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Sorry if this has been answered before, but I couldn't find it (If it was).

My question: According to the new Tau Codex, a Drone Controller counts as a support system, but the drones count as Wargear.

To use the example that has me confused, I was thinking of outfitting a Stealth Suit team with 2 drones (Shield or Markerlight, if you want specifics). The dilemma, as above, is that any Stealth Suit can take 1 support system.... but, how can you buy drones since the codex makes it clear that without upgrading to team leader.

Quoted wordings of the relevant sections (I apologize if this violates a copyright rule):

Drone Controllers: "A drone controller acts as a hub for communications between the operator and a number of drones. A model with a drone controller must take one or two Gun, Marker, or Shield Drones, in any combination, from the Wargear list."

Stealth Suit excerpts: "Each team member may select one battlesuit support system. If this option is taken, all members must do so, though each may select a different system." and "One Shas'ui per team may be designated as a team leader at +5 points, and may select items from the Battlesuit Wargear list."


Can I:

a) Buy a drone controller and drones for any model, regardless because of the wording of the Drone Controller.

b) I cannot buy a drones for my drone controllers without upgrading to a Team Leader

The Drone Controller specifically allows the model to purchase 2 Drones.

Thanks.

However, there is nothing that I have seen that says that you must buy a drone controller in order to buy drones. Am I missing it? In other words, the drones themselves are in the wargear section, with a points value, and you can take up to 100 points - so just take the drones! Skip on the controller! I'm sure ther's a rule to prevent that, but I haven't seen it. Can anyone point me to it?

Typical GWm can't make it clear. This is one of those things wher you just have to follow what makes the most sense.

Only thing I can find for you Antonin is that the entries for drones, in the vehicle armory, only mention their function with the presence of a drone controller. I'm beginning to think this codex was written with the intent of destroying the credibility of this forum.

Sigh
p1: A model with access to the armory may also choose up to 100 points from the wargear list.

p2: Gun drones, shield drones, and marker drones are on the wargear list.

p3: No model can pick the same item twice.

C: Each model with acccess to the armory may choose 1 gundrone, 1 shield drone, and 1 markerdrone that are not subject to the Drone controller special rules.


Please shoot this down with RAW someone, I don't actually want it to be true.

RAW, yes, it is possible to take a single drone of each type without a controller. The controller would merely allow you to take two of the same type.

Of course, you are then left with no rules governing how the drone functions within the unit, since the Drone rules, as Moz mentioned, only refer to Drone under the control of Drone Controllers in units.

However, given that the controller is free, and that the model needs access to Wargear to access the Drones in the first place (allowing them to take a Hard-wired Controller even if they already have their limit of suit systems filled), there is absolutely no sensible reason to NOT take the controller first.