(loofnick @ Aug. 03 2007,17:16)
QUOTE
1) no, never ever ever ever. absolutely not. ?The line of sight thing is meant to indicate that terrain that would normally be in way can be ignored. It's not properly worded in the rule.
2)hmm.. there is a lot of scattering going on. ?Your example is a bit extreme though- aiming for the very edge of the table! In practise you have to play safe- aiming 30cm from any edge- you might get a few individual pods landing off-table, probably not many. again really wants trying. it sounds reasonably inaccurate- as they should be in my opinion, it's all part of the drop pods charm. If you want accuracy, get flyers!
so compare with thunderhawks:
T'hawk: 4+ armour, only 3 objects to shoot at but more opportunities to hit them, good weaponry of it's own, absolute accuracy of landing - 300pts in all
Drop Pods: 4+ armour, 16 objects to fire at with only one turn to fire at while in the air but no to hit penalty, arguably similar firepower (support and deathwind pods), inaccurate landing, unreliable opening of pods, and a very useful increase in break points for the troops- for 300 pts as well.
Personally I think the main difference is reliability of landing versus better break points. ?Seems pretty fair. ?I suppose the -1 to hit might be added, and drop pod saves dropped to 5+. ?It would be about the same effect, but more consistent with flyer rules? But 5+ seems weak for drop pods ?

?The main thing is that the rule should work, so I don't much care if the penalty to hit would be more realistic. ?So try them, if they work then don't worry about it.
EDIT ahem.. being a stupid before.. as drop pods can be shot at on the ground, changing them to 5+ armour is probably a bad idea.
you are right. first i will trie them in praxis, then we can go on with our discussion, ok?
but back to my example:
so a vehicle can not shoot at drop pods, when they fall in the back of him, right?
that is the reason, why i will drop them near by the table. i think that my enemies will place their units near by the set up zone to get closer to me and bring their weapons in range. that is the chance for me to drop the pods behind their line. and if my pods hit the landing point or scatter only to the side, then my enemies could not fire at them, because the pods are not in the weapon fire-arc, except by 360 degree weapons, right?