History Main / DropPod

* The [[SpaceMarine Space Marines]] of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' use this as their primary tactic. Many other races have similar abilities. The tactic of unexpectedly inserting your troops behind enemy lines is known as "deep striking," whether it is done with [[DropPod Drop Pods]], teleporters, or [[OrganicTechnology wombs fired from space]].

* In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', the Alliance ship's escape pods were these.

-->''In battle it is wisest to seek out the high ground. High orbit is the highest ground there is.''
-->--'''Codex Astartes''', TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}}

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* ''WesternAnimation/RoughnecksStarshipTroopersChronicles'' had the troopers first embark onto {{Drop Ship}}s, and then they would be dropped from there in pods, presumably to allow the mothership to stay clear of [[BugWar Bug]] [[AntiAir defensive fire]]. One episode has Rico get cast adrift in one of these due to a glancing blow in mid-drop. He is eventually saved by [[LoveInterest Carmen]].

* Like many SpaceMarine tropes, the TropeNamer here is ''Literature/StarshipTroopers''. Little has changed since Creator/RobertAHeinlein invented the trope.

* In ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' The Terrans use drop pods.

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Like many SpaceMarine tropes, the TropeNamer here is ''Literature/StarshipTroopers''. Little has changed since RobertAHeinlein invented the trope.

* ''{{BattleTech}}'' has [[HumongousMecha Mech]]-sized drop pods, as well as power armor sized ones. They are usually dropped directly onto a possible landing zone to secure it, so that the {{DropShip}}s can arrive to bring in the real army.

* Used in the {{FEAR}} series to drop down armour onto the battle field.

* ''WesternAnimation/RoughnecksStarshipTroopersChronicles'' had the troopers first embark onto {{Drop Ship}}s, and then they would be dropped from there in pods, presumably to allow the mothership to stay clear of [[BugWar Bug]] [[AntiAir defensive fire]]. One episode has Rico get cast adrift in one of these due to a glancing blow in mid-drop. He is eventually saved by [[LoveInterest Carmen]].

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* The ''[[CommandAndConquer Tiberium]]'' saga of [[CommandAndConquerTiberium Command And Conquer]] features this in two iterations of the SupportPower variety. The ''Tiberian Sun'' iteration crash drops a handful of [[WeakButSkilled veteran low-tier]] GDI infantrymen on the battlefield. The ''Tiberium Wars'' variant, on the other hand, lands a commander a few squads of veteran GDI Zone Troopers which are powerful enough to turn a pitched battle into a devastating curb-stomp.
* In StarWars Battlefront: Elite Squadron, one may utilize the escape pods on capital ships as a quick way of getting to the planet's surface to attack.

* In the ''VideoGame/QuakeII'' and ''VideoGame/QuakeIV'' universe, the drop pods are almost identical as how they are in ''Literature/StarShipTroopers''. In ''II'', the player starts when he misses his drop zone and ends up and the far side of enemy territory. In Quake IV, the player uses a drop pod to make a pin-point attack on a Strogg command centre. Coincidentally, both landings are crash landings due to malfunctions in the pods' systems after they're clipped by another pod[[hottip:*:which, in ''II'''s case, saves Bitterman's life, most of the other pods being shot down by the Big Gun's {{EMP}}]].

* In the ''VideoGame/QuakeII'' and ''VideoGame/QuakeIV'' universe, the drop pods are almost identical as how they are in ''StarShipTroopers''. In ''II'', the player starts when he misses his drop zone and ends up and the far side of enemy territory. In Quake IV, the player uses a drop pod to make a pin-point attack on a Strogg command centre. Coincidentally, both landings are crash landings due to malfunctions in the pods' systems after they're clipped by another pod[[hottip:*:which, in ''II'''s case, saves Bitterman's life, most of the other pods being shot down by the Big Gun's {{EMP}}]].

* The aliens use them in Film/Battleship.

* In the ''VideoGame/QuakeII'' and ''VideoGame/QuakeIV'' universe, the drop pods are almost identical as how they are in ''StarShipTroopers''. In ''II'', the player starts when he misses his drop zone and ends up and the far side of enemy territory. In Quake IV, the player uses a drop pod to make a pin-point attack on a Strogg command centre. Coincidentally, both landings are crash landings due to malfunctions in the pods' systems after they're clipped by another pod[[hottip:*:which, in ''II'''s case, saves Bitterman's life]].

* There were drop pods in ''[[BattlefieldSeries Battlefield 2142]]'' which could be launched from air transports, Titans, [=APCs=] and the player would spawn from one if you selected a spawn beacon for your spawn point. Before the most recent patches, they could be used to destroy vehicles, and a glitch allowed you to fly around the map.

* The [[SpaceMarine Space Marines]] of [[WarhammerFortyThousand Warhammer 40,000]] use this as their primary tactic. Many other races have similar abilities. The tactic of unexpectedly inserting your troops behind enemy lines is known as "deep striking," whether it is done with [[DropPod Drop Pods]], teleporters, or [[OrganicTechnology wombs fired from space]].

* The Crimson Lance arrive in these in ''{{Borderlands}}''.

* 'WesternAnimation/'ExoSquad'' featured two variants: A smaller one for the [[SpaceMarine Jump Troopers]], and bigger reentry pods for the [[MiniMecha E-Frames]].

* ''ExoSquad'' featured two variants: A smaller one for the [[SpaceMarine Jump Troopers]], and bigger reentry pods for the [[MiniMecha E-Frames]].
* ''[[Series/StarshipTroopers Roughnecks: The Starship Trooper Chronicles]]'' had the troopers first embark onto {{Drop Ship}}s, and then they would be dropped from there in pods, presumably to allow the mothership to stay clear of [[BugWar Bug]] [[AntiAir defensive fire]]. One episode has Rico get cast adrift in one of these due to a glancing blow in mid-drop. He is eventually saved by [[LoveInterest Carmen]].

* In the {{Quake}} II and quake IV universe, the drop pods are almost identical as how they are in ''StarShipTroopers''. In quake II, the player starts when he misses his drop zone and ends up and the far side of hell's gates. In Quake IV, the player will use a drop pod to make a pin-point attack on a Strogg command centre.

* In StarcraftII The Terrans use drop pods.