Editing Venom talon

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main
| name = Venom talon
| image = Health item prosthetic.png
| type = Medical Items
| type2 = Body Parts
| tech level = Industrial
| description = A retractable finger talon connected to a venom pump in the lower arm. The user can scratch an enemy while squirting venom into the wound. The talon is designed to be installed in the middle finger. It's fast, but poor at penetrating armor.
| class = 
| meleeattack1dmg = 11
| meleeattack1type = Toxic scratch
| meleeattack1part = Venom talon
| meleeattack1cool = 1.5
| meleeattack1ap = 15
| body part = Middle finger
| MeleeWeaponAverageDPS = 7.33
| MeleeWeaponAverageAP = 15
| mode = Melee
| production facility 1 = Machining table
| research = Poison synthesis
| skill 1 = Crafting
| skill 1 level = 5
| resource 1 = Steel
| resource 1 amount = 40
| resource 2 = Component
| resource 2 amount = 7
| work to make = 15000
| damage type = 
| mass = 4
| marketvalue = 355
| max hit points base = 50
| tradeTags = ImplantEmpireCommon
| techHediffsTags = AdvancedWeapon
| thingSetMakerTags = RewardStandardLowFreq
}}
A '''venom talon''' gives a pawn that's been implanted with it an attack with 15% AP, 7.33 DPS, and inflicts 1.5% [[toxic buildup]] per point of damage.

== Acquisition ==
Venom talons can be crafted at a [[{{P|Production Facility 1}}]] once the [[Research#{{P|Required Research}}|{{P|Required Research}}]] research project has been completed. The required [[techprint]] can be obtained either by [[trade]] or completing [[quests]] for the [[Empire]]. They require {{Required Resources}}, {{Ticks|{{P|Work To Make}}}} of work, and a [[{{P|Skill 1}}]] skill of {{P|Skill 1 Level}}.

The item can also be traded from exotic [[traders]], and can be earned as a [[quests|quest]] reward.

== Summary ==
{{Stub|section=1|reason=Mechanical details should be moved out of other sections, into these sections, and expanded upon.}}
<Summary stuff goes here>

=== Installation ===
Installing the part requires {{Ticks|2500}} of work, 2x medicine of [[Herbal medicine|herbal]] quality or better, and a [[Skills#Medical|Medical skill]] of 5.

Removing the part requires {{Ticks|2500}} of work, 1x medicine of [[Herbal medicine|herbal]] quality or better, and a [[Skills#Medical|Medical skill]] of 5.

If the operation fails, the part will be destroyed.

== Effectiveness ==
The venom talon is a modestly powerful melee implant that can inflict the [[toxic buildup]] debuff when used. It is comparable to a [[quality|normal quality]] [[steel]] [[longsword]] against unarmored enemies, the [[toxic buildup]] it inflicts making up for the lower DPS, however it is significantly weaker against [[armor|armored]] foes due to its poor armor penetration. As a dedicated melee weapon it is outclassed slightly by other melee implants like the [[hand talon]], and is massively outclassed by a [[power claw]], [[plasteel]] [[longsword]] or [[uranium]] [[mace]]. It should not be considered as a pawn's primary offensive option.

Despite the fact that it is outclassed by similar weapons like the [[hand talon]] in terms of melee capabilities, the ability to cause [[toxic buildup]] to enemies allows for some very specific but otherwise useful uses. When fighting an enemy [[raider]] there is a high, but random, chance they will be dead upon being downed regardless of injuries if the reasons for it are going into [[pain|painshock]] or having less than 15% movement. However, if they are downed through other means such as extreme [[toxic buildup]] it will bypass this dice roll and they will live. This allows you to capture specific enemy [[raiders]] alive in a fairly reliable way.

== How to capture an enemy alive ==
This exact method is also applicable to [[venom fangs]].

=== Method ===
This method requires both the [[Psycasts#Skip|skip]] and [[Psycasts#Painblock|painblock]] psycasts. Other [[psycast]]s, such as [[Psycasts#Invisibility|invisibility]] and [[Psycasts#Neural heat dump|neural heat dump]], are helpful but not strictly necessary. Make sure your venom talon pawns '''do not have melee weapons''', as otherwise they they will select that more powerful weapon over the talon.

