HK-36
The Iron Lord Protector (Neutral Good)
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION- Intent: To create a buzz-droid class for deployment in space and on the ground
- Image Source: DeviantArt, Robot Squid by DMarsela, link here
- Canon Link: Ion Blasters, Pistoeka Sabotage Droids
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: Abregado Combat Shield, ARGH Jet Systems, Sourcefyre Crystals
- Manufacturer: Abregado-Rae Guild of Hammers
- Model: Mechanized Autonomous Combat Unit- Buzz Drone "Squid Drones"
- Production: Minor
- Affiliation: The Metal Lords, ARGH, Firemane, GA, Abregado, Closed Market
- Modularity: N/A
- Material: Durasteel, Duranium for melee weapons, Sourcefyre crystal as a plasma torch power unit
- Classification: Class 2 (Engineering)
- Weight: 4 kilograms (Same as canon buzz droids)
- Height: 1 meter
- Movement: Octopedal, Repulsorlift, Jet System
- Armaments: Plasma Cutter, Drill Heads, Circular Saws, Prying Hooks, Picket and Pincer Arms, Personal Built-In Ion Blasters
- Misc. Equipment: Military Grade heat sensors and scanners (75 meters of range)
HUD with tracking and targeting systems (75 meters of range)
Build-In Communication Systems
Abregado Combat Shield
Magnetic Anchors
Internal Coolant Systems
Self-Destruction Systems
Tracking Unit
Kill Switch
Copper Farraday Cage
- Sourcefyre Plasma Cutter
- Abregado Combat Shield
- Internal Coolants
- Magnetic Anchors
- Copper Farraday Cage
- Jet Systems and Repulsorlifts
- Engineering Tools
- Personal Ion Blasters
- Sourcefyre Plasma Cutter- These buzz drones are equipped with plasma cutters connected to a Sourcefyre crystal they use as a power source, as such these cutters burn hotter than standard models and are able to deal with heavy vehicle, ship, and armor reinforced against heat better than standard plasma cutters would.
- Abregado Combat Shield- combat shield that grants them additional protection from ranged weapons and provides resistance against electrical and ionic attacks
- Internal Coolants- internal coolants allow the drones to withstand overheating, for example from heat and flame based weaponry, or allow them to work closer to hot objects such as streams of lava or active engines
- Magnetic Anchors- magnetic anchors in the tentacles allow the drone to stay attached to metal structures
- Copper Farraday Cage- adds additional passive protection against electrical and ionic attacks
- Jet Systems and Repulsorlifts- the drones are equipped with personal jet systems and repulsorlifts, allowing them to hover and fly as well as move easier and quicker in the vacuum of space.
- Engineering Tools- various engineering tools such as buzzsaws, drills, fusioncutters, or crimps. They can be used for either dismantling enemy vehicles or repairing allied structures, drones, and droids, allowing these buzz drones to double as mobile combat engineers supporting other mechanical soldiers.
- Personal Ion Blasters- the drones have built-in ion blasters, able to emit out shots of ionized electrical energy for self-defense purposes, this is mostly used to overload mechanical systems they are trying to dismantle.
Strengths:
- Overcharged Plasma Cutter- the standard plasma cutters built into these buzz drones, housed in the central maw surrounded by their tentacle-like appendages, has been connected to a Sourcefyre Crystal to use as a power unit, as such the torch burns much hotter than a standard model. The heat of the plasma is similar to that found within a lightsaber, however it's much shorter and broader as it is not contained or as sophisticated, as such the plasma cutter is able to cut through tougher materials like high grade vehicle armor and capital ship hull with speed and power similar to that of a lightsaber.
- Swarm- these buzz drones are built in very high numbers and designed to work in swarms of multiple units at the same time, as such while weak on their own their numbers make them more potent enemies. These tactics also make each drone highly expendable.
- Versatile Engineering- because of their array of engineering equipment housed within the tentacles and programming similar to that of astromech droids in regards to engineering, these drones can double as repair units, not only being sent out to attack enemy vehicles but also supporting the advance of ARGH drone and droid forces by keeping their own troops and vehicles repaired. For this purpose the drones are also equipped with internal coolants which allow them to work in dangerously hot environments without suffering damage to their internal circuits.
- Partial Electrical and Ionic Resistance- due to the built-in Farraday cage these drones can withstand electrical and ionic attacks, however while they are not outright deactivated by them such attacks would at least temporary disable the drone's tentacles, making them unable to move or use some of its build-in equipment.
- Quick- the multiple appendages, jet systems, and repulsorlift allow these drones to move quickly, whether skittering or hovering above the ground, or zooming around in the vacuum of space.
- Stupid- these drones have very low only animalistic intelligence, as required by ARGH to have them semi-sentient, as such they could be outsmarted rather easily, especially individually, and when it comes to repairs and dismantling enemy targets they tend to go for whatever is closest rather than focusing based on the importance of tasks.
- Low Combat Value- the only ranged weapon found on the drones are the built-in ion blasters housed at the top of their oblong bodies, and even then they are rather short ranged and not as devastating against organics as they are against mechanical targets. As such, these drones do not possess much of a threat in combat against organic soldiers, unless said soldier attempts to fight them in melee, the drones would have a bigger array of weapons to choose from then.
