Rotor Blade

Rotor Blades, also known as Rotors, are a movements in Robocraft released 18/02/2015 as a part of the Dawn of the Megabots (DOTM) update. They are used to create helicopter-style robots.

Overview
Helicopters can essentially be treated as higher-altitude Hovercraft, with similar maneuverability and speed. They're much more easily controlled than regular thruster/wing aircraft, but also slower. Helicopters work best as ambushers but also make great medics as they can quickly cross the battlefield to repair damaged teammates or escape from a dangerous situation. They require battlefield awareness as enemy lasers and railgunners can destroy rotors quickly. Due to rotor's weight restrictions, many helicopter designs will be crafted with few blocks or heavily electroplated for defense. Many builds opt for a greater number of rotors and upward facing thrusters to circumvent the limitation, allowing for immensely tanky helicopters. Unlike real helicopters, robocraft Rotor Blades don't generate torque on their own, hence a tail rotor is not needed to keep a helicopter stable.

In addition, whenever they generate lift, Rotor Blades also generate turbulence, bobbing the helicopter up and down gradually. This will disrupt Rail Cannon aim unless meticulously counteracted, and can throw off aim of other weapons too.

In terms of armaments, Helicopters can effectively field anything short of railguns (as the blades constantly and slowly move up and down, causing railguns to lose accuracy). Plasma and Laser helicopters are particularly effective, though the latter is very risky as it often involves getting within range of enemy Lasers as well.

Rotors have diminishing lift returns after 4 rotors placed. Additionally, if more than 8 rotors are placed on a bot then they will produce the same lift as 8 rotors.

Design Solutions

 * Try using more than two blades, as this will help in 'last stand' situations and increase your lift capacity. Quadrotor designs are good for redundancy.
 * Try using higher tier blades as the main propulsion and lower tiers for backup blades. When the main rotor is destroyed, you can still fly.
 * They can be placed within a bot of sufficient size and will act normally, similarly to thrusters and wings
 * Note that you need at least 2 rotors to maintain stable flight on a large bot.
 * Helium cubes can be used to offset the weight of heavy armour and components, allowing for heavy attack helicopters to be assembled. This may mean that the craft will have constant lift whilst idle and may have trouble descending rapidly.
 * Even though players tend to build thick mounts, it is more likely for enemies to target the rotors. Even if it sounds uncommon, using thinner mounts and more rotors will both increase redundancy as well as free up more CPU for other components.
 * Some builds have begun utilizing rotors as large, cheap, extremely quickly healing armor in the vein of electroplates.
 * If a build with legs is of sufficient size, rotors can be placed below to allow for flight.
 * Rotors have their own mounting block attached to the rotors themselves. The base block has 5 available attachment points (sides). The 6th side is attached to the rotors and cannot be removed from that block. This allows for a great deal more placement options, opportunities for triforcing, and allows for builds to fall apart symmetrically if designed properly.
 * Treat as you would do to hover-blades and place them on your robot as such, they act similarly but fly much higher. Do keep in mind they are also much larger.

Pros

 * Airborne, and thus fairly maneuverable
 * Repair very quickly
 * Suitable for most weapon types (especially Nano Disruptor and Plasma Launcher).
 * Can fly directly above the ground.
 * Does not require continuous movement to remain airborne.
 * A lot better armored than aerofoils and rudders.
 * Very stable
 * Higher lifting capacity than aerofoils
 * Helicopters cost less to build than planes

Cons

 * Rotor_cubes2.png
 * Slower and more sluggish than aerofoils
 * Huge size makes them hard to place. The size is illustrated here using armour cubes.
 * Large area makes them easy targets
 * Lower effective flight ceiling than aerofoils
 * Since the blades lean as they move forward, any thrusters attached to the aircraft will also provide some downwards thrust.
 * Can offset if you have more blades on one side then the other, either making you add helium or thrusters.

Movement Combinations

 * Wheels, and Skis can all be used as landing gear or ground-based maneuvering system. Helicopter blades are large, distinctive, and easily destroyed by railgun fire, so a backup movement system is advisable as helicraft can be grounded quite easily even with many redundant rotors.
 * Thrusters are useful for increasing a helicopter's speed and overall maneuverability.
 * Wings and Rudders are generally inadvisable, as they interfere with maneuverability in much the same way as they do for Hovercraft; horizontal stabilizers (wings, canards) will cause the helicopter to roll excessively during turns and maneuvers, whilst vertical stabilizers will help counter oversteer but reduce maneuverability.
 * As noted above, Helium cubes can help offset the weight of the craft, but will also generate constant lift and reduce overall maneuverability.
 * Hoverblades can also be used as back-up movement types like in Hover-Copters. This allows you to pull yourself to a medic or to into your teams fusion shield when you lose your rotors.
 * Tracks are usually way too heavy for helicopter blades to lift, and make the blades obsolete on most bot, hence it is strongly disadvised to use helicopter blades and tracks on the same bot.

Maneuvering
When pressing W and S rotor blades will pitch like a real helicopter, providing forward or backward movement. A helicopter with only one helicopter blade will strafe without turning when A or D are pressed (unless thrusters or other turning movement cubes are present). A helicopter with two or more rotorblades will turn left or right when the movement keys are pressed, in addition to strafing slightly.

Fighting Maneuvers

 * Due to their pitch, plasma helicopters chased by an interceptor are able to fire backward in defense even if their plasma are mounted below.
 * Helicopters are immensely good at hiding among the many nooks and crannies in the cliffs above the ground. Surprise attacks and hit and run attacks are common.
 * Simply flying above a pursuing plasma helicopter, as a plasma helicopter yourself, and firing a volley on their top will often cripple or destroy the enemy bot while they cannot fire back.

Trivia

 * Like hoverblades, Rotors work by pushing air down, but in-game there is no need for a clear space above or under the rotor for it to function.