Body part weapons

Body part weapons are artificial body parts that act as weapons, in addition to any other effects they may have. Currently, only melee attacks are added by body part weapons.

Note: Body part weapons are not identified as a distinct class in-game in any way, however several of the parts exist solely for this purpose or several other parts can be pressed into the same role. As such, this page exists to facilitate comparisons between those options only. Due to the informal nature of this category, a variety of names are used in the community to describe it. These include, but are not limited to: implant weapons, bionic weapons, or prosthetic weapons despite not all options being implants, bionics or prosthetics. Body part weapon is used to avoid these contradictions but the terms are largely synonymous in use.

Comparison table

Name		Damage	DPS	AP	Damage Type	Value	Body part	Is implant
	Human Fist	8.2	4.1	12%	Blunt	-	-	-
	Human Teeth	5	2.5	7%	Blunt	-	-	-
	Prosthetic arm	8.2		12%	Blunt	260	Shoulder
	Archotech arm	14		21%	Blunt	2,800	Shoulder
	Bionic arm	12		18%	Blunt	1,030	Shoulder
	Power claw	22		33%	Scratch	385	Hand
	Flesh whip	20.5		60%	Cut	0	Shoulder
	Field hand	9		13%	Blunt	425	Hand
	Venom fangs	15		22%	Toxic bite	355	Teeth
	Hand talon	15		15%	Scratch	355	Hand
	Elbow blade	18		27%	Cut	355	Arm
	Drill arm	13		20%	Stab	425	Shoulder
	Venom talon	11		15%	Toxic scratch	355	Middle finger
	Knee spike	22		38%	Stab	355	Leg

Analysis

Combination concerns

Generally you don't want to bother installing multiple body part weapons, due to the verb system (see melee weapons), and instead just install the best one you can though it can sometimes be useful to prevent dilution (e.g. toxic buildup shenanigans where you want to prevent any normal fist or bite attacks)

Venom fangs is compatible with everything, but is mediocre its better than archotech arms (i.e. what the best of what the others are incompatible with) and toxic buildup might help win against superior enemy or just escape. Knee spike is compatible with all arm mods and is 4th best DPS with best AP, though in a vacuum arm mods are for melee not ranged (shooting accuracy capped at 100% manip), so if you're using the arm mods there should be a reason external to combat to do so. Hand talons are basically power claws in DPS but doesn't slow the pawn, in exchange, terrible AP. Elbowblades are compatible with field hands are body part weapons but are barely better than a normal fist, their true utility is their plant use. As the field hand is already incompatible with the other arm mods, if your modded planter is not a melee weapon user, there is no reason not to also install an elbow blade on the same arm as the field hand.

The power claw has the highest damage, AP, and DPS of all artificial body parts, and is as a moderately powerful melee weapon in its own right - attacking 25% faster than a normal steel longsword, but with otherwise equivalent stats, and producing a DPS competitive with a normal plasteel longsword. Additionally, like all body part weapons, a pawn can be equipped with both a power claw and a ranged weapon. However, there are a variety of ramifications from its use that limit its utility, depending on what it is compared to.

Note, that no matter what role the power claw is placed into, there is little reason to install more than one.

Melee weapons

Compared to actual melee weapon, a power claw acquired through trade or quest reward shines in the early game before Smithing and/or Long blades have been researched, or before high quality crafters and materials like uranium and plasteel become common. However, this lifespan is limited by the claw's lack of Quality multipliers. Crafted melee weapons of the right material quickly begin to outshine the power claw's attack in the midgame. More importantly, unlike the claw, those weapons can be used with bionic and archotech arms which increase Manipulation and Melee Hit Chance and don't decrease Moving and Melee Dodge Chance. Thus, a melee pawn armed with only an equivalent melee weapon can still be superior to one armed with a power claw.

Body part weapons

Compared to other body part weapons, there are different considerations. All such weapons fall into the same issue of being replaced by high quality, good material melee weapons. Instead, they typically act as sidearms for ranged fighters so that they don't have to rely on their using their ranged weapon's mediocre melee attacks should they or the enemy close. In this role, the power claw is a serious contender as the most powerful of any such weapon. Only the hand talon provides comparable DPS, but does so with less than half the AP. The power claw remains incompatible with other hand and arm bionics however, and depending on the non-combat role of the pawn, other options may offer a way to increase both the melee potential and work output of pawns that the power claw does not. For example, the knee spike is compatible with all hand and arm, but not leg, bionics, and the elbow blade which is compatible with hand and leg, but not arm, bionics. And in return, they lose approximately 20% of their DPS compared to the power claw. For example, a ranged-fighting planter will perform significantly better with two field hands and bionic legs and is fully compatible with the elbow blade, but not the power claw. The loss of DPS in the rare instances that they close is likely acceptable.

The moving penalty offered by the power claw also negatively affects some comparisons as well. While likely not relevant on a researcher who sits all day, planter or hauler who spends a significant proportion of their time walking to their tasks will be have their work rate significantly reduced.

Social fights

One concern with body part weapons is that pawns will do increased damage in social fights, making permanent damage or death more likely. However, this only applies to the prosthetic, bionic, and archotech arm replacements. Pawns will never use other body part weapons in social fights, much like they do not use melee weapons. Note that this does not apply to berserk pawns, who will use all melee weapons available to them.

Slaves

Slaves represent a unique use case for body part weapons. As melee weapons increase chance of rebellions, arming slaves is often inadvisable, but combat slaves can be very useful. Body part weapons do not have this downside - while they are still more dangerous when they do rebel, slaves implanted with these weapons are no more likely to rebel in the first place. The easy acquisition and disposable nature of slaves also means that the power claw's inferiority to dedicate melee weapons is also less relevant.

Prosthesis

Finally there is the use as a prosthesis. All body part weapons have 100% part efficiency, making them superior to prosthetic arms and wooden hands. If a weapon prosthetic is available, but a bionic or archotech arm is not, they are a useful and low cost way to regain full capability. However they also have a 8% moving penalty, which may be worse the 20-25% manipulation penalty from a wooden hand or prosthetic arm, depending on the type of work being done.