GENERAL STRATEGY & TACTICS

TACTICA DROP PODS By ( Grandmaster ==ME== )

This article has been reproduced with kind permission from the author.  It's use here is not intended as a challenge to the original authors copyright and is reproduced here for the sole purpose of enhancing the Dark Angel spirit and the warhammer 40,000 experience

Offensive Tactics: "How to mercilessly pummel the opposition" Once you've assembled your forces and found an opponent, Hopefully a good friend, you are ready to go. It is usually best to surprise your opponent, as this goes along with the philosophy of keeping him off balance. Usually he will get angry and forget any tactics he knows and then will deploy somewhat in a defensive position, giving you another key advantage. And remember, Ordnance is not your friend. Once the game commences, the fun really starts. I will cover a typical six-turn game, the ubiquitous Cleanse scenario: Turn 1: Nervous expectation: The first turn basically provides free movement for your opponent, allowing him to deploy his units at will in expectation of your arrival. This is the time to start psyching him out, laughing, making funny jokes, etc. nothing important happens now. Turn 2: The drop commences: This is the part of the game when it gets interesting. Your units become available on a 4+ reserve roll, so about half of your army will arrive now. This is where luck truly comes into play. Based on the randomness of the dice, I'll explain how each unit should operate. Your grandmaster and his posse should deploy somewhere near his lines, preferably close to an assault oriented squad with small numbers or a poor armor save to take advantage of the standard and storm bolters. The dread should drop in right behind a valuable enemy vehicle, so as to take advantage of its twin-lascannon and rear armor (preferably a predator/defiler/wave serpent/fire prism/leman russ/basilisk/whirlwind/anything ordnance.) Your ten-man squads should deploy in cover and in a place so that they can charge next turn, preferably behind a forest near a heavy weapons squad. Your five-man squads should deploy in uncontested quarters, away from each other so that your opponent will have to remove them and having clear lines of sight to at least two fire lanes, because taking away those intractable and firepower squads is like pulling teeth, just remember that ordnance is not your friend. Your Land Speeder should deploy near a large, weak unit with low leadership, so it can try to crossfire them when it unleashes its firepower next turn, remember that it gets its 6+ jink save as it counts as moving. If this is not plausible, then simply deploy it in an uncontested table quarter, near the firepower squads for support. Finally, deploy the Devastators behind the ten-man meat shields so they can unleash their firepower next turn, just remember to give them clear line of sight. Turn 3: Build up continues: By this turn the rest of your army should arrive, save one or two units. Use this time to charge with your command group and ten-man squads, then unleash all hell with that devastator squad and dreadnought behind his vehicles, popping away at their pathetic 10 armor. Anyway, so once you've gotten your command squad and ten-man units in close combat with his main army, it is only a matter of time. Turn 4: Digging in:Congratulations! If you've survived this far, you performed excellent work. By now your whole army has arrived, and you've claimed three quarters while you and your opponent contest his deployment quarter. One thing to watch out for though is fast stuff, if he has a speeder or other fast vehicle, shoot it down at all costs. With this one speeder he can contest any of the other three table quarters and you'll have lost one of your largest advantages, map superiority. If he gets a chance to uproot one of your firepower squads, you've just lost a quarter and you opponent is that much more confident. You have to keep him worried and unsure for this strategy to be pulled off. If he thinks he is in control, he will take control and you will lose. Dark Angels Drop Pod Army - 1500 points Turn 5: Consolidating: The game is drawing to a close, and your opponent is worried. If you still hold the other three quarters, or at least contest them, and your ten-man squads and command squad is still in close combat you've got it in the bag. Just keep the pressure up and shoot down or engage his fast things. If he is able to take one of the quarters at this point, but he's used a very large portion of his