You will need two groups of pawns, a psycaster and venom talon armed pawn(s). While you can have your psycaster also be the one to have the venom talon, this increases the neural heat cost greatly as more skip psycasts will have to be cast. Your psycaster should be well ahead of your colonists, able to cast their skip ability on the incoming [[raider]] beyond the range of your colonists guns to ensure they don't get hit due to friendly fire. Your venom talon pawns should be in a sectioned off area either behind a wall or within a [[defense structures|bunker]] with a [[door]] held open, though if you have a high number of venom talon pawns such as 4 or 5, you can down [[raiders]] quickly and reliably enough such that separating them behind a wall/[[defense structures|bunker]]is not needed.

Find the [[raider]] you wish to capture alive and use the skip psycast to move them through the open doorway and in melee range of your venom talon pawns. You may have to use multiple skip psycasts to move them the appropriate distance, and if they are near the back of the enemy group invisibility may be needed to safely get in range. If your psycaster doesn't have enough [[psycast#Neural_Heat|neural heat]] capacity then you may have to disable the heat limiter or have a target to cast the neural heat dump psycast on. You '''''must then cast the painblock psycast''''' as otherwise they may go into [[pain|pain shock]] before reaching extreme [[toxic buildup]], which will cause the dice to roll likely killing them. Once this is done run, skip, or [[jump pack|jump]] your psycaster to safety.

Have your venom talon pawns close the [[door]] that was held open to ensure the aren't disturbed by other [[raiders]], and the melee the raider you skipped to them. After some attacks the [[raider]] should reach extreme [[toxic buildup]] and be downed, where you can then move your venom talon pawns to fight the rest of the [[raid]] like normal.

=== Flaws ===
This method of capturing enemies alive is not without its flaws however. Firstly, depending on which [[psycasts]] you have available, your psycaster may have to place themselves dangerously close to the enemy in order to be able to reach the desired target with the skip [[psycast]]'s modest range. This risk can be mitigated by the invisibility [[psycast]] allowing you to get closer without risk, or the mass chaos skip [[psycast]] to spread enemies out, though this can backfire by sending [[raiders]] where you don't want them to go.

Secondly, high levels of [[toxic buildup]] can cause [[dementia]] and [[carcinoma]] to form in the people you capture. After '''500 tests from 90% toxic buildup''' there is a: 
*16.4% chance of [[dementia]]
*6.8% chance of [[carcinoma]]
(Tested on [[Version/1.2.2753|version 1.2.2753]])

Dementia causes a permanent -15% brain function, reducing all capacites by -15% while stacking an additional -25% [[hearing]] and [[talking|speaking]], bringing those stats down to 60%. Dementia is only curable by a [[healer mech serum]] or permanent use of [[luciferium]]. Carcinoma, on the other hand, causes extreme amounts of [[pain]] in later stages and will destroy the affected part once severity reaches 100%. Carcinoma, however, can be cured with a rather risky operation, costing 4 [[medicine|industrial]] or [[glitterworld medicine]], a doctor with a [[Skills#Medicine|skill]] of 10 or above, and only has a base chance of 70% to succeed. 

Finally, there is a chance you may kill the [[raider]] you are trying to capture by having them reach 100% [[toxic buildup]]. After '''500 tests''' with venom talons there is a '''0.8% chance''' of them dying this way. (Tested on [[Version/1.2.2753|version 1.2.2753]])

You may want to consider all of these risks before using this tactic.

== Drawbacks ==
The main drawback of the venom talon is that it can not be simultaneously used with two [[bionic arm|bionic]] or [[archotech arm]]s. [[Manipulation]] above 100% does not affect [[Shooting Accuracy]], and so for a dedicated gunfighter this may not be a significant drawback. However, [[manipulation]] increases [[general labor speed]], meaning that if they have a role within your colony beyond fighting affected by [[manipulation]], such as crafting or constructing, they will be less effective at these roles than they otherwise could be. A pawn can still be equipped with one [[bionic arm|bionic]] or [[archotech arm]], and one venom talon without it negatively affecting their melee capabilities after [[Version/1.1.2610|1.1.2610]] changed melee verb selection.

If you choose two [[bionic arm|bionic]] or [[archotech arm]]s over one arm and a venom talon but still want venom weaponry you also have the option of the [[venom fangs]]. The [[venom fangs]] are weaker than the venom talon, but have no conflicts with any implant and so can be used without compromise.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* Version ??? - Buffed from 12% AP, 4.10 DPS to 15% AP, 7.33 DPS. Toxic build up was also improved at the same time. 

{{Nav|body parts|wide}}
[[Category:Medical Item]] [[Category:Body Part]] [[Category:Implant]]