Scorcher

Scorcher

A close-approach war mechanoid that specializes in incendiary attacks. Its flame burst attack has little reach, but once it closes on a group of defenders it can ignite and disrupt them with blasts of searing flame.

Base Stats

Type

Mechanoid

Market Value

1200 

Flammability

0%

Mechanoid

Bandwidth Cost

1

Armor

Armor - Sharp

40%

Armor - Blunt

20%

Armor - Heat

200%

Pawn Stats

Combat Power

75

Move Speed

4.5 c/s

Health Scale

70% HP

Body Size

1

Mass

60 kg

Pack Capacity

35 kg

Carrying Capacity

75 kg

Filth Rate

1

Comfortable Temp Range

-100 °C – 250 °C (-148 °F – 482 °F)

Melee Combat

Attack 1

Front left leg
12 dmg (Blunt)
18 % AP
2 second cooldown

Attack 2

Front right leg
12 dmg (Blunt)
18 % AP
2 second cooldown

Attack 3

Head
8.5 dmg (Blunt)
13 % AP
2 second cooldown
0.2 chance factor

Average DPS

3.36

Creation

Crafted At

Required Research

Standard mechtech

Gestation Cycles

2

Resources to make

80 + 32 + 3 + 1

Technical

weaponTags

MechanoidGunMiniFlameblaster

A scorcher is a mechanoid added by the Biotech DLC.

Acquisition

Scorchers 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  80 Steel,  32 Plasteel,  3 Components,  1 Standard subcore and 2 gestation cycles taking 1,800 ticks (30 secs) each to initiate. They take up 1 bandwidth from their linked mechanitor.

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

Summary

As mechanoids, every scorcher 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 scorchers may be shredded at the machining table or crafting spot for  15 steel. However, these values are affected by mechanoid shredding efficiency, as well as missing parts on the scorcher.

As an enemy

Scorchers will charge at the player, then try to stay at maximum range. Due to the short-ranged nature of their weapon, this behavior is somewhat counterproductive - see #Combat for more detail.

Mechanoids can raid the player's base through events, and are found in most poison ships, psychic ships, and mech clusters. Scorchers are a fairly low level threat, but can be dangerous with other mechs.

As an ally

Mechs under player control require power: scorchers 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 5 wastepacks whenever the recharger's waste is filled up.

Combat

Scorchers are equipped with a mini-flameblaster. With a range of just 4.9 tiles, it is the shortest ranged weapon in the entire game. However, it has the unique property of being able to fire during melee combat. Enemies are able to do so but do not actively take advantage of this fact.

As its name suggests, the mini-flame blaster lights pawns on fire, which will cause them to run around wildly if there is no firefoam or water around. All mechanoids are completely immune to fire.

Analysis

As an enemy

Enemy scorchers are usually not much of a threat on their own. A scorcher in range of firing is also just a few tiles from melee range, and can be shot down as it tries to approach. But if it gets to shoot, fire is a very dangerous condition. It will send your pawns careening into the attacks of other mechanoids. A firefoam pop pack is useful.

Scorchers may appear in quest buildings such as the ancient complex. In these close-quarters situations, they can pose a significant threat as the small rooms in the building mean they can easily burn all of your raiders as they open a room without visibility, and rooms deep in the complex will heat up quickly to extreme temperatures. Keep your raiders spread out when entering rooms, and extinguish fires quickly after taking out the scorcher. In dire circumstances, forcefully break outside walls with melee attacks to return to a normal outdoor temperature.

As an ally

Scorchers have a very limited range, so are dedicated to melee combat, or to help other pawns out in melee combat. Scorchers can be very effective in hallways, either in melee or just behind a melee blocker. Fire will cause vulnerable enemies to stop attacking, which allows pawns in the front lines to survive for longer, giving more time to kill in general. Effective against infestations.

Earlier on, scorchers are also decent out in the open - but a few scorchers won't be enough to suppress a large tribal raid.

Scythers are accessible at the same time, have higher melee damage, melee penetration and almost twice the health scaling, but lack crowd-controlling flamethrower. Also, low bandwidth cost means you can have two scorchers for every Scyther.

Health

Body parts

Body Part Name	Health	Quantity	Coverage	Target Chance	Subpart of	Internal	Capacity	Effect if Destroyed/Removed
Thorax	28	1	100%	4%	N/A		-	Death Will never take permanent injury
Neck	21	1	10%	2%	Thorax		Communication	Death Will never take permanent injury
Head	21	1	80%	2.7%	Neck		-	Death Will never take permanent injury
Artificial Brain	7	1	10%	0.8%	Head		Data Processing	Death Will never take permanent injury
Sight Sensor	7	2	20%	1.6%	Head		Sight	−25% Sight. −100% if both lost. Will never take permanent injury
Hearing Sensor	7	2	5%	0.4%	Head		Hearing	−25% Hearing. −100% if both lost. Will never take permanent injury
Chemical Analyzer	7	1	6%	0.48%	Head		-	Will never take permanent injury
Leg	21	4	18%	9%	Thorax		Moving	−25% Moving. Will never take permanent injury
Foot	14	4	50%	9%	Leg		Moving	−25% Moving. Will never take permanent injury
Reactor	14	1	6%	6%	Thorax		Power Generation	Death Will never take permanent injury
Fluid Reprocessor	10.5	2	4%	4%	Thorax		Fluid Reprocessing	Death if both lost −50% Fluid reprocessing Will never take permanent injury

Gallery

• 

  Age 0-99 Scorcher facing east

• 

  Age 0-99 Scorcher facing north

• 

  Age 0-99 Scorcher facing south

• 

  Age 100+ Scorcher facing east

• 

  Age 100+ Scorcher facing north

• 

  Age 100+ Scorcher facing south

Version history

• Biotech DLC Release - Added.
• 1.4.3555 - Bandwidth cost reduced from 2 to 1.

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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