Lancer NPC - Cataphract
Core Detail Overview
Stats
The Cataphract is a high-mobility frontline fighter, with blazing Speed, high HP and Save Target, above-average Evasion, average Hull and Agility, low Systems, Engineering, Armor, and Sensors; Heat Cap that starts out low but becomes average by Tier 3, and E-Defense that starts out average but ends up low by Tier 3. The Cataphract’s abilities and great Speed help it get to a key target and snatch them away for an unfair duel, but the overall low saves and E-Defense leave it vulnerable to all sorts of save-based abilities, Smart weapons, and tech attacks, and it doesn’t have the durability to survive concentrated focus, so it tends to need help from allies occupying the rest of the PCs while it deals with whoever it has dragged off.
Base Systems
Ram Cannon is the only NPC weapon that can be used for both melee and ranged attacks, and it’s also one of the few that scales in Accuracy at higher Tiers rather than base bonus to-hit (of which it has zero). The damage is decent, and the built-in Accuracy helps it land critical hits more reliably than the average NPC weapon in higher Tiers, though the Cataphract is dependent on templates for any abilities to make that matter. Being able to switch between melee and ranged gives it some versatility to fill the typical CQB role but also avoid Difficulty from Engaged or cover once it’s within 2 spaces of its target; it’s a niche capability but appreciated when it comes up. Not getting a third attack in Tier 3 holds this back in terms of high-level damage potential, and being a multi-attack weapon means that it suffers more against Armor starting in Tier 2. Altogether, it’s a decent and consistent weapon, though nothing remarkable on its own.
Trample makes the Cataphract even more mobile than its Speed suggests, along with helping boost its damage (particularly against unarmored targets). This can still trigger reactions, both related to movement (like overwatch) and related to damage (like Bonded 2), so it’s not entirely free, but dancing over the Cataphract’s target before attacking is 30-40% more damage than a Ram Cannon Skirmish alone, with the advantages of not being an attack (although it is a separate damage instance and so subject to Armor, and do note that this damage happens to any characters it moves through, including allies). This ability applies to all of the Cataphract’s movement, not just its standard move, and although the Cataphract usually prefers to focus on a single enemy, there’s no downside to taking advantage of its high Speed to step on multiple PCs or their drones along the way for some AOE damage if you’re mindful to avoid triggering reactions. That all said, I think the main benefit of Trample is the additional freedom of movement to both ignore engagement and go through character-occupied spaces, making it very difficult for the PCs to stop the Cataphract from reaching its target of choice unless they can alter terrain or have a reliable way of inflicting Immobilized. The Cataphract tends to struggle against Armor, and compared to other strikers that deal rapid damage in small doses, it lacks any of Seeking ranged attacks (like the Ace), conditional damage-doubling (like the Assassin and Specter), negation of damage reduction (like the Assassin), or a set-up snowball (like the Engineer), so getting to just move past the PCs’ tanks and reach a soft target to snatch is its way of playing around that weakness.
Impale is the main ability the Cataphract gets to snatch a target. At first, this can look like it’s just a Boost (in a straight line only) and Grapple combined into a full action with high Recharge, but there are a few important differences between using this ability compared to those two actions. First, unlike Grapple, this is not an attack and so can avoid matters like Invisible. While being a Hull save is always something I dislike, between imposing 1 Difficulty on the save and the Cataphract having a good Save Target, it actually works fairly consistently. Second, it’s worth noting that the pull effect can be used to move a larger mech than the Cataphract can grapple normally (assuming that target doesn’t have a trait to negate forced movement from smaller characters); this is a usually a bad idea because the Cataphract would lose control of the grapple immediately and become Immobilized, but it’s worth keeping in mind for situational use (such as moving someone out of a control point or into a position where they’re vulnerable to another NPC who has yet to act). If the Cataphract delivers the larger mech to an ally who can either do further involuntary movement (to break the grapple) or who would want to join in on the grapple and has enough Size together with the Cataphract to take control, that downside can effectively be negated, too. Lastly, if this is available while the Cataphract has control of a grapple, nothing prevents it from using this while it has a hold of someone already, allowing for a way of getting around the usual prohibition on using Boost while grappling. How to use Impale depends on a combination of how much distance the Cataphract needs to make from other PCs to feel like it has its target isolated, how much it needs to move to line this up in the first place, and whether the current situation merits prioritizing positioning or damage, but the basic idea with this ability is to dash to or (ideally) through a target and pull them away from their allies, then use any remaining standard movement to get them into as bad of a position as possible in order to set up the bullying to come on further turns (perhaps plus a Ram to Prone or a Skirmish for some damage, if the Cataphract has a template ability that grants Overcharge). It might sound simple summed up like that, but the high action cost, high Recharge value, and reliance on a failed save can make it a gamble, so it takes practice to get a feel for when to go for Impale versus when it’s better to just use a normal Grapple and standard movement plus another quick action.
