How do you properly deal with a mech cluster?

[Hottox]

I just got my first ever mech cluster.

Randy decided to give me toxic fallout and a mech cluster at the same time though, and i wasn't having any of his sh#t so i used dev mode to nuke them. How would you deal with one normally? I have combat extended so im scared that simply AP rounds wouldn't damage them enough, and im not sure i even have the firepower for it.

[Jaasrg]

Combat extended

Abandon base and start over in new tile.

[Pizzarugi]

I don't know anything about Combat Extended, but I use Reinforced Walls mod. What I do in order to deal with mech clusters, at least before I get my hands on Glitter Tech mod weapons and strong armor, is to set up a line of reinforced walls with a space between each block. I then fill in the empty spaces between the walls with embrasures which will let my pawns max out their cover bonus from being behind both a wall and embrasure at the same time. If the cluster has a low shield, be sure to build the wall inside the bubble. This is all supposed to be done while the cluster is still dormant. Don't waste any time setting up the wall if the cluster has a wake up timer.

Try aiming for the unstable power nodes if you can. They deal a ton of damage, enough to destroy any turrets near them.

Before: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/149278460492251137/1046299776779550741/image.png

After: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/149278460492251137/1046300464322465792/image.png

[Mutti]

First lure the mecs out of their base. startle them and get them into your killbox. then use granades, hide behind walls and destrtoy the turrets

[Aranador]

While it depends on whats in the cluster, Smoke Launchers are your answer to dealing with turrets.

[Astasia]

Most of the advice people are going to give you here is going to be for normal mechanoids, and that advice wont work for Combat Extended. If you want help with CE mechanics it's probably best to ask in the CE discussions, or see if somebody else has already provided that information.

I know very little about CE, but Jaasrg's comment is probably the best answer. From what I understand you need very specific ammo to deal with them, otherwise they will just completely roll over you. Mechanoids in CE are a gear check, you either have the required gear or you are screwed.

[Robo]

Try to immediately make EMP rounds for everyone in your loading bench (I believe this is unlocked as soon as you unlocked machining). Then assign all colonists to switch to EMP rounds via the loadout menu. I also recommend prioritizing fire on centipedes, as they are essentially on the same level as a Human raider w/ a doomsday launcher.

If you have melee colonists (Especially with shield belts), send them to melee the centipedes. While they may come out with heavy injuries or dead, centipedes will be unable to fire if they are engaged in melee, buying time for your ranged colonists to fire without retreating.

[Vanir]

Its pretty easy to deal with clusters in CE as long as they arent too large. If you want to do it safely you need rpg7 or the disposable version for centipedes, smoke grenades, some kind of 7.51 automatic weapon and optionally armor.

If there are centipedes ready some rpgs with heat ammo or the disposable version. Then smoke the turrets that can see your ambush squad. Try to kill the centipedes in the first volley. Two pawns aiming at each centipede works well. The other mechs are much easier to kill with normal weapons.
You may construct some walls to make this easier.
If you have enough pawns you may have some of them use the thermobaric rpg ammo to kill turrets in the first volley. Concussion grenades should work as well.
If some centipedes survive either run away completely or take cover behind the walls of the cluster and attack them in melee or reload and peek around the wall with a snapshot, since they will take a while to get to you. For the normal mechs a simple firing line with decent automatic weapons should work as they come around the corner. Remember that mechs always use aimed shots so you can usually get an unaimed shot off and then get back behind a wall and centipedes are very easy to hit.

After you got rid of the mechs smoke the turrets again and destroy them however you want. They do have a minimum range so you can even melee them.

Do not try to outshoot the turrets - you will lose unless you have ridiculous armor or firepower. For dealing with smaller mechs without charge weaponry i recommend getting weapons with 7.51 ap incendiary ammo. It can even kill centipedes if you are desperate.
Flamethrowers with promethium ammo will also kill all mechs but unlike humans they will still try to kill you while on fire. Incendiary artillery works as well.
Dont bother trying to kill centipedes solely with handheld emp weapons. They have too much health. You can get emp shotgun slugs very early, if you have no other choice.
The anti tank rifles can technically kill centipedes but they do so slowly and you will very likely get return fire. The mechs generally arent too precise against targets in cover at longer ranges, but its very risky.

If you are defending against bigger mechanoids you can use the stationary weapons to kill them quickly. I think you can minify the KPV machine gun and carry it to a cluster. Pretty sure that thing will kill a centipede in one burst if most shots hit with api ammo.

If you are truly desperate you can try aiming for the head of the centipede and perhaps hit the less armored sight sensors and make it waste its ammo.

Lastly i would usually say that you can get away with only wearing helmets in CE for a very long time but if there are militors get body armor since shotguns can fire quickly when you try to ambush them walking around a corner and they will kill or down unarmored things in one shot.

Lategame only blaster centipedes are a real threat to power armored cyborgs so it will get easier.

Btw you can check the armor values of the mechs in their info card.