Difference between revisions of "Pikeman"

Latest revision as of 12:22, 27 September 2024

Pikemen are a type of slow-moving, long range mechanoid.

Occurrence[edit]

Raids = Yes. When?

Ancient shrines = Yes

Clusters = Yes

Diabolus summons = Waves 2, 3, 6

War queen summons = Waves 1, 3, 5

Apocriton summons = No.

Acquisition[edit]

Pikemans can be gestated by a mechanitor at a large mech gestator once the standard mechtech research project has been completed. Note that this research requires a signal chip to unlock. Each requires 100 Steel, 40 Plasteel, 4 Components, 1 Standard subcore and 2 gestation cycles taking 1,800 ticks (30 secs) each to initiate.

Dead, friendly pikemans can also be resurrected at the large mech gestator using the "Resurrect medium mechanoid" bill. This requires the corpse of the friendly Pikeman, 50 steel, and 1 gestation cycle taking 1,800 ticks (30 secs) to initiate.

Summary[edit]

As mechanoids, every pikeman is immune to fire, Flame and Heat damage, and temperature extremes, despite having Comfortable Temperatures defined. They have 100% Toxic Resistance and Toxic Environment Resistance, making them immune to toxic buildup, rot stink and other toxic effects. They do not need to eat, rest, and have no mood. They will be stunned by EMP attacks for a time proportional to the EMP damage inflicted and will "adapt" and rendered immune to further EMP strikes for 2,200 ticks (36.67 secs).

Dead pikemen may be shredded at a machining table or crafting spot for 15 steel, though these values are affected by mechanoid shredding efficiency as well as any missing parts on the pikeman.

As an enemy[edit]

Pikemen will slowly move until they are at range, in which they will stay at maximum range to fire. They will not move around to seek cover, or avoid incoming fighters. Pikemen have moderate resistance to sharp damage and very small resistance to blunt damage, making them trivial to disable if one can get close enough to them.

Mechanoids can raid the player's base through events, and are found in most poison ships, psychic ships, and mech clusters. Pikemen are often supported by centipedes, scythers, and lancers, though their speed and range difference often leaves them at the back of the formation.

Combat[edit]

Pikemen are always equipped with needle gun. It doesn't deal too much damage, but has an extremely long range, and better-than-average armor penetration. Like any other weapon, the needle gun has the possibility of getting a lucky shot to the head. They are also able to engage in (less effective) melee combat with colonists.

Pikemen have a shooting accuracy of 96%, equivalent to a pawn with a Shooting skill of 8. They have a melee hit chance of 62%, equivalent to a pawn with a Melee skill of 4.

Armor[edit]

Armor

As an ally[edit]

Mechs under player control require power: pikemen use 10% of their power per day while active. If set to dormant self-charging, they instead recharge for 1% power / day, without pollution. They recharge in a large mech recharger (400W), for 50% power/day, creating 10 wastepacks whenever the recharger's waste is filled up.

Analysis[edit]

As an enemy[edit]

Main article: Defense tactics#Pikemen

Pikemen play a supportive role. While their damage output is atrocious, their range is massive, analogous to a sniper rifle. Thus, a pikeman serves a few functions:

They make kiting a group of mechanoids, i.e. firing and backing away from them, more difficult. Kiting a lone centipede is easy, but kiting a centipede with a pikeman firing potshots is very difficult.
They allow crashed ship parts and mech clusters to fire from far away.
They have a small chance to instantly kill a pawn. If the needle gun hits the right body part (brain, heart) without protection, it can flat out kill.

In large groups, they are not to be underestimated, and don't expect basic mini-turrets to be able to hit them.

As their description says, engaging pikemen at close range can be a viable way to take them down, though you'll have to deal with their comrades first. Their gun is weak, but their melee is even weaker.

