"The character can attack with this weapon as his Reaction."

This is what the description for the ballistic mechadendrite says in my book. No more, no less. All the other mechadendrites have it stated in their rules that you can use them to make Standard Attacks as a half action (vastly limiting their use, but at least limiting it clearly). Does anyone know if the intention behind the much shorter description of the ballistic mechadendrite was to allow the ballistic mechadendrite to be used as a regular weapon as well, or if it was to allow to be used *only* as a reaction?

I mean, I suppose you could have it be used as a regular weapon (taking a half action to fire). But then again, that sorta defeats the purpose of the mechadendrite when you can just wield the compact pistol yourself.

So the answer would be yes..... but why would you do it that way.

In order to wield more - and more kinds of - weapons at once.

*Shrugs*

As said, I suppose you could fire it as a half action. But you are limited to only pistols with the compact upgrade.

The Weapon MIU is quite a bit better rules-wise, in that it can be any basic or smaller weapon and can fire as a free action, and not as a reaction.

I might have been unclear. I'm looking for staff clarifications, erratas or rules I've missed, newer printings etc that elaborate on the rules. Nothing in the ballistic mechadendrite rules say that I can fire them as a half-action, which is why I'd like to know. Personal opinions of GMs and players don't help me much here, and the same goes for the weapon MIU - it doesn't say anything about allowing (or disallowing) basic weapons or any other class, so a heavy weapon is just as valid as a basic one by RAW. In my group, on the other hand, we allow only pistols.

Using it as a Reaction possibly means you can attack with something else, then fire your ballistic mechandrite instead of dodging or parrying? So that could be the advantage to having one, though that may conflict with the whole "only one Attack action subtype per turn" or whatever. But from the lines you quoted, it may not be subject to that.

It is exempt, in fact. While most people just assume this is Rules As Intended, it is in fact rules as written as well.

"characters in ONLY WAR may only take one
Action with the Attack subtype and one Action with the
Concentration subtype during their Turn."

Reactions happen outside of your turn. This is also the reason you can attack normally, then parry and attack again with Counter-Attack in one round.

I might have been unclear. I'm looking for staff clarifications, erratas or rules I've missed, newer printings etc that elaborate on the rules.

It is exempt, in fact. While most people just assume this is Rules As Intended, it is in fact rules as written as well.

"characters in ONLY WAR may only take one

Action with the Attack subtype and one Action with the

Concentration subtype during their Turn."

Reactions happen outside of your turn. This is also the reason you can attack normally, then parry and attack again with Counter-Attack in one round.

This gives Ballistic Mechandrites a serious edge over MIU weapon interfaces. Duel wielding autopistols with a compact stub auto on a Ballistic Mechandrite means you can get 15 shots off at a target, per round. That hurts.

Well, you could just dual-wield autoguns to begin with and get off 20 shots.

And stick an autopistol in the mechandrite, for a free extra 6 shots. My point is, it's another attack when you can only really make one or two in a turn.

Yeah, but you give up your "get out of death free" card to do it. Mechadendrites aren't *bad*, but I hardly ever find them to be worth losing dodge over.

Yeah, but you give up your "get out of death free" card to do it. Mechadendrites aren't *bad*, but I hardly ever find them to be worth losing dodge over.

But you could always take Step Aside talent.

Gives you extra Reaction that you can ONLY (did I make that big enough) use for Dodge or Parry.

So you could use your normal Reaction to fire Ballistic Mechadendrite and the wait for incoming attack that you Dodge or Parry with Reaction gained from Step Aside talent.

Or you could get out of death twice in a turn, instead of being done for if more than one enemy fires at you.

But if you are able to shoot three times in a turn, there really shouldn't be too many enemies left alive to shoot at you

Not when your enemy just used Step Aside to dodge your first two attacks. :c

A real man doesnt dodge.

A real man doesnt dodge.

Real men die a lot?

A real man doesnt dodge.

Real men die a lot?

Yep, that's why it's still cool to be one; there aren't a lot just standing around.