Robocraft

Robocraft

40 ratings
Clamshell Armour 101
By DrSillyusFlux
Tired of being 1 shot by plasma or railguns? Want to know how to build to survive a big shot? All you gotta do is clamshell yourself. Learn how here!
   
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Requirements
To complete this armour, you need 300-450 CPU for the blocks, guns and movement. If you do not meet this one requirement, then you must go battle and gain levels. However this armour can be made for any tier and is well worth making.

REQUIRED:
250+CPU Structure
50-150+CPU Movement/Attack
200 Inner
50-100 Prism
1 Pilot Seat
Propulsion Wheels/Hovers/Thrusters
Weapon Plasma/SMG/Rail

OPTIONAL:
2 Tetra
5-7 Thrusters
1 Radar
1 Radar Jammer
Shields

You may want to also check out the Ejection seat guide for more details on the optional build.

Link to the guide here Ejection Seat Guide
Core
I HIGHLY recommend using only inners, rather than cubes. Inners attach on all sides, are lighter and have the same armour as cubes. Now you move faster.

USE THIS!!

I've used cubes to make it easier to see where to build. Secondly different colours to show the direction changes for damage. Any blocks will do when you make it.

Now to begin. Make a small tower and build off to the side, then erase the tower. This will give you more freedom while building.

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Place your seat and radar. Then extend the platform back with an inner and a prism. At this point, if you have the optional parts, add them on like this for a pro style ejector seat.

Middle Layer
Be VERY sure that you go around the core and do not connect anywhere but the back. Damage spreads through blocks and you want it to travel as far as possible.

When edges only touch, damage doesn't spread. Remember, if it wouldn't hold the block up, it wont spread damage to it.
Block: X
Core: -
Space: 0

XXXXXX
X00000X
X0-------X
X00000X
XXXXXX

Build from the back of the core, out both sides and connect at the front. You can also add a little extra protection with another clam.


Top Layer
Now begin to build from the front upward, then create 3 lines backward. Connect them at the back and add cross struts. Make sure that you do not connect anywhere other than the front.


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Take a good look around at this point to double check your work.

Front




Back
Movement
You should now add on what is going to make you move around. Here are some ideas:

Closing the Shell
This part can get a little tricky. I'm sure you will get the knack of it in no time.

We'll start between two of the top layer struts. Add two prisms so that they appear solid from the outside. Do this again above.

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Dont worry, there is a reason for all this. Yellow marks blocks that are structure, red means temporary.

Now build out a row of blocks so you are able to angle the next two prism's correctly. I removed blocks so you can see the position.

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Doing this results in a solid looking outer part, that damage wont spread through. Delete the red marked cubes and it should look like this when you're done. Now move over to the corner and add 3 prisms like so:

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While you're at it, add 3 prisms to the middle layer. Then close up with two prisms on the top layer. (Note, the teal and brown do not actually connect)

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Now add on some temporary blocks for placement.
Place the remaining prisms. It doesnt totally matter if there are slight holes, though you are welcome to close this up as you see fit.

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Continue this on all sides and corners until there is nothing of the core showing.

Move along all parts and remember, you want it to hit the top part wherever possible. You can even close the top all the way down over the middle layer if you choose. You should add weapons now so you can build around them.




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It may take a bit to get this right. Constantly check to see if you have connected anything. A good way to do that, is to remove the connection piece at the front or back. Everything should go red beyond the connection.


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Final Thoughts
Using this sort of armour I am nearly impossible to 1 hit. Any large blast hitting the top or front has to travel along the front, up the sides and then to me. With a single shot! Usually some or all of it breaks off.

If you make the core out of higher tier blocks, it will be more likely to end up as a pod.

Reinforce the connection points as much as possible and protect with shields if you have them. The crux of this design is taking a shot underneath or to the back. Though for most scenarios, this design will keep you from being blown to bits in one shot.

Please rate and leave comments with suggestions. I would like to fine tune this guide and feedback is appreciated.

I did not come up with this style of design all on my own and therefore cannot take full credit for the concept. The idea came from many people and places. However I did put this guide together. I hope it helps!

Happy gaming

DrSillyusFlux
24 Comments
Aridrak3 20 Aug, 2016 @ 8:00pm 
Triforcing :P
miele dishwasher 13 Feb, 2015 @ 4:26pm 
It actually makes since. Maybe you should do one on triforce armour
DrSillyusFlux  [author] 19 Oct, 2014 @ 9:56pm 
@Darth Mckay Yes. Since damage has to spread through blocks, it makes one shot unable to go straight to the seat. Often when there is no air gap, you can find an outer block that makes a direct line to the seat. If something like that were hit by a railgun, you would instantly blow up.

My design can be vastly improved upon, but the prinicple is the same for any type. This allows for nearly the whole ship worth of blocks, to be between a shot hitting the outside and the seat.
Darth Mckay 16 Oct, 2014 @ 4:36pm 
Just to be sure I understand, as a basic concept, youre saying that airgaps between layers of armor makes you more damage resistant? Because of the way splash dmg propagates?
CrushedEmber 12 Oct, 2014 @ 11:06am 
I must say, however, one of my bots(Walker Legs) had this weak point, which I had not noticed to a great degree I almost mentally kick myself for noticing that after 20 matches :/ so this guide has helped me remember how to do my tri-force again, and I guess you do but they just go towards me DrSillusFlux! I cannot help if I have another shot for their new wound :(
DrSillyusFlux  [author] 12 Oct, 2014 @ 11:02am 
@CrushedEmber If you get hit with two rail shots in a row, you kind of deserve to die. It's been hundreds of games with this method and not a single one hit KO. If you get hit, start evasive maneuvers. If you get hit and stand still after, RIP...
CrushedEmber 12 Oct, 2014 @ 4:20am 
You're not meant to tell them the way to avoid my OHKO'ing railguns! This way it'll take two shots from my craft with four railguns, and if they're already damage from friendlies... However try not to make a stick going down the middle of your craft (not aimed at the author), you'll be a easy OHKO, unless you build the stick and make the pilot seat asyemmtrical(english later).
DrSillyusFlux  [author] 9 Oct, 2014 @ 1:45pm 
@Lost Echo True. I think i'm going to revamp the guide and do it with a full wrap around the back and another wrap dropping over the sides. I use that method on my main ship anyway, dmg gets spread to the top>front>sides>back>seat With the armor of the guns on top, i can be facing a bomber and take a full blast while only losing a gun or two and some armor. Same with any front/top rail shots.
OhNo | Lost Echo 8 Oct, 2014 @ 6:15am 
I agree, i'm sayin that a single failpoint can leave it open for one shot klls if you are unlucky (like me). not that damage spreading through armor isn't a good idea... i'm using it too to some extent, maybe morsoe now that i've seen this.
DrSillyusFlux  [author] 7 Oct, 2014 @ 6:24pm 
It works quite well for me. I go into battle against walls of blocks with smgs and destroy them easily. This was meant to show you how to cover yourself with minimal amount of blocks. As you go to a higher tier, you can add on shields or wrap more layers. It winds up being far more effective than solid blocks.