Assaultrons (Fallout 76)

 are robots found in Fallout 76.

Background
The Assaultron was constructed by RobCo Industries and sold to the United States military as a frontline wartime combatant. It is fast and deadly at close range, and employs a devastating laser at a distance. Some units can even employ stealth technology.

In terms of design, the Assaultron is intended for melee combat and survivability. To that end it was designed using proven, reliable technologies, with actuators, chain-powered limbs and other simple, rugged solutions, covered in thick armored plating. Modular arms allow for swapping out its loadout depending on the mission profile, with the most typical one being a combination of claws and blades. Once in range, it grabs onto targets with its claws, then twists to tear armor, flesh, and bone alike. Long, slender legs powered by a combination of hydraulic actuators and springs allow it to close distance with frightening speed. The crown jewel is the head laser, mounted in its center and capable of devastating the opposition when fully charged. For protection, its red lens is surrounded by thick armor plates and distracts from the optical receptors hidden at the top of the head. The end result is a lightweight, fast, and highly durable combat robot that excels in close quarters combat. Its disadvantage is that it's a pure combat design: It has a decent carrying capacity, but well below that of the other designs.

Heavily modified Assaultrons are know to traverse the Commonwealth, ranging from those with Protectron heads to better make use of laser weapons to those that replace their legs with a Mr. Handy thruster for even more speed and wield dual Shishkababs in place of claws. There are also bizarre armor designs that give the Assaultron a fearsome visage, and definitely not authorized by RobCo Industries. Furthermore, raiders are known to adapt robot armor for their own use, including Assaultron head armor, from which they create Assaultron helmets. As for the heads themselves, some non-functioning units still contain a functioning laser, which those desperate enough to endure the subsequent radiation poisoning can use as a hand-held weapon.

Characteristics
 A bipedal, close combat robot intended for use on the frontlines, the Assaultron is a vicious enemy who just doesn't let up. Assaultrons focus primarily on close combat using their arms, with the head laser relegated to engaging enemies while closing distance. Some advanced models will also employ stealth, making them much harder to locate and dispose of. The best course of action is to force the Assaultron to navigate through obstacles and maintain distance. The focus on melee also makes it possible to engage them with mines, especially pulse mines.

The most important piece of advice, however, is to destroy its head or take shelter before its head-mounted laser can charge up and be brought to bear. It is positively devastating if caught out in the open. Invader and Dominator models are made even more problematic by their periodic cloaking, which makes it quite difficult to maintain fire and nearly impossible for targeting in VATS. 

Loot

 * Assaultron blade or salvaged Assaultron head (players must meet the minimum level for it to start spawning)
 * Scrap Assaultron head
 * Plan: Assaultron Blade, Plan: Electrified Assaultron Blade, Plan: Assaultron Head
 * Fusion cells
 * Bottle caps
 * Robot components: Fuse, vacuum tube, power relay coil, enhanced targeting card, military-grade circuit board, biometric scanner
 * Aluminum, nuclear waste
 * Random ammunition

Variants

 * Assaultron
 * Assaultron Invader
 * Assaultron Dominator
 * Assaultron strikebreaker
 * Whitespring assaultron
 * Whitespring Desk Clerk
 * Interrogatron
 * Arktos Pharma assaultron