Kerry E. Mullan asks: A question about multi-role shuttles and their drone costs. Rule (J8.531) states that 20 spaces of drones are available as 10 primary and 10 reload spaces and it states that some or all can be omitted to cut the costs of these drones. It also states that for special drones the 10 primary spaces follow the empire percentages.
     I am a little unclear on the cost as it is stated that omission of drones is to cut the cost. I am taking this omission statement to infer that the actual drones themselves need to be paid for, or am I reading too much into it?
     As I am generally unclear in my statements I will use a detailed example to illustrate my stances.
     Stance A: Multi-role shuttle has a load of two type-IVM and six type-IM drones (with duplicate reloads). To simplify the example, I am just taking standard drones, no specials. So the type-IM drone costs 1.5 Basic Point Value and the type-IVM drone is 2.5 Basic Point Value. The total cost is (6x1.5+2x2.5 =) 14 points for the drones.
     Stance B: Multi-role shuttle has a load of two type-IVM and six type-IM drones (with duplicate reloads). To simplify the example, I am just taking standard drones, no special drones. Stance B is the drones do not cost Commander's Option Points and are free. So the type-IMs cost 0.5 multi-role shuttle each and the type-IVMs cost 0.5 multi-role shuttle each for a total cost of four Commander's Option Points for the 10 drones.
     So the basic question is do the drones themselves cost Commander's Option Points or just the upgrades?
     ANSWER: It is Y150.
     Your drone-armed multi-role shuttle costs you just the base cost, plus any additional Commander's Option Points you want to spend converting the drones to special drones. If the conversions do not cost any points (like swapping out an explosive warhead for an ECM warhead), then it costs no points. However, you have to keep track of the percentages, i.e., one drone is 10% of the total, so it and one drone considered to be a reload can be 10% availability drones.
     It is Y165. Medium-speed drones are limited availability (10%). You can pay a half point of Commander's Option Points in addition to the cost to purchase the multi-role shuttle to have one type-IM drone; you would have a second type-IM drone in the reloads.
     You could start the scenario with one type-IM drone in the ready rack or loaded on the multi-role shuttle. The other has to be in storage at the start of the scenario (unless it is being used in a scatter-pack, if weapons status allows a scatter-pack).
     It is Y165. Your ship is either a Kzinti ship or a carrier with more than nine fighters. Medium-speed drones are limited availability (20%). You can pay a point of Commander's Option Points in addition to the cost to purchase the multi-role shuttle to have two type-IM drones, or a half point to have one type-IVM drone; you would have two more type-IM drones, or one more type-IVM drone in the reloads.

     You could start the scenario with two type-IM drones or one type-IVM drone in the ready rack or loaded on the multi-role shuttle.
     The other two type-IMs (or the other type-IVM) have to be in storage at the start of the scenario (unless they are being used in a scatter-pack, if weapons status allows a scatter-pack).
     It is Y166. Medium-speed drones are restricted availability (25%). You can pay 1.5 points of Commander's Option Points in addition to the cost to purchase the multi-role shuttle to have three type-IM drones (this is because 0.5 rounds up, so 25% of ten is 2.5 drones rounded up to three). Or you could pay one point to have one type-IVM and one type-IM; in both cases you would have identical reloads.
     It is Y166. Your ship is either a Kzinti ship or a carrier with more than nine fighters. Medium-speed drones are restricted availability (50%). You can pay 2.5 points of Commander's Option Points in addition to the cost to purchase the multi-role shuttle to have five type-IM drones, or 1.5 points to have two type-IVM drones and one type-IM, or two points to have one type-IVM and three type-IMs. In each case you would have identical reloads.
     In Y168 medium-speed drones are general availability; you do not have to pay Commander's Option Points for the drone speed upgrades, but have to buy them as part of the purchase price of the multi-role shuttle.
     Obviously various special drone warheads could be purchased as part of the medium-speed drones when they are limited and restricted. Obviously the same system applies when fast speed becomes available for drones.
     You can, of course, choose not to upgrade the speed of some or all of the multi-role shuttle's drones to save points.