Difference between revisions of "Centipede blaster"

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==Analysis==
 
==Analysis==
{{stub|reason=Information. Tactics (if any), threat level compared to burners/gunners/other mechs, and stuff as an ally}}
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{{stub|reason=As an enemy. Tactics to fight (if any), threat level compared to burners/gunners/other mechs.}}
?
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===As an ally===
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[[File:Centipede gunner miniguns.png|thumb|right|300px|Minigun setup with centipede gunners in front.<br>'''N.B.''' Likely needs more firepower.]]
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In general, centipedes are the tanks of the [[mechanitor]]'s arsenal - slow, with decent to great firepower, but incredibly bulky. This is due to 2 key factors:
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*High raw bulk. Centipedes have good armor, but a massive health scale of 4.32. Centipedes have much higher bulk than 4 [[bandwidth]] of any lighter mech combined, even considering the [[tunneler]]'s shield belt.
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*Superior physiology. Most light mechs are bipedal, with 1 torso and 2 legs. Centipedes have 6 body rings, all with a roughly equal chance of being shot. While the head is more likely to be hit, due to its higher health scale, a single headshot won't kill a centipede like it would a [[lancer]].
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And like all mechanoids, centipedes are disposable - able to be repaired and resurrected for a rather cheap cost. A centipede placed in the front of your line can take a [[doomsday rocket launcher]] that would otherwise kill or dismember multiple colonists, and come out largely intact. While [[war queen]]s may be better in the tank role, centipedes have "regular" armament. See the [[#Compared to mech commanders|Comparisons]] section for more detail.
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==Comparisons (ally)==
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===Compared to other centipedes===
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Compared to [[centipede gunner]]s, gunners cost {{icon small|plasteel}} 100 [[plasteel]] more and are unlocked at [[Research#Ultra mechtech|Ultra mechtech]]. The [[heavy charge blaster]] has {{Good|x150%}} damage per shot, but fires bursts {{Good|x{{%| (150 + 138 + (5*25) ) / (75 + 444 + (5*24) ) round 3}}}} slower, and fires 1 less shot. Overall, the minigun actually has slightly more raw {{DPS}}. The blaster has a shorter warmup than  minigun, but a ''much'' longer cooldown. In addition, the blaster is slightly more accurate and has {{+|7%}} {{AP}}, but 4 tiles less range.
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This results in the gunner having more ''sustained'' {{DPS}} than the blaster, while the blaster has a faster ''time to kill''. In many [[killbox]] setups, time to kill can be very important. If all your colonists, armed with [[charge rifle]]s, are generally killing raiders within the charge rifle's {{ticks|60}} warmup time, then either centipede should only shoot if an enemy gets lucky and survives all your colonist's attacks. In this case, centipede blasters will be the preferred option, due to the lowered warm up and higher per-shot damage. In contrast, the gunner's higher average {{DPS}} is preferred if mechs are constantly firing, such as in the aforementioned minigun kill setups. For the same reasons, gunners are better when fighting outside of a killbox, like when against [[sapper]]s and [[breacher]]s.
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===Compared to mech commanders===
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[[War queen]]s are more durable than any centipede, both in health and health per bandwidth.  Centipedes have {{%|4.32 / 5.6 round 2}} the health and ''very'' slightly less armor ({{--|3%}} Sharp / Blunt armor rating) than the war queen. This bulk is further bolstered by its [[war urchin]]s, which can act as valuable distractions. If a [[doomsday rocket launcher]] is aimed at a war urchin, then little is lost. Centipedes are cheaper, require less research, and take 1 less bandwidth. They also come with (more) standard armament - which can be useful for its firepower. A possible niche is to use 1 war queen as a distraction, then have a squad of centipedes, with dual purpose of damage dealers and secondary tanks.
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The [[diabolus]] has a radically different niche to the centipedes. Its hellsphere cannon can blow up your [[killbox]], but can be an equally devasting weapon against your enemies. A diabolus is only slightly bulkier than a centipede. Therefore, you should build diaboli if its cannon is desired, or centipedes if the cannon is not desired.
  
 
== Gallery ==
 
== Gallery ==

Revision as of 02:02, 11 February 2023

Centipede blaster

Centipede blaster

Heavy combat mechanoids that glide on dozens of tiny legs. Their thick carapace and firepower makes them very effective against bunched-up static defenders. They are somewhat vulnerable to mobile hit-and-run tactics.

Base Stats

Type
Mechanoid
Market Value
1200 Silver
Flammability
0%

Armor

Armor - Sharp
72%
Armor - Blunt
22%
Armor - Heat
200%

Pawn Stats

Move Speed
1.9 c/s
Health Scale
432% HP
Body Size
3
Mass
180 kg
Pack Capacity
105 kg
Carrying Capacity
225 kg
Filth Rate
1
Life Expectancy
2,500 years
Comfortable Temp Range
-100 °C – 250 °C (-148 °F – 482 °F)

Melee Combat

Attack
Head
17 dmg (Blunt)
25 % AP
2.6 second cooldown
Average DPS
4.05

Creation

Crafted At
Large mech gestator
Required Research
Ultra mechtech
Resources to make
Steel 255 + Plasteel 355 + Component 8 + High subcore 1
Technical
weaponTags
ChargeBlasterHeavyGun


Centipede blasters are a variant of centipede that wield the heavy charge blaster.

