tau questions?

[Chicop76]

1. Can seeker missiles use marker lights. For example if I use a markr light to fire a seeker. Than I want to raise the seeker to bs 8 since I have 3 unused lights on the unit.

2. Can seekers get unit bonuses. Let's say a unit have a twin linked and tank hunter aura. If the unit was broadsides with seeker missles. Would the missles themselves also be twin linked and have tank hunter, or would they get the benefits from the unit that used the marker lights, so if the broadsides had marker drones and the seekers was coming from a sky ray would the seekers have twin linked and tank hunter.

The tank hunter and monster hunter part is what I am curious about. I am thinking that the seeker holder's benefits should be part of the seeker themselves. I can also see that the marker lights unit's benefits should also apply to the seekers.

[The Man They Call Jayne]

If the bearer fired the missile themselves, I would say the special rules apply. However, if you use a Marker to fire it, the rules for Seekers are written. BS5 and no cover from intervening terrain.

I suppose you could make the argument that if you fired one from a Broadside, but used the MLs to boost your BS but NOT fire a Seeker, and then fired the Seeker youself, you would get the BS boost AND the special rules. But I am not 100% on that.

[Chicop76]

Hmmm.

I am asking due to my commander, 6 marker drones, and 3 sides.

The 6 marker drones have tank hunter. It matters since it will matter if I put missiles on the sides or not.

The only two models with seekers's and markerlights that's networked is the skyray and the bomber. The problem is how to give it special rules unless I use psychic powers.

[Kur'os]

I believe The Man They Call Jayne is correct.  Since a seeker missile can be fired by the carrying model without using a marker light token, it is no different from a standard weapon (when fired as such). 

Broadsides are a perfect example.  You can either spend a token to fire your missile at BS5 with all the benefits listed, or simply fire it at BS3.  Attach a suit with a URS / fancy rule granting piece of wargear / signature system and it could then modify the seeker missile.  Markerlight tokens could also be used to improve the BS of said missile.

Makes the adding seeker missiles to a hammerhead w/ Longstrike quite appealing actually. 

-Kurocyn

[knightperson]

1. As said earlier, if you fire the seeker with the "Seeker" markerlight ability, then its BS is fixed at 5 and can't be modified. If you fire it as a regular weapon, then it would start at the BS of the model carrying it, but could be modified from there. Keep in mind that in the second mode it would count as firing a weapon, so a broadside could fire only one of its regular weapons if it fires a seeker.

2. As far as I know, yes. I think it would get the benefit of tank hunter, monster hunter, reroll misses, or whatever other magic you are able to give the unit, even if fired with a markerlight token.

Makes the adding seeker missiles to a hammerhead w/ Longstrike quite appealing actually. 

-Kurocyn

At least it would if he didn't have to hold still to fire more than one weapon! What I find appealing is that a static skyray with a single markerlight token could unload the entire missile rack at BS5.

[The Man They Call Jayne]

Would be ok against flyers I suppose, but the skyray still feels like a weak choice.

[Chicop76]

1. As said earlier, if you fire the seeker with the "Seeker" markerlight ability, then its BS is fixed at 5 and can't be modified. If you fire it as a regular weapon, then it would start at the BS of the model carrying it, but could be modified from there. Keep in mind that in the second mode it would count as firing a weapon, so a broadside could fire only one of its regular weapons if it fires a seeker.

2. As far as I know, yes. I think it would get the benefit of tank hunter, monster hunter, reroll misses, or whatever other magic you are able to give the unit, even if fired with a markerlight token.

Makes the adding seeker missiles to a hammerhead w/ Longstrike quite appealing actually. 

-Kurocyn

At least it would if he didn't have to hold still to fire more than one weapon! What I find appealing is that a static skyray with a single markerlight token could unload the entire missile rack at BS5.

So if I move the sky ray as long as I get one markerhit I can fire as many seeker misslies as I like.

[knightperson]

Unfortunately, no. Seeker missiles can be fired in two ways. #1, as a normal one-shot weapon like any other. In this mode, they are treated like any other weapons and follow the usual restrictions. If the vehicle moved, only one weapon (whether it's a seeker or not) can be fired at regular ballistic skill, and the rest are snapshots. Of course, unlike other armies, the Tau CAN use markerlights to improve the ballistic skill of their snapshots. Option 2 is to use a markerlight. In this mode, each markerlight counter lets you fire one seeker at BS5 with the Ignores Cover rule. To fire all 6 missiles this way you would need 6 markerlight hits. With a crisis suit and drone controller escorting marker drones, that's not nearly as far-fetched as it used to be!