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Combat drones?

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IntrepidVector

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« on: <01-12-17/0556:45> »
Building a Rigger with Resources A. What's the best buy per nuyen for drones to use in combat? Do I get a couple rotodrones or lynxes to modify heavily, jumping into one? Do I find something super cheap that can hold a gun and get a Swarm of a dozen of them, supporting it from the background with things like Target Device?

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #1 on: <01-12-17/0604:57> »
Drones are pretty fragile, but there are three viable options imho:

1) A rotodrone with a long range weapon like a sniper rifle: Usually far enough away to not be the subject of retaliation fire and good for fire support and surprise strikes
2) Anthroform drones in heavy meta human armor: Since they can wear clothing and don't take stun damage you can make drones pretty tough as long as the base damage doesn't exceed the armor value.
3) Cheap minidrones like Horizon Flying Eye combined with a pistol. For under 4000 Nuyen each they don't hurt to much to lose.
talk think matrix

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Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

IntrepidVector

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« Reply #2 on: <01-12-17/0830:21> »
Option 3 is what would work best as a Swarm, I imagine. It never occurred to me that something as small as a flying eye could mount a gun but of course they can.

Do you mount a weapon on the anthroforms or just have them hold them? In the latter case, do they still use [Weapon] Targeting autosofts?

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #3 on: <01-12-17/0838:33> »
Just holding them and yes, there is autosofts for everything  8)
talk think matrix

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Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

&#24525;

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« Reply #4 on: <01-12-17/1500:57> »
there is autosofts for everything  8)

Sig'd :p

adzling

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« Reply #5 on: <01-13-17/1123:08> »
i've had some great fun building drones with an integral drone rack for launching drone swarms.

i have a setup that goes Dustoff(with rigger inside)->bumblebee->ammo drone (loaded with area jammers instead of ammo magazines)->noizquito

they all pack up inside each other like nesting russian dolls, which is pretty cool as the rigger can fly in to the area with the dustoff and start dispensing drones.
Once they are all out of their racks you can compile them into swarms as needed and jump in/ remote the ones that aren't.

highly flexible, very dangerous and airborne!

IntrepidVector

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« Reply #6 on: <01-15-17/0407:07> »
Regarding using an anthroform as your combat drone, which drone would you suggest using as the base for that? Which set of armor?

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #7 on: <01-15-17/0448:06> »
The S-K DIREKTIONSSEKRETAR is without doubt the best anthrodrone in regard to performance, stealth and autonomous operation.

If you are on a budget and don't mind being a creepy mf you can buy the Horizon Little Buddy in bulk, give every puppet armored clothing for kids and put a gun in their hands. Add swarm soft on a RCC and you can kill your enemies with an army of toddlers.

A good compromise on price and durability is the Sparring Drone from Hard targets. It's cheap, durable and can be easily upgraded.

If you want a melee drone take a look at the  KENCHIKU-KIKAI. 8 STR + a Combat Axe make them prime contenders to jump into.
It's also strong enough to carry a shield, so you can create moving cover.


For armor go as high as possible: Full Body Armor + Gel Packs are wonderful since your opponent needs to get to 21 dmg+AP to even have a chance to damage the drone (except for electro attacks, so don't skimp on the non-conductivity)
Otherwise the Big Game Hunter with Gel Packs and helmet will do nearly as well.

The nice thing is: If your drone is destroyed regardless, you can just salvage armor and weapon for the next one.




talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

IntrepidVector

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« Reply #8 on: <01-15-17/0602:08> »
Hm, a drone's Physical limit is calculated as simply their Handling (according to Data Trails, regarding AIs). With that in mind, is an anthroform comically easy to knock down, with or without the gel packs? Do anthroform drones use Knockdown?


A Swarm of Little Buddies sounds hilarious, doubly so since my Rigger is already thematically into swarms. Even funnier, you can give them all Personality upgrades. Something I'm unsure on: does a Swarm dodge using their combined stats or only the stats of the one being targeted?
« Last Edit: <01-15-17/0605:11> by IntrepidVector »

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #9 on: <01-15-17/0758:52> »
Yeah, knockdown happens, but it's a lot less of a problem than having your drone destroyed ;)

Swarm works by combining the processing power of all involved parts, so yes, they would get the bonus on that test.
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

IntrepidVector

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« Reply #10 on: <01-15-17/0812:19> »
I misremembered Knockdown and thought it was damage BEFORE the resistance test. Since it is AFTER, drones should fare much better than I thought with tons of armor.

Ghost Rigger

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« Reply #11 on: <01-15-17/1555:05> »
Drones are pretty fragile, but there are three viable options imho:

1) A rotodrone with a long range weapon like a sniper rifle: Usually far enough away to not be the subject of retaliation fire and good for fire support and surprise strikes
2) Anthroform drones in heavy meta human armor: Since they can wear clothing and don't take stun damage you can make drones pretty tough as long as the base damage doesn't exceed the armor value.
3) Cheap minidrones like Horizon Flying Eye combined with a pistol. For under 4000 Nuyen each they don't hurt to much to lose.
A note about #1: by the optional drone rules in Rigger 5.0, you can't install a weapon port capable of holding a sniper rifle during chargen (and given how fragile it is there aren't really any other weapons you want to put on it), so if you want this, you'll have to wait until after chargen or forgo using the drone rules. That said, a rotodrone is something every rigger that uses drones should have.

Also, a tip for anthroform drones: install a suspension mod in them, and now you can pilot them with Pilot: Groundcraft instead of Pilot Walker. This can save you some skill points, particularly if you're a "sit in the van while the drones accompany the team" sort of rigger, plus your drones look cooler for have tracked roller skates.
After all you don't send an electrician to fix your leaking toilet.

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IntrepidVector

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« Reply #12 on: <01-16-17/0438:18> »
Huh? I installed a sniper rifle on a rotodrone just fine. Rotodrones have 3 extra mod slots that can only be used for weapons, giving them plenty. I even had room to make it retractable.
« Last Edit: <01-16-17/0442:57> by IntrepidVector »

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #13 on: <01-16-17/0458:09> »
Ghost Rigger is referring to availability during char gen which is indeed beyond 12 for heavy mounts.
You can circumvent this problem entirely by installing two articulate arms into your drone. Those aren't illegal, you can exchange weapons easily and the utility of your drone goes through the roof.
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

IntrepidVector

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« Reply #14 on: <01-16-17/0606:07> »
Whoops, I completely forgot to look at Availability.

The drawback to using drone arms is that you can't retract the weapon inside the drone to hide it :T I guess it's time to coat a gun in that chameleon polymer.
« Last Edit: <01-16-17/0617:14> by IntrepidVector »