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Can you allocate to a drone if your multi-wound model is wounded?

The rulebook says "If a model in the target unit has already lost any wounds, the damage must be allocated to that model."

Xenos Index 2 says "If a Drones unit is within 3" of a friendly T'au Empire Infanty or Battlesuit unit, you can choose to allocate any wounds to the Drones instead of the target unit."

Something to consider, that the drones are not a part of the multi-wound model's unit. They are a unit in their own right. So, you're allocating the wound to a new unit, if that even matters.

Since two of the maxims of 40K are Codex > Rulebook and Specific > General, I would say that you could allocate to a drone, even if your Suit is damaged.

The word damage is used in the sentence, but it is under the Allocate Wounds heading, so I think it is clear the rulebook is referring to the wound and not the damage following the wound. Thoughts?

if the model in the unit is not wounded then you can allocate wounds to drones that are within range. This is a possibility via "can".

If the model in the unit is already wounded then you keep allocating to it. This is a command via "must".

clively wrote:
if the model in the unit is not wounded then you can allocate wounds to drones that are within range. This is a possibility via "can".

If the model in the unit is already wounded then you keep allocating to it. This is a command via "must".

So you can only allocate to drones if you have a choice to do so. Having a multi-wound model that is wounded removes your ability to choose. Good enough for me.

EDIT: You don't get a choice on allocation if a model is damaged,. If Drones can be allocated wounds even from a unit with a model already wounded, they should clear that up in a FAQ.

Now if you had a bodyguard rule like Nork or Kell. You could pass off wounds. (Ish) more of s they don't actually take a wound. But the BG does.

The rulebook says "If a model in the target unit has already lost any wounds, the damage must be allocated to that model."

Xenos Index 2 says "If a Drones unit is within 3" of a friendly T'au Empire Infanty or Battlesuit unit, you can choose to allocate any wounds to the Drones instead of the target unit."

Something to consider, that the drones are not a part of the multi-wound model's unit. They are a unit in their own right. So, you're allocating the wound to a new unit, if that even matters.

Generally, the RAW doesn't look good for unrestricted Drone wound allocation, but that's possibly due to the (completely surprising to everyone ever) poor wording used.

As an undeniably biased Tau player, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the wording for Drone allocation suggests it happens before allocating wounds to the target unit as a whole, since you're allocating wounds to the Drones instead of the target unit, whereas the clause requiring targeting the model that already lost wounds speaks of "damage" (yes, they probably meant "wound" but they interweave the word damage throughout that page's rules paragraph... goddamnit, GW) which is allocated to a model.

IMO, the intent of the Drones was to act as a buffer between successful to-wounds and allocating that wound to [a model in] the unit.

That said, the wording strikes me RAW are more likely to DENY allocating to Drones if any model in the unit is injured, which strikes me as an absurd result concerning each and every battlesuit the T'au have, so I'm very hopeful they FAQ this up quickly.

It says if the target unit is successfully wounded under allocating wounds. Since the wound can be allocated to a drone unit the first unit is never wounded.
So you do not have to pile them on a multi-wound model that is already wounded before you can punt them off on drones. Because that unit never took a wound, and that is RAW.

Side note it specifically says wounds. So if a multi-wound model gets hit by a lascannon before that is punted off on a drone the player rolls damage. He rolls a 6. So he would then lose 6 drones.

Wagguy80 wrote:

Side note it specifically says wounds. So if a multi-wound model gets hit by a lascannon before that is punted off on a drone the player rolls damage. He rolls a 6. So he would then lose 6 drones.

I think you just exploded another potential can of worms

Does it trigger after the Toughness check or after the Saves check

 Talamare wrote:

Wagguy80 wrote:

Side note it specifically says wounds. So if a multi-wound model gets hit by a lascannon before that is punted off on a drone the player rolls damage. He rolls a 6. So he would then lose 6 drones.

I think you just exploded another potential can of worms

Does it trigger after the Toughness check or after the Saves check

It's clearly after the Toughness check, right? Saviour Protocols triggers "when an enemy attack successfully wounds [a suit]". The purpose of the Wound Roll is to "see if the attack successfully wounds the target". You only allocate a wound and take a save "if an attack successfully wounds the target".

So now you just don't ever get a save against a wound that gets shuffled onto a drone unit. I don't even play Tau but geez.

 Talamare wrote:

Wagguy80 wrote:

Side note it specifically says wounds. So if a multi-wound model gets hit by a lascannon before that is punted off on a drone the player rolls damage. He rolls a 6. So he would then lose 6 drones.

I think you just exploded another potential can of worms

Does it trigger after the Toughness check or after the Saves check

See the new FAQ/errata: it triggers when you would allocate a wounding hit, i.e. before saves or damage is rolled. Also, it now turns allocated hits on the suit/infantry unit into a single Mortal Wound so you don't roll anything else now.

So there's like no reason to ever take shield drones now except to protect against shots actually targeting the drone unit?

That's strange.