Body part weapons

Body part weapons are artificial body parts that act as weapons in addition to any other effects.

	Damage	DPS	AP	Damage Type	Market Value
Archotech arm	14		21	Blunt	2,800
Bionic arm	12		18	Blunt	1,030
Drill arm	13		20	Stab	425
Elbow blade	18		27	Cut	355
Field hand	9		13	Blunt	425
Flesh whip	20.5		60	Cut	0
Hand talon	15		15	Scratch	355
Knee spike	22		38	Stab	355
Power claw	22		33	Scratch	385
Prosthetic arm	8.2		12	Blunt	260
Venom fangs	15		22	Toxic bite	355
Venom talon	11		15	Toxic scratch	355

Analysis

The power claw has the highest damage, AP, and DPS of all artificial body parts, and is as a moderately powerful melee weapon in its own right - attacking 25% faster than a normal steel longsword, but with otherwise equivalent stats, and producing a DPS competitive with a normal plasteel longsword. Additionally, like all body part weapons, a pawn can be equipped with both a power claw and a ranged weapon. However, there are a variety of ramifications from its use that limit its utility, depending on what it is compared to.

Note, that no matter what role the power claw is placed into, there is little reason to install more than one.

Melee weapons

Compared to actual melee weapon, a power claw acquired through trade or quest reward shines in the early game before Smithing and/or Long blades have been researched, or before high quality crafters and materials like uranium and plasteel become common. However, this lifespan is limited by the claw's lack of Quality multipliers. Crafted melee weapons of the right material quickly begin to outshine the power claw's attack in the midgame. More importantly, unlike the claw, those weapons can be used with bionic and archotech arms which increase Manipulation and Melee Hit Chance and don't decrease Moving and Melee Dodge Chance. Thus, a melee pawn armed with only an equivalent melee weapon can still be superior to one armed with a power claw.

Body part weapons

Compared to other body part weapons, there are different considerations. All such weapons fall into the same issue of being replaced by high quality, good material melee weapons. Instead, they typically act as sidearms for ranged fighters so that they don't have to rely on their using their ranged weapon's mediocre melee attacks should they or the enemy close. In this role, the power claw is a serious contender as the most powerful of any such weapon. Only the hand talon provides comparable DPS, but does so with less than half the AP. The power claw remains incompatible with other hand and arm bionics however, and depending on the non-combat role of the pawn, other options may offer a way to increase both the melee potential and work output of pawns that the power claw does not. For example, the knee spike is compatible with all hand and arm, but not leg, bionics, and the elbow blade which is compatible with hand and leg, but not arm, bionics. And in return, they lose approximately 20% of their DPS compared to the power claw. For example, a ranged-fighting planter will perform significantly better with two field hands and bionic legs and is fully compatible with the elbow blade, but not the power claw. The loss of DPS in the rare instances that they close is likely acceptable.

The moving penalty offered by the power claw also negatively affects some comparisons as well. While likely not relevant on a researcher who sits all day, planter or hauler who spends a significant proportion of their time walking to their tasks will be have their work rate significantly reduced.

Slaves

Slaves represent a unique use case for body part weapons. As melee weapons increase chance of rebellions, arming slaves is often inadvisable, but combat slaves can be very useful. Body part weapons do not have this downside - while they are still more dangerous when they do rebel, slaves implanted with these weapons are no more likely to rebel in the first place. The easy acquisition and disposable nature of slaves also means that the power claw's inferiority to dedicate melee weapons is also less relevant.

Prosthesis

Finally there is the use as a prosthesis. Despite primarily being a weapon, the power claw does fully replace the functionality of a damaged or missing hand. If a power claw is available, but a bionic or archotech arm is not, or are otherwise contraindicated, such as on a pawn that will eventually host a currently unavailable field hand, they are a useful and low cost way to regain full capability. The penalty to moving must be considered however.