Point-Defense Shield is the Cataphract’s main trick to make its duels unfair by gaining Resistance. This is my favorite Resistance-granting ability in Lancer in terms of its mechanics, because it presents clear counterplay and emphasizes the importance of positioning as part of effective tactics for both sides. I don’t think there’s much that needs to be said about the ability itself; Resistance to all damage (not just from attacks) is great, and getting it against one enemy only further underscores that the Cataphract specifically wants to fight a single PC at a time despite not having a marking ability.
Optional Systems
Electrified Lasso is the alternative snatching ability for the Cataphract and the first contender for my favorite optional. In return for giving up the movement and built-in Difficulty of Impale, this requires only a quick action, has range, and doesn’t need to Recharge (though it is limited to once per round, but that only matters if the Cataphract can Overcharge or is getting multiple turns per round since the same quick action can’t be used twice in one turn anyway). Losing the Difficulty on the save is noticeable, though it can be compensated for if another NPC can apply Impaired (or similar) to set up the Cataphract, while losing the movement can be a boon since it means that Slowed does not stop this ability from working as it does for Impale (and with the Cataphract being a fast mech that is a little lacking in either E-Defense or Heat Cap depending on the Tier, it’s a common target for Fragment Signal). Whether the range of Electrified Lasso or the dash of Impale is better for positioning depends on the situation, but generally speaking, Range 5 is good enough with the Cataphract’s mobility that it’s uncommon for Impale to be able to reach a target while Electrified Lasso can’t (especially since, being only a quick action, Electrified Lasso can be used with a Boost). Aside from those differences, most of what I wrote about Impale applies to Electrified Lasso as well, with the caveat that using this on a larger mech doesn’t always end with them grappling the Cataphract if something can block the pull from bringing them adjacent, and snatching someone with this is the most reliable way of then having Impale available for a grapple-compatible Boost on the Cataphract’s next turn. Additionally, because this doesn’t have Recharge or cause Trample damage, it has more utility for being able to reposition allies; willingly failing the Hull save lets them get pulled, after which the Cataphract can end the grapple as a free action. I don’t use it often for that purpose, but it can feel like a brilliant play when it does come up (usually for getting an overwatch-lover NPC like the Breacher, Ronin, or Sentinel to a good spot while doing a Trample through a PC that I don’t want the Cataphract to face).
Lance Shot leans more into the controller-side of the Cataphract, leveraging its good Save Target and targeting Engineering (generally not a high stat for PCs) for a nasty effect, with some AOE as a bonus (though mind friendly fire). This does cost a full action, though, so there are only a couple of situations where I typically find myself using it (unless the Cataphract is getting multiple turns per round or is able to Overcharge). Most commonly, I like it as a defensive measure if the Cataphract seems to be in danger of being overwhelmed, since Jammed disables reactions and thus can buy an opening to get away from an engagement. Less often, if I’m trying to stall out a sitrep time limit, it can be worth dedicating the Cataphract’s whole turn to inflicting Jammed on one or two PCs; it’s worse at this than most other NPCs that can inflict Jammed directly (such as the Hornet or Scourer) since they can usually do it as a quick action and thus have the option of doing it via Prepare at the start of the PC’s turn to get two turns of the effect, but particularly if the Cataphract is arriving as a late reinforcement, having it run in and Lance Shot a key PC can be a worthwhile turn. This is certainly a powerful effect, and the Cataphract can make decent use of it, but the full action cost often makes it hard to fit in, and I don’t think a chance to inflict Jammed is often worth a full action from an NPC that typically has other ways to be disruptive. This would be top notch on someone like the Engineer, but the Cataphract just has a lot it can do already.
