Imperial Armour Update 2006 says in the rules that Dreadclaws are deplayed in the same way as Drop Pods.
Only in the fluff it says, that they can take off again to redeploy troops.

So basically Dreadclaws are Drop Pods without the Deathwind attack. They aren't more accurate.

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Imperial Armour Update 2005 lists its main rules as:

Flyer, Orbital Lander, Drop Pod


Imperial Armour Volume Six ('08) lists its main rules as:

Vehicle, Flyer

Both rule sets say it's immobilised if it lands in difficult terrain. (Ie: It cannot fly any more)
Both rule sets give it no guns.

In IA VI, it is very slightly more accurate than a standard Drop Pod in that it only scatters D6 instead of 2D6. In Epic scale this would be equivilient to scattering 2d6 -1cm, instead of 2d6, and is not worth bothering about IMHO.

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You're wrong there BL - the FW entry for Drop Pods states they are an 'immobile vehicle' type of vehicle, the Dreadclaw does not - in rules as well as in background it can re-deploy.

Though it is a flyer in W40k scale, it doesn't seem like a true flyer on the epic scale and size of battlefield - skimmer being a good representation here.

Flyer... crazy!  Does it have a "hover mode" like a Valkyrie?  Or do all "flyer"s get that now?

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It has a fly mode or a 'land' mode, fairly akin to the (old) valkyrie rules yes.

Note that since this came out the Valkyrie has been introduced as a plastic kit in the core Guard codex and is now just a fast skimmer.


A formation of transport fliers that can planetfall would be impractical at best to work with in Epic, so incorporating it as a fairly fast (30 or 35cm speed) Skimmer would seem to work best from a rules mechanic too.

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Just like it's always been in EPIC:A... *LAUGH*

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Quite.

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All this sounds great on paper but wouldn't we be better served just having them as gunless drop pods?

Would the background be better served?

No. Dreadclaws are used by Chaos Marines to move themselves rapidly around the surface of planets, not quite as efficently as via Thunderhawk, but rapidly nonetheless.


Would the character of the Epic army list, its 'feel' be better served?

Debatable. I'd err on the side of the Chaos Marines having a more interesting 'feel' with mobile Dreadclaws.


Would the Epic game experience be better served?

Debatable, and would require playtesting of both options.



In my humble opinion.

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Oh...Flyer....thats interesting.
Also interesting is that Drop Pods are Flyers in Imperial Armour Apocalypse too (but on the turn it arrives it can be placed anywhere on the board and has to move at least 36" then lands and scatters 1D6"). But they are Immobile once landed.
In Wh40k (without Apocalypse) DropPods arrive via Deep Strike. So they can scatter 2D6 but will never land on impassable terrain.


So it seems that Dreadclaws will be used in the same way as Drop Pods but without Deathwind attacks. But if a formation ends it move within 5cm of the Dreadclaw marker the whole formation can take off and be droppodded in another turn.

Not usable in Turnament setting but certainly usable in scenarios where you can use more than one spacecraft.

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Debatable, and would require playtesting of both options

BlackLegion: In 40k Dreadclaws only enter play via Deep Strike once. After that they move around the board like any other flyer. Like how a Valkyrie can fly around.

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Can I ask what we'd need to ascertain from testing?

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Imperial Armour Update 2006 and Imperial Armour Apocalypse says: "When the Dreadclaw becomes availabe from reserve it is deployed using the Drop Pod rules."

And the Drop Pod Landing rules from Imperial Armour Apocalypse say that it can be placed anywhere on the table may make one move of at least 36" and then lands and deviates 1D6".

The Dreadclaw can take off again yes. But then is it a Skimmer (like Valkyrie) or an aircraft (as Thunderhawk, Arvus Lighter, etc)?

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