Tactical Command
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heavy drones
http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5588		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  thurse [ Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:45 pm ]
Post subject:  heavy drones
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+.
Author:  Tactica [ Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:46 pm ]
Post subject:  heavy drones
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,



Author:  Honda [ Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:30 pm ]
Post subject:  heavy drones

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... :/
Author:  Tactica [ Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:  heavy drones
ROFLMAO - yeah, something like that Honda... :p
Author:  thurse [ Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:49 am ]
Post subject:  heavy drones
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 :p
Author:  Ginger [ Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:27 pm ]
Post subject:  heavy drones
Honda

Was this a reference to a "break your spirit" formation? ? ?

Still laughing - fond memories as well

Ginger
Author:  Honda [ Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:41 pm ]
Post subject:  heavy drones
@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.
Author:  Tactica [ Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:59 pm ]
Post subject:  heavy drones
@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,
Author:  clausewitz [ Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:56 pm ]
Post subject:  heavy drones
Tactica, I'm fairly sure that when thurse says..
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.

he means things like Space Marines, Terminators and other infantry with armour saves.

Though your point about AP disrupt versus AV targets is, of course, quite correct.
Author:  thurse [ Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:41 am ]
Post subject:  heavy drones
-Well Clausewitz explained my  thoughts :I meant they work well on small infantry units with big armor ( chaos chosen for example ), and this is definitly nice!
-Concerning stealth suits, yes they are great, especially since I don' teleport them anymore.

cheers
Author:  Tactica [ Wed Apr 05, 2006 3:56 pm ]
Post subject:  heavy drones
:blush:

Oh... missed that. Thanks Cw.

Guess I read it as Armoured vehicle... not armored infantry.

My oops.

Definitely agree on the anti-infantry comments.

Cheers,
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