The purpose of this post is to discuss additional uses of the Sniper Drone Teams that are not mentioned in the Academy Article. If this discussion goes well and I receive the input and commentary from the members of ATT that I am hoping for then I will be submitting an addition to the SDT academy article sometime in the near future.

Anyone who has ever looked at the SDT knows well its ability to kill a Marine Equivalent and the academy article discusses this at length and also covers the uses of the SDT as a deterrent or lure in many situations. Speaking as someone who has used them fairly extensively in the past I can not argue with their effectiveness in these rolls.

I have however, recently discovered their strength at popping transports at range as an alternative use to be much more valuable then firing at some marines or attempting to pin some guardsmen.

We all are familiar with the missile pod and its effectiveness at ruining anything AV12 or below at range but most opponents know well this strength and will often try to take down the Crisis teams quickly as they pose a much more immediate threat.

So why use the lower strength and oftentimes more expensive SDT? Well the first reason is their Stealth field generator: most opponents will choose to fire at a different target then risk the night fighting roll to target a sniper drone team which makes them much more likely to survive the encounter. Secondly is that SDTs will often be deployed on a flank giving them a greater chance of targeting the weaker side armor of a vehicle. This helps to "compensate" for their lower strength value when compared to the missile pod which will often have to face down the tougher, front facing of a vehicle.

Additionally, this tactic often will free up the markerlight in the team for use elsewhere in the army or can be used to improve the chance to hit against the vehicle that you are trying to destroy.

This generally works best when all three SDTs have been chosen as this maximizes your ability to cover the table and the sheer volume of shots (9 S6 shots and 3 markerlights all of which can be fired at different targets) grants you great flexibility on the battlefield.

I can see why you're advocating for sniper drones targetting Mech stuff, I mean, let's be honest everyone plays mech these days. I think they'll become more useful as Tyranids become popular again. S6, AP3 will be knocking out lots of Tyranid warriors and Carnifexes but I just don't think that Sniper Drones' primary role should be knocking out transports.

Let's look at the transports you're likely to face:

Rhinos. AV11, Front and Side. You'll need to roll 5s to glance.
Chimeras AV12 Front, Side 10. Ok hitting it on the side you'll need 4s to glance, but 6s to glance on the front.
Wave Serpents, AV12 front and side. 6s to glance.

Sure with 3 teams you'll be throwing a lot of shots out but these shots would be better spent elsewhere, like hitting the infantry as they pour out of a wrecked transports your broadsides or deathrain suits have just destroyed.

I guess what I am saying is that, yes, sniper drones can target transports in a pinch, when you don't have any missile pods around and might cause damage but ultimately you're better off targeting infantry and monstrous creatures with them.

I agree, and would like to add that among the weapons that crack the 3+ nut, rail rifles are cheaper by comparison. They have range superior to the PR and FB and are cheaper than railguns.

Yes I agree the mathhammer doesn't make them the ideal targets but we are also playing a mental game here - many of my opponents have dismissed the SDTs as a nonthreat until on turn 2 their Chimera stopped in its tracks and all of a sudden SDTs are at the top of their priority list.

You may need 4+ to glance/pen even AV10 but (maybe I'm just lucky) I tend to make the roll more often then I fail it.

The trick comes down to deployment - put your railguns on one side of the board and the SDT's on the other and you will notice that those enemy transports tend to be angled ever so slightly more towards the S10 shot opening up that side/rear armor to the cloaked Frisbees on the other side of the board.

I am not advocating the strict use of SDTs as transport and light vehicle hunters but it is a very viable option early game when there are few targets "worth" shooting at.

Remember, Drones can't get a BS increase from markerlight hits. If you use the markerlight from the spotter to benefit the sniper drones, It has to be in the form of lowering leadership, or decreasing cover save.

EDIT: My apologies, I was positive that this was the case. It appears I've been using my sniper drones incorrectly

This only applies to vehicle mounted Gun Drones. Please post only what you know.

We have Missile Pods for transports, the higher rate of fire gives more chances to damage. The low AP on the Sniper Drones is wasted on vehicles, so use it to maximum effect on MEqs.

