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Building a Good Mechanitor
Viewer helper — this page is not RICS-specific. It explains how to plan a strong mechanitor (Biotech DLC) so you can request better pawns, gear, and implants when the streamer lets viewers shape the colony.
A mechanitor is a colonist with a mechlink installed. They gestate, repair, and command friendly mechanoids. Your power comes from three things:
| Stat / resource | What it does | How you raise it |
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | How many mechs you can control at once | Gear (headset, pack, suit), band nodes, implants (none for BW directly in vanilla) |
| Control groups | How many separate work/escort groups you can run | Control pack + control sublinks |
| Mech work / gestation / repair speed | How fast your army works and grows | Control sublinks, gestation processors, repair probes, Crafting skill |
Progress is gated by mechtech research. Higher tiers need boss chips (signal → powerfocus → nano structuring) from summoned mech threats.
| Research tier | Unlock key | Core gear / implants | Mech tier unlocked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Basic Mechtech | Electricity + mechanitor present | Airwire headset, Control pack | Small / light mechs |
| 2. Standard Mechtech | Study signal chip (Diabolus) | Array headset, Bandwidth pack, Control sublink (standard) ×3, Mech gestation processor | First medium mechs |
| 3. High Mechtech | Study powerfocus chip (War queen) | Integrator headset, Control sublink (high) ×3, Remote repairer, Remote shielder | Mid / heavy combat mechs |
| 4. Ultra Mechtech | Study nano structuring chip (Apocriton) | Mechlord helmet, Mechlord suit, Repair probe | Top-tier combat mechs |
You are not a mechanitor until a mechlink is installed. Common sources:
- Ancient exostrider midsection → mechanitor ship event
- Mechanitor complex quest
- Mechanitor scenario start
- Extracting a mechlink from a dead mechanitor
Pawn checks (important for viewers):
- Cannot be psychically deaf (blocks mechlink)
- Cannot be incapable of smithing (blocks gestating / repairing mechs)
- Cannot be incapable of intellectual if they need to unlock mechtech research for the colony
- Crafting skill speeds gestation and repair — prioritize Crafting passion on dedicated mechanitors. For the shop-first version of that pawn, see Building a Good Crafter.
Research: Basic Mechtech (requires Electricity). A mechanitor must be in the colony for mechtech research.
| Item | Slot | Why you want it |
|---|---|---|
| Airwire headset | Head | +3 bandwidth — first real BW upgrade after the mechlink’s +6 |
| Control pack | Utility | Extra control group so workers and combat mechs can run different orders |
- Subcore encoder — basic subcores
- Mech gestator + Mech recharger — light mechs only
- Band node — +1 bandwidth each when powered and tuned to you (stackable; protect their power)
Labor and light combat (1 bandwidth each, basic subcores):
- Lifter, Agrihand, Constructoid, Cleansweeper
- Militor (light combat)
Viewer tip: First bandwidth is scarce. Prefer labor mechs that fix colony bottlenecks (hauling → farming/construction) before stacking Militors.
- Mechlink installed and Basic Mechtech researched
- Airwire headset + Control pack equipped
- Gestator + recharger + power + waste handling planned
- A few light labor mechs online
- Farm a Diabolus (comms console summon) for a signal chip → Standard Mechtech
Research: Standard Mechtech (requires Basic Mechtech + 1× signal chip from Diabolus).
| Item | Slot | Why you want it |
|---|---|---|
| Array headset | Head | +6 bandwidth (replaces Airwire’s +3) |
| Bandwidth pack | Utility | +9 bandwidth — huge jump; usually replaces Control pack once you have sublinks for groups |
Note: Utility slot is competitive. Early on, Control pack (groups) can matter more than max BW. Once you have control sublinks, Bandwidth pack is usually preferred.
| Implant | Cap | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control sublink (standard) | ×3 | +1 control group and +6% mech global work speed each | High — finish all 3 |
| Mech gestation processor | up to ×6 total | +~33% gestation speed each | Strong — ×3 is a solid mid-goal; fill remaining slots later |
Standard sublinks come from signal chips (Diabolus). You will fight Diabolus multiple times if you want all three sublinks and chips for research / other crafts.
Requires large mech gestator / recharger and standard subcores (subcore softscanner):
- Scorcher, Pikeman, Scyther
- Tunneler (heavy mining / work; excellent bandwidth use)
Also unlocks Mechcommander helmet (+6 BW head option; Array is usually better for pure BW, but check your loadout) and Mechband antenna (summon War queen).
