Yellow (Tier 9) Weapons In Shadowrun Chronicles

Some people ask me about yellow weapons. Let's close topic about yellow (tier 9) weapons in this guide.
I will try to list all tier9 weapons with characteristics and pictures. And with personal thoughts about every weapon. Also with some short FAQ at the end.
Status: Updated last time : Wed Sep 27 2017. Opinions and faq - not updated.

Melee Weapons

If you interested in tier10 check this guide:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=647050694
Personal opinions was made for an older patch version. Always check weapon stats first.

Blunt weapons

1. Elite Warhammer 40k
Base damage: 21-25
Base critical chance: 25%
Base critical damage bonus: 145%
Base accuracy: 95%

IMO: Blunt weapon with best critical chance and critical bonus, but with low raw damage. Useful for runners who savage strike often and need critical savage strike, or for runners with low critical chance. Also can be handy for balanced runners with middle critical chance and high bonus critical dmg.

2. Warrior Tonfa
Base damage: 27-30
Base critical chance: 15%
Base critical damage bonus: 130%
Base accuracy: 95%

IMO: Made like balanced melee weapon, but in fact useless to more balanced red and blue weapons. Could be useful only for roleplaying (or if you have nothing better). For example if you worked as cop before. And punishing people with tonfa is in your blood.

3. Elite HV Shock Mace
Base damage: 28-35
Base critical chance: -5%
Base critical damage bonus: 120%
Base accuracy: 100%

IMO: Best raw damage in blunt category. Really huge thing. You can do massive damage with this thing if your runner have high critical chance. Also great for paladins, since only with this thing you can receive stable high pain resist bonus.

Blades

1. Butcher's Cleaver
Base damage: 22-29
Base critical chance: 15%
Base critical damage bonus: 125%
Base accuracy: 95%

IMO: Best thing for runners with high critical chance. Mace analog in blades. You can imagine yourself a butcher everytime you cut something.

2. Jaguar Guard Macuahuitl
Base damage: 23-28
Base critical chance: 25%
Base critical damage bonus: 120%
Base accuracy: 95%

IMO: Could be interesting only as part of tier9 collection. Blue katana have the same stats but higher damage. And red katana is more balanced.

3. Slayer Vibroblade
Base damage: 24-33
Base critical chance: 5%
Base critical damage bonus: 110%
Base accuracy: 95%

IMO: Blade with best critical chance (same critical chance as New Armtech MGL-6) and critical damage in same time. Really mass blade. Could be useful both for runners with low critical chance and for balanced runners. Also can be more useful then Butcher's Cleaver for runners with lucky background (since that background adds some extra critical dmg). You can find a lot runners with lighter version of this blade called "Cutter Vibroblade" on streets.

Guns

Shotguns

1. Payday's Mossberg Streetsweeper
Base damage: 16-23
Base critical chance: 10%
Base critical damage bonus: 140%
Base accuracy: 75%
Base range: 5
Ammo: 4

IMO: Good mass shotgun. You can double barrel, blast and have cap for another double barrel left. Higher lower dmg then blue shotgun makes this shotgun more stable. And 5 ammo cap will be handy on repeatables (missions dlc) or infected in situations when you need double barrel frequently.

2. Remington Roomsweeper Elite
Base damage: 20-29
Base critical chance: 10%
Base critical damage bonus: 150%
Base accuracy: 75%
Base range: 5
Ammo: 2

IMO: When you can count only to two. But two is enough for you, this gun is for you is for Valve. Why troll need count to 3 anyway or to four? Row row fight the power!
Seriously good shotgun with good raw dmg and massive crits. Can be useful on story or challenges. Or when need you to take some gear for extra dmg. I doubt it useful on infected missions or repeatables. But usually shotgun is secondary weapon anyway.

Automatics

1. Ingram Warrior
Base damage: 15-29
Base critical chance: 5%
Base critical damage bonus: 130%
Base accuracy: 75%
Base range: 9
Ammo: 5

IMO: Interesting auto on critical builds you can do up to 3 critical bursts with it. And at least one critical burst stable. But you may need have also some extra critical dmg bonus, for good crits with it.