Electrified Bola is the Cataphract’s response to PCs who think that flying can let them rival its mobility. The range on this often catches players by surprise, but it firstly requires there to even be any PCs who can fly, and then it can be awkward to target Agility; PCs who can fly tend to either want high Speed or use Ace as their way of offsetting low Agility (and thus get 1 Accuracy to Agility saves while flying from Ace 1). If other NPCs can benefit from Immobilized (such as the Assassin, the Demolisher with Seismic Destroyer, or the Scout with Orbital Strike), this can have some use, and if there’s a temporary flying PC (like the Dusk Wing frame or someone using Rapid Burst Jump Jet System), using this via Prepare can cut down their movement just from its threat, but I think this is just much too situational to be worth picking over any of the other optionals unless it’s meant to counter a specific PC.
Capacitor Discharge is a way to add some passive power to the Cataphract, since it tends to be fairly strained on actions. The first effect is similar to the Berserker’s Stampede Defense, granting Resistance that can be disabled with a couple of common effects; it’s much less useful since it only protects against Energy damage and Heat, but it’s never bad to have for when those do come up (if nothing else, the Heat Resistance can go well with a template that can Overcharge to further help with the Cataphract’s action strain). The second effect is giving the Cataphract an automatic Heat aura, though note that it will also cause Heat on adjacent allies. Since the Cataphract is bad at Invade (on top of usually not wanting to use a quick action for that) and is often adjacent to a PC for grappling, this can give it a way to put more pressure on whoever it’s trying to duel with minimal tactical opportunity cost. The amount of Heat is low, but two of the main PC frames that like to grapple (Blackbeard and Balor) have only 4 Heat Cap by default, as do some others that tend to lean towards melee (such as Atlas and Mourning Cloak), so this can be significant on the right targets while still potentially being a deterrent to others using abilities that build Heat. All in all, this ability doesn’t do anything massive (perhaps unless the PCs are heavily reliant on Energy damage), but even if the Heat aura doesn’t end up pushing anyone into Stress damage, just doing a little bit to discourage an Overcharge or to pressure them into a Stabilize can be decent value for a passive ability. I wouldn’t rate it highly for most melee-oriented NPCs, but for the Cataphract, getting a little benefit without needing to spend actions can make it a comfortable addition.
Charge is my other favorite Cataphract optional system and even happens to work nicely with Electrified Lasso (or with grappling in general). The implication from the name is that this would be used to rush in, but similar to Impale, it can also be a way of running off while holding someone, which I think is the better use for it in general; getting a free Ram Cannon attack on top (note that, as-written, this is only an attack, not a Skirmish, so it would still be only one attack after Tier 1) is just a nice bonus. Additionally, this is the only ability the Cataphract has to move without provoking reactions, giving it some further utility that doesn’t overlap with Impale or other movement. Being only a quick action opens up more options for how to use it, too; as a couple of examples, using it to run off after a Grapple or Electrified Lasso can help quickly set up an unfair duel, or if the Cataphract is in control of a grapple to start its turn, it can use this to further isolate its target and get in an attack, Ram to knock the target Prone, and then Skirmish with the Ram Cannon. Recharge 5+ even gives this a decent chance to be available more than once in a combat, and at worst, having a Boost that doesn’t provoke reactions and gets a free attack at its end in return for being locked to a straight line is a great option on a close-range NPC.
Templates Overview
Grunt is a good fit with the Cataphract. While it does make Point-Defense Shield and half of Capacitor Discharge useless, their high mobility gives them a good chance to swarm in and do stuff before the PCs can take them all out, and just one turn of dragging a couple of PCs out of position can snowball into a big advantage, depending on the PC builds, NPC composition, and sitrep details. RPV is also a reasonable choice. It adds to the Cataphract’s high HP and weakness to tech attacks alike, and while being permanently Impaired is bad for maintaining control of grapples with an equal-Size opponent, none of the Cataphract’s abilities aside from Ram Cannon and Charge are affected by Impaired, and having a partner who wouldn’t mind joining the grapple (like the Assassin, Lurker, or Pyro) can negate the chance to lose control.
