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If a model that is a skimmer clearly comes with landing gear - say, a stormraven rather than a land speeder - can you have the model "land" - that is, remove it from its base and set it directly on the battlefield? It seems to me that it would make sense - the pilot of a hovering anti-gravity vehicle should certainly be able to elevate and lower his craft in order to hide behind terrain or fire over it. It also seems that it wouldn't be unbalancing. The shooting phase comes after the movement phase, so if in order to reap the benefits of a lower position I will loose the benefits of an elevated position until my next turn.

But, I don't know what the official rule is, which is why I have come to you.

Nope, the only time your remove the base is when it becomes immobilized or wrecked. The rules about it are on BRB page 71 under the shooting at skimmers heading.

Or wrecked.
The only mention of skimmer height that I can recall is the ramming rule, which says they can dodge a ramming vehicle by flying slightly higher, but that's temporary (the same as moving a model out of the way for tank shock and moving it back afterwards).

Even if the MODEL has landing gear on it, UNLESS it also has the RULES allowing it to land in its profile (either native or as the result of an upgrade), those legs don't count for anything.

AFAIK, only the tau had the ability to do this in the game post 3rd ed - as the result of a vehicle upgrade - but whether or not they still can, I cannot say as my codex went missing.

If it wasnt repealed in an FAQ the Tau vehicles with landing gear can count as not being a skimmer for a turn if they land. I don't know why you would really want to not be a skimmer for a turn though, you lose the ability to dodge and I can't think of anything you would gain since it doesnt say to remove the flying base and the BRB says you only do that when immobilized or wrecked.

I think it had something to do with an older rule that if the skimmer is immobilized it crashes. So the Tau had landing gear, and you could land, and not be a skimmer, so if you were imob you would not crash.