Summary

As mechanoids, centipedes are immune to fire, toxicity, and temperature extremes, despite having a Comfortable Temperature. They do not need to eat, rest, and have no mood. They will be stunned by EMP attacks and will "adapt" for 2,200 ticks (36.67 secs), starting from the stun, rendering them immune to further EMP strikes.

Centipedes have a Psychic Sensitivity of 75%, reducing the duration of certain psycasts.Content added by the Royalty DLC However, most other mechanoids have a psychic sensitivity of 50%, making centipedes more vulnerable than their contemporaries.

Combat

Centipedes are always equipped with a heavy charge blaster. It fires very similarly to a minigun, firing inaccurate but powerful spray of bullets. In comparison, the blaster has more AP and deals 50% more damage per shot, but has a much longer cooldown than the wieldable minigun. They are also able to engage in (less effective) melee combat with colonists.

  • Melee Attacks Damage Amount Cooldown
    Blunt 11.7 2.6 sec
  • Centipedes 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.

    As an ally

    Centipede blasters are heavy mechanoids. Unlike their other variants, blasters require Ultra Mechtech to be created. They require Steel 255 Steel, Plasteel 355 Plasteel, Component 8 Components, High subcore 1 High subcore (100 plasteel more than other centipedes), and 4 bandwidth from a mechanitor. They take 1800 ticks to initially craft, and then it must gestate for 6 cycles. Mechanoids can be fully repaired at the cost of power and nothing else. A dead centipede can be resurrected for 100 steel and 1 gestation cycle so long as the corpse is extant.

    Mechs under player control require power: centipedes 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 (constant 400W), for 50% power/day, creating 20 wastepacks whenever the recharger's waste is filled up. Mechs do not count as a pawn for determining raid points, but still contribute towards wealth.

    Analysis

    As an ally

    Minigun setup with centipede gunners in front.
    N.B. Likely needs more firepower.

    In general, centipedes are the tanks of the mechanitor's arsenal - slow, with decent to great firepower, but incredibly bulky. This is due to 2 key factors:

    • High raw bulk. Centipedes have good armor, but a massive health scale of 4.32. Centipedes have much higher bulk than 4 bandwidth of any lighter mech combined, even considering the tunneler's shield belt.
    • Superior physiology. Most light mechs are bipedal, with 1 torso and 2 legs. Centipedes have 6 body rings, all with a roughly equal chance of being shot. While the head is more likely to be hit, due to its higher health scale, a single headshot won't kill a centipede like it would a lancer.

    And like all mechanoids, centipedes are disposable - able to be repaired and resurrected for a rather cheap cost. A centipede placed in the front of your line can take a doomsday rocket launcher that would otherwise kill or dismember multiple colonists, and come out largely intact. While war queens may be better in the tank role, centipedes have "regular" armament. See the Comparisons section for more detail.

    Comparisons (ally)

    Compared to other centipedes

    Compared to centipede gunners, gunners cost Plasteel 100 plasteel more and are unlocked at Ultra mechtech. The heavy charge blaster has ×150% damage per shot, but fires bursts ×64.6% slower, and fires 1 less shot. Overall, the minigun actually has slightly more raw DPS. The blaster has a shorter warmup than minigun, but a much longer cooldown. In addition, the blaster is slightly more accurate and has +7% AP, but 4 tiles less range.

    This results in the gunner having more sustained DPS than the blaster, while the blaster has a faster time to kill. In many killbox setups, time to kill can be very important. If all your colonists, armed with charge rifles, are generally killing raiders within the charge rifle's 60 ticks (1 sec) warmup time, then either centipede should only shoot if an enemy gets lucky and survives all your colonist's attacks. In this case, centipede blasters will be the preferred option, due to the lowered warm up and higher per-shot damage. In contrast, the gunner's higher average DPS is preferred if mechs are constantly firing, such as in the aforementioned minigun kill setups. For the same reasons, gunners are better when fighting outside of a killbox, like when against sappers and breachers.

    Compared to mech commanders

    War queens are more durable than any centipede, both in health and health per bandwidth. Centipedes have 77% the health and very slightly less armor (−3% Sharp / Blunt armor rating) than the war queen. This bulk is further bolstered by its war urchins, which can act as valuable distractions. If a doomsday rocket launcher is aimed at a war urchin, then little is lost. Centipedes are cheaper, require less research, and take 1 less bandwidth. They also come with (more) standard armament - which can be useful for its firepower. A possible niche is to use 1 war queen as a distraction, then have a squad of centipedes, with dual purpose of damage dealers and secondary tanks.

    The diabolus has a radically different niche to the centipedes. Its hellsphere cannon can blow up your killbox, but can be an equally devasting weapon against your enemies. A diabolus is only slightly bulkier than a centipede. Therefore, you should build diaboli if its cannon is desired, or centipedes if the cannon is not desired.

    Gallery

    Version history

    • 1.4.3523 - The base centipede, which could wield both the charge blaster and inferno cannon, was split into blaster, burner, and gunner.
    • Biotech DLC - Introduced ability to create and control centipedes.