The Ram Cannon’s built-in Accuracy makes it good at getting critical hits, so Pirate is a good fit to add more punch with Deadly. Boarding Leash can be an alternative to Electrified Lasso (slightly less reliable for needing a hit to trigger the save against being pulled, in return for dealing damage), Splintered Rounds is strong for critical-fishing play, and while the full action systems are action-costly, the Cataphract’s good Save Target can make Prying Claws or Slaver Signal strong choices to disable an isolated PC to either take out the pilot or leave it Stunned while dragging off another, respectively. Mercenary’s extra Accuracy is mostly overkill, but Favors Owed grants a ranged threat that can also slow down pursuit, Scout Drone can help to deal with an Invisible target snatched by a save-based grapple, and the Cataphract has the durability and melee focus to make good use of Last Word. Exotic is a strong fit; it brings Hardened Target at base to compensate for the weakness to tech attacks, Living Chassis can grant immunity to tech attacks and combines well with Capacitor Discharge’s Resistance, Blinkspace Carver can give a further mobility improvement that also avoids provoking reactions (though keep in mind that grappling a larger enemy means the Cataphract becomes Immobilized immediately, which blocks teleportation, so this still won’t let it safely grab someone bigger), Paracausal Weapon is strong with a multiple-attack weapon like the Ram Cannon, Chronotorus can make it even harder for PCs to succeed on saves, and Regenerator can go well with its high HP (plus the Resistance from Capacitor Discharge could compensate for its weakness to Energy damage). Realspace Extrusion is even usable if you want more of a durable controller, since the Cataphract’s damage per hit is already low and tends to round favorably when halved, though giving up damage with a striker that already tends to be on the lower end for that role is a high cost. With its emphasis on manipulating positioning and forcing saves, Spacer is also a strong fit; I think either Impale or Electrified Lasso are generally better for pulling than Gravity Rifle, but getting options to cause knockback and/or Immobilize remotely can diversify the Cataphract’s control toolkit.
Ship and Vehicle are terrible for the Cataphract. Being unable to grapple or use the Ram Cannon for melee takes away most of what the Cataphract does. It could still get some value out of having high Speed, Trample, and Transport, but it might be the worst fit of any NPC with these templates.
Commander can work, but it requires a different playstyle from usual, focusing more on delivering PCs to other NPCs and avoiding ending turns in a grapple so that Voice Of Authority is available; add in that Point-Defense Shield becomes less impactful if the Cataphract is exposed to multiple PCs, and I think it’s not a good fit overall. Veteran goes well, on the other hand. Slippery makes Trample much less risky to use with standard movement (though mind that the damage it causes can still trigger reactions), Deadly or Headshot can give a decent chance for either more damage or more control with the Ram Cannon, Limitless can offer some welcome relief to the Cataphract’s action strain, and the defensive options can all give some nice backup to Point-Defense Shield. The extra turns from Elite can also provide a lot more flexibility for the Cataphract to fit in all of the actions it wants to do, along with increasing the chances to use Impale, Lance Shot, and/or Charge more often. Ultra’s base is honestly not a big upgrade from that with the exception of gaining Deadly, but its optionals bring some interesting potential. Siege Shield leaves a small band where incoming attacks don’t have to deal with Resistance from either it or Point-Defense Shield (encouraging the PCs to actually engage with the multiple equidistant enemies clause for that ability), Repulsion Field is an alternative to Capacitor Discharge for an automatic punishment aura, Extra Deadly can make the Ram Cannon very threatening for spike damage, Devastator gives the Cataphract even more consistent chip damage, Superior Frame stops the PCs from easily shutting down Impale or Charge as well as making it less of a bad idea to grapple a larger target (though still usually not a good idea unless that disables an important reaction), Unstoppable makes escaping its grapples much more difficult, Limitless is about as good as it is with the Veteran template, and Supreme Melee gives it much more action freedom that the Cataphract can usually use well without the Heat cost of an Overcharge. That all said, I think the Cataphract is one of the worst Ultras because any Ultra is likely to draw concentrated attention from the PCs, which clashes with how much of the Cataphract’s kit wants to duel; I think having it as a complimentary NPC for another Ultra where it can put the players in a bind about whether to help rescue their stolen ally or focus on the Ultra enemy is usually a better use of it than being an Ultra itself.
