A Steel Claw soldier on a mission
In the Steel Claw's organizational structure, every machine has equal say. However, cold robotic logic has most realizing they are not good in command roles, and thus many happily take to behind the scenes work, frontline fighting, or even simple maintenance.
With the exception of the Collectors, Steel Claw soldiers tend to be highly moddable, able to be fitted with different sets of equipment, skills, and even body parts depending on the task at hand. A Vehicon who stayed in the back to snipe at targets in one battle might easily be a highly armored shotgun unit in his next mission.
NPCs[]
Soundwave has legions of loyal Vehicons in his service
There are several main groups of synthetics in the Steel Claw, working together to achieve their goals. Their roles are all equally important, if not in the spotlight than behind the scenes.
- Support units are the mindless drones, maintence oriented robots, automated programs, or any other mechanoid that serves to help keep the Claw running. Many of these reside in Harbinger to help run repairs for the Reaper and to maintain equipment the Claw has installed within it, while many are also deployed in operations to help run the equipment needed or to repair the soldiers on the front lines. Support units are very rarely combat capable, and range from tiny wheeled drones and Vehicon servants who help set up equipment in the field.
- Combat units are the war machines, the hand the Steel Claw uses to throttle those who would oppose them. Combat units are carefully chosen- When the machines are sapient, only the most loyal or fanatical are sent to the front lines, and if the machine is a mindless automaton, it is chosen carefully for the most strategic use before being sent into action. Vehicons make up the bulk of the Steel Claw's offensive might, reinforced in small numbers by war machines from across the multiverse.
- Diplomatic units are the smooth talking synthetics whose entire purpose is to convince the Multiverse that the Steel Claw are not bad guys when the need arises, and to convince potential recruits to join the cause. Most diplomatic units are in some way humanoid, although variants exist based on more unique multiversal races. The point of the diplomatic unit is to defuse a situation before it can threaten the Claw, to garner support among other factions, and to, in some cases, plant the seeds of doubt to destroy enemies from within.
- Special operations units are the Steel Claw's ways to handle situations violently and deniably. These are some of the most skilled mechanoids the Claw has to offer, and one is not chosen to assist in this regard unless they have true worth or loyalty to the Claw and its goals. While skill in battle and destruction to the enemy are emphasized, a special operative must also be discrete enough that their actions do not lead back to the Claw's involvement. For this reason, it is a very small outfit.
Important/Named NPCs[]
The mindless Collectors are fanatically loyal to Harbinger and assist the Steel Claw.
(None yet, stay tuned!)
Followers[]
- Soundwave's Cassettes are a group of small Decepticon warriors that are bound to Soundwave. Each carries its own unique brand of armament and surveillance equipment. When inactive, the cassettes reside in Soundwave's chest, where they are repaired and largely unaware of the outside world except what information Soundwave is constantly feeding them. When ejected on missions, they are not drones but their own entities, powered by their own small sparks. When the cassettes re-link with Soundwave, all the information they collected while out on their own is downloaded straight into his databanks.
- The Toaster is a crass, vile piece of technology. If it has an actual AI or just a very sophisticated personality simulator is debatable, but it's still an omnicidal toaster with a hatred for humanity. Its main purpose is as the drive unit for the Sunstorm battle chassis, giving the Steel Claw a potentially powerful piece of weaponry if Soundwave can unlock the systems that made it so deadly during the Decepticon invasion.
- Collectors are the enigmatic race of insectoid aliens that serve Harbinger. While they work with the Steel Claw, they are only loyal to Harbinger. They serve any role necessary for any situation, from simple maintanence and repair workers, to soldier and assassins. They also serve a unique purpose as Harbinger's means of communication with the Multiverse via direct possession. When possessed, a Collector's combat capabilties increase dramatically, making it a dangerous foe on the battlefield.