As an ally[edit]

Pikemen are quite weak. Enemy pikemen can be threats as they can headshot colonists, but a tiny chance to instakill a raider doesn't really matter. Thus, they aren't the best for combat. Enemies almost always have larger numbers than you, so occasional lucky kills are not impactful and good overall DPS is much more reliable and useful metric - and one where the pikeman lags behind. Once you've researched High Mechtech, lancers become a better option for general combat: they move much faster and have a much greater DPS.

Therefore, the pikeman is a niche support unit, using its massive range to its advantage. While any pawn can boast the same range with a sniper rifle, pikemen are safer to use due to being eminently replaceable. When fighting enemy snipers, a colonist risks getting their head lobbed off but pikemen can easily be revived, so this is not a problem. Thus, pikemen can be used to lure sieges into attacking, pick off preparing raiders, or hunt animals. When using one, beware of their rather slow movement speed. They typically will not be able to run far before aggroed enemies catch up with them - even at maximum range, human enemies will typically catch up to the pikeman within at most 21 tiles of its starting position. Keep your fighting force ready and somewhere nearby when triggering or baiting an attack.

Health[edit]

Note, that due to mechanoids having different body part structures, this table is only provided as a rough guide.

Body Part Name	Health	Quantity	Coverage^[1]	Target Chance^[2]	Subpart of	Capacity^[3]	Effect if Destroyed/Removed
Thorax	34	1	100%	4%	N/A^[4]	-	Death Will never take permanent injury
Neck	25.5	1	10%	2%	Thorax	Communication	Death Will never take permanent injury
Head	25.5	1	80%	2.7%	Neck	-	Death Will never take permanent injury
Artificial Brain	8.5	1	10%	0.8%	Head	Data Processing	Death Will never take permanent injury
Sight Sensor	8.5	2	20%	1.6%	Head	Sight	−25% Sight. −100% if both lost. Will never take permanent injury
Hearing Sensor	8.5	2	5%	0.4%	Head	Hearing	−25% Hearing. −100% if both lost. Will never take permanent injury
Chemical Analyzer	8.5	1	6%	0.48%	Head	-	Will never take permanent injury
Leg	25.5	4	18%	9%	Thorax	Moving	−25% Moving. Will never take permanent injury
Foot	17	4	50%	9%	Leg	Moving	−25% Moving. Will never take permanent injury
Reactor	17	1	6%	6%	Thorax	Power Generation	Death Will never take permanent injury
Fluid Reprocessor	12.75	2	4%	4%	Thorax	Fluid Reprocessing	Death if both lost −50% Fluid reprocessing Will never take permanent injury

↑ Coverage determines the chance to hit this body part. It refers to the percentage of the super-part that this part covers, before its own sub-parts claim their own percentage. For example, if the base coverage of the super-part is 100%, and the coverage of the part is 20%, 20% of hits would hit the part, and 80% the super-part. If the part had its own sub-part with 50% coverage, the chances would be 10% sub-part, 10% part, 80% super part.
↑ Target Chance is the actual chance for each part to be be selected as the target when each part's coverage has been taken into account(I.E. Neck covers 7.5% of Torso but Head covers 80% of Neck so it actually has only a 1.5% chance to be selected). This is not pure hit chance, as different damage types propagate damage in different ways. See that page for details.
↑ Note that capacities can affect other capacities in turn. Only the primary effect is listed. See specific pages for details.
↑ This is the part that everything else connects to to be considered 'connected'.

Trivia[edit]

The line in the description, "Veterans of mechanoid wars know that often, the safest place to be around a pikeman is touching it." is copied almost verbatim from a previous version of the Lancer's description, namely: "Veterans of mechanoid wars know that often, the safest thing to do against a lancer is to charge."

Version history[edit]

1.1.0 - Added.
Biotech DLC - Introduced ability to create and control friendly mechanoids, including pikemen.

