By Mack Martin
Night City is alive with chrome and code. From sweeping industrial zones to back-alley boxing dens, mechanical beings serve, protect, and occasionally punch their way through the sprawl. Robots and other mechanicals have always been part of the city’s background noise—but now they’re stepping into the Combat Zone spotlight with their own set of refined rules.
These new robot keywords bring mechanical characters to life (well, sort of), giving them thematic weight and mechanical distinction without complicating gameplay. Whether you’re running a crew of steel-skinned bruisers or just need a cheap Gonk to absorb fire, Robots have a clear identity—and a serious battlefield role.
Our first robots, the Wild Things Trainer Bots, are Gonks available to anyone, but we're working on some new robots alongside a revamp of our drone mechanics, so let’s get into the nuts and bolts, shall we?!
Factionless Flexibility
Robots are tools first, allegiances second. Unless a Robot's card explicitly says otherwise, they are factionless. This makes them extremely flexible additions to any crew, allowing you to plug and play mechanical allies into your list regardless of your core faction. The cards might have a faction’s card back, to represent who originates or most commonly uses the ‘bot (like the Wild Things with their rock’me-sock’me Gonks), but that’s just cosmetic. Robots don’t discriminate, they calculate!
Limitations of the Machine
Robots may be adaptable, but they aren’t human. These models come with restrictions that reinforce their non-biological pre-programmed nature:
No Tech, Influence, or Medical actions: That means your Robot won’t be hacking terminals, sweet-talking contacts, or stabilizing allies anytime soon. They're built for action, not diplomacy or triage.
No Healing—Repair Only: Robot characters don’t get the benefit of Heal effects. If a card says “Heal,” your bots won’t care. They do, however, benefit from Repair effects in the same way that Vehicles do. Keep your toolbox handy if you want your synthetic backup in top form.
No Shared Gear: Speaking of equipment, Robot characters can only equip gear that also has the Robot keyword. That means no slipping them an off-the-shelf SMG or a stim injector. If it wasn’t built for a bot, it won’t function for one. Some bots are more capable, but you’ll find that on a specific model’s special rules, rather than being the stock option.
These rules reinforce the unique character of Robot units—they aren’t just metallic humans, they’re something else entirely. And while that comes with restrictions, it also opens the door for future expansions and specialized Robot gear.
Whether you're fielding combat drones or a retrofitted factory worker, Robots add a tactical twist and thematic punch to your gang. Just remember—they don’t heal, they don’t think, and they certainly don’t care about your feelings.
Time to bring the bots online.
