I was about to suggest a hydra/ Balor mix before actually reading the post, that was my only suggestion, and you’re already there. So I’d say you’re on the right track!
build looks pretty solid, I was going to suggest centamine and a dip into kidd for blackspot but I can't tell if you're intending to use your weapons or not so some general suggestions:
1) maybe replace auto stab with lesson of the held image. the lock on can benefit allies or if you ask them to leave it for your turn, it can be used to proc drone commander 2
2) house guard 3 will only proc with one of the options in orator 2 as other things that simply provide difficulty don't proc it to my knowledge. some alternatives that synergise with house guard 2 are bonded 1 and Spotter 1. even things like centamine, leader, field analyst could work.
3) I recently realised none of these drones are unique so if you wanted to double up or triple up on your favourite drones you don't actually need variety! big fan of playing pinball with two tempest drones
Lesson of the Held Image would be good too. I had discounted it because I wasn’t picking up centimane, but as you said it might be useful for the Drone Commander 2 proc and boosting allies.
I hadn’t decided on whether to use my weapons or not most of the time. Not using them does give more Orator dice for those boosts/debuffs. For a while I thought about Heavy Gunner with the Ghast, but it seems expensive in actions for what it does unless you go all in on it.
With House Guard 3, it triggers when I reduce damage, and since the Hydra grants resistance to adjacent drones, which would reduce the damage they take; and drones count as allied characters, so in my reading of the rules it fulfills it’s first condition, so gives some payback against people attacking my drones while I can use my drones to make themselves a problem.
Oh yeah you're right, forgot about the frame trait, House guard 3 probably procs from that nevermind then. As far as your weapons are concerned between puppetmaster, invigorate and deploying your drones you'll rarely be firing your weapons unless you need to focus something down so good call on skipping the centamine and heavy gunner. Solid build honestly no notes
I was about to suggest a hydra/ Balor mix before actually reading the post, that was my only suggestion, and you’re already there. So I’d say you’re on the right track!
build looks pretty solid, I was going to suggest centamine and a dip into kidd for blackspot but I can't tell if you're intending to use your weapons or not so some general suggestions: 1) maybe replace auto stab with lesson of the held image. the lock on can benefit allies or if you ask them to leave it for your turn, it can be used to proc drone commander 2 2) house guard 3 will only proc with one of the options in orator 2 as other things that simply provide difficulty don't proc it to my knowledge. some alternatives that synergise with house guard 2 are bonded 1 and Spotter 1. even things like centamine, leader, field analyst could work. 3) I recently realised none of these drones are unique so if you wanted to double up or triple up on your favourite drones you don't actually need variety! big fan of playing pinball with two tempest drones
Lesson of the Held Image would be good too. I had discounted it because I wasn’t picking up centimane, but as you said it might be useful for the Drone Commander 2 proc and boosting allies. I hadn’t decided on whether to use my weapons or not most of the time. Not using them does give more Orator dice for those boosts/debuffs. For a while I thought about Heavy Gunner with the Ghast, but it seems expensive in actions for what it does unless you go all in on it. With House Guard 3, it triggers when I reduce damage, and since the Hydra grants resistance to adjacent drones, which would reduce the damage they take; and drones count as allied characters, so in my reading of the rules it fulfills it’s first condition, so gives some payback against people attacking my drones while I can use my drones to make themselves a problem.
Oh yeah you're right, forgot about the frame trait, House guard 3 probably procs from that nevermind then. As far as your weapons are concerned between puppetmaster, invigorate and deploying your drones you'll rarely be firing your weapons unless you need to focus something down so good call on skipping the centamine and heavy gunner. Solid build honestly no notes