2. Custom FN-P93 Praetor
Base damage: 15-20
Base critical chance: 5%
Base critical damage bonus: 120%
Base accuracy: 90%
Base range: 11
Ammo: 5

IMO: Since by error yellow autos was in free sale. Praetor is indeed in mass use now. Praetor copy red auto characteristics, but have higher base dmg. High dmg value is better with blue skua. (if you miss extra dmg, consider use blue skua). Praetor is balanced for anyone.

3. Skua DMR MK 2 Pro
Base damage: 21-29
Base critical chance: 30%
Base critical damage bonus: 120%
Base accuracy: 80%
Base range: 13
Ammo: 3
Note: You can't hose with this auto.

IMO: Seen some deckers with this auto as support. Planned as snipe auto. You should reload after every burst with sniper skua. Actually auto can be useful, since only with this auto mostly every build can kill Assault Drone or Controller with just one burst (without crit at all!). You also don't need much accuracy to use this auto, since you will use it on single targets only anyway. If you don't like reload after every burst, consider blue skua.

Pistols

1. Ares Predator V Gold
Base damage: 16-20
Base critical chance: 15%
Base critical damage bonus: 120%
Base accuracy: 70%
Base range: 11
Ammo: 4

IMO: Good looking and heavy dmg pistol. Theoretically you can build sniper with pistol in hand, but with less chance for another quickshot roll. Useless in practice.

2. New Armtech MGL-6
Base damage: 14-20
Base critical chance: 27%
Base critical damage bonus: 130%
Base accuracy: 75%
Base range: 8
Ammo: 4

IMO: Mostly every pistol user use it (some lower version however). You can be with maximum 92% crit chance with this pistol. If you miss often, consider trade dmg for accuracy or for some range.

3. Ruger Super Warhawk SM+
Base damage: 18-21
Base critical chance: 15%
Base critical damage bonus: 125%
Base accuracy: 75%
Base range: 8
Ammo: 4

IMO: Heavy pistol revolver. Theoretically you can build runner with massive dmg, but with less chance for another quickshot roll. Maybe useful with really careful use. Shortly: Have no idea about it.

Spellcasting and summoning

Spellcasting

1. Master's Channeling Focus
Base damage: 19-23
Base critical chance: 5%
Base critical damage bonus: 130%
Base accuracy: 85%
Base range: 11

IPO: Good focus with massive raw dmg. Useful only to high crit builds or for runners with extra low crit chance. (pure mages without any deltaware)

2. Ruby Focus
Base damage: 16-21
Base critical chance: 25%
Base critical damage bonus: 145%
Base accuracy: 80%
Base range: 10

IPO: Best focus for mostly anyone. Could be better then Master's Channeling Focus for crit runner with lucky background. All manabolts in mage tree have increased hit chance bonus. And base 80% accuracy more then enough to use it without taking accuracy skills at all. Bad for runners will extra low crit chance. But could be missy with backgrounds with accuracy penalty.

Summoning

1. Master's Summoning Focus
Base damage: 13-17
Base critical chance: 5%
Base critical damage bonus: 130%
Base accuracy: 80%
Base range: 9
Base spirit power: 14

IPO: Best focus for actual summoners who spend karma on Improve Connection skill. Reason pretty clear: maximum spirit power

2. Master's Casting Focus
Base damage: 17-23
Base critical chance: 10%
Base critical damage bonus: 130%
Base accuracy: 90%
Base range: 12
Base spirit power: 11

IPO: If you miss power with your summoner attacks take this focus. Improved range and critical chance to red or blue focus. Both summoner focuses quite good and better then blue and red analogs. If you find your spirits too powerful already, you can give this focus a try.

Rigging and hacking

Rigging

1. Bozeman's Compuforce TaskMaster
Base Combatsoft Rating: 16
Base Ecmsoft Rating: 9

IPO: Best rig for your tank. But since 1 point of Combatsoft Rating adds +1dmg to your tank, you can think about using next rig. Intruders are good already. But your roto may need extra survivability.

2. Bri's Vulcan Liegelord
Base Combatsoft Rating: 11
Base Ecmsoft Rating: 14
IPO: Best rig for your roto. If you took Roto III you may consider take Bozeman rig instead.

