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Normally I use a Tau Darkstrider, Marksman and 5-8 Pathfinders on the droneport / gunrig (normally droneport).
I would use Darkstrider’s BS+2 for the drones, the marksman would be good to backup the marker lights too and would count as stationary and the pathfinders with the heavy weapons would also remain as stationary.
(Darkstrider also allows the fallback and shoot in the fortifications so can be fun when they are in the gunrig too).

I have often thought that I should cave in and get an Ethereal (I don’t like the model or lore personally) but in the current 8th codex they can choose the Invocation of the Elements - Storm of Fire (to re-roll hit rolls of 1 in the Shooting phase for units that remain stationary in 6”).
I suspect this will remain or be similar in the 9th edition codex.
This would basically cover all units in the droneport (on the unit type infantry and battle suit).

My question is would this re-roll ones affect the drones (which normally it wouldn't) but since the drones are using the Darkstrider to shoot? Even if the drones are over 6” away?
(i.e. drones would be hitting on 2+ and re-rolling 1)
Its not an argument that the other units would also benefit from this as the fortification movement does not count as embarked unit movement so they would not get penalty to shoot heavy weapons and re-roll 1s.

I guess the crux of my question is would having an Ethereal in the droneport / gunrig with (insert cheap BS2+ here) Darkstrider or Cadre Fireblade, allow the unit to re-roll 1s for the drones attached to the drone port and detached from the droneport (and the gunrig supremacy railgun)?

I have found most agree with the gunrig supremacy railgun re-rolls and drones when attached. Some agree with the drones when detached.

Im just not clear on the rules for this as its would be in theory (insert cheap BS2+ unit here) using the weapon, so if that unit is in range of the Ethereal ability, should the object that they are controlling get the benefit of the Ethereal ability …. should I get an Ethereal?

(feels like that person who gets a Hammerfall Bunker and puts a techmarine next to it to heal it and give +1 to hits, except tau need this right now and SM dont).

Simply put, No.

Your using another units BS to shoot, but its still the drone shooting.
Any other effects on the model 'operating' the drones are ignored because the rules say you use that models BS, not that that model counts as firing the drones weapons.

Any effect like +1 to hit or re-roll 1's would have to be on the drones themselves.

Perfect thanks for the clarification.
So an Ethereal would only benfit the units embarked onto the tidewall and fireing (amybe other units that are with in 6" too but not the point of subjest here) ... still tempting and possibly worth considering

Embarked units do not benefit from Auras, generally speaking.

As you have pointed out that from the rules
“Units cannot normally do anything or be affected in any way while they are embarked. Unless specifically stated, other units’ abilities have no effect on units while they are embarked, and Stratagems cannot be used to affect units while they are embarked.”

However the Tidewall units are “Open-topped”
Models embarked can attack in their Shooting phase. When they do so, any restrictions or modifiers that apply to this model also apply to its passengers.

So the Ethereal should still affect the units.
I have been assuming that it can affect the units when it is also embarked, if not worst case you have the Ethereal follow behind the Tidewall to get the same result (it has same moment or higher).

The Ethereal “Invocation of the Elements” can be cast even if the Ethereal moved etc and can invoke a number of different elemental powers affecting all friendly Tau empire infantry and battle suit (affecting the units that embark the Tidewall in this example) units within 6" of the model.

I'm looking at the elemental power:
Storm of Fire: Re-roll hit rolls of 1 in the Shooting phase for affected units that remain stationary in the Movement phase.
So if cast (Even from behind the Tidewall) this would affect the Tidewall and units on the tidewall.

Even the Defence Platform (that has no form of attack or shield / Tidewall Field to bounce shots back at the enemy units), would then be able to re-roll hit rolls of 1, along with the units inside.

Just for the lolz I would want this to work for the Explodes on a D6 to allow you to re-roll the 1 on that too (as explodes is kind of like a hit roll for all units within 6”) but it is not actually a hit roll.

bedivere wrote:
As you have pointed out that from the rules
“Units cannot normally do anything or be affected in any way while they are embarked. Unless specifically stated, other units’ abilities have no effect on units while they are embarked, and Stratagems cannot be used to affect units while they are embarked.”

However the Tidewall units are “Open-topped”
Models embarked can attack in their Shooting phase. When they do so, any restrictions or modifiers that apply to this model also apply to its passengers.

