Drop Pod

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Drop Pods are transports used primarily by Space Marines and Chaos Marines for orbital insertion and one-way rides.

Space Marines

Space Wolf Drop Pods entering the atmosphere.

Adeptus Astartes have used Drop Pods since the time of the Great Crusade.[1] The Drop Pods of the Adeptus Astartes look and work similarly to a ship's Life Pod and can carry either twelve normal Marines, a single Dreadnought or a single Thunderfire Cannon.[4] Once loaded with their complement, they are moved by crane into launch tubes until it is time for launch.[20] Launched from a Strike Cruiser or Battle Barge[1] in low orbit towards the drop zone, usually amidst or near a battlefield[3], they rapidly accelerate to tremendous speeds thanks to top-mounted jets.[20] Once launched, they plummet through the atmosphere until retro jets fire to slow their descent.[4]

The gravitational pressure of a Drop Pod launch is immense, and even Space Marines have been known to pass out.[20] The physiology of a baseline human is insufficient to survive the descent and landing of a Space Marine drop pod. Considerable protective compensatory measures are needed for one to be able to do so. Aside from physical protective measures, warp-sorcery might also be employed for creative solutions.[25]

A machine spirit guides the pod to its destination and can receive further commands from the mother ship. Although the Pods become immobile after having landed they can be recovered by the Chapter's Techmarines and reused.[1][2a][6a] Drop Pods are usually extracted by using far larger vessels that not intended to operate in a war zone. After that they are transported to the ships that deployed them, repaired if needed and used in the next battle, so many Drop Pods have been in service for centuries. Some Space Marine Chapters inscribe records of each drop onto the interior bulkheads of their Drop Pods, so other brothers can read them and take heart in the ensuing battles.[12]

Standard Drop-Pods are most frequently armed with an array of either Storm Bolters or Deathwind Missile Launchers.[4]

There are also cargo-carrying pods that deliver a much needed ammunition to fighting troops even in the heat of battle.[12]

If unable to be retrieved after a battle, Space Marine Drop Pods can be triggered to self-destruct via a signal from orbit.[26]

Variant Patterns

Ultramarines Deathstorm pattern Drop Pods with Assault Cannons.
  • Deathstorm Drop Pods[7], also known as Deathwind Drop Pods,[1] are a variant pattern that don't carry troops; instead, they have weapon systems installed to rake the enemy with high levels of fire once they have landed and opened. They can be armed with either Whirlwind Launchers or Assault Cannons.[7] Deathwinds can be directly dropped into the heart of an enemy position in preparation for an attack.[6b]
  • Support Drop Pods are similar in role to Deathwind Drop Pods, carrying automated weaponry instead of troops. Upon landing, the pod opens to a turret-mounted plasma cannon. Unlike the Deathwind it is, however, capable of sustained operation.[15]
  • Dreadnought Drop Pod: Allows a single Dreadnought to be deployed into the battle with minimal delay.[8]
Corvus Assault Pod as mounted on an Imperial Titan's arm[16]
  • Corvus Assault Pod: A variant pattern of drop pod used in a similar manner to a Boarding Torpedo; corvus assault pods are used to assault other ships or Space Stations in the void.[14] A variant is also used by Warlord Titans to deliver troops on enemy walls.[16]
  • Kharybdis Assault Claw, a monstrous Drop Pod and transport craft used by the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.[9]
  • Carrier Ascent Pods: Used during the Horus Heresy and were fired at warships from moons or planetoids held by the Space Marine Legions. Their engines allowed them to climb up a modest gravity well, and once in space, they could be quickly steered into a new direction if need be. The Ascent Pods were also equipped with armoured cowls at their front, which provided protection for the Legionaries they carried as the Pods collided with their targets.[18]
  • Legion Palisade Drop Pods: Used by the Space Marine Legions and carried powerful shield generators that projected energy forcefields. They were deployed to protect other Drop Pods and their contents from enemy fire.[17]

Chaos Space Marines

Dreadclaw

Main article: Dreadclaw

The Dreadclaw is an ancient Drop Pod variant that can also be used as an assault boat for ship-to-ship combat. Unlike other Drop Pods it is able to take off after landing. Today, Dreadclaws are almost exclusively used by Chaos Space Marines.[2b] [6c]

Other Imperial Forces

  • The assassins of the Eversor Temple are deployed in special Drop Pods that prepare them for their missions. These Pods are equipped with neuro-links that feed the details of the mission to the assassin while remote links activate and begin to prepare his body for the task at hand.[5]
A Mission of Sisters of Battle and their Rhinos landing via a drop pod
  • The Battle Sisters of the Adepta Sororitas occasionally deploy via Dominica-pattern Drop Pods, a pattern of Drop Pod that can carry five unaugmented humans, when undertaking special high risk missions such as infiltrations behind enemy lines, chirurgical strikes against high value targets, or disabling the command structure of a renegade Space Marine chapter. Such operations are usually requested by the Ordo Hereticus, with support of the Imperial Navy. Each Order Militant maintains a small number of Drop Pods exclusively for those operations, and their use is reserved to elite troops such as the Celestians and Dominions. This includes a variant of the Deathwind Drop Pod, which will then be armed with weapons favored by the Sororitas, either five twin Heavy Bolters or Multi-Meltas.[11]
  • Some Ecclesiarchy vessels such as the Hammer of Thor are also equipped with gigantic Drop Pods able to hold several vehicles and the accompanying infantry, shot directly from Macro cannons. These pods sport numerous searchlights on their exterior hull to illuminate the surroundings after landing.[13]
  • During the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, some Titan Legions used giant Drop Pod variants called Drop-Capsules to deploy their Titans to the surface of.a planet.[22]

Xenos

Ork Drop Pod

Main article: Ork Drop Pod
  • The Orks are known to use Ork Drop Pods, called "Kanz" or "Krush-Kapsuls" by the Orks, directly inspired by the Drop Pods of Imperial Technology.

Technical Information

Technical Specifications
Type Orbital Drop Pod, personnel[1] Operational Ceiling N/A
Vehicle Name Drop Pod Max Speed 12,000kph descent
Forge World of Origin Lucius Range Unlimited
Known Patterns IV-XXXVI Main Armament None, Automated Whirlwind Launchers/Assault Cannon (Deathstorm)
Crew None Secondary Armament None
Powerplant 31 x FV-50-75 retro-rocket Main Ammunition N/A
Weight 14 tonnes Secondary Ammunition N/A
Length 5.2 m Armour
Wingspan N/A Superstructure 60 mm
Height 7.7 m Hull 70 mm



Images

  • Drop Pod

  • Kharybdis Assault Claw

  • Anvillus Pattern Drop Pod

  • Deathstorm Pattern Drop Pod

  • Dreadnought Drop Pod

  • Palisade Drop Pod[21]

  • Epic-scale Drop Pods for Legions Imperialis[19]

Trivia

TriviaScrollTrans.png

The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

See also

Sources


Modern Space Marine Fleet
Battleships Battle Barge
Cruisers Strike Cruiser • Vanguard Class
Escorts Gladius Class • Nova Class • Hunter Class • Rapid Strike Vessel
Attack Craft Thunderhawk • Stormraven • Storm Eagle (Fire Raptor) • Storm Talon • Stormhawk • Xiphon • Overlord • Nephilim • Dark Talon • Stormfang • Stormwolf • Corvus Blackstar • Caestus Assault Ram
Transports Thunderhawk Transporter • Landing Craft • Thunderbolt • Drop Pod
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