Drones are small Prop Planes-like enemies that travel in tight fleets, dealing damage to the player's Plane via direct contact. Some variants can discharge bullets upon destruction.
Appearance[]
Drones have an iconic "alien UFO" appearance often portrayed in medias. The main body is white in color with a light on top in the middle of the main body, as well as a black ring of spinning sawblades (6 blades). The Drones' entrances in Stage B1 reveal that their bottom surfaces are flat and black.
The light on top of the Drones can either be light blue or red, which are indications of their types and behaviors. Volatile and Large Volatile Drones have red lights instead of the normal blue and a red glowing aura, plus Large Volatile Drones also appear larger in size.
Normal Drones[]
Volatile Drones[]
Large Volatile Drones[]
Behavior[]
Drones function similar to Prop Plane enemies: travels in a specific trajectory as a fleet in tighter clusters. Drones lack weapons and therefore do not attack the player directly.
Drones have hit points and are destroyed if it reaches zero, which can be achieved by damaging them with weapons or by colliding with them. If collided, both sides will take damage until they pass through each other or either one is destroyed. As the drones' potential damage is tied to their health, damaged drones will deal less damage if collided with.
Halfway through Stage 13, Drones and Volatile Drones (the latter's only appearance), will swarm in from the sides of the screen horizontally before hovering in place in a grid, creating a pattern that resembles the iconic game Space Invaders. This is also the only situation where Prop Plane type enemies are seen stationary.
Some Drones may occasionally have a yellow glow; these will drop Weapon Upgrades items that increase your weapons' fire rate. Glowing drones will not spawn if the fire rate is maxed out. Volatile and large volatile drones will never carry Weapon Upgrades.
There are three types of Drones, two of which can "retaliate" if destroyed:
Normal Drones[]
- Normal Drones function exactly like Prop Planes.
Volatile Drones[]
- Upon destruction, Volatile Drones summon a ring of 16 bullets around it in the same fashion as Radial Cannons. These bullets are initially fast before decelerating and disappearing right after, resulting in a limited range.
The radial bullets discharged by Volatile Drones.
Large Volatile Drones[]
- Large Volatile Drones, similar to the one above, discharge a radial ring of 6 large bullets when destroyed. These bullets are initially fast before decelerating but unlike those of Volatile Drones, these bullets will exist indefinitely, creating a minefield that restricts the Plane's movement. Large Volatile Drones also possess more health and colliding damage than the normal and volatile types of Drones.
The purple lingering bullets left behind by Large Volatile Drones.
Players can use Energy Shields to protect themselves from the aircrafts and can even safely mow through fleets, as Drones are always destroyed instantly when they make contact with the shield, regardless of their health.
In two segments of Stage B1, the Drone fleets enter the screen through a spiraling trajectory from the bottom of the base. These Drones are invulnerable and harmless until they re-enter the screen from the top.
Strategy[]
- Most strategy against Prop Planes can be re-used against these Drones and are written in more details at Enemies/Prop_Planes#Strategy. They include:
- Keeping distance is crucial in avoiding massive damage.
- Memorizing their appear patterns and beware of sudden ambushes while distracted.
- Utilize many features that can help, such as the penetrating Laser Whip of The Classic Plane, Gladius's high firepower, Octopus's mini-rockets, well-timed Wing Cannons projectiles and the Tase MeBro Technician for catching escaping drones.
- Against types of Volatile Drones, do not be afraid to use Energy Shields and Mega Bombs if the radial bullets are causing too much trouble, since these power-ups can instantly destroy the Drones and their bullets at the same time (in the case of ramming the Drones with Energy Shield). In addition, Iron Clad's shockwaves from its Main Weapon Supercharge ability can clear the bullets with ease, along with the Plane's enhanced resistance to absorb some damage along the way.
- The effect of Slo Mo Chan Technician can reduce the speed of the volatile bullets, which in turn shortens their travel range. This can give more window for movement when fighting against the swarm of Large Volatile Drones.
Trivia[]
- Drones' explosions have a blue glow to them, which contributes to their futuristic theme.
- Drones, unlike Prop Planes, always explode mid-air without the spiraling wreckage animation.
- Volatile Drones will not discharge their bullets if they are near the edges of the screen (if the player destroys them quick enough). This is most likely a bug that can be used advantageously.
Images[]
(work in progress)
- ↑ In this scenario, the Drones will move straight downwards while the player's Plane is uncontrolled. Both aircrafts will be aligned right in front of each other, On Nightmare difficulty, the Drones may pass through the player without being destroyed, losing some of their potential total damage.