Robotics is a very underrated power, so I wanted to show off its potential in the RK dimension and discuss the mechanics.
Firstly, what is a charge-dependent attack and static charge? In robotics there are 3 powers (overdrive/laser strikes/blade matrix) from the get-go that add a new mechanic: static charge (SC). you will see it as a thin light blue bar that fills up under your HP bar. The charge bar fills on its own by default regardless of whether you perform any action. If you do nothing, it will still fill up. When that bar is full, it is "discharged" by pressing the regular attack button. Once it discharges, the charge-dependent power that gave you the bar, will activate. That power is your charge-dependent attack.
I say "charge-dependent attack" to differentiate it from "Charge Attacks". "Charge Attacks" is power from the Robotics power tree. "Charge Attacks" is what I classify as an active static charge booster (ASCB). If you have this power, each time you attack from your primary attack chain, the charge bar is filled by 10/12/15% per hit depending on whether "Charge Attacks" is at level 1, 2 or 3. It occupies your final strike slot. The other ASCB is "Power Surge" which fills your charge bar by 50/75/100% whenever you use a tool or special again, depending on it being level 1, 2 or 3. Power Surge occupies your abilities slot. Even though ASCB's occupy your precious slots, they’re important to have because the default charge rate of the charge bar is painfully slow.
You also get Passive static charge boosters (PSCB), i.e. Quick Study and System Calibration. Quick Study gives a flat increase of 75/125/150% charge rate to the static charge bar at levels 1 to 3. System Calibration increases the charge rate by 15/20/30% each time a full charge bar discharges. Quick Study’s effects last for the whole run, but System Calibration’s effect resets when you enter a new room. Unlike ASCB's, you can only choose one PSCB. once you choose one, the other is removed from the power pool.
In this build I'm using Photon Lance as the charge-dependent attack, Power Surge as the ASCB and System Calibration as the PSCB. Photon Lance damage is being directly buffed by Cascade/Critical Drives and Water Attacks. More on Photon Lance aquisition later.
Cascade and Critical drive are two legendary powers from the robotics tree that fall under the category I call charge-dependent buffs. I won't go into too much detail here but suffice to say that these buffs are procc’ed each time static charge is discharged. They last as long as the room encounter lasts and resets in the next room.
The primary powers used for this build are Robotics, Fire and Water.
The core powers are:
- Photon lance (available after selecting a charge dependent attack skill like overdrive PLUS a PSCB like Quick Study or System Calibration.)
- Power Surge lvl3 (100% charge when using tool or special - ASCB)
- System Calibration lvl3 (30% increased charge rate each time a full charge bar discharged - PSCB)
- Critical Drive (3% critical hit chance each time a full charge bar is discharged)
- Cascade Drive (3% multihit chance each time a full charge bar is discharged)
- Incendiary Strike (50/75/100 fire damage for each critical hit based on its level - available after selecting Furious Attacks)
- Empowerment (5/10/15% increased elemental damage based on its level each time a full charge bar is discharged)
- Water Attacks (15/20/25 water damage added to attack chain as per level)
- When it rains (30/45/60 water damage as per level on a multihit - available after selecting Torrential Strike)
With level 3 Power Surge, full charge bars are stored, that’s why you'll notice that I spend my specials and tools even if there aren't enemies on the screen so I can unleash a barrage of photon lance hits.
When you get powers at the end of each encounter that’s not a part of your core, just choose powers that add buffs.
Frostfire isn't essential but will greatly add to the damage output. As you see from the footage, gameplay is based on using a special/tool to fill the charge bar then attacking to discharge it. each time you do, you gain multihit and critical hit chance stacks. On multi/critical hit you proc when-it-rains/incendiary strikes damage respectively. With frostfire, water or fire damage is repeated. Another nice-to-have legendary is Shocking; a charge-dependent attack hits surrounding enemies with 20 utrom and stuns them. Its a Utrom/Robotics combo.
Leonardo is a good fit for this build because he innately has 4 specials. At level 3 system calibration, and level 3 Power Surge, you will fill and discharge your charge bar 4 times. That will increase your charge rate by 120% (4 x 30%) which already puts you at around the maximum passive charge rate increase that Quick Study can give you. I chose system calibration over quick study for the RK dimension because the RK encounters happen in phases. The charge speed can get blisteringly fast, and the charge dependent buffs add up quickly.
Photon Lance is treated as a normal attack, as if you were using your attack chain. As a result, it has the same effect as a normal attack and can be buffed accordingly. So for example, when a photon lance hits, your tool and special is recharged exactly like how a normal attack would. Water/Utrom/Ooze attacks also procs with photon lance with the utrom/ooze attacks upgrade level affecting its chance of proccing. Water attacks are a guarantee. Photon lance can also multihit and critical hit.
Photon lance isn't difficult to get. What trips players up is that you have to select a charge-dependent attack first and a PSCB before photon lance is available in the powers pool.
Hope this helps show you how robotics can be utilized. I know this was a long read but if anyone would like a more detailed explanation of all the routes one can take with robotics, let me know and I'll post a guide. I haven't discussed stuff like Charge dependent buffs in detail and completely left out the scrap boost route and the ascendancy route.