- Low Defenses- outside of the Combat Shield the only defense these drones have are their standard durasteel hull, which could be blasted through by plasma blaster shots or pierced by slugthrower, making them rather vulnerable to range attacks once their shields are down.
- Low Electromagnetic Resistance- the Combat shield can only absorb a single electromagnetic assault from an EMP grenade or the equivalent, afterwards the drones would be vulnerable to electromagnetic attacks which could slow them down or temporarily deactivate them, making them useless until rebooted.
- Explosive- while the Sourcefyre crystal offers greater power output to make the plasma cutter found within the buzz drones more potent, it's also fairly volatile, once shot and damaged enough it could explode out in a colorful explosion of vibrant energy, melting through the drone's body similar to a thermal detonator going off.
Intro: Ever since Abregado entered the starship market by producing their own droid starfighters and corvettes, there rose a need of a drone that could fulfill a support role for naval and land engagements. This role needed a design that would be not only capable of dealing damage by dismantling enemy structures but also support the Abregado vessels and soldiers by keeping their equipment, and them, repaired. MACU-BD was designed for that purpose, also known as Squid Buzz Drones or simply Squid Drones.
Description: The Squid Drones have elongated oblong bodies with multiple photoreceptors from which protrudes a muzzle of a built-in ion blaster on one and, and a maw housing a sourcefyre crystal and a plasma torch surrounded by eight tentacle-like appendages. These appendages in turn house multiple varied components like drills, buzzsaws, hooks, fusioncutters, and other engineering tools, as well as magnetic anchors for sticking to the metal surface of vehicles and ships. Everything about the drone's design has been pushed towards engineering purposes of both attacking enemy structures and keeping friendly units repaired. These drones are capable of curling their bodies into a ball half-meter in diameter, much like their older Confederate predecessors did, and usually they are deployed in this form, whether by the use of missiles, being fired off from a mass driver cannon, or simply dropped from vehicles. Unlike the ancient buzz droids these drones do not need to be specially delivered to move in against their targets as they possess both jet systems and repulsorlifts, giving them the ability to hover above the ground quickly and to fly through the void of space.
Special Features: The most important special feature of these drones comes from the Sourcefyre crystal overcharging their plasma torch, allowing it to burn as hot as the core of a lightsaber and cut with similar power. As such these drones are able to attack heavily armored vehicles like walkers or capital ships easier than normal buzz droids do, however their plasma torch does have its limits and they would not be able to dismantle or burn through hull of a capital ship in seconds. The torch also burns with a relatively short and wide plasma blade, making it rather ineffective in combat unless one allows the drones to really close in on them. The drones also possess Combat Shields which boost their defenses and give them a degree of resistance against electrical and ionic attacks, along with their Farraday cages, magnetic anchors to stay attached to metal surfaces while working, and personal ion blasters as a form of self defense, although those are mostly effective only against other mechanical targets.
Strengths: the strengths of this drone come from the aforementioned overcharged plasma cutter, being more potent at dismantling their targets than normal cutters would. These drones are also meant to be used in groups, following swarm behavior, as such their effectiveness is increased when larger numbers of them are assigned to singular tasks and they are manufactured in equally large numbers, making them very expendable. That said these drones are actually pretty good at taking vehicles apart, even large and heavily armored walkers, and this skill of sabotage translates into repair abilities that allow these drones to keep the droid armies they support combat ready. The drones have also partial resistance against electrical and ionic attacks, although their appendages could still be damaged or deactivated by such hits once their combat shield is deactivated, and they are rather swift both in space and on the ground, due to their jet systems, multiple limbs, and repulsorlifts, making them individually harder targets to hit.
Weaknesses: The weaknesses of these drones come first from their low intelligence, as with other ARGH-made drones these mechanical beings are only semi-sentient, more animalistic in their behavior than anything, as such they could be outsmarted relatively easily when caught alone and they do not really distinguish which targets are more important than others, rather simply repairing or dismantling whatever is closest. They also have a relatively low combat value, outside of their built-in ion blasters, which are both short range and not as effective against organics as they are against mechanical targets, they do not possess any ranged weapons, relaying only on their engineering tools. While some could be potentially suitable as melee weapons not all of them fit that role and are only useful when an enemy soldier really allow these drones to get up close to them. The hull of these drones also cannot protect them from blasters or personal slugthrowers, making them vulnerable to basic firearms as soon as their combat shields are down. They also cannot defend themselves against more than one EMP grenade or the equivalent, afterwards electromagnetic attacks of such magnitude would damage the drones and temporarily deactivate them. The Sourcefyre crystals housed within the drone's maw are still as volatile as ever, should they be hit enough to the point of cracking they would result in an explosion similar to a thermal detonator going off, which would destroy the drone by melting it down.
Conclusion: In conclusion, these are upgraded versions of buzz-droids loosely based on the previous canon designs, their biggest improvements are inclusion of much stronger plasma cutters, overcharged by the use of explosive Sourcefyre crystal, Abregado combat shield to protect them, and jet and repulsorlift systems to allow them to quickly hover or fly. Other than that, these are still mechanical beings based around the idea of sabotaging their enemies and repairing their allies, with little protection against enemy soldiers and low intelligence.
