Skeleton

The Skeleton is the frame of a tank build. Most of its implants add Armor, Health or Mitigation, and every one of them adds a block of Armor of its own. The slot starts with two places. The Technical Ability perk License To Chrome adds a third and boosts every Skeleton implant. A character who wants to survive heavy fire fills the Skeleton early. Melee fighters and netrunners also find an implant or two here that suits them.

Effects

Armor is the main job of the slot. Armor lowers the damage of every hit. Bionic Joints add a flat amount that passes 100 at Tier 5++. Para Bellum raises total Armor by a percentage, so it grows with every other armored implant. The Rara Avis is its Iconic variant, with a far larger bonus of 28% to 42%. The Scar Coalescer raises Armor by a percentage only while Health is below half. Scarab adds a large block of Armor while crouched, at the cost of 20% movement speed.

Health comes from the Epimorphic Skeleton. It raises max Health by 10% to 13%. Since the bonus is a percentage, it grows with every other source of Health.

Mitigation gives each hit a chance to lose part of its damage. By default, a mitigated hit loses half. The Kinetic Frame raises Mitigation Chance while Stamina stays above 85%. Spring Joints raise Mitigation Strength, so each mitigated hit loses more. Total Mitigation Strength can never go above 90%.

Other Skeleton implants serve other builds. Dense Marrow raises melee damage but also the Stamina cost of each swing. RAM Recoup turns damage taken into RAM and adds Max RAM. Feen-X speeds up RAM recovery when RAM runs low. The Universal Booster makes Health Items also grant Armor and cut Stamina costs for a short time. Titanium Bones raise Carrying Capacity.

Pros

• Every Skeleton implant adds Armor, even the ones built for damage or RAM.
• Percentage bonuses such as Para Bellum and the Rara Avis grow as the rest of the build adds Armor.
• The Epimorphic Skeleton scales with Health from perks and other cyberware.
• License To Chrome adds a third slot and boosts all Skeleton implants.

Cons

• The Rara Avis and the Epimorphic Skeleton are costly. The Epimorphic Skeleton alone takes 40 capacity.
• A percentage bonus gives little to a character with low Armor.
• Dense Marrow drains Stamina faster, and melee attack speed drops sharply at zero Stamina.
• Scarab slows crouched movement, and the Kinetic Frame stops working after a burst of shooting or a dodge.

Cyberware Categories

Best Skeleton Cyberware

Name	Image	Why
Rara Avis		Up to 42% more total Armor
Epimorphic Skeleton		Up to 13% more max Health
Para Bellum		Percentage Armor at a low cost
Spring Joints		Stronger Mitigation on every mitigated hit
Bionic Joints		Cheap flat Armor for a spare slot
Dense Marrow		More damage on every melee hit
Titanium Bones		Over 60% more Carrying Capacity at Tier 5

The Rara Avis suits a heavily chromed tank that already stacks Armor. Para Bellum gives the same kind of bonus for builds with less capacity to spare. Bionic Joints fill an empty slot when capacity runs short.

Character Builds

Body and Technical Ability lead this slot. The Epimorphic Skeleton, the Rara Avis, Spring Joints and the Scar Coalescer are attuned to Body. Each point adds Health through the implant. Bionic Joints, Para Bellum and Scarab are attuned to Technical Ability. Each point adds half a point of Armor.

• License To Chrome adds a Skeleton slot, +40 Armor and +10% to all cyberware stat modifiers.
• All Things Cyber lowers the capacity cost of Skeleton and Integumentary System implants by 20%.
• Chrome Constitution cuts incoming damage by 5% when every Skeleton and Integumentary System slot is filled.
• Adrenaline Rush adds 35 max Health and turns Health Items into Adrenaline. It pairs well with the Epimorphic Skeleton.
• Painkiller and Comeback Kid add Health Regen in combat. They help a Scar Coalescer build recover while its Armor bonus holds.
• Feline Footwork, Small Target and Unexposed add Mitigation Chance in Cool. They raise the value of Spring Joints and suit Scarab's crouched stance.
• Can't Touch This adds Mitigation Chance during a Dash, which suits the Kinetic Frame.

The Integumentary System is the natural partner. Subdermal Armor, Pain Editor and Painducer add flat Armor that Para Bellum and the Rara Avis then multiply. NeoFiber in the Nervous System adds Mitigation for a Spring Joints build.

Notes

• The Rara Avis is sold by the Dogtown ripperdocs from level 20 and also drops from Dogtown airdrops.
• The Epimorphic Skeleton reaches ripperdocs at level 30.
• Para Bellum is sold from level 20. One also waits in a locker in the area of the gig Dogtown Saints.
• Dense Marrow is sold from level 10. Phantom Liberty also hides one in an airdrop case during the gig Waiting for Dodger.
• RAM Recoup, the Scar Coalescer, Scarab and the Kinetic Frame are on sale from the start.
• Feen-X triggers below a set amount of available RAM. Its threshold rises with each tier.

All Skeleton Cyberware

Every Skeleton implant is listed below. The Iconic ones come first, then the standard ones.

Iconic Skeleton Cyberware

Name	Image	Attribute	Capacity	Location
Rara Avis		Body		Dogtown

Standard Skeleton Cyberware

Name	Image	Attribute	Capacity	Location
Bionic Joints		Technical Ability
Dense Marrow		Reflexes
Epimorphic Skeleton		Body	40
Feen-X
Kinetic Frame		Reflexes
Para Bellum		Technical Ability		Dogtown
RAM Recoup		Intelligence
Scar Coalescer		Body
Scarab		Technical Ability
Spring Joints		Body	16
Titanium Bones			6
Universal Booster		Technical Ability	25