[Jack in the Box]

I'm playing a Technomancer with Mind over Machine and a level 4 machine sprite running diagnostics on a fully kitted out Doberman drone.

Or, at least, I was.

My poor puppy was one-shot by a blood elemental on my first opportunity to run it in combat.  This was after our physical adept had gone several action phases in melee with the hemorhagic nightmare and the adept had taken a couple of moderate wounds, but was still fine.

So, I'm seeking advice on making my next combat drone a more significant contributor.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Unless/until there's errata, drones will never be as good as spirits.

But some tips:
Less is more.  Instead of kitting a drone out, try to give it as few upgrades as possible.  This keeps your repair costs down, and numerous drones are usually more capable than one uber drone anyway.

Inquire with your GM about which set of rules he'll allow for drone modding.  In SRM the optional system must be used, but if you can use the default/same-as-vehicles rules just buy a Paladin and slap a MMG/HMG on it.  You'll never worry about drones being viable again.

[Mirikon]

Alternatively, if you're going for a single high-powered drone, I'd look at one of the metahuman-sized anthro-drones, upgrade the armor as much as you can, and then have it wear armor on top of it. Yes, anthro-drones can wear armor, and it stacks with their 'natural' armor like a troll's, and can make it so you may be able to survive close combat for a bit.

Otherwise, I'd go with a team of 5 drones as soon as you can afford them. Two up-armored Lynxes with assault rifles, a Doberman with high-power rifle (probably the Crocket EBR), a drone with a grenade launcher, and a flying drone for overwatch with a Barret 122. When you can, get a couple smaller drones for clandestine recon inside buildings. Yes, the individiual drones will be weaker, but along with your team there will be more targets to spread the damage, and having overwatch means you can try the whole 'shooting first' thing.

[Jack in the Box]

Otherwise, I'd go with a team of 5 drones as soon as you can afford them

I'm not sure how well multiple drones work for a Technomancer with Mind over Machine.  Multiple drones seem more like an RCC thing.

[忍]

#dronomancer #RCCecho #BubbaTheLoveTroll

[Jack_Spade]

I'm playing a Technomancer with Mind over Machine and a level 4 machine sprite running diagnostics on a fully kitted out Doberman drone.

Or, at least, I was.

My poor puppy was one-shot by a blood elemental on my first opportunity to run it in combat.  This was after our physical adept had gone several action phases in melee with the hemorhagic nightmare and the adept had taken a couple of moderate wounds, but was still fine.

So, I'm seeking advice on making my next combat drone a more significant contributor.

Depending on your available cash, I'd suggest you take an anthro drone, kit it out with good armor, maybe enhance it's strength and agility, give it body armor and use it as your stunt double.
The Sparring Drone from Hard Targets is a really good drone for a very reasonable price.

[Hephaestus]

I guess the question is, as a Technomancer, how many of those sprites can you run at one time? The RCC is the best way to command a drone army, but if you can run 3-5 drones with sprites then you would have a decent fire team.

[Mirikon]

I guess the question is, as a Technomancer, how many of those sprites can you run at one time? The RCC is the best way to command a drone army, but if you can run 3-5 drones with sprites then you would have a decent fire team.

Possible, but not likely, especially for any group of mid-high level sprites. Boils down to the squishiness of TMs, and how easy it is for Fading resists to tank them for a run if things go bad. Basically, the same reasons why the Spirit Army of DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-- *breath* OOOOM is not an issue except in a few fringe cases.

[Iron Serpent Prince]

Thanks to a 10 Karma quality in Kill Code (Groveler, page 96), Fade will never be an issue for Technomancers.  At least until / if it gets errata'd.

In short, for every 4 Datachips destroyed the Fade Value is reduced by 1.