Scorcher

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^[1]	Target Chance^[2]	Subpart of	Capacity^[3]	Effect if Destroyed/Removed
Thorax	28	1	100%	4%	N/A^[4]	-	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

↑ 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'.