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[ 11 posts ]

heavy drones
thurse	Post subject: heavy drones Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:45 pm
Brood Brother Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2006 3:13 pm Posts: 185 Location: Dundee, Scotland	Hi! I had 2 questions about heavy drones : 1) rules the upgrade transorms 4 gun drones into heavy drones. I thought you could only do that with a drone contigent, but the new SF has this option ( as therefore crisis and FW ). So can you buy a gun drone upgrade to your SF and then a heavy drone upgrade, or is it a typo? 2) use Do you use them? if yes how? I'm considering replacing my PF with heavy drones squadron. Why?, because, I often need to double with drones or PF in order to light targets ( and add crossfire ). drones can then fire at 4+ disrupt and pathfinders at 6+.
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Tactica

Post subject: heavy drones Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:46 pm

Brood Brother Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:12 am Posts: 2241

1. yes, buy the upgrade, then buy the second upgrade - definitely legal. 2. I use heavy gun drones with crisis, now that they have an init 1. (never could justify the cost of the crisis previously), so my formation looks like: Crisis Cadre + SC upgrade 1 + Drones upgrade 2 + Heavy Drones upgrade 3 ==================== 8 models in formation   - drone rule   - marking potential   - help out in AP potential if I get them all close   - avoids making the Stealth suit over priced investment.   - complimented movement (speed and Tau jet pack rule) Formation works good if you can get them up close and personal with a weak to moderate enemy AT target. Formation should stay away from targets with heavy RA, SHT, and Titans. Formation works best against a mixed mech infantry target with light to moderate vehicles and no RA. Formation absolutely falls apart if its not supported due to lack of any RA in its own unit and no real combat potential if it gets assaulted. Forward operations of the formation should seek good use of cover and calculate strikes to single moves vs. taking double moves to engage. Formation should consider the use of CF and set up of crossfire where the opportunity presents itself. I see it as a jack of all trades - master of none formation with a direct weakness of having to be supported and having to get close. I'm considering replacing my PF with heavy drones squadron. Why?, because, I often need to double with drones or PF in order to light targets ( and add crossfire ). drones can then fire at 4+ disrupt and pathfinders at 6+. If you are using them for shooting, it may make sense. Its only going to be a 4-man heavy Drone squad with 4 Heavy Gun Drones and max shooting range of 15cm. (now if you wanted to go for another regular gun drone upgrade - you could do that, but that would be 4 drone and 4 heavy drone as you can only take each upgrade once) Heavy Gun Drones also move slower (25cm) than regular gun drones (30cm), so max effective range is going to be 25+25+15cm = 65cm (double plus gun range). You are also going to lose any ability to CF, snipe, or have a chance to hurt AT targets - not to mention with a 4-Heavy Drone squad, you are going to break terribly easy. Remember - the drone BM rule only works if there are other non drone models in the foramtion... So, if that suits your purposes better than the PF, more power to you. I would personally not advise the Heavy Gun Drone formation as a base of operations. I would consider Stealths for stand alone AP3+ fire or the Drone Sentry Guns for stand alone marking potential in the forward operations. Cheers and best of luck to you though. Please let us know how the replacement works out in your games, _________________ Rob

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Honda	Post subject: heavy drones Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:30 pm
Brood Brother Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:44 pm Posts: 1891 Location: Katy, Republic of Texas	Formation absolutely falls apart if its not supported due to lack of any RA in its own unit and no real combat potential if it gets assaulted. You mean, like when your 11 year old son, air assaults it with a Thunderhawk, tactical formation, and dreadnoughts? Ask me how I know this... _________________ Honda "Remember Taros? We do" - 23rd Elysian Drop Regiment

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Tactica	Post subject: heavy drones Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:49 pm
Brood Brother Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:12 am Posts: 2241	ROFLMAO - yeah, something like that Honda... _________________ Rob
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thurse	Post subject: heavy drones Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:49 am
Brood Brother Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2006 3:13 pm Posts: 185 Location: Dundee, Scotland	thx for the answers tactica. I have to say that they work pretty well against armored infantry ( RA or not ), as they put BM quite easily on them with the disrupt effect. @Honda : hehe, you remembered me my second W40k game years ago, against a boy who fielded 20 wolf guard with assault cannons ( that was the 2nd edition, if people remember... ). Hopefully, your son was more fair! But I share a bit of what you fell
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Ginger	Post subject: heavy drones Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:27 pm
Brood Brother Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 7:20 pm Posts: 5483 Location: London, UK	Honda Was this a reference to a "break your spirit" formation? ? ? Still laughing - fond memories as well Ginger _________________ "Play up and play the game" Vitai lampada Sir Hemry Newbolt
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Honda

Post subject: heavy drones Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:41 pm

Brood Brother Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:44 pm Posts: 1891 Location: Katy, Republic of Texas

@Ginger Was this a reference to a "break your spirit" formation? ? ? Actually, this was another game where I was trying out my newly painted crisis formation w/Shas'o and the blue meanies came screaming out of the sky to assault them and their attached Pathfinders. The crisis whiffed on all their MW hits, he didn't, plus his tacticals did well, and in the ensuing roll off, just wiped me off the board...which was really annoying as not having a SC after paying 525 for the privilege really hampered me in the following turns. For some reason, my son is big into decapitation strikes and so I've just had to live with it. I also tell him how to make them more effective (use two thunderhawks) so that it keeps me on my toes. _________________ Honda "Remember Taros? We do" - 23rd Elysian Drop Regiment

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Tactica	Post subject: heavy drones Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:59 pm
Brood Brother Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:12 am Posts: 2241	@Thurse, thx for the answers tactica. NP I have to say that they work pretty well against armored infantry ( RA or not ), as they put BM quite easily on them with the disrupt effect.

"they" meaning my crisis or the heavy drones?

Since you are referencing disrupt, I'm assuming you mean heavy drones.

Heavy Drones only have AP shots - those can't be allocated to AT targets, so disrupt has no effect on AT only targets.

AP only disrupt vs. AT targets has been discussed on more than one ocassion on the boards. Its a no deal. See the "hit allocation" rules in the main book.

Sorry man - the Heavy Drones are worthless against the AT target, short of placing 1 BM for coming under fire - but that's a completely different rule from allocating hits.

Cheers,