Editing Tau Drones

'''Drones''' are small, round, usually hovering robots used by the [[Tau Empire]] for various support tasks.  Because the Tau have never had to experience a robot rebellion, the way that the [[Imperium of Man]] did with their [[Men of Iron]], artificial intelligences are not only still permitted but widespread in society.  Unlike [[servitor]]s, drones are capable of autonomous activity, though they aren't very bright when they work on their own.  Despite being common and mass-producible, drones are not regarded as expendable and are programmed for self preservation (though the average player [[Tarpit|doesn't]] [[Grot|share]] [[Skaven|this]] [[Fury|sentiment]]).


== Command-link Drone ==

[[File:Dronesquadronattack.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The bin lids of death.]]

Commander [[Shadowsun]] uses a special drone with extra communication equipment to help direct her soldiers.  In-game, it used to project an 18" Ld10 bubble, but now it lets a unit re-roll To Hit rolls of 1 (because having [[Shadowsun]] shouting in your ear makes you a better shot, or something).

== Drone Sentry Turret ==
'''Drone sentry turrets''' are probably the largest autonomous systems used by the [[Tau Empire]], used to secure perimeters without requiring Fire Warriors to be put in harm's way.  They mount twin-linked [[burst cannon]]s, [[missile pod]]s, [[fusion blaster]]s, or [[plasma rifle]]s in a "pop-up" configuration, so that the entire turret stays as enclosed as possible until the moment the guns need to fire.

== Exploratory Drone ==

'''DX-11 Exploratory Drones''' are basically Tau version of C.A.T. units in [[Space Hulk]] missions, and fit similar roles of scouting, exportation and locating targets valuable enough to send a Fire Warrior team.

== Grav-inhibitor Drone ==

'''Grav-inhibitor drones''' incorporate a "gravity wave projector" that slows down assaulting units, allowing the <s>cowardly and weak</s> intelligent Tau to blast the assaulting unit to kingdom come via overwatch <s>survive just a little longer in the face of the Emperor's close-combat might</s>.

== Gun Drone ==

'''Gun drones''' are the most common sort of drone encountered on the battlefield, armed with a twin-linked [[pulse carbine]].  They can be attached to squads of [[Fire Warrior]]s, or fixed onto vehicles as detachable turrets, or even operate independently in squads of their own.  Most other drones are built on the same chassis as the gun drone.

== Heavy Gun Drone ==

The '''heavy gun drone''' is, as it sounds, the big brother of the gun drone, and in fact is the largest model of mobile drone used by the Tau.  They carry twin-linked [[burst cannon]]s, and can swap one of them for a [[markerlight]] if it will need to call down the [[seeker missile]]s.

== Marker Drone ==

'''Marker drones''' are modified gun drones that carry [[markerlight]]s for their squad (why the lazy bums couldn't carry their own markerlights is anyone's guess).  They're more expensive than [[Tau Pathfinder|Pathfinders]], but they can tag along with whoever is controlling them (which means, if they run with [[battlesuit]]s, they can jump-shoot-jump as if they had [[jet pack]]s themselves (you do realise that they have, and have always had, jetpacks)).

== Missile Drone ==

'''Missile drones''' carry [[missile pod]]s.  Shocking.

What's ''really'' shocking is that the Tau only deploy them with [[XV-88 Broadside|Broadside]] battlesuits (well, [[Games Workshop]] ruled that they do).  Apparently, swarms of S7 AP4 was too awesome for a [[xenos]] army.

== Pulse Accelerator Drone ==

'''Pulse accelerator drones''' carry pulse accelerators, which make pulse weapons even longer-ranged.  [[Tau Pathfinder]]s use them.

== Recon Drone ==

Yet another toy for Pathfinders, the Recon Drone takes the bold step of giving squads organic heavy weapons -- well, a [[burst cannon]] isn't any more powerful than a [[pulse carbine]], but it puts more shots downrange.  It comes with some other toys for bringing in reinforcements, like a homing beacon and a positional relay (read: bubble of no-scatter for [[Deep Strike]]rs).

== Remora Drone Fighter ==

{{Main|Remora}}

The '''Remora drone fighter''' has a main body about the same size as the Heavy Gun Drone, but it has wings, larger engines, and more weapons -- for one thing, it carries twin-linked [[burst cannon]]s, a [[markerlight]], ''and'' two [[seeker missile]]s at the same time.

== Remote Sensor Tower ==

'''Remote sensor towers''' take the prize for the tallest drones used by the Tau -- when collapsed, they are twice as tall as a [[Fire Warrior]], and they are twice as tall again when fully extended.  They carry twin-linked [[markerlight]]s and forward targeting data to nearby formations.  They are often placed with sentry turrets to act as an autonomous defense line; if heavy anti-vehicle firepower is required, they can summon [[seeker missile]]-bearing [[Piranha]]s.

== Shield Drone ==

'''Shield drones''' carry shield generators for protecting high-value targets (read: 4++ invulnerable save to soak high-Strength and low-AP attacks).  The latest version is the MV52, which incorporates a 3++ save -- but only for Commander [[Shadowsun]] (which get kind of ridiculous in a unit that already has stealth and shrouded).

== Shielded Missile Drone ==

The '''shielded missile drone''' was born in a moment of brilliance, when Earth Caste engineers realized that they could stick two systems on a single drone.  The brilliance was immediately canceled out when the Ethereals decreed that the new drones would only be used by [[XV-104 Riptide|Riptide]]s and their variants.

== Sniper Drone ==

'''Sniper drones''' carry a <s>[[rail rifle]]</s> longshot pulse rifle (arguebly one of the best sniper weapons in the game, being AP5 instead of 6 48" range and '''RAPID FIRE!''' Yeah, two sniper shots at BS5 in 24" range from one drone) and come in teams led by up to three spotters carrying a [[markerlight]]/drone controller device that looks like a [[Wikipedia:Virtual Boy|Virtual Boy]].

== Technical Drone ==

'''DX-4 Technical drones''' are the only drones without rules of their own -- [[Forge World]] suggests using them to represent certain stratagems in [[Cities of Death]] games, and there's an [[Apocalypse]] formation that uses them to repair drone sentry turret, but for regular games of [[Warhammer 40,000]], they're really only good for decoration.  Maybe they could be used by an [[Earth Caste]] who [[counts as]] a [[tech-priest]] or [[Techmarine]] from an allied detachment, or just homebrew a similar Tau unit.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:M2450412a 99810113004 CommanderShadowsunCFC 873x627.jpg|Shadowsun's personal Shield Drone.
File:Drone_Sentry_Turret.JPG|Drone Sentry Turret: How [[Tau]] hold ground.
File:Grav-Inhibitor Drone.jpg|A Grav-Inhibitor Drone - Perfect for ruining a good charge.
File:Marker_Drone.jpg|The infamous Marker Drone, essential component of [[Markerlight|cheesy tau commander builds everwhere.]]
File:Pulse_accelerator_drone.jpg|Pulse Accelerator drone - A great piece of boosting tech, tho hampered by only being able to go with [[Tau Pathfinder|Pathfinders]].
File:Sniper_Drones.jpg|Sniper Drone Squad with controller. [[Men of Iron|What was it with synthetic and organic life not being able to co-operate?]]
File:Shielded_Missile_Drone.jpg|Shielded missile drones, the creme de la creme of Drones.
File:DX-4 Technical Drone.JPG|Technical Drones: The wet dream of any Tau converter.
</gallery>

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Tau]]