Drone
From Lexicanum
Drones are AI-controlled light hovering vehicles that can mount either weapons or shields. They are used by the Tau and can either join a specific unit or be formed into squadrons of their own. They are lightly armoured but are excellent as scouts and pinning when armed as sniper drones.
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Gun Drone
Gun Drones1,2 are armed with twin-linked Pulse Carbines.
Controlled
Gun Drones are often controlled by a team leader or a battlesuit to augment the unit's firepower, and also to protect them.1,2
Gun Drone Squadron
Gun Drone Squadrons1,2 are formed of between 4 and 8 Gun Drones. They move quickly and can pin down enemies until the rest of the Tau force arrived. They are however, very poor in close combat, like most of the rest of the Tau army. They also do not have a high ballistic skill, but carry weapons of fair power. They function by machine intelligence, and when several are grouped together, they can stay in the field for a long period of time. Gun Drone Squadrons can be taken as a Fast Attack choice.
Vehicle4
A pair of Gun Drones are often fitted to some Tau vehicles (most notably the Devilfish and Piranah). These gun drones act in a similar fashion as infantry shooting out of firing ports on a vehicles. These drones have the option of leaving the vehicle and forming their own unit, if tactically desirable.
Sniper Drone Team
Sniper Drone Teams2 are formed of 1 Tau spotter and 3 Sniper Drones and are armed with Rail Rifles. They are useful when working in groups of 2 or 3 and provides pin-point accuracy anti-personnel and anti-light vehicle firepower. Sniper Drone Teams can be taken as a Heavy Support choice.
Escort Drones
Escort Drones are a type of small drone that often accompany Tau Water Caste negotiators and as such incorporate both defensive as well as minor offensive capabilities. They are nimble and compact which make use of small efficient anti-grav units which are similar in design to the larger drones. They do not only act as protectors for their charge but as tools for trade as they are programmed to record and deliver complex messages. They are also used to guide prospective clients to the Water Caste negotiator and record every exchange that takes place. This information is then used for later study and dissection in order to better tailor the individual in question.
To serve them in their role, the escort drone makes use of a simple projector array that displays information on a flat screen. They are also equipped with twin pulse-pistols which take up a majority of the space in the small drone.5
Shield Drones
Shield Drones1,2 are unarmed drones equiped with a shield generator that usually accompany commanders and Battlesuits, although they sometime accompany Fire Warriors and Pathfinders.
Command-link Drones
Command-link Drones2 accompany commanders into battle. They allow the commander to better direct the battle by networking him to the squad leaders and other officers under her command. As of the writing of Codex: Tau Empire, only Shadowsun had access to a command-link drone.
Heavy Gun Drones
Heavy Gun Drones3 are made by Forgeworld and armed with twin-linked Burst Cannons.
Marker Drones
The term Marker Drones applies to two different drones:
- Heavy Marker Drone:3 Are the same size as Heavy Gun Drones but armed with one Markerlight and one Burst Cannon.
- Controlled Marker Drone:2 Are the same size as a Gun Drone. They have no weapon, but carry a Networked Markerlight and a Targeting Array. This type is always controlled by a Drone Controller.
Earth Caste Builder
The Tau made use of a drones as construction tools when producing their bases on planetary environments. These were defenseless and incapable of fighting against an attacker. (Dawn of War: Dark Crusade)
Sources
- 1 Codex: Tau (3rd Edition)
- 2 Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition)
- 3 Forgeworld Site (accessed 2007.02.20)
- 4 Warhammer 40,000: Wargear
- 5 Tau Water Caste Envoy profile for Inquisitor
