Tinker — PICK (DPS Spec II)
[This is part of my Tinker series. For an overview of all the articles, click here.]
I’m finally at the end of my findings about Tinkers and MECs. In this piece, I’ll tell you about a rather unique way of dealing damage with the MECs.
Portable Instant Construction Kit, or PICK for short, allows the Tinker to deploy field factories and turrets to bring explosive death upon their enemies. PICKs usually have strong frames as they already need to carry a lot of spare parts. However, they are also usually lightly armored to prevent being slowed down too much.
Power (Main Resource)
Similar to BICK, PICK also utilizes Capacitor Packs. The biggest difference is that the PICK Packs have 8 uses instead of 4. Still, the logic is more or less the same, similar to Warlock’s soul shards.
PICK converts several sources into Power. A very small amount of Power comes from dealing damage and movement. A larger amount comes from their constructs dealing damage or deploying their own constructions (such a robo-factory creating a robot.) The most consistent conversion however, comes from the constructs themselves.
The constructs have two technologies: One is a recycling algorithm. Thanks to this algorithm, the longer a construct stays up, the more Power it generates. It starts very slow and a single construct only generates so much Power.
The second technology is there to cover up: When there are multiple constructs deployed by the same Tinker, they are able to remotely shift Power between each other, pooling their sources and improving the generated Power proportionate to the amount of constructs.
In short, constructs starting generating some Power for the Tinker after a while and the more constructs up, the more Power they generate.
Steam
Each construct is constantly communicating with each other, orchestrated by the PICK. For this reason, the more constructs are up, the higher Steam level the PICK has.
Deploying a construct generates a sudden increase in Steam which goes down in time (as the recycling algorithm picks up) and certain abilities also cause a Steam spike, so the Tinker needs to be careful to prevent overdrive.
Higher Steam causes higher damage for all abilities of the Tinker and deployed constructs.
In Overdrive, the timers for all constructs are set to the length of Overdrive. They operate over peak efficiency, take much less damage and self destruct at the end, damaging the area around them.
Mastery of the PICK suit, similar to Steam levels, increase damage for all abilities of Tinker and deployed constructs.
Attack Type
PICK wielders have some ranged weaponry but spend most of their field time placing, repairing and scrapping their deployed constructs. Some constructs are static like the turrets and factories. Others are instantly destroyed, short-term or even permanent robots such as exploding sheep and laseraptors.
Combat Style
PICK will almost always construct some static constructs initially, as their benefits need time to reap. The more turrets and factories there are, the stronger and more useful they will get.
During the combat PICK will repair and re-erect constructs as needed and if something is redundant or Steam levels are getting to dangerous levels, the tinker will scrap it. The Tinker will also have to watch for Steam levels whenever he is to deploy a new construct or use Steam-rising abilities when his Steam is high.
Between all the construction, PICK will use the active attackers: Leaving mines, setting exploding sheep, unleashing laseraptors or even their own mechanical pet!
Sometimes, either to reset positions with a big bang or to burst against a particularly challenging enemy, the Tinker will go into Override knowingly and hopefully get the results, because regardless, all construction will have to start from scratch!
Sample Abilities
Pocket Factory
Deploys a small factory that creates clockwerk soldiers to attack the enemy.
(Regular, long cast) Deploys a Factory that lasts for 20 seconds and spawns a Clockwerk soldier every 4 seconds. Clockwerk soldiers last for 5 seconds and attack every second but every attack adds 1 second to their timer.
Clockwerk soldiers are destroyed after a single direct hit. Indirect hits are also quite dangerous, probably will destroy them in two hits.
Only one factory can exist at at time. This ability requires a good deal of Power. For each clockwerk after 5th, the Steam level increases by 1%, so if clockwerks are not getting destroyed, the Tinker may need to scrap the current factory and rebuild one later.
Metal Slug (Talent)
Pocket factory Clockwerk Soldiers come with tanks and gain a mid-range attack. A direct hit will destroy the tank. Indirect/Area hits will affect the tank less, but 3 hits will still be enough. Once the tank is destroyed, the soldier will continue as usual.
Laseraptor
Unleashes a couple Laseraptors on the target location. Laseraptors are mechanical raptors with laser rifles attached to their sides.
Laseraptors start attacking at range with lasers if they are summoned from a distance and jump on the enemy when they are close enough. Their range attack sets the target on fire, which gets more intense as they shoot more (stacking dot from lasers) and melee attacks slow their target.
Laseraptors increase steam by 5% on deployment. Steam falls down 5% after their first melee attack.
Betty
Deploys a flamethrower that attack at close range and taunt targets.
Betty attacks close range for moderate amount of damage. The attack burns the enemy and gets more intense as Betty keeps firing. After enough attacks, the target will most likely focus on Betty (Turret attacks leave a stacking dot, at 10 stacks, the aggro will double.)
Deploying increases steam by 20%, this drops to 10% in 5 seconds.
Only one can be deployed at a time.
Target!
Marks a target for 10 seconds with a flare and all your constructs will attack your target if possible.
Scrap
Tinker dismantles the target construct, removing its Steam level and gaining half the Power spent creating it.
(Salvage-Talent
When you kill a target that grants experience or honor, you gain extra power and your next cast of laseraptors is free of steam and power cost.)
You, Robot (Talent)
A function that replaces Pocket Factory.
The Tinker receives a permanent pet that has a permanent Steam cost. Its abilities won’t require Power but will increase steam spikes (that stabilize by the time that particular ability has cooled down.)
