There are few enemies who can withstand this tactic, as the Space Marines will land in and amongst places that only moments before were considered a safe haven. In these situations, massed Drop Pod assaults light up the sky of the target world as hundreds of these screaming harbingers of woe streak across the firmament. While many Astartes Chapters use Drop Pods for quick insertions or deep strikes, others such as the Invaders or the Black Consuls will use Drop Pod assaults to launch the majority of their entire Chapter into combat. Additionally, the passengers must lend their trust to the guidance systems of the craft's Machine Spirit (artificial intelligence) to safely deliver them to their destination.ĭuring the descent it is common for Space Marines to give voice to prayers to the Emperor and hymns of vengeance, steeling themselves against the danger of violent orbital entry and preparing themselves for the battle ahead.
#40K DROP POD SARCOPHAGI FULL#
Drop Pods are fired with colossal acceleration from an orbiting Strike Cruiser or Battle Barge, after which it screams through a planet's atmosphere with oversized rocket thrusters boosting it even further beyond terminal velocity even the most advanced air defence systems have difficulty locking on to a Drop Pod travelling at up to 12,000 kilometres per hour.Īt these velocities, it takes only a matter of solar minutes, or even seconds, for a Drop Pod to reach its destination as it plummets through the atmosphere, only firing its retro thrusters at the last possible moment before making a devastating impact on the planetary surface with enough force to crush most structures.ĭeathstorm Drop Pods of the Ultramarines Chapter clearing the way for Space Marine landing forces.ĭrop Pod assaults are fraught with peril as the craft possesses few defences against enemy anti-aircraft fire or other aircraft or debris present in the air while they are plummeting downwards at full speed. The ultimate weapon of terror and surprise, when a Drop Pod lands directly in the midst of an enemy line or formation and its occupants disembark and start wreaking havoc, there is little escape for the foe. These craft are used as a one-way, environmentally sealed armoured landing craft to insert forces right into the heart of a battle or deep behind enemy lines.
Captain Kayvaan Shrike to Commissar Leet, prior to the Blindhope planetstrikeĭrop Pods of the Space Wolves Chapter in flight.ĭrop Pods are atmospheric assault transports that are primarily used by the Adeptus Astartes and their Chaos Space Marine counterparts for orbital insertion and planetary assaults where achieving tactical surprise is often an important factor.ĭrop Pods, along with Thunderhawks, Thunderhawk Transporters, Storm Eagles, Stormravens, Caestus Assault Rams and teleportation make up the majority of a Space Marine Chapter's means to deploy their forces to the surface of a planet quickly.ĭrop Pods resemble the standard Imperial Life Pod that is used to evacuate the crews of severely damaged starships.