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Hi all, some querries I hope some people can help me with.


Tau Codex, page 122.

Drone Controller

All Gun Drones, Marker Drones and Sniper Drones in the same unit as a model with a Drone Controller use the bearer's ballistic Skill instead of their own. If a unit contains several Drone controllers, use the highest Ballistic Skill amongst the bearers.

Now it seems pretty straight forward, change drone BS to DC owner BS. But than I encountered some modifiers.

E.g.

Mon't Ka pg 79.

Drone-Net VX1-0

Collective Targetting Data.
In the shooting phase, add 1 to the Ballistic Skill of all Drones (inculding Drones that are not part of the Formation) as long as at least two units from this Formation are on the Battlefield.

So now my first question:

1 Crisis with drone controller.
1 Gun Drone.
1 VX1-0 Drone - Net

What is the Ballistic skill of the gun drone attached to the crisis?
A: 3, change the Gun Drone's BS to the Crisis BS, which is 3.
B: 4, Change the Gun Drone BS to the Crisis BS, which is 3. Than at +1 to the drones BS because of the Drone Net.

Which one, and why?

Question No. 2

1 Crisis with Drone Controller.
1 Gun Drone.

These are part of a Retaliation Cadre which has just deep struck.


Tau Codex pg. 106

Retaliation Cadre

Drop Zone Clear: All Models in this Formation add 1 to their Ballistic Skill during the turn that they arrive by deep strike.

What is the Drone Ballistic Skill?

A 4, change the Gun Drone's BS to the Crisis BS, which is 4
B: 5, A: change the Gun Drone's BS to the Crisis BS, which is 4, but the drone still gets +1 BS. From Being a deep striking model in a Retaliation Cadre, so 5.



Personally, I feel you should apply all modifiers to the Crisis suit, than change it, ignoring modifiers the Drone gets because.....
Markerlights
Tau Codex, pg. 123

Pinpoint: All models firing at the target as part of this shooting attck gain a bonus to their Ballistic Skill for the duration of the shooting attack.

We again have the situation of the unit receiving the buff, so one could argue that Drones which are controlled by a crisis with drone controller effectively get +2 BS for every markerlight removed:
Crisis gets +1 BS, so 4, Drone becomes BS 4 but.... Drones still benefits from Pinpoint so 5.

Again, I think this is a stupid way to play and I won't be playing it like that myself, but I've run into many confused Tau players, myself one of them.

How does it work RAW and how would you play what rule?

In all cases you would use the Crisis Suit's Ballistic Skill with any modifiers the Crisis Suit is eligible for, but none of the modifiers the Drone is eligible for. This is because while rules give Drones benefit to their Ballistic Skill you're simply not using their Ballistic Skill.

Additionally (if someone tries to argue against the previous point), order of applying BS modifiers specifies set modifiers last. You could be seen as setting the drones BS to the suits BS.