| Steelcove Robotics | |
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 The brand of Steelcove Robotics. | |
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Robotics |
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| "The day the Crowd Pummeler was invented, the average footman could have been made obsolete by the end of the year. Flash forward two decades, we're still sending farmers to die. It's beyond time to change our definition of warfare."
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Steelcove Robotics is a Gnomish company dedicated to the development of mechanical weaponry and defense, especially in the form of robots. Steelcove often creates robots for military contracts, however private and domestic robots may also be sold to the general populace.
Background[]
Steelcove Robotics was founded by its namesake, Edoc Steelcove, sometime after the Second War. Supposedly, the Second War inspired Steelcove when Gnomeregan weathered the Orcish Horde's assault through traps and explosives. Witnessing how a battle was won with naught but technology, without spilling the blood of a single soldier, Steelcove had a vision of robots replacing conventional soldiers, automatons that could protect and wage war without any casualties on the front lines. Steelcove was further vindicated by the heavy casualties on both sides of the conflict, and he rallied early pioneers of robotics to establish Steelcove Robotics.
Since then, Steelcove Robotics has been at the forefront of Gnomish innovation in the development of robotics, one way or another. It has since made its mission clear, to protect the "gift of life on Azeroth" by ensuring no living man or woman shall have to fight for life again. The company now frequently works with the Alliance through military contracts to supply weaponry and construct technological products to aid it in any war efforts. During the Fourth War, Steelcove was primarily hired to build machines to harvest Azerite, much to its founder's chagrin.
With the war in a state of armistice and Azerite demand beginning to slow, Steelcove began to take advantage of the quiet to shift its focus back to producing its soldiers to contribute to the conflicts ahead.
Products[]
These detail what Steelcove has produced, not necessarily what it has invented. Some of these creations can be found through other creators, and maybe even invented before Steelcove did it themselves.
Robotics[]
- SR-CP16: Footman - An upgrade to the original production of Crowd Pummelers and named out of humorous spite for the most common soldier of the Alliance, the Footman is designed to be both effective and affordable in its production. A Footman unit is equipped much like the Mechano-Tank, possessing energy-based weapon and mounted machine guns. For anti-air purposes, a Footman also contains a small arsenal of missiles.
- Crowd Pummeler - One of the earliest and most noteworthy of Gnomish automatons, Steelcove played a role in the development and manufacturing of crowd pummelers in Gnomeregan. The Crowd Pummeler is no longer within Steelcove's production line unless specifically contracted.
- Arcane Nullifier - Though the Crowd Pummeler may be considered obsolete by Steelcove, the Arcane Nullifier remains an impressive piece of work that continues to be manufactured to this day. These Nullifiers are typically distinguished by a few Steelcove modifications made over the years, but still recognizable.
- SR-MT5: Mechano-Tank - Though the company has not often built vehicles, Steelcove has constructed both manned and unmanned mechano-tanks in the past. In the present day, Mechano-Tanks are constructed much like most construct units, with varying methods of locomotion for different means of terrain. These tanks are outfitted to be heavily durable and armed, often possessing gatling guns and energy weapons, missile launchers, and the like.
- SR-HV5: Harvester - Harvester units are very broad in their function, which is little more than the task of gathering resources. They are the most affordable units and are optimized according to what they need to harvest. Units harvesting ore may have drills, lumber may demand a saw, et cetera. With the excess of harvesters following the Fourth War, some were repurposed and assigned to field technicians as guardians.
- SR-AS1: Hitman - A robot designed for assassination, these units are outfitted with Stealthman devices and various lethal armaments, most notably a termination rifle with high energy output. Hitman units are rigged to trigger a small detonation if disabled.
- SR-JV4: Handyman - Based on the "Jeeves" personal butler, Handyman units are intended to be domestic robots, available for purchase by the general public to assist in tending to matters in one's home. The Handyman is fairly reliable, if leaning on the expensive side, and typically built when commissioned.
Weaponry[]
- Energy Weapons - Not as uncommon today, Steelcove is fond of its energy weapons production, granting certified personnel access to energy-based sidearms and outfitting all combat units with energy weapons. These weapons were originally powered by Arcanite batteries but proved to be very expensive in early years of production. With advancements made in Magitech and the discovery of newer magical materials, energy weapons have proven to be less difficult to produce. These weapons tend to strictly utilize Arcane energy.
- Rotary Beam - Not unlike a gatling gun, a rotary beam releases streams of Arcane energy in concentrated bursts from a rotating cylinder of numerous barrels. Similar to the gatling gun, only larger units are outfitted with this weapon.
- Automatic Weapons - Unsurprisingly, as firearms have advanced over the years from old flintlocks and boomsticks, Steelcove has done their best effort to remain up-to-date with the latest in arms development, especially when competing with goblin rivals. Machine guns and gatling guns are known to be produced by Steelcove for their combat units.
- Machine Gun - An old favorite of Gnomes and Goblins alike, machine guns are the standard for any combat unit Steelcove creates.
- Gatling Gun - Owing thanks to the late Mogul Razdunk and his own possession of the gatling gun, this weapon is employed on the larger units that Steelcove produces.
- Pneumatic Power Gauntlet - Using pressurized air, the pneumatic gauntlet allows for brutal melee strikes with near explosive impact, capable of severe damage to its targets. Most often provided to worker units, but individual units have been produced for individuals to use.
Defense[]
- Shield Projector - Based on the core invention that earned Steelcove his name, portable deployable shields have advanced from solid steel to energy projected in a readily available and dependable shield. Shields vary in strength and function based on model, but at this point are standard issue and incorporated into all combat units.
- Radiation Filter - While the need for radioactive treatment has always been in high demand in the relief efforts for Gnomeregan, Steelcove focused on developing filters for the S.A.F.E. operatives actively working in contaminated zones. These filters have since been attached to labor robots that handle with potentially radioactive material.
- Stealthman - Stealth devices were most certainly a prized item and in demand, and during the Alliance-Horde War, Steelcove pitched in to develop and test the early Stealthman devices. In the present day, Stealthman devices have advanced beyond the iteration seen in Draenor, and its expensiveness (and rumored adverse effects) have caused Stealthman devices to see more limited production.