Apocriton

An apocriton (pronounced apoc-crit-on)^[1] is a mechanoid added by the Biotech DLC.

Summary

As mechanoids, every apocriton 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). It has 80% EMP resistance, so EMP attacks stun it for 80% less time.

Along with termites, apocritons are the only mechanoids that can't be gestated by your colony.

As an enemy

You can summon a hostile Apocriton with a mechanitor and a mechband dish, destroying the dish in the process. Therefore, summoning one requires the High Mechtech research. However, they are not exclusive to summoning, as strong enough mechanoid raids may feature one.

The apocriton carries a long-range toxic needle gun and is accompanied by other mechanoids. It has the ability to resurrect fallen mechanoids, induce negative moods in humans on the map, and jump long distances. Apocritons will spawn with a heavy shield unit, which has a strength of 400%.

Apocritons can resurrect any hostile mechanoid within a 9.9 tile radius that has been dead for less than 3,600 ticks (1 min), even if it was resurrected before. The effects of resurrection are the same as a mech gestator. This ability does not require line of sight, meaning it can resurrect mechs behind walls. There is a short 240 ticks (4 secs) warmup before the mech arises. There is a 480 ticks (8 secs) cooldown after each resurrection before the ability can be used again. An apocriton starts with 30 "charges" to use this ability when spawned. Resurrecting a Light class mech costs 1 charge, resurrecting a Medium class mech costs 3 charge, and resurrecting a Heavy class mech costs 5 charge. Ultra-heavy class mechs and other apocritons cannot be resurrected.

It is also capable of leaping to any tile within a 9.9 tile radius, outside a 5.9 tile radius and within line of sight. Therefore, it can jump over rock chunks and fences, but not walls. There is a short 30 ticks (0.5 secs) warm-up before jumping. It cannot be hurt mid-jump, even by explosions directly under it, but can still get hit during a short warm-up before jumping. There is a 480 ticks (8 secs) cooldown after each jump.^[Verify] Apocritons will jump when confronted by a melee enemy.

The negative thought inflicted by the apocriton covers the whole map, and is scaled by psychic sensitivity like a psychic soothe and psychic drone. It affects all humanlike pawns on the map, regardless of faction. Though this effect has a long range, the value of the debuff is also affected by the pawn's distance to the apocriton. If the distance is 5 tiles or shorter, the pawn receives a −16 mood debuff, if the distance is between 5 and 12 tiles, the pawn receives a −10 mood debuff, and if the distance is greater than 12, the pawn receives a −4 mood debuff.

Defeating a hostile apocriton will drop a nano structuring chip. This can be used to research Ultra Mechtech and Wastepack Atomizer.

Summoning:

1x Apocriton with heavy shield unit, 6x militor, 5x scyther
1x Apocriton with heavy shield unit, 6x militor, 4x scyther, 4x tesseron
1x Apocriton with heavy shield unit, 10x militor, 6x scyther, 1x diabolus
1x Apocriton with heavy shield unit, 10x militor, 2x tunneler, 2x diabolus
1x Apocriton with heavy shield unit, 10x militor, 1x tunneler, 2x centipede (blaster), 2x diabolus, 1x centurion
1x Apocriton with heavy shield unit, 10x militor, 5x scyther, 2x centipede (blaster), 3x diabolus, 1x centurion
1x Apocriton with heavy shield unit, 12x militor, 10x lancer, 5x tunneler, 4x centipede (blaster), 1x war queen
1x Apocriton with heavy shield unit, 15x militor, 10x scyther, 8x centipede (blaster), 2x diabolus, 1x war queen

Like the other mechanoid bosses, after being summoned 8 times, the next summon will be the same as wave 3. The wave count is per playthrough, not per colony or map.^{[Archonexus?]} If the apocriton is summoned once on one map, summoning another on a second map will bring the second wave.

Analysis

The mysterious apocriton is an intelligent commander mechanoid and psychic warrior that harbors endless hatred for humanity. Not much is known about it, except that its psychic powers poison the human mind with rage. Its weapon is hatred.

Compared to other mechanoid commanders, the apocriton boasts the most armor, at 75% sharp resistance and 40% blunt resistance. Like all mechanoids, it is immune to fire damage and is unaffeced by extreme temperatures. Apocritons and war queens have an equal amount of health, and more than the diabolus. In combat, the apocriton generally positions itself at long range, and has the ability to execute short-range jumps to retreat or to avoid melee engagement. It wields a toxic needle gun, a weapon very similar to the needle gun carried by pikemen, though the apocriton's variant has significantly increased damage (25 as opposed to 15) and also applies toxic buildup on biological targets. Apocritons also maintain a perpetual psychic drone affecting all colonists, the intensity of which scales both with the pawn's psychic sensitivity and the pawn's proximity to the apocriton.