Hacking

1. Shiawase Cyber-5
Base damage: 13-21
Base critical chance: 17%
Base critical damage bonus: 145%
Base accuracy: 80%
Base range: 11

IPO: Best deck.

2. Custom Renraku Tsurugi
Base damage: 14-21
Base critical chance: 5%
Base critical damage bonus: 130%
Base accuracy: 80%
Base range: 14

IPO: Good deck for huge maps. You could use it situationally. But even if you with max posssible critical chance I recommend use Cyber-5 instead. Even if you have range penalty you should be ok with with Shiawase Cyber-5 most time.

FAQ

1. Why most people call tier9 - "yellow" weapons?
In fact runners just like coloring things (started from red and blue challenges). And most tier9 items are indeed made in yellow color. Also first found yellow items was yellow too. But in game resources weapons represented in tiers.
For example:
Blue and red weapons are tier7.
Infected items are tier8. Also some call infected items "green" (people just like coloring things, as I said before).
Final main story items are tier 6.
Short answer: All like gold.

2. Where was first yellow item found? Who found it?
Have no right answer. But first who reported about yellow items in global chat was runner with nick illumorte. She found Jaguar Guard Macuahuitl, and mace (Elite HV Shock Mace). Short time yellow items was lootable on blue and red challenges. With really bad drop rate. Like 5% I think.

3. Where I can loot yellow items now?
I personally like loot yellow items on repeatable runs, also called daily runs (check "missions" dlc). Drop rate is quite ok.
But actually after finishing the last Lockdown mission yellow items drop from any loot container which might contain weapons.

4. My blue/red %itemname% is better then tier9, why?
Some items are better, but most yellow items better then blue and red gear. All depends from you runner skills, race and background. Some items could be with better crit chance, and some with better dmg. Have no idea what item more useful for you. Choose wisely.

5. How to count my full accuracy/critical chance bonus fast?
Most mellee weapons have 100% base accuracy. In mission with melee weapon equipped check your item. All percents over 100% is your accuracy. But consider you may have accuracy penalties.
To count your full crit chance bonus fast you could pick on Cutter Vibroblade in shop (Razer) or on Used Armtech MGL-6 (Lady Luck) and subtract 30 from number you see on your critical chance on this items.

6. How to count my full range bonus/critical dmg bonus/combatsoft rating?
You just need count all your skills, cyberware and background bonuses. This is not super easy to count.

7. Where I can find technical information about item tiers?
Check github[github.com]. You can search word "Elite" in this file[raw.githubusercontent.com] for example.

Last six questions can be ignored totally if you feel great with game. But I receiving them too frequently and decided to add some answers in one place.
1. I am pure mage and I miss some extra dmg compare with other runners I play. What to do?
Install Deltaware Reinfoced Cyberarm at least. Cost 1 essense, gives +15% dmg. If you have 8, 9 or 10 mana this will not be critical to you, I warranty!

2. I am too slow. What to do?
Install Wired Reflexes. Also you may consider try Elite Elemental Essense armor or your level analog of this item.

3. I spend all my nuyen on most expensive gear, but another runner on same level with me can "do things" with much cheaper items. Why?
Consider buying items useful to your personality, check items parametrs before buying. For example Maersk Spider could be a lot better if you play with rigger with Intruder then Vulcan Liegelord. And a lot cheaper.

4. I can't collect nuyen to buy deltaware?
You may try sell all useless items you have or do first stage of any challenge several times. Have no idea why, but deltaware drops quite freq on first stage. Longer way is to help someone with story runs. Lucky way is to loot it second story run you helping with.

5. I equipped two rifles (any two items of the same type) and feel very badass.
Your skills cooldowns share between this items. And you can't do "cool things" on both weapons. Select proper secondary weapon.

6. How to receive extra hp?
You can receive extra hp from you passives, cyberware and you may try Elite Elemental Essense armor or your level analog of this item.

[Ann]

SevenBlueSeven, you could check actual tier too:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=647050694

[SevenBlueSeven]

Props to you, Ann! Thank you for doing this work to catalogue all of this for us Bostonian-Runners.

Bonus K awarded to Ann.

[jeoc42]

Very nice. Was hoping that the good autos from the store were tier 8. Now I has a sad.

[snakefistahfu]

Nice work!