I believe you are referring to the FAQ which states:

Unless you have something else you are thinking of, gun drones on a vehicle can use markerlights, they just can't use the markerlights that the tank they are attached to is using.

Back to sniper drones. In my experience SDT's success in killing depends greatly on target selection.
Typically this order:
1. Fast MEQ's capable of being pinned (Bikes, Assault Marines, etc.)
2. Fast Fearless MEQ's
3. Expensive MEQ's with good shooting (Sternguard, Noise Marines, etc.)
4. Normal MEQ's within assault/shooting range of your army
5. Normal MEQ's outside 24"
6. AV11 Transports without cover
7. AV11 Transports with cover (Rhino with smoke launchers deployed)
8. FNP MEQ's (Plague Marines)

As you can see, transports are way down on the list but there is a catch to this list. The catch is that the SDT will usually fire BEFORE your missile pods since most players would prefer to use the Drone Controller's markerlight to improve the missile pod's chance at killing the transport. Since this usually happens on turns 1-2, the SDT will often not have a higher priority target than an AV11 transport. If Rhinos are all you have to shoot at, at least shoot the rail rifles at them, they have at least a chance of killing the tank and killing a few of the models inside and/or pinning the occupants. Personally in these situations I've had great luck with rail rifles on Rhinos, averaging an exploded rhino once every 3 games. I know this is incredibly lucky too, but they often drop 2-3 marines as well when the transport explodes.

Generally this is the case, but I do think it is worthwhile for a Tau players to keep the anti-transport abilities of the SDTs in the back of their minds. Extra tactical flexibility is always a good thing.

Thanks for bringing this up, STS17. Please PM me with your finalized thoughts and we'll see about getting it added to the battlefield roles section of the SDT article.

I think many people forget the true use of the SDT. Its main purpose is to snipe!!! Pinning tests are why it is so versatile. The fact that you can target three different enemy units with one team makes it amazing at pinning units of Guardsmen, Orks, Guardians et al. I have played battles where one team has stymied an entire Imperial Guardsman and Karskin attack due to its superior pinning ability. I tend to use mine in conjunction with an infiltrated Pathfinder team, racking up markerlight hits and taking down the enemies ability to pass the Ld test required for pinning. Many players are too obsessed with eliminating the enemy, with the tau it is all about crowd control. If the enemy cant move your objectives are safe, leaving your battlesuits to destroy whats left over with no threat of support. Anyway...thats my input!

I find that when I use sniper drones, they often find themselves tasked with light vehicle sniping early game before the transports are popped. By light vehicles, I mean land speeders, war walkers, sentinels, vypers, raiders, rhinos, trukks, kans, and looted wagons. Other "vehicles" they often attack include attack bikes, dethkoptas, thunderfire cannons, and Kannons/Lobbas. Since they often have a lack of MeQ targets to kill for the first round or two, they keep themselves occupied until the railguns can crack the AV13+ stuff and the missile pods can crack the AV11+ stuff.

I agree with you. The pinning aspect of the rail rifles is one of the reasons an SDT is worth taking, however this is a use for the SDTs in the first one or two turns of a fight that I have seen many local Tau players overlook and so I thought I would bring it up and see if others have used them to the same effect in the early game.

I tried SDT for the first time. I took 2 of them in an 1850.
My initial set up was poor and that was compounded by the fact that the RGs could not hit the side of a barn. It took 18 RG shots to destroy one vehicle. Maximum armor of the targets was 13!
Needless to say there were no soft targets for the SDT to fire at. It seems to me that when you are facing mech armies, the key issue for the SDT or in fact any formation with S6 or less weapons, is to have the RGs do their job. If they fail, then you have a lot of weaponry with nothing to shoot at for a number of turns.
I would have lost the game I think, even if the RGs had caused more damage. My record against most armies is not too bad but against chaos it is a disaster. Oh well, back to the drawing board!

