (Dedicated Transport, Must Start in Reserve)
Tactical Squad with Drop Pod (Dedicated Transport, Must Start in Reserve)
Tactical Squad with Drop Pod (Dedicated Transport, Must Start in Reserve)
Tactical Squad with Drop Pod (Dedicated Transport, Must Start in Reserve)
Assault Squad with Drop Pod (Dedicated Transport, Must Start in Reserve)
Thunderfire Cannon with Drop Pod (Dedicated Transport, Must Start in Reserve)

Then I have 6 units which are ignored and 1 (captain) which is counted. Half of one, rounding up, is one so I can also keep the Captain in Reserve and put him into one of the Drop Pods. Correct or not?

[Spellfire]

Surely you have to have at least one model on the table at the start of Turn 1?

[Aurelius 12]

Nope. But if there's nothing on the table at the end of turn 1 you lose.

[Polaria]

Nope. But if there's nothing on the table at the end of turn 1 you lose.

Due to Drop Pod Assault special rule half of the Drop Pods would automatically come in on Turn 1, so that is hardly an issue.

[Excessus]

I don't believe the units IN the pods are forced to deploy in them, are they?

[CrownAxe]

I don't believe the units IN the pods are forced to deploy in them, are they?

Being able to choose to deploy in drop pods doesn't force them to be counted. They are still treated as one unit since its dedicated.

[Polaria]

I don't believe the units IN the pods are forced to deploy in them, are they?

Being able to choose to deploy in drop pods doesn't force them to be counted. They are still treated as one unit since its dedicated.

This is pretty much the point I'm trying to confirm. I interpret the original rules quote as follows:

"When deploying their armies, players can choose not to deploy up to half of their units (rounding up) keeping them as Reserves to arrive later. Units that must start the game in reserve are ignored for the purpose of working out how many other units may do so. A unit and its Dedicated Transport are counted as a single unit for these purposes." (BRB p.124)

The plural form of this ("these") would, in my opinion, refer to beoth previous sentences, so written out in long form the original quote would be:

- When deploying their armies, players can choose not to deploy up to half of their units (rounding up) keeping them as Reserves to arrive later.

- Units that must start the game in reserve are ignored for the purpose of working out how many other units may be kept in Reserves.

- A unit and its Dedicated Transport are counted as a single unit for for the purpose of working out how many other units may be kept in Reserves.

- If a Dedicated Transport must start the game in reserve a unit and its Dedicated Transport are ignored for the purpose of working out how many other units may be kept in Reserves.

Now, what I am not sure about is whether I'm interpreting the wording correctly or not?

[Ragnar69]

I would also say so. All Drop pod attacks are a very iconic thing of 40k, I can't imagine GW would forbid it.

[WildWeasel]

Actually, what you want is in the Deep Strike rule, page 36, third paragraph. Units that must arrive by Deep Strike are not counted in figuring reserve limits, nor are any models embarked upon them.

Thus, you can load up everything in pods, including ICs, and drop it all.

[DoctorTom]

Actually, what you want is in the Deep Strike rule, page 36, third paragraph. Units that must arrive by Deep Strike are not counted in figuring reserve limits, nor are any models embarked upon them.

Thus, you can load up everything in pods, including ICs, and drop it all.

No. ICs still count toward the limit. It's not their dedicated transport. If you have 2 IC's without their own dedicated drop pod, by the rules you would have to have one of them slogging in on foot.

[WildWeasel]

The Deep Strike rules say nothing about dedicated transports. It is "When working out how many units can be placed in reserve, units that must deployed by Deep Strike (along with any models embarked upon them) are ignored."

Drop pods must deploy via Deep Strike. This, any model - not just their parent unit - in it is ignored. Two ICs in pods are ignored, along with everything else aboard (and the pods themselves).

[Polaria]

The Deep Strike rules say nothing about dedicated transports. It is "When working out how many units can be placed in reserve, units that must deployed by Deep Strike (along with any models embarked upon them) are ignored."

Drop pods must deploy via Deep Strike. This, any model - not just their parent unit - in it is ignored. Two ICs in pods are ignored, along with everything else aboard (and the pods themselves).

Wow. Just wow. I just read the Deep Strike rules and like you said they are very clear on this. I just had no idea GW was so inconsistent that they actually would actually write the rules out clearly, but divide them into two places (p.36 and p.124) to make it extra difficult to check them out.

[WildWeasel]

Or even include cross references. But yeah, that's an easily overlooked exception to forming reserves.

[Squallish]

Follow up question involving combat squads:

May I choose any of the following:

- 5 in pod, 5 on table (this is the one I'm concerned about mostly)
- 10 in pod
- 10 on table
- 10 in pod, split on arrival

If not, why?

Thanks!

[Mr_Rose]

Thanks to the errata tothe Combat Squad rules, you can now do all of those things. Just be aware that the decision to split the squads in a drop pod is done before th battle now, not when it arrives.

[Polaria]

Follow up question involving combat squads:

May I choose any of the following:

- 5 in pod, 5 on table (this is the one I'm concerned about mostly)
- 10 in pod
- 10 on table
- 10 in pod, split on arrival

ERRATA
Page 51 - Combat Squads.
Replace with the following wording:

"A ten-man unit with this special rule can break down into two five-man units, called combat squads.

You must decide which units are splitting into combat squads, and which models go into each combat squad, immediately before deployment. A unit split into combat squads therefore is now tow separate units for all game purposes including calculating the total number of units in the army, and the number of units you can place in reserve. Then proceed with deployment as normal. Note that two combat squads split from the same unit can embark in the same transport vehicle, providing its transport capacity allows.

Once you have decided whthere or not to split a unit into combat squads, it must remain that way for the entire battle. It cannot split up or join back later on in the battle, nor canyou use redeployment to split up a unit or join it back together."

[rexscarlet]

http://www.novaopen.com/wp-content/u...th.1-DRAFT.pdf

DP and Unit/Units inside count as one. NOVA?

[WildWeasel]

That looks like a ruling on the general procedure case of "If a unit and its dedicated transport count as 1 unit for the reserve count, but the transport has to start in reserve and would thus normally be excluded, what happens?"

The Deep Strike rule is a specific exception to the general reserve count procedure. Both the Deep Striking unit, and all models aboard it, are exempted from the count entirely. If NOVA wants to change this very clear rule for their format, they need to address it directly.

[Ragnar69]

So if I take 5 squads on foot and 5 squads in pods, I could put 5 units (half army) into reserve. The pods and their units don't count towards this limit, so I could reserve the 5 foot-sloggers.

[Mr_Rose]

No, if you have fifteen units (ten infantry/characters/bikes/whatever and five pods) and put five of those units into the pods, the five pods and the five units are ignored for working out Reserve minimums. That is, only the remaining five units count. So half your army is three units, plus the ten represented by pods and content.