General Use
Overall, the Cataphract is a high-mobility disruptive striker who wants to drag soft targets away from their allies and force them into unfair fights. Its high Speed and ability to always ignore engagement lets it project threat over a very wide area despite tending towards close-range fighting, and having a number of abilities that either let it grapple automatically or that go well with grappling (along with not having any reactions or abilities tied into Boost) helps it grab a target and run off too quickly for the rest of the PCs to keep up. That said, the Cataphract is actually not good at maintaining control of a grapple (being only Size 1 by default and having only average Hull), so unless it’s running off with a Size 1/2 target, the Cataphract benefits from having an ally willing to also get in on a grapple with it to lock down the target; otherwise, after the initial snatch and hopefully one turn of running further away, I often like to Ram the target to get some separation and let Threat 2 overwatch serve as soft-control instead of relying on Immobilized, unless a teammate really want that debuff on a PC.
The other main weakness of the Cataphract is that, while its total damage output is decent-to-good (depending on Tier and whether it has Charge and/or template offensive abilities), that’s dealt across several hits even in Tier 1 (between Ram Cannon Skirmish and Trample), so Armor can dull its bite significantly. Capacitor Discharge can help some with the high chance to inflict Exposed on Stress damage, but since the Heat from that isn’t remarkable and the Cataphract itself is bad at Invade, it usually needs some Heat-bombing support to actually overheat a PC in a reasonable time; more preferable would be an ally to inflict Shredded or otherwise deal with heavy Armor. This weakness usually isn’t too much of a problem since it’s unlikely that all of the PCs will have good Armor and the Cataphract usually has the mobility to pick its choice of target to focus on, but it is something to be aware of.
The Cataphract’s own mechanics are fairly simple, but making good use of it in play can be tricky due to juggling Impale and potentially Lance Shot as full actions along with having to plan out exact movement carefully to maximize Trample and minimize triggering reactions, the common action tax to Grapple (and having a back-up plan if that misses), having back-up plans to salvage a turn where the PC succeeds on the save against whatever ability it was using (whether Impale, Electrified Lasso, Lance Shot, or Electrified Bola, bearing in mind that two of those are full actions), deciding how to move to set up its duel once it has grabbed someone, and often having to plan ahead for contingencies in case it loses control of a grapple during the PC’s turn (or how to continue controlling a PC during their turn after releasing a grapple). In that way, the Cataphract is similar to the Archer or the Specter in that it has a clear core gimmick to its abilities, but there’s a deceptive amount of depth to actually making use of that effectively, and the NPC benefits greatly from both good predictions and better mastery of the general system mechanics.
As with many close-range NPCs, the Cataphract usually wants to start out by closing in, using cover and Hide for some safety until it’s ready to strike; despite its high mobility, I think it’s often worth taking your time with this instead of diving in as fast as possible because the Cataphract does tend to depend on its allies to delay or occupy the other PCs while it runs off with its target. How to proceed once it’s stolen someone depends on the rest of the situation, but it generally wants to pile in as much damage as possible while keeping the target effectively isolated and letting Point-Defense Shield mitigate incoming damage; if it manages to destroy that mech, that’s a nice bonus that can let it focus on someone else next, but even just neutralizing a key support or artillery PC for several turns can be good as a divide-and-conquer strategy for the NPC team as a whole.
For sitreps, the Cataphract tends to do worse when the PCs can take their time sticking together and either hold a control point (like in Holdout) or make a gradual push for one (like in Gauntlet). The more they’re pressured to spread out (like in Escort or Extraction) or split up (like in Control or Recon), the more opportunities the Cataphract can likely find to crash into someone vulnerable and drag them away. It can still work when the PCs are able to be more defensive, but I think it becomes more important in those cases to be patient with it, maybe flanking around and baiting a reaction from the players, then rush in to grab someone after the other NPCs have had time to close in and make contact.