The one key issue is that the terrain needs to be fairly open for the SDT or so it seems to me. If it is not, then the chances of them hitting are not too hot when cover saves are added to the mix. The Ion cannon is slightly better off in the above situation as it has at least a chance of hurting the opponent and can at least move to get a better angle. The RG would have added another chance to put a big hole in some of those targets, which would have been very useful! So after one outing with SDT, they have been dropped and a HH with RG put in!

The point I was trying to make is simply...I don't think SDT have another role apart MEQ destruction or pinning. Using them for Anti vehicle ability is like using a pulse rifle, it aint gunna happen unless you are real lucky. With a range of 36" I would doubt there would be much out of range after the first turn. I have never had any problems with them and I always have at least one team in an army, against marines and necrons and some Biel Tan armies even go for three. I suppose they could be useful against Sentinel's or walkers but there is usually much better ordanance to use with my Crisis teams.

Some luck is involved in hunting AV11 vehicles, but unlike pulse weapons each rail rifle hit has a 1 in 3 chance of damaging the tank in some way, AV10 you have a 50/50 shot with each hit.

Sure there won't be much out of range, but if all the MEQ's are hiding in transports (As is usually the case in 5th edition), you can't shoot them until you pop the transports. And if you include what I mentioned before:

You won't have anything to shoot other than the transports/light vehicles until Turn 2.

the biggest trick in using them is correct placement. If you can catch the enemy's main axis of attack in a crossfire, then SDTs are great. If you get caught out with a refused flank or other unexpected tactic, you'll quickly find your SDTs with little to shoot at effectively.

Actually, you target 4 different enemy units. The controller can target the "main unit's target", with the drones each targeting something different.

I'm just reluctant to use them against transports because of the extreme factor of luck that is involved with taking down transports with Rail Rifles. If you manage to hit an AV 10 facing, it's a 4+ to damage. And that just isn't reliable in my books. And because most transports come flying at you hull down, you are likely to be facing AV 11 which is a nightmare for single shot mid strength weapons. And you need it to be reliable, because we need to slow the enemy so we get longer to shoot. Missile Pods are just so much better because of the 3+ to damage AV10. It makes a huge difference, in my experience. And when shooting AV11 it is a 4+ to damage, but because we get 2 shots we have a much better chance of doing anything.

I am also reluctant to shoot transports because I feel like I am wasting much needed low AP firepower. My usual armies only pack around 2-3 Plasma Rifles; so in my case the Rail Rifles are needed for negating MEq saves. But of course others' armies may have plenty of Plasma Rifles, and so the Rail Rifles aren't needed as badly against MEqs.

However, I must also raise another point. We have another unit in our Heavy Support Slots that is good at taking down MEqs and Transports; the Skyray. The Skyray is very comparable to the Snipers because of their markerlight capabilities and low AP weapons. Whenever I take Sniper Drones I generally always regret taking them instead of a Skyray (except againts Necrons ) My Skyray is often my primary transport hunter when I don't use Fireforge suits. The high strength missiles are excellent for when you want stuff dead, as is the ability to shoot multiple targets. The Snipers can do this aswell, but due to their low accuracy and lower strength weapons they often don't fare as well. The Skyray is also very mobile and move away from enemy transports and other threats, while the Sniper teams are static and require outside assistance.

The Snipers do better than the Skyray against MEqs when shooting, but on the whole the Skyray does better. It is far more survivable; the SFG doesn't protect you from a squad of marines rapid firing. A high AV hull certainly does. The secondary weapon system also adds to its' versatility. When MEq killing is required, the Skyray can use its' markerlights along with those of a Pathfinder team to destroy 4-5 MEqs. If we add in the secondary weapon system, we can kill another 1-2. And it's rather demoralizing to an opponent to see a large chunk of a squad of marines disappear.

And when you take the Skyray over the Snipers, you don't feel like you've lost out on Railgun slots because you wouldn't get any anyway.