Mechanoids

Mechanoids | Core: Centipede (Blaster, Burner, Gunner) • Lancer • Pikeman • Scyther • Termite
Combat: Centurion • Legionary • Militor • Scorcher • Tesseron
Command: Apocriton • Diabolus • War queen (War urchin )
Labor: Agrihand • Cleansweeper • Constructoid • Fabricor • Lifter • Paramedic • Tunneler
Cluster | Buildings: Condition causer • Count-down activator • Mech assembler • Mech capsule • Mech drop beacon • Mech high-shield • Mech low-shield • Mech node • Proximity activator • Unstable power cell
Turrets: Auto charge turret • Auto inferno turret • Auto mortar • Mini-slugger turret
Creation | Pawn: Mechanitor
Buildings: Mech gestator • Large mech gestator • Mechband antenna • Mechband dish

[1] Coverage determines the chance to hit this body part. It refers to the percentage of the super-part that this part covers, before its own sub-parts claim their own percentage. For example, if the base coverage of the super-part is 100%, and the coverage of the part is 20%, 20% of hits would hit the part, and 80% the super-part. If the part had its own sub-part with 50% coverage, the chances would be 10% sub-part, 10% part, 80% super part.

[2] Target Chance is the actual chance for each part to be be selected as the target when each part's coverage has been taken into account(I.E. Neck covers 7.5% of Torso but Head covers 80% of Neck so it actually has only a 1.5% chance to be selected). This is not pure hit chance, as different damage types propagate damage in different ways. See that page for details.

[3] Note that capacities can affect other capacities in turn. Only the primary effect is listed. See specific pages for details.

[4] This is the part that everything else connects to to be considered 'connected'.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 | type = Mechanoid
 | marketvalue = 1200
+| combatPower = 110
 | movespeed = 2.5
 | basemeatamount = 0
@@ Line 13: / Line 14: @@
 | min comfortable temperature = -100
 | max comfortable temperature = 250
+| bandwidth = 2
 | bodysize = 1
 | healthscale = 0.85
@@ Line 29: / Line 31: @@
 | attack3part = head
 | attack3chancefactor = 0.2
+| weaponTags = MechanoidGunLongRange
 <!-- Creation -->
 | research = Standard mechtech
 | production facility 1 = Large mech gestator
+| gestation cycles = 2
 | resource 1 = Steel
 | resource 1 amount = 100
@@ Line 43: / Line 47: @@
 '''Pikemen''' are a type of slow-moving, long range [[mechanoid]].
-==Summary==
+== Occurrence ==
-As mechanoids, pikemen are immune to [[fire]], toxicity, and temperature extremes, despite having a Comfortable Temperature. They do not need to eat, rest, and have no mood. Enemy mechs do not require power, though may spawn dormant. They will be stunned by [[EMP]] attacks and will "adapt" for {{Ticks|2200}}, rendering them immune to further EMP strikes.
+{{Stub|section=1|reason = General. Ensure parity with other non-commander mechs, whatever standard you or others might decide to set.}}
+Raids = Yes. When?
-===As an enemy===
+Ancient shrines = Yes
+Clusters = Yes
+Diabolus summons = Waves 2, 3, 6
+War queen summons = Waves 1, 3, 5
+Apocriton summons = No.
+== Acquisition ==
+{{Biotech|section=1}}
+{{Acquisition}}
+Dead, friendly {{lc:{{PAGENAME}}}}s can also be resurrected at the {{lc:{{P|Production Facility 1}}}} using the "''Resurrect medium mechanoid''" bill. This requires the corpse of the friendly {{PAGENAME}}, {{Icon Small|Steel||50}} [[steel]], and 1 [[gestation cycle]] taking {{ticks|1800}} to initiate.
+== Summary ==
+{{Mechanoid Summary}}
+Dead pikemen may be shredded at a [[machining table]] or [[crafting spot]] for {{Icon Small|Steel||15}} [[steel]], though these values are affected by [[Mechanoid Shredding Efficiency|mechanoid shredding efficiency]] as well as any missing parts on the pikeman.
+=== As an enemy ===
 Pikemen will slowly move until they are at range, in which they will stay at maximum range to fire. They will not move around to seek cover, or avoid incoming fighters. Pikemen have moderate resistance to sharp damage and very small resistance to blunt damage, making them trivial to disable if one can get close enough to them.
 Mechanoids can raid the player's base through [[events]], and are found in most [[Crashed Ship Part#Poison Ship|poison ships]], [[Crashed Ship Part#Psychic Ship|psychic ships]], and [[mech cluster]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}}. Pikemen are often supported by [[centipede]]s, [[scyther]]s, and [[lancer]]s, though their speed and range difference often leaves them at the back of the formation.
-===Combat===
+=== Combat ===
-Pikemen are always equipped with [[needle gun]]. It doesn't deal too much damage, but has an extremely long range, better-than-average armor penetration, and has the possibility of getting a lucky shot to the head. They also able to engage in (less effective) melee combat with colonists.
+Pikemen are always equipped with [[needle gun]]. It doesn't deal too much damage, but has an extremely long range, and better-than-average armor penetration. Like any other weapon, the needle gun has the possibility of getting a lucky shot to the head. They are also able to engage in (less effective) melee combat with colonists.
 Pikemen have a [[shooting accuracy]] of 96%, equivalent to a pawn with a [[Shooting]] skill of 8. They have a [[melee hit chance]] of 62%, equivalent to a pawn with a [[Melee]] skill of 4.
-===Armor===
+=== Armor ===
 {| class="wikitable"
 |-
@@ Line 64: / Line 90: @@
 |}
-==As an ally==
+=== As an ally ===
-{{Biotech}}
+{{Biotech|section=1}}
-{{Main|Mechanoid creation}}
-Pikemen are medium mechanoids, requiring [[Research#Standard Mechtech|Standard Mechtech]] to be researched. They are created from a [[large mech gestator]] with 1 [[standard subcore]], 100 [[steel]], 40 [[plasteel]], and 4 [[component]]s, taking up 2 [[bandwidth]] from a [[mechanitor]]. They take 1800 [[ticks]] to initally craft, and then it must gestate for 2 cycles. Mechanoids can be fully repaired at the cost of power and nothing else. A dead pikeman can be resurected for 50 [[steel]] and 1 gestation cycle so long as the corpse is extant. Mechs do not count as a pawn for determining [[raid points]], but still contribute towards wealth.
 Mechs under player control require power: pikemen use 10% of their power per day while active.  If set to dormant self-charging, they instead recharge for 1% power / day, without pollution. They recharge in a [[large mech recharger]] (400W), for 50% power/day, creating 10 [[wastepack]]s whenever the recharger's waste is filled up.
 == Analysis ==
-===As an enemy===
+=== As an enemy ===
 {{main|Defense tactics#Pikemen}}
-Pikemen play a supportive role. While their damage output is atrocious, their range is massive, analogous to a [[sniper rifle]]. This makes kiting a group of mechanoids, or firing and backing away from them, a difficult task. It also gives a mechanoid group flat range. The needle gun's piercing value means that it has the potential to be lethal, if it hits the right body part. In large groups, they are not to be underestimated, and don't expect basic [[mini-turret]]s to be able to hit them.
