Mechanitor

Mechanitors are pawns who have installed a mechlink. They are used to control mechanoids in the Biotech DLC.

Mechlink

Colonists can become mechanitors through a mechlink, which can be obtained in the following ways:

• Starting out with one
• Destroying an Ancient Exostrider. This allows you to call in a mechanoid ship, with an extractable mechlink and some hostile mechanoids.
• The "discovered mechinator complex" quest, with hostile mechanoids guarding it.

Outside of starting with a mechlink, obtaining one will have you extracting it from the long-dead corpse of an ancient mechanitor.

Mechlinks are self-installed implants, meaning a solo colonist can become a mechanitor. Multiple mechanitors may exist at once, and function normally. Mechanoids may be transfered to different mechanitors.

Summary

Mechanitors are required to control, build, and repair your allied mechanoids. They are required to initiate the mech gestation processes, and at least one mechanitor must be present in order to work on mech-related research. Mechanitors are limited to controlling mechs they have enough bandwidth for (See #Bandwidth for detail). They can't tame mechanoids that are already hostile, even if they were once part of your colony.

Mechanoids require power and create pollution when recharged normally. See mechanoid creation for details on the mechs themselves.

Mechanoid Control

Mech are fully autonomous. You cannot order mechanoid work in any direct way, though you can indirectly control it through setting zones. Specifically, mechs are put into control groups, which can then be assigned to one of four orders:

• Work: Do available work tasks. Start charging after reaching a configurable % of power left.
• Escort: Follow the mechanitor around and fight enemies. Start charging after reaching a configurable % of power left.
• Recharge: Look for available recharging stations and use them. Enter dormant self-charging if full or no available charging stations.
• Dormant self-charging: Turns off the mechs. While dormant, mechs recharge a very small amount of power (+1% power / day) without a charger or any pollution.

Control groups and orders may be changed, the mechanitor must be controllable (not downed and not under a mental break), and their mechs are in the same map. If they are seperated, mechs will continue to do their tasks without a problem, and won't become hostile. However, control groups and their orders can not be changed.

Mechs can also be drafted for combat, where they are controlled like any colonist. However, the mechanoid can only be ordered to move to spaces within a 25-tile radius from their master, and they can only be ordered to do other commands while in said radius. Mechs can be drafted outside of this range (but not if the mechanitor is downed), where they can defend themselves, carry out previous combat commands, or be commanded to go near the mechanitor.

If the mechanitor dies or runs out of bandwidth, mechanoids will go into the Uncontrolled state. They will not be uncontrolled if the mechanitor is downed, in a caravan, etc. After 60,000 ticks (16.67 mins) uncontrolled, there is a chance for a mech to go fferal with MTB of 10 in-game days, with a cascade radius of 25 tiles.^[Verify]

Bandwidth

Bandwidth controls how many mechs a single mechanitor can control at any one time. The mechlink itself gives +6 bandwidth. To increase it further, you must build or craft items.

Mechanoids cannot be gestated without enough bandwidth. If a mechanitor's bandwidth then decreases below their bandwidth cost, then the mechanoids will become uncontrolled. Uncontrolled mechanoids may leave or become hostile to your colony after enough time.

Bandwidth Cost

The heavier the mechanoid is, the more Bandwidth it takes up:

• 1: Lifter, Militor, Cleansweeper, Paramedic, Fabricor
• 2: Scyther, Pikeman, Scorcher, Lancer, Legionary
• 3: Tunneler, Tesseron
• 4: Centipede (all)
• 5: Centurion, Diabolus, War queen

Increasing Bandwidth

Apparel and gear items must be worn, and band nodes must be powered, for bandwidth to actually increase.

• Mechlink: +6
• Band node: +1
• Airwire headset: +3
• Array headset: +6
• Bandwidth pack: +6
• Mechcommander helmet: +6
• Integrator headset: +9
• Mechlord helmet: +12
• Mechlord suit: +12

Mech Signaling

Mechanoid bosses may be called in by a mechanitor via the Summon Mech Threat gizmo.

• Diabolus - Powered comms console
• War queen - Mechband antenna
• Apocriton - Mechband dish

Except for the comms console, the building used to call in the mech will be destroyed. After a delay, the respective boss will drop in from the outskirts of the map. There is a cooldown before spawning in another boss.

See Also

• Mechanoid creation - For information of allied mechanoids themselves

Version history

• Biotech DLC Release - Added.

---

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