Over the last six or so months because of work and family commitments I have mainly been playing games in my small 40K group. These are usually friendly games and are quite easy going affairs; however just lately I have been playing more competitive games at my local GW and I am aiming to start tournie play again. The problem I have encountered is with this unit:
Stealth team
5 X Stealth suits with BC
1 X team leader with Target lock, HW Drone controller and Marker Drone
Now in my friendly games we use the rule that the team leader and Drone can fire at a separate target to the rest of the unit if required. However the team leader and Drone must fire at the same target. However a couple of opponents from outside my group have disputed this by saying that the Drone is a member of the unit and it should must fire at the same target as the rest of the Stealth team because the Target lock only allows the model equipped with it to fire at a separate target. My view is that the Drone is wargear of the controlling model and so must fire at the unit the 'controlling' model is firing at because they control it (I must point out that others outside my group agree with me)
Now I have re-read the rules concerning:
(1) Drones
(2) Drone controllers
(3) Target locks
While it seems straight forward the rules as written do throw up one inconsistency (discussed later). To start with let us look at a Stealth team leader, if he takes a HW controlled Marker Drone it is classed as wargear, this means:
(1) The Drone is removed if the controller dies
(2) It is counted when assessing for casualty moral tests (however it does not state it is a unit member 'important')
(3) The Drone must maintain coherency with the unit the controlling model is in
So let us take a situation where the team leader with his Drone is the only member of the team left. Could it fire at a different target to the Drone? I do not think it could because (and here is one of those inconsistencies) the only rules reference to Drones and a controlling model forming a unit is regarding independent characters (page 31 tau codex).
The IC rules state that an IC and controlled Drones form a 'unit' that can join other units.
So from this we can rightly infer that a non IC model with controlled Drones 'do not' form a unit.
If they do not form a unit then the Drone must (by virtue of being wargear) fire at the same target as its controlling model. If the model with the Drone has and uses a Target lock then it and the Drone must fire a the same target and the rest of the unit fires at the other target.
The rules for the Target lock state that the model with the Target lock can fire at a different target to the rest of 'its unit'' however controlled Drones are never stated as being classed as members of a unit, only that they must maintain coherency with the unit the model is in that is controlling them. This rule implies a status of being outside the unit because if the controlling model moved the Drones would have to stay in coherency with a different unit (hope that makes sense)
The oddity here is that the IC could in theory fire at a different target to that of its Drones but this throws up more confusion. I am of the mind that the Drone/IC forming a unit rule is there for assault purposes because the IC assault rules in the main rule book state that an IC is only ever a single model for assault purposes and the Tau codex rule is there to avoid any confusion (I/E the Shas'El/O would fight as a separate unit to its Drones and the other unit members). So I think the Drones would fire at the same target as the IC because they are wargear controlled by him and not (for shooting purposes) individual entities.
The rules on page 31 never state that the controlled Drone is a member of the unit, only that it is 'counted' when casualties are assessed, for contesting objectives and for victory points purposes. It quite clearly states and I quote " the unit they are with", this phrase and the 'counted' phrase seem to indicate that the Drones are not members of the unit because if they were then why the clarifying text above?
I think it makes more sense that a controlled Marker Drone would fire at the same target as the model who 'controls' it. This would mean that the controlling model and Drone would have to fire at the same target if a Target lock was utilised.
This has its ups and downs, basically the controlling model will in all likely hood have wasted its shots (ML on a vehicle for instance, or out or range especially in the Stealth's case with its BC) but on the plus side it does allow for some unit versatility in that the unit can still shoot one target while ML,ing another target.
So what are the feelings on this one? I feel that the way I play it makes more sense but I want to gauge the opinions on this before I get back into Tournie play because the Marker Drone is a big part of my list and I want to play it correctly.
On a side note can we please keep this discussion civil, if anyone wants to argue rather than discuss can you PLEASE PM me. I am not saying this is how 'it should' be played I am asking for opinions so I can make a decision. I am asking for help:act-up::act-up:
Stealth team
5 X Stealth suits with BC
1 X team leader with Target lock, HW Drone controller and Marker Drone
Now in my friendly games we use the rule that the team leader and Drone can fire at a separate target to the rest of the unit if required. However the team leader and Drone must fire at the same target. However a couple of opponents from outside my group have disputed this by saying that the Drone is a member of the unit and it should must fire at the same target as the rest of the Stealth team because the Target lock only allows the model equipped with it to fire at a separate target. My view is that the Drone is wargear of the controlling model and so must fire at the unit the 'controlling' model is firing at because they control it (I must point out that others outside my group agree with me)
Now I have re-read the rules concerning:
(1) Drones
(2) Drone controllers
(3) Target locks
While it seems straight forward the rules as written do throw up one inconsistency (discussed later). To start with let us look at a Stealth team leader, if he takes a HW controlled Marker Drone it is classed as wargear, this means:
(1) The Drone is removed if the controller dies
(2) It is counted when assessing for casualty moral tests (however it does not state it is a unit member 'important')
(3) The Drone must maintain coherency with the unit the controlling model is in
So let us take a situation where the team leader with his Drone is the only member of the team left. Could it fire at a different target to the Drone? I do not think it could because (and here is one of those inconsistencies) the only rules reference to Drones and a controlling model forming a unit is regarding independent characters (page 31 tau codex).
The IC rules state that an IC and controlled Drones form a 'unit' that can join other units.
So from this we can rightly infer that a non IC model with controlled Drones 'do not' form a unit.
If they do not form a unit then the Drone must (by virtue of being wargear) fire at the same target as its controlling model. If the model with the Drone has and uses a Target lock then it and the Drone must fire a the same target and the rest of the unit fires at the other target.
The rules for the Target lock state that the model with the Target lock can fire at a different target to the rest of 'its unit'' however controlled Drones are never stated as being classed as members of a unit, only that they must maintain coherency with the unit the model is in that is controlling them. This rule implies a status of being outside the unit because if the controlling model moved the Drones would have to stay in coherency with a different unit (hope that makes sense)
The oddity here is that the IC could in theory fire at a different target to that of its Drones but this throws up more confusion. I am of the mind that the Drone/IC forming a unit rule is there for assault purposes because the IC assault rules in the main rule book state that an IC is only ever a single model for assault purposes and the Tau codex rule is there to avoid any confusion (I/E the Shas'El/O would fight as a separate unit to its Drones and the other unit members). So I think the Drones would fire at the same target as the IC because they are wargear controlled by him and not (for shooting purposes) individual entities.
The rules on page 31 never state that the controlled Drone is a member of the unit, only that it is 'counted' when casualties are assessed, for contesting objectives and for victory points purposes. It quite clearly states and I quote " the unit they are with", this phrase and the 'counted' phrase seem to indicate that the Drones are not members of the unit because if they were then why the clarifying text above?
I think it makes more sense that a controlled Marker Drone would fire at the same target as the model who 'controls' it. This would mean that the controlling model and Drone would have to fire at the same target if a Target lock was utilised.
This has its ups and downs, basically the controlling model will in all likely hood have wasted its shots (ML on a vehicle for instance, or out or range especially in the Stealth's case with its BC) but on the plus side it does allow for some unit versatility in that the unit can still shoot one target while ML,ing another target.
So what are the feelings on this one? I feel that the way I play it makes more sense but I want to gauge the opinions on this before I get back into Tournie play because the Marker Drone is a big part of my list and I want to play it correctly.
On a side note can we please keep this discussion civil, if anyone wants to argue rather than discuss can you PLEASE PM me. I am not saying this is how 'it should' be played I am asking for opinions so I can make a decision. I am asking for help:act-up::act-up: