[andygorn]

Hi, got a query about the Tau Piranha formation:
The piranhas can come on and drop their drones in the movement phase, then the formation allows the piranha's to move off the table at the end of the move phase and then when they come back as reserves, they have all their drones back on again.
Could they keep doing this to just churn out drones?
Many thanks, andygorn.

 

[Fallen]

Without knowing what the written rules are...

I would assume that you cannot do that; or at the very least it could be kind of a douche-baggy thing to do. But this is without knowing what Rules As Written are.

 

[andygorn]

yeah, I realise it's more "cheese" than a van-load of Gruyere, but wasn't thinking of using in regular games, but for any eejits who bring their tourney-smashing lists to a regular game.

 

[Xabre]

Honestly, it's not all that powerful. Each Piranha is worth 2 drones. You have to leave the board at the end of the movement phase, so you're not firing with the pirhanas, and then you're opening for the reserve roll to get back on the board....

If you just want to spam drones everywhere, go with Drone-Net XV1-0. better drones.

 

[scscofield]

If a unit moves off the board they enter ongoing reserves and show up again the next turn. As to the drone dumping over an and over again, does the formation stat they get all their drones back when they come back onto the board?

 

[Xabre]

If a unit moves off the board they enter ongoing reserves and show up again the next turn. As to the drone dumping over an and over again, does the formation stat they get all their drones back when they come back onto the board?

It doesn't guarantee that they show up again the next turn. They simply enter ongoing reserves, which means you have to roll for them to come back onto the board.

And yes, the rules say any damage is repaired, and any seekers and drones are replaced.

RAW, it does not say that the drones have to be off the table killed or anything like that.

Rearm and Refuel:If all of the surviving models from a unit in this Formation are within 6" of a table edge at the end of their Movement phase, the unit can enter Ongoing Reserves. When it returns to play, it does so at full strength with any damage repaired and Drones and seeker missiles replaced

 

[scscofield]

Pg 136
If a unit enters Reserves part way through the game, such as a Flyer leaving the battlefield, this is referred to as entering Ongoing Reserves. Units in Ongoing Reserve always re-enter play at the start of their controlling player's following turn, but otherwise follow the normal rules for Reserves.


Looks to me like floodable drones from what I have seen in this thread so far.

 

[Xabre]

Fair enough.

I guess the real question becomes... why?

Like I said, I'd probably much rather actually run them from the start. You pay 40 points for 24 points worth of gun drones, and yes, by turn 2 you'd have 48 points worth... but it's just gun drones, it's still only BS2, and it's still only carbines for 18" shots. I'd rather just run Drone Net, get BS3 drones with access to skyfire and interceptor and stuff like that, have a huge mess of them on the board to start with, and not worry about them being anchored to the edge of the board.

 

[Rush Darling]

Is this combined with some kind of outflank, or is it just the controlling players board edge we're talking about?

Hell, does outflank even apply to ongoing reserves? Not a rules situation I've looked into yet.

My only experience with anything similar is the Tyranid's endless tide formation. (Unit gets destroyed, on 4+ gets placed back into ongoing reserves). It reads as incredibly powerful, and undoubtedly would be in a game of unlimited turns, but as it stands, in my opinion it's simply....not bad. I tend to find obsec to be more important than units turning up on my own board edge late in the game. (Though I've yet to combine it with any Trygon tunnelling shenanigans.)

 

[ntaw]

Hell, does outflank even apply to ongoing reserves? Not a rules situation I've looked into yet.

No. Outflank stipulates 'arrives from Reserves, but not arrives from Ongoing Reserve'.

 

[MidnightSun]

More important is a regenerating squadron of Piranhas.

Sure, you get more Drones, but the big deal is getting infinite free Piranhas as long as the entire unit isn't wiped in one turn (unlikely, with what, 10 AV11 Hull Points with Jink and the possibility of Shrouded plus the mobility to engage on their terms).