Compositions of Note
There are a few general characteristics that the Cataphract enjoys having in its allies. A way to threaten PCs with high Armor is appreciated, as are allies that are high-priority threats to draw attention while it goes after “only” one PC. Altering terrain to create obstacles, hazards, or both can let it make more use of its high mobility and abilities that reposition PCs. Ways of worsening the PCs’ saves help to make Impale, Electrified Lasso, Electrified Bola, and Lance Shot more reliable. And lastly, it usually prefers allies that don’t need it to restrict its movement in order for them to work together effectively.
Strikers are generally good if unremarkable allies for the Cataphract, but a handful stand out as meshing well. As mentioned a few times earlier, the Assassin enjoys partnering to deal doubled damage from Heated Blade to a PC who’s Immobilized, and being one of the few NPCs who can keep up with the Cataphract’s mobility minimizes the downtime before it can join in on a duel. Additionally, the Assassin’s Mark can set it up to go after a high-Armor PC that might otherwise be difficult for the Cataphract if they’d be better off splitting their focus, and inflicting Stunned from Sap makes the target fail Hull saves automatically for easy Impale/Electrified Lasso thefts. The Berserker, Breacher, and Lurker are all high-threat close-range fighters that can hold attention and divert tech attacks from the Cataphract, and all of them appreciate having an ally keep their target Immobilized and Prone so they can use quick actions to Boost (or Umbral Shift) for better positioning; between them, the Berserker is best suited to moving along with the Cataphract (though mind Aggression and Juggernaut), the Breacher is a big threat to Armor-dependent PCs and tends to have the best durability (assuming the players understand how to disable Stampede Defense and Shroud Zones), and the Lurker brings the best support for the Cataphract with its Shroud Zones inflicting Shredded and Impaired automatically. The Engineer compels the players to take it out before its turrets can snowball, and having the Cataphract run off with one of the PCs means there are fewer to spread out the fire from the turrets; alternatively, if something else about the NPC composition or sitrep is pressuring the PCs, the Cataphract can bring its target into the Engineer’s turret zone, exposing them to far more incoming damage than its usual bully corner. The Specter can be a good ally because having the Cataphract drag off a PC can make it easier to trigger Hunt on someone else, and landing Drain Systems on someone the Cataphract proceeds to snatch can make it very difficult for the PCs to clear the Stunned if managed well, though there is also some potential awkwardness if they both want to go after the same target in order to keep Hunt active.
Controllers are some of the Cataphract’s best friends. The Archer is fantastic at causing Impaired and brings enough damage per hit after Tier 1 to hurt through Armor, Blinding Shells or Impending Threat can stymie PCs trying to fight from a distance, and laying a Covering Fire area over the Cataphract’s catch can further limit how well they can fight back. The Hornet can also work similarly, albeit trading damage output for the mobility to keep up with the Cataphract and a stronger debuff in Jammed, potentially with Umbral Interdiction as a more dependable action-negation tool than Impending Threat and/or Lock/Hold Javelins to deal with high Armor. The Barricade’s Graviton Lance, terrain creation, and/or Drag Down can disrupt how well the PCs can move together, making potential openings for the Cataphract to swoop in, and Mobile Printer can break line of sight and freedom of movement for any PCs trying to chase after whoever it drags off. The Hive’s Drone Barrage lets it either move PCs out of position or lock them down with debuffs, both of which can set up a snatching run; Razor Swarms gives soft cover where desired, and its Burn damage helps cover the Cataphract’s weakness against Armor. The Seeder is also a great ally, with Invades as good as the Archer to help spread Impaired and a variety of mines that the Cataphract can force PCs into (though it can take a little care to avoid the AOE). The Witch is a top-priority threat whose mere presence can draw attention off of the Cataphract, and while it usually has prefers to use its unique tech attacks rather than Invade, the raw amount of Heat it can pump out (especially with Spread Suffering and/or Dark Cloud) can quickly set up Impaired or Exposed from Stress damage, while Blind, Predatory Logic, Chain, and Pain Transference can also all help with initially breaking up a PC deathball to help the Cataphract get to its target.