In combat, the apocriton prefers to fight at long range. Apocritons will use their mechanoid revival ability as frequently as possible, if they have charges remaining. The apocriton will often attempt to jump behind nearby walls or retreat to longer range before activating its revival ability. If no dead mechanoids are nearby, or if the apocriton is out of charges, it will behave very similarly to a pikeman, staying at long range to snipe at pawns. With a range of 44.9 tiles, the apocriton's toxic needle gun outranges all weapons except the needle gun, the sniper rifle, and the uranium slug turret.

Apocritons are the most durable mechanoids in the game. Their armor is stronger than a centipede's, and they also have a personal 400 point shield. The apocriton is very similar durability-wise to the centipede, with slightly increased armor, health, and the addition of a personal shield. Given its high health and armor, weapons with high armor penetration such as the charge rifle are strong counters. Like all mechanoids, they are vulnerable to EMP damage. EMP will instantly destroy the apocriton's shield if hit, and stun the mechanoid for a brief period. If the mechanoid is given time to adapt to the EMP, it will be rendered immune to further EMPs for a brief period of time. Hitting the apocriton with an EMP will disrupt its ability to resurrect other mechanoids. Apocritons rarely enter the range of EMP grenades, but an EMP launcher, with its superior range, can more easily be used to stun the mechanoid.

Using melee to engage apocritons is difficult, as the apocriton will simply jump away if enemies get too close. Using the skip psycast, a jump pack, or longjump legs to close the distance can be effective to catch the apocriton. Apocritons are extremely poor melee adversaries, with attacks that deal very low damage. However, their high health and strong armor gives them a significant advantage in being able to simply outlast their opponent.

When killed, apocritons release a large area-of-effect EMP attack with a range of approximately 25-30 tiles. Colonists and hostile mechanoids will be unaffected, however all player-controlled turrets and mechanoids will be stunned. This effect can be very dangerous if the player relies on mechanoids or turrets for defense, or if the apocriton was supported by many other mechanoids. All apocritons, summoned or not, drop a nano structuring chip upon death.

This is it! The final Biotech boss fight! If you managed to find victory over the brutal war queen, apocriton shouldn't give you much trouble. The first Apocriton summon spawns with several scythers and militors. and has the ability to revive them. However, all of these units have tiny attack range! You can just stand back and destroy them over and over with gunfire. Like the war queen, apocriton can only use its abilities for 30 times. Its 400% heavy shield unit can be hard to break using ranged attacks, and it is harder to kill it using melee since it can disengage from melee combat using its leap ability. If you are unable to take it down quickly, prioritize on killing weaker mechanoids such as the militors so the apocriton wastes its ability.

Health

Specify body type when known.

Body part	Health
Head	130
Skull	130
Brain	52
Nose	52
Neck	130
Jaw	104
Eye ^[2] (left, right)	52
Ear (left, right)	52
Body	208
Kidney^[3] (left, right)	78
Lung^[3] (left, right)	78
Liver^[3]	104
Heart^[3]	78
Spine^[3]	130
Stomach^[3]	104
Limbs (left, right, fore, hind)	156
Appendage (left, right, fore, hind)	104

↑ Tynan Sylvester Interview, Hot Potato 2022 [1]
↑ Located inside of Head.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 Located inside of Body.

Trivia

Although the apocriton cannot be gestated, the game's files do contain "clean" variants of its textures, as well as faction color overlays.

Gallery

Age 0-99 Apocriton facing east
Age 0-99 Apocriton facing north
Age 0-99 Apocriton facing south

Age 100+ Apocriton facing east
Age 100+ Apocriton facing north
Age 100+ Apocriton facing south

Version history

Biotech DLC Release - Added.
1.4.3531 - EMP resistance increased from 40% to 80%
1.4.3555 - Significant combat overhaul. Toxic needle gun damage increased from 15 to 25. Sharp armor 40% -> 75%, Blunt armor 20% -> 40%. Health 3.3 -> 5.2. Apocritons can now cast resurrect without line of sight. Became immune to psychic lances. Fix: Apocriton appears in mech clusters.

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

References

[1] Tynan Sylvester Interview, Hot Potato 2022 [1]

[Head-2] Located inside of Head.

[Body-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 Located inside of Body.

[1]

[2]

[3]