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Simple fix.

Add the following special rule to Shield Drones. They're useless enough now that they could get the rule for free, but let's call it worth 2 points, so Shield Drones are now 14 PPM.

Shield Wall
Any model that is at least 25% obscured by a Shield Drone has a 5+ invulnerable save.

Shield Drones are far from useless. They grant a 4+ invulnerable save to a whole squad (you might have to position them carefully, not sure), and failing that they provide a S4 I4 attack in CC.

Nope. Only they have the 4+ invul. It doesn't extend to the whole squad.

So you put them between the squad and the enemy shooting at it, and suddenly the whole squad has a 4+ invulnerable save.

I figured they'd just give Shield Drones a rule that they make Look Out Sir Saves on a 2+, and can make those saves for any hit inflicted on the unit.

 Furyou Miko wrote:
So you put them between the squad and the enemy shooting at it, and suddenly the whole squad has a 4+ invulnerable save.

5++, not 4++. It's to make shield drone squads useful.

No, I meant use the shield drone under its current rules to give a 4++ by positioning your squad properly.

And any wound that wasn't AP4 or benefits from cover you'd be better off with Gun Drones or Marker Drones. Shield Drones have really no use for their cost. Other drones are much useful as ablative wounds.

Now, if Shield Drones had a 3++ they'd be ok.

 Zagman wrote:
And any wound that wasn't AP4 or benefits from cover you'd be better off with Gun Drones or Marker Drones. Shield Drones have really no use for their cost. Other drones are much useful as ablative wounds.

Now, if Shield Drones had a 3++ they'd be ok.

Which are a lot of weapons; especially in the current meta.

mr. peasant wrote:

 Zagman wrote:
And any wound that wasn't AP4 or benefits from cover you'd be better off with Gun Drones or Marker Drones. Shield Drones have really no use for their cost. Other drones are much useful as ablative wounds.

Now, if Shield Drones had a 3++ they'd be ok.

Which are a lot of weapons; especially in the current meta.

And any competent opponent fires non AP4- firepower when you have drones up from, as it takes very little to kill a drone when they cost almost as much as a Marine. Once Shield Drones are dead just like any other drone, the low AP firepower hits the unit and kills the suits. Bolsters work wonders for this, then follow it up with the Special a Weapon wounds that followed. And you discounted easily obtained cover.

Thus drawing fire away from other units. The Shield Drone may not equal the utility and/or value of the other drones but it's hardly pointless. And it would be disengenuous to claim that an armour save is going to be equal to an invul save. Meaning, it still serves a use even if it doesn't get quite the same bang for your buck.

Well, you can always play them as a plain invulnerable save to a model. The drones can be decorative like snotlings.

I'd be interesting to see them give a shield wall buff if they were in base contact with each other. Miniwargaming recently showed a Batrep of necrons vs IG and the guy ran bullgryns (sp?) with riot shields. it looked like when they were in base contact they provided a 3+ save to units behind them.

Tau rule could be 4++ save provided to units behind the 2 drones when the drones are in base contact with each other. If you can get more than two drones but less than 6 the shield goes to 3++. If you have 6 shield drones or more you could get a 2++ save or a re-rollable 3++

mr. peasant wrote:
Thus drawing fire away from other units. The Shield Drone may not equal the utility and/or value of the other drones but it's hardly pointless. And it would be disengenuous to claim that an armour save is going to be equal to an invul save. Meaning, it still serves a use even if it doesn't get quite the same bang for your buck.

Thus they bring a benefit far below their cost. Of course a 4++ does not equal a 4+, but against a shrewd opponent there will be no effective difference. I can't think of one Tau player or one instance outside of a single game at a local event where I've seen Shield a Drones on the table.

I would be happy with the benefit of not counting shield drones in the capacity of figuring out unit % lost due to shooting attacks , forcing a moral check. It seems like tau get punished for using shield drones as shields on suit units , especially the riptide , when that's their entire use . Out side of its 1 melee attack it does nothing to the enemy units and the fact it can make units fail a moral check easier just makes it wrong for their intended purpose imo

What if instead of just standing there with a 4+ invuln a shield drone provided a whole squad a AV11 phalanx shield that pops back up on a role of a 5+ at the start of the turn.

Its how I envisage shield drones working.

I always found the problem with shield drones was that their just as likely to die to a bolter as a firewarrior. This removes that problem.

AV11 actually protects them from small arms fire unlike current shield drones and gives the a second life vs high AP

 Yarium wrote:
I figured they'd just give Shield Drones a rule that they make Look Out Sir Saves on a 2+, and can make those saves for any hit inflicted on the unit.

Basic Bodyguard Rule for them like this would work.

Have it be 4+ for any model in the unit, and 2+ for Characters.

Then just give them Failsafe Detonators and EVERYONE would take them.