So the Ethereal should still affect the units.

Except the Ethereal's "Invocation of the Elements" rules only affect "T’AU EMPIRE INFANTRY and BATTLESUIT units"

The Tidewall is not either of those, so the Ethereal will not affect any embarked units because it does not have any effect on the Tidewall.

Also "Storm of Fire" is not a restriction or modifiers, so even if it were to affect the transport, the unit inside would not benefit since it is not a modifier or restriction.

So with the last few days of Tau releases of information I think there are a few changes that we may be able to predict.

The changes we have seen are:
• Pulse carbine get +6” range (Range 24” Assault 2 S5 AP0 D1)
• Pulse rifle get +6” range and AP-1 (Range 36” Rapid Fire 1 S5 AP-1 D1)
• Darkstrider gets a named weapon (Range 24” Assault 2 S5 AP-2 D2)
◦ Structural Analyser gets Tau sept Core (instead of infantry), now Darkstrider can select 1 tau sept core unit within 6” to given them +1 on wound rolls to one enemy target (when Darkstrider has line of sight of there enemy target) … no split firing then.
◦ (I feel this change to core is important to the upcoming releases)
• The Mont’ka and Kauyon have changed from once per battle to a few rounds per battle and instead of 6” from sept commander its all units on the field, but can only select 1 of the 2.
• Mont’ka can be active from rounds 1-3 and all units who have moved or advanced count as being stationary, also there is a bonus to AP when shooting at targets within range (decreasing with the turns)
• Kauyon can be active from rounds 3-5 and all units can fall back and shoot (subtracting 1 from hit rolls), also there is a bonus get additional hits when shooting at targets within 12” range (when they have not fallen back or are in engagement range, The attack roll has to hit and scores an additional attack with a D6 value that decreases with the turns).

The Darkstrider change from infantry to core keywords would suggest to me that infantry and maybe drones or (inclusive or exclusive “or”) battlesuits may also get the core keyword.
I also suspect that other commanders and characters like Ethereal, Cadre Fireblade and some drones would change some abilities to core keyword, to affect more units.

I think that if the core keyword were to include battlesuits or drones, then this were to affect a lot more units that would suddenly get a lot more play. Drones would get a lot more appeal (especially if they were the sniper drones who have long range and could attack units that are visible to darkstrider but far out of range). Battle suits would get a similar boost and make the XV25 (stealth suits), XV8 (the crisis suits and crisis bodygaurds) and XV88 (Broadside battlesuit) all more dangerous.

With the tidewall on the cover at the front of the new codex I would suspect a boost to the tidewall, then with the changes to Mont’ka to be army wide and turn 1-3, then this makes the tidewall almost useless with its best part being embarked units count as being stationary.
I am suspecting that the tidewall will get an increase in wounds (10 is just too few), perhaps a change in units auto hitting tidewall in fight phase to +1 or +2 to attacking unit WS and I am suspecting that the tidewall may have a big change in abilities or a new ability (now that the open topped is almost mute).
If the tidewall also got the core keyword and the HQs also got core in the abilities then any ability would affect the embarked units on the tidewall (which would be a good start)to bringing back its potential. Also if the drones got the core workd then the drone port would have more appeal.
And the gunrig would be nice to be affected by these rules too (or at least the boost use embarked units BS skill, as I found out i have been using that unit wrong all this time and myself and everyone else playing never noticed, only the drone port gets boost to use embarked units BS).

I guess at this point i am hoping for a lot more but fingers crossed until the codex is out

Probably best to discuss future rules in General forum rather than the current rules interpretation subforum, btw.

The point i was trying to make is that the tau army seems to be getting more shooty and with Mont’ka (and a lot of people saying that is what they will use) a lot more movement effectively for free.
This seems to be changing the tactics a lot, the devilfish and tidewall are basically irrelevant now and probably wont be used.
It seem people intend to rush objectives and then use a gun line to hold them if they can.
This has a big change in the tactics people are using.

This thread started with the tidewall units but now im asking if they will even be relevant in 9th with units getting the move and advance and count as stationary for the first 3 turns anyway (which is better then the tidewall offered anyway).
the question is is it relevant now (which appears no) and what would make it relevant or how can i now use my chunky bit of plastic (other then scenery)

Which is a topic for the tactics sub forum.