[Knight Actual]

rhino costs more than drop pod - 35 drop pod will do job, rhino will want extra armor.

rhino gets shot down, cargo gets shot, has to walk. Drop pod doesn't: cargo always arrive unharmed.

Rhino AND drop pod cannot unload and charge - so this is a wash.

Rhino is slower - will get there on turn 2 or 3 where drop pod will get 2 out of 3 pods there on turn 1 always, no fail. Cargo in enemy deployment zone on turn 1 always.

Rhino is visible, enemy can counter manuver/deploy. Enemy cannot counter manuver drop pod because it has no limitation on coming wherever it wants. Against a Rhino, one can predict where it can be 1 and 2 turns from now and where it is likely to be. One can deploy or maneuver to avoid the rhino's cargo. One can never avoid droppod's cargo by deployment, or maneuver.

Rhino is more precise. You can choose to drop your melta/flamer toting cargo precisely so. Drop pod placed right up to 1 inch against target will have ~13.5% chance to deviate 8 inch or more (180 degrees of possible deviation directions). So the Rhino is more precise in its deployment 13.5% of the time where you want your cargo to land 6inchs or less from target.

so when would rhino be preferable to drop pods?

[Dezart Fox]

Rhino's can provide a good shield to your other tanks/units, you'll find with 3 rhinos, 2 vindis, 2 dreads that the rhinis seem to live longest, well they do in my zerker army :P

[Bubgum]

Originally Posted by Knight Actual

Rhino is slower - will get there on turn 2 or 3 where drop pod will get 2 out of 3 pods there on turn 1 always, no fail. Cargo in enemy deployment zone on turn 1 always.

Umm, no. Drop pods aren't allowed to arrive on Turn 1. That would be uber beardy cheese. They may arrive on turn 2, on a roll of a 5+ (May be different, I don't have the rulebook within grabbing distance...)

Secondly, you can't re-embark onto a drop pod, suck it back up into space, and deploy your marines somewhere else. But with a rhino, say your Unit's target has been destroyed, they may hop back into the Rhino, and deploy somewhere else.

Also, as said, Rhinos are more precise. They won't scatter like a drop pod.

[Dezart Fox]

Originally Posted by Bubgum

Umm, no. Drop pods aren't allowed to arrive on Turn 1. That would be uber beardy cheese. They may arrive on turn 2, on a roll of a 5+ (May be different, I don't have the rulebook within grabbing distance...)

New marine drop pods allow half of your drop pods to arrive turn one I think

[Bubgum]

Originally Posted by Timjim

New marine drop pods allow half of your drop pods to arrive turn one I think

:-\...

WHAT?! I may just boycott marines from now on. :P

[Tom Norman]

Originally Posted by Timjim

New marine drop pods allow half of your drop pods to arrive turn one I think

Aye, he's quite right actually. Half of your drop pods (rounded up) must make a 'drop pod assault', deploying from reserve at the begnning of your first turn. The rest roll to deploy as per normal reserve rules on subsequent turns (starting on a 4+). In my opinion, this might actually be a little undesirable as it kinda robs the drop pod of its chief advantage - You can't really strike unexpectedly behind enemy lines on turn one; it'd be little different to deploying infiltrators. Deployment on subsequent turns is good for surprise tactics though.

EDIT - I suppose one rare problem that may be encountered in a drop pod assault is the danger of scattering into dangerous terrain. Rare on most tables, granted, but you might see a little more of it in urban battles. It's no danger to the drop pod itself of course as it is immobilised upon touchdown anyway, but for the troops inside it may pose a problem.

[I am Legion]

For my Blood Angels I used alot of rhinos and assault troops. the assault would obviously hide behind the rhinos until they got close enough. Disembarked the tacticals which would rapid fire and then assault troops would single fire and charge whatever was left. effectively dicing 2-3 squads.

now with the new marine codex I've been using a drop pod heavy army. This is a much better solution. This way I have 3 tactical squads dropping in turn 1 rapid firing and flaming anything infront of them. on turn 2-3 I either deep strike or just move up my 2 assualt squads to bolser my troops. This is already 50 marines on the table plus a chaplain leads one of the assault squads. Check the army list section for the "succesful army lists". It is a very strong force, and no one has yet been able to stop it. I am able to take on double my force because we can fit so many marines in. I have three rhinos but I don't know if I'll use them in anything besides huge games anymore.

The one downside to drop pods are that they count for kill points. people don't fire at rhinos but they will fire at drop pods.

[Wargamer]

You forget two key points:

#1: Drop Pods are one-shot
You drop it, it's worthless. The moment it touches the floor, it is junk. A Rhino can continue to move any squad in your army around the board, so long as it is alive and mobile (and the squad isn't wearing Terminator Armour).

#2: Rhinos don't scatter
When you deploy a Rhino, it stays deployed. When you deploy a Drop Pod, it usually wanders off. I've seen people lose games (to me) because the Drop Pods placed itself in a Killing Ground.

[sarddok]

The rules, force you to deploy half (rounded up) of your pods on turn 1 , in order to avoid the "empty table".

Facing a SM army all in drop pods. If you must play the first turn first.. then, without this rule, your turn one may be rather "annoying"

[Tassadar]

Hi...

Rhino's are also classed as tanks thus being able to Tank Shock and Ram enemy units...and as mentioned before can be great boxes of moveable cover for delicate friendly troops.

In a tourney I had a single Rhino block the LOS of an enemy devastator squad with 4 missile launchers - enabling my foot-slogging marines to arrive safely to an importent objective. After a couple of turns the rhino was a wreck and thus forced the enemy to move and loose another round of shooting.

Tassadar