+Pikemen play a supportive role. While their damage output is atrocious, their range is massive, analogous to a [[sniper rifle]]. Thus, a pikeman serves a few functions:
+*They make [[kiting]] a group of mechanoids, i.e. firing and backing away from them, more difficult. Kiting a lone centipede is easy, but kiting a centipede with a pikeman firing potshots is very difficult.
+*They allow [[crashed ship part]]s and [[mech cluster]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} to fire from far away.
+*They have a small chance to instantly kill a pawn. If the needle gun hits the right body part (brain, heart) without protection, it can flat out kill.
+In large groups, they are not to be underestimated, and don't expect basic [[mini-turret]]s to be able to hit them.
 As their description says, engaging pikemen at close range can be a viable way to take them down, though you'll have to deal with their comrades first. Their gun is weak, but their melee is even weaker.
-===As an ally===
+=== As an ally ===
-{{Biotech}}
+{{Biotech|section=1}}
-A pikeman's needle cannon is still as weak as ever. And, unlike your colonists, a tiny chance to instantly kill a raider doesn't really matter. Once you've researched [[Research#High Mechtech|High Mechtech]], [[lancer]]s become a much better option for general combat: they have the same bandwidth cost, move much faster, and have a much greater DPS.
+Pikemen are quite weak. Enemy pikemen can be threats as they can headshot colonists, but a tiny chance to instakill a raider doesn't really matter. Thus, they aren't the best for combat. Enemies almost always have larger numbers than you, so occasional lucky kills are not impactful and good overall {{DPS}} is much more reliable and useful metric - and one where the pikeman lags behind. Once you've researched [[Research#High Mechtech|High Mechtech]], [[lancer]]s become a better option for general combat: they move much faster and have a much greater DPS.
-Therefore, the pikeman is a niche support unit, using its massive range to its advantage. While any pawn can boast the same range with a [[sniper rifle]], getting into a sniper duel risks getting a colonist's head lobbed off. Thus, pikemen are a safer way to lure [[siege]]s into attacking, pick off preparing [[raider]]s, or hunt with less risk than a human marksman. When using one, beware of their rather slow movement speed. For example, keep your fighting force ready and somewhere nearby when getting a siege to attack.
-Note that the [[legionary]] shares the needle cannon, moves ''much'' faster, has a useful wide-shield, is the same weight, and has the same bandwidth cost. This comes at the cost of the slightly worse health scale (0.72 vs 0.85 for pikeman), a worse physiology, and more time to initially gestate. The actual deterrent to just building legionaries is that they require the [[Research#Ultra Mechtech|Ultra Mechtech]] research. If you've already got that, then there isn't much reason to continue using pikemen.
+Therefore, the pikeman is a niche support unit, using its massive range to its advantage. While any pawn can boast the same range with a [[sniper rifle]], pikemen are safer to use due to being eminently replaceable. When fighting enemy snipers, a colonist risks getting their head lobbed off but pikemen can easily be revived, so this is not a problem. Thus, pikemen can be used to lure sieges into attacking, pick off preparing raiders, or hunt animals. When using one, beware of their rather slow movement speed. They typically will not be able to run far before aggroed enemies catch up with them - even at maximum range, [[human]] enemies will typically catch up to the pikeman within at most {{#expr: {{Q|Needle gun|Range}}/({{Q|Human|Move Speed Base}} - {{P|Move Speed Base}}) round 0}} tiles of its starting position. Keep your fighting force ready and somewhere nearby when triggering or baiting an attack.
 == Health ==
 Note, that due to mechanoids having different body part structures, this table is only provided as a rough guide.
-{{Animal Health Table}}
+{{Animal Health Table|Pikeman}}
-==Trivia==
+== Trivia ==
 The line in the description, ''"Veterans of mechanoid wars know that often, the safest place to be around a pikeman is touching it."'' is copied almost verbatim from a previous version of the [[Lancer]]'s description, namely: ''"Veterans of mechanoid wars know that often, the safest thing to do against a lancer is to charge."''
 == Version history ==
-*Introduced in 1.1.
+* [[Version/1.1.0|1.1.0]] - Added.
-*[[Biotech DLC]] - Introduced ability to [[Mechanoid creation|create and control friendly mechanoids]], including pikemen.
+* [[Biotech DLC]] - Introduced ability to [[Mechanoid creation|create and control friendly mechanoids]], including pikemen.
 <noinclude>

Difference between revisions of "Pikeman"

Latest revision as of 12:22, 27 September 2024

Contents

Occurrence[edit]

Acquisition[edit]

Summary[edit]

As an enemy[edit]

Combat[edit]

Armor[edit]

As an ally[edit]

Analysis[edit]

As an enemy[edit]

As an ally[edit]

Health[edit]

Trivia[edit]

Version history[edit]

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