- Array headset + Bandwidth pack
- All 3× Control sublink (standard)
- At least 3× Mech gestation processor (more if surgery slots allow)
- Large gestator/recharger online; Tunneler / medium combat online
- Summon War queen for powerfocus chip → High Mechtech
Research: High Mechtech (requires Standard Mechtech + multi-analyzer path + 1× powerfocus chip from War queen).
| Item | Slot | Why you want it |
|---|---|---|
| Integrator headset | Head | +9 bandwidth (best headgear until Ultra) |
| Implant | Cap | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Control sublink (high) | ×3 | Requires all 3 standard sublinks first. Another +1 group and +6% work speed each (full stack = +6 groups and +36% from all six sublinks) |
| Remote repairer | up to ×3 | Repair mechs at range; extra installs increase range |
| Remote shielder | up to ×3 | Project a bullet-blocking shield onto a controlled mech |
High sublinks use powerfocus chips (War queen). Plan multiple War queen fights.
High subcores (subcore ripscanner — costs a human life per core):
- Lancer, Centipede gunner, Centipede burner
- Labor support: Fabricor, Paramedic
- Boss-scale: Diabolus (gestatable ally version)
Also: Mech booster (building — +50% work speed in radius), Mechband dish (summon Apocriton).
- Integrator headset
- All 3× Control sublink (high) after standards are done
- Remote repairer (and shielder if you run combat escorts)
- Ripscanner pipeline for high subcores
- Summon Apocriton for nano structuring chip → Ultra Mechtech
Research: Ultra Mechtech (requires High Mechtech + Fabrication + 1× nano structuring chip from Apocriton).
| Item | Slot | Why you want it |
|---|---|---|
| Mechlord helmet | Head | +12 bandwidth |
| Mechlord suit | Outer / armor | +12 bandwidth + serious protection for a front-line commander |
| Repair probe | Implant (up to ×6) | +~33% mech repair speed each |
With mechlink + Bandwidth pack + Mechlord helmet + Mechlord suit you sit around ~39 bandwidth from gear alone (before band nodes). Band nodes push this higher.
- Centipede blaster, Tesseron, Legionary
- Superheavies: Centurion, War queen (gestatable)
- War urchin (support)
- Full Mechlord set (helmet + suit)
- Max or near-max Repair probes if you maintain a large combat force
- Remaining gestation processors / remote implants as surgery slots allow
- Band nodes tuned and powered for overflow bandwidth
- Specialize control groups: labor / defense / escort / recharge
Use this when requesting a dedicated mechanitor pawn or gear package:
- Mechlord helmet (or Integrator / Array / Airwire if earlier tier)
- Mechlord suit (Ultra)
- Bandwidth pack (or Control pack early)
- Good armor / movement gear in remaining slots (shield belt if available, etc.)
- Mechlink (required)
- Control sublink (standard) ×3
- Control sublink (high) ×3
- Mech gestation processor ×3–6
- Remote repairer ×1–3
- Remote shielder ×0–3 (combat-focused)
- Repair probe ×3–6 (Ultra)
- Crafting passion (Major if possible) — gestation & repair
- Intellectual if they also research
- Avoid: psychically deaf, incapable of smithing, incapable of intellectual (for research role)
- Nice to have: industrious, industrious-adjacent work traits; tough / brawler only if they escort into fights
- Powered band nodes tuned to this mechanitor
- Enough rechargers for your BW usage
- Wastepack disposal / pollution plan
- Mech booster near work areas
| Source | Bandwidth |
|---|---|
| Mechlink | +6 |
| Airwire headset | +3 |
| Array headset | +6 |
| Integrator headset | +9 |
| Mechlord helmet | +12 |
| Bandwidth pack | +9 |
| Mechlord suit | +12 |
| Band node (building, each) | +1 |
Headsets replace each other (one head slot). Aim to climb: Airwire → Array → Integrator → Mechlord helmet.
| Source | Control groups |
|---|---|
| Base mechanitor | 2 |
| Control pack | +1 (while worn) |
| Control sublink (standard) ×3 | +3 |
| Control sublink (high) ×3 | +3 |
| Typical max (with pack) | 9 |
Orders per group: Work, Escort, Recharge, Dormant self-charging.
| Boss | How to summon | Chip | Opens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabolus | Comms console (mechanitor) | Signal chip | Standard Mechtech, standard sublinks, etc. |
| War queen | Mechband antenna | Powerfocus chip | High Mechtech, high sublinks, etc. |
| Apocriton | Mechband dish | Nano structuring chip | Ultra Mechtech, Mechlord gear, etc. |
Each higher tier wants multiple boss kills if you want full implant stacks, not just the research unlock.
- Use
!mypawn mechs(if enabled) to see controlled mechs and bandwidth on your assigned pawn. - Use
!mypawn implants/!mypawn gearto check whether you already have sublinks, packs, or headsets. - When buying traits, surgeries, or gear through chat, match the research tier the colony has actually unlocked — Ultra gear is useless if Ultra Mechtech is not researched yet.
- Mechanitors who die can drop their mechlink; uncontrolled mechs may go feral if bandwidth collapses. Keep your mechanitor alive.
- Home — wiki index
- MyPawn Command — inspect your pawn’s mechs, gear, and implants
- Official reference: Mechanitor (RimWorld Wiki)