forces, you should be okay. But if he only used one squad, prepare to defend those last two quarters with everything you've got. If you devastators and dreadnought have no other vehicles to shoot aim for his forces that endanger your other quarters, as these must be stopped. At about this time, the close combats will be near ending, you must keep them going for as long as possible, charge in your devastators and dreadnought if it will keep you in combat for another turn. Turn 6: This turn is the one in which everything rides on. You still have two quarters and your opponent holds one. At this time you must keep the close combats going in the middle, and if you wipe out his forces in doing so, the game is over. If your opponent has only one unit threatening your other quarters, you've won, as he can't hold a quarter and uproot your shooters at the same time. If he has two, use your land speeder and firepower units to try and initiate a cross fire, or at least put them below 50% of their starting strength. If you can hold on to your two quarters, you will win! If you can't you'll lose! Good luck. BATTLEFIELD SURVIVAL: "Stayin' Alive! Stayin' Alive! Ah Ah Ah Ah Stayin' Aliiiiive!!" Anyway, this section will cover how to keep from getting blown away piecemeal by superior enemy firepower. The dice gods usually strike when you think that everything is secure, so it is best to assume that each unit will pop up unsupported. We'll cover this with how each unit in the army is to survive. The HQ should be deployed in a very aggressive spot, preferably near the enemy's heavy weapons or front line troops. This way they can use the Standard of Fortitude to shoot them to bloody pieces, remain mostly unharmed in the shooting phase, and still hold up in an assault. The dreadnought should also be deployed in an aggressive manner, supporting and supported by the HQ. He should pop up behind any large tank (predator, hammerhead, falcon, etc) and pop it's rear armor with his lascannon. He can also be used to hold up some infantry (S4 or less) for a few turns by hosing them with his flamer and keeping them tied up in close combat. The ten-man squads should ideally be put into a position so that they can charge in the next turn, another aggressive position. If they arrive with the command squad, the lion's helm can protect them from nasty AP3 stuff. If the command squad is not available, deploy them behind a large rock or some trees. The five-man plasma squads are best suited to hold objectives, preferably out of sight, and stick there 'til the last man falls. It is wise to put them out of sight, but also in a position in which they can shoot on the next turn, a ruined fortress or cover of some sort springs to mind. The cover saves give protection against star cannons and whatnot, bit they may also shoot in the next turn. The Land Speeder should be best deployed in cover, so it can zoom out next turn and dakka some stuff. It can also be used to finish off a small squad that may have been weakened by previous firing, if it comes in later. Its final role is to grab any objectives the mission may require, last minute grabs in other words. The devastator squad is also used similarly to the plasma squads, but more in line with tanks. They are your main tank-hunters, so should be within line of sight to a big juicy target. Alternatively, their missile launchers can shred hoards, so they could be positioned to kill off that pesky bug swarm in your way. And there you have it! I hope this little article helped you out in your futures of drop podding; It's a great way to kick it up a notch! Good luck.

Dark Angels Drop Pod Army - 1500 points HEADQUARTERS  381 points Grand Master-Sword of Secrets, bolt pistol, Lion Helm Command Squad-9 marines, Apothecary w/ storm bolter, narthecium, Techmarine w/ powerfist, storm bolter, Standard Bearer w/ Standard of Devastation, storm bolter FAST ATTACK 80 points Ravenwing Land Speeder 'Tornado'-heavy bolter, assault cannon HEAVY SUPPORT -185 points Devastator Squad-6 marines, 4 w/ missile launchers Total: 1500; Models: 49

ELITES 143 points Dreadnought-twin-linked lascannon, heavy flamer, extra armor, smoke launchers TROOPS  706 points Tactical Squad-10 marines, 1w/ flamer, Veteran Sergeant-power weapon, stubborn Tactical Squad-10 marines, 1w/ meltagun, Veteran Sergeant-power weapon, stubborn Tactical Squad-5 marines, 1w/ plasma cannon Tactical Squad-5 marines, 1w/ plasma cannon Tactical Squad-5 marines, 1w/ plasma cannon

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