Some may see this as slightly OT, but I am explaining that we have another unit that can kill MEqs and transports (among other things) sometimes more efficiently. It is in my personal opinion that if we do not have access to enough Missile Pods, then Skyrays are a better secondary option than Snipers. But yknow, everyone's got different metagames and... stuff

I agree with a lot of what you have said. Obviously S8 > S6 and I understand the reluctance to use a low AP weapon against a target where the AP value is of no use. I would like to discuss a few of your points further though.

You mentioned taking a S6 shot at an AV10 target (side of a chimera lets say) can only do damage on a 4+ and that simply isn't reliable. I am curious if you would consider a S10 weapon firing at AV14 to be unreliable as its odds for damaging the target are equal (4+).

I will assume that "most" of the players in your local area play some form of Marine based army as this appears to be the case almost everywhere. When facing a marine player I wholeheartedly agree with you that shooting an AP3 weapon at a transport can feel like a waste as it it much more useful firing at the guys inside the transport. However, what about facing Orks or IG? When their transports have AV10 more often then something higher and more importantly there is little on the board with a 3+ save these shots aren't really "wasted" firing at a transport so it is useful to keep in mind. Also, even when facing a marine army Land Speeders are AV10 all around and so make excellent targets in the early game for SDTs freeing up those missile pods and railguns for the much more "important" targets like Rhinos or Land Raiders.

I myself am a fan of the Sky Ray as well, as it generally is perceived as a lower threat then it really is. However, like every thing else in our codex it has its place. The Sky Ray is much more useful in a mechanized army where the entire cadre can is mobile and can better control which facing a vehicles leaves itself in. It's uses dwindle when placed in a Static list however as it will often find itself isolated and therefore can be more easily taken out. However, the SDTs work excellently in a gunline and consequently less so in a mechanized list. In a Static gunline, you can place your Broadsides on one side of the board and the SDTs in another opening up rear and side armor to the SDTs boosting their effectiveness as any competent opponent would likely choose to face the more durable front armor towards the big scary Railgun.

There's a big difference between AV10 an AV14. It's not just the armour, it's what they can do. Things with AV14 are things like Monoliths, Land Raiders, Demolishers, etc. The point is moot; even if it isn't exactly reliable, you still need to destroy it! Our strength 10 weapons are also AP1, and so we get that little bonus on the damage table. Of course things with AV10 need to be stopped aswell, but the thing is, 4+ is as good as it's gonna get in most situations. Against AV10, we have S7 and S8 weapons for killing the transports. We don't have other options for stopping AV14. Fusion doesn't work for me as well as it might do for other people, and that's cool. I always find that Fusion is better employed against weaker parts of the armour because it has the mobility to get there.

When facing Orks, using the Snipers to kill transports is definitely a good use of them. The rest of the army doesn't have armour and we have Plasma for the big things. The problem here though isn't about destroying the transports, it's about the Snipers actually surviving. Ork shooting is going to pile the wounds on, and the spotter is going to die.

Sniper teams, I hate to say it, but they're useless against IG. The guard are the best army at AV12 spam in the game, with even heavier armour to compliment it. It's nasty for Snipers to deal with. They don't have the mobility to move round and hit the Chimera Side armour, and even if you did stop a Chimera, who cares if you still have 3 Valks/Vendettas coming at you? Pinning is almost worthless, and even moreso against IG. You can't pin vehicles, and does it matter if you can pin a lone guard squad? Not really...

Yup, Snipers do well against Speeders. Unless they've moved flat out and got their save of course, and then it's much more efficient to use Missile Pods instead of markerlights to remove the cover.

I've never played a static list before, so I can't say much about the Sky Ray in that aspect. Or anything about a static list really. I will ask though, why wouldn't you just use the mobility of the Missile Pod or Burst Cannon to get the rear/side armour instead? I think, as RevRanDom, said before, that the anti transport capabilities of the Sniper Teams should always be remembered. But just not as the Snipers primary target.

I never intended this thread to advocate light vehicle destruction as the primary role of the SDTs, merely that it has worked for me - and quite successfully against Chimeras might I add - their Side armor is easier to hit than you think, but that it should be kept in mind that their ability to take down a light vehicle or transport can be a game saver in a pinch.