Defenders tend to get along surprisingly well with the Cataphract. The Demolisher provides an obvious threat to high-Armor PCs, and the Cataphract can deliver whoever it grabs for a bonk (or potentially set up multiple PCs for a Seismic Destroyer) instead of the usual bully corner tactic. The Pyro has a similar partnership, bringing Burn instead of AP and making up for its lower raw damage by providing soft cover as a free action that also effectively grants Invisible against ranged attacks; just be careful to avoid exposing the Cataphract to Explosive Vent or Unshielded Reactor. The Goliath is on the more defensive side, diverting attention with Crush Targeting, providing a mobile bully corner with Guardian (or even better with Watchful Guardian to help backup Point-Defense Shield), and potentially using Pin or Crushing Embrace to take over a grapple with further debuffs. The Spite’s tech attacks can wreak havoc with the PCs’ movement, targeting, and willingness to Overcharge. The only defender I’d avoid using is the Bastion, because its dependency on being adjacent to whoever it’s protecting completely stifles one of the Cataphract’s main strong points, and the Cataphract’s offense isn’t explosive enough (without templates) to be a high-level threat with Pause Engine.
Supports are curiously hit-or-miss as allies. While the Cataphract’s mobility means it doesn’t typically need help from Glitch Sensors/Blip, the Mirage is still a good teammate for being able to boost its durability with guaranteed soft cover (via Warp Sensors or Warp Targeting) and Invisible (via Dataveil or Illusory Subroutines), and Multiplicity is always great for a chance to negate a big hit each round. The Scout is a consistent source of both Impaired (via Invade) and Shredded (via Marker Rifle) from long range, can also potentially provide Invisible (via Cloaking Field or Dataveil), and Expose Weakness can be a nice chunk of bonus damage (note that it specifically requires a hit to trigger, so Impale or Electrified Lasso won’t trigger it while a generic Grapple or Ram can). Orbital Strike is also a fun option to get in the way of PCs trying to chase after the Cataphract; it’s unlikely to stop them completely unless they’re all using Speed 2 frames with no Agility, but it’s often possible to get at least one PC to eat the blast. The Aegis can work, but unless it’s a Ship, Defense Net probably won’t cover enough of the map to protect both the Cataphract and whoever else the Aegis wants to cover with it, so I find it’s often an awkward fit. The Priest’s Investiture is mostly overkill with how much Accuracy the Ram Cannon has already, and the approach of having the Priest grab onto a high-mobility partner to get around the link length limit is a bad idea here because it means the Cataphract will never be guaranteed to control a grapple (assuming default Sizes and no second NPC grappler); that said, Dispersal Shield is a nice backup for Point-Defense Shield, and Sanctuary can provide further protection, so if the Priest has someone else to support with Investiture, it’s not as bad of an ally as the Bastion. The Support, on the other hand, often does reach that nadir, since its short range on all of its abilities and lack of Systems to provide good Invade support means it’s usually left helping the rest of the NPCs while the Cataphract does its own thing.
Artillery mostly make for unremarkable pairings, with two exceptions. The Rainmaker’s Javelin Rockets are nice hazards for the Cataphract to drag PCs into (even better with Endless Rain), and since the Cataphract usually doesn’t struggle to hit, it can leave up Lock On to trigger Huntsman as a way of dealing with Armor (along with its other benefits). Hound Missiles can be a further hazard for the Cataphract to force a PC into, Hades Missiles can combine with Capacitor Discharge to build a threatening amount of Heat if the Rainmaker gets lucky with the Recharge rolls, and Atlas Missiles is a more damaging version of the Scout’s Orbital Strike. The Sniper also works well, with the Cataphract being able to hold PCs in line of sight for the Anti-Material Rifle (which also brings the benefits of high AP damage), and Selective Loader can bring Jammed, Prone, or Shredded as a free action addition to the shot. If the Cataphract has a target it can control reliably, it can help set up for a multi-hit Deadmetal Rounds shot, and the Cataphract’s high Speed makes it one of the better choices of an NPC to trigger Moving Target to let the Sniper reload as a reaction, if it doesn’t need all of its mobility on a turn where the Sniper’s gun is empty.
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