what do we call that AR 7 from 0 MDC amor rule, last 4ever?

[Axelmania]

It's on RUE 288, I'm guessing the 1st appearance, can't remember it in any earlier books, actually never noticed until it was pointed out and had to go looking for it again.

Right column, 2 paragraphs before the bold "last bit of armor" rule.

Now, as horrible as it would be to be without MDC protection... having AR 7 against SDC weapons (essentially a natural AR since it can never be depleted by those SDC weapons, presumably?) is pretty decent. Instead of 5+ strikes hitting you, only 8+ ones will. A defensive benefit one simply can't ignore.

But how long does it last? Can it be depleted? How far below 0 would the MDC need to go for that AR to be reduced, or gone altogether? When is is so "full of holes" that the character is completely uncovered?

It's a weird thing, because the AR only stops SDC attacks, MD goes right through it, unimpeded... but would that mean further MD can't be inflicted to the armor to put it into the negative MD?

It might seem like a moot question in most situations: if MD hits the SDC squishy, he goes poof, if MD hits the MDC squishy, he doesn't much need the armor anyway...

One primary area it would be important though is against those with special vulnerabilities like werewolves / vamps, where you probably don't want them to have that AR 7 when you are trying to stab them with silver knives or whatever other stuff, so you might be willing to blast them a few extra times (even when MDC is at 0) to completely negate the AR.

Due to the "last bit" rule (also reprinted on RUE 358) it makes me wonder if, besides a bunch of people walkign around in 0 MDC armor to enjoy that eternal AR 7 benefit, you might have people just shelling out enough credits to repair 1 MDC to stop 1 blast, figuring that it's pointless to repair 10 MDC if you plan to go up against a 1D4x10 plasma cannon which is going to vape your armor regardless, since the LBOAP rule will save you either way.

[dreicunan]

RAW, it would last forever. Enjoy the extra 10 seconds of life at most it would grant you in most combat situations on Rifts Earth!

[Nekira Sudacne]

Sinse the scrap of an MDC armor or vehicle is still MDC, SDC attacks blocked by this rule would not really wear it down. so it lasts indefinately until further MD attacks reduce it to negatives and it vaporizes.

[Axelmania]

RAW, it would last forever. Enjoy the extra 10 seconds of life at most it would grant you in most combat situations on Rifts Earth!

For a vampire fighting some stake-wielding human in the dark (what's that like -6/8/10 to strike?) it's kind of dreamy though.

it lasts indefinately until further MD attacks reduce it to negatives and it vaporizes.

Where do I find that bit about it going awat at -1 MDC?

[Nekira Sudacne]

I didn't say it happened at -1 MDC. I said it happens in the negatives. I forget where the reference is but it's some threshold of negative MDC below which it's completely vaporized.

[Axelmania]

Only thing that comes to mind at present is SB1p35 "Salvaging Robot Parts":

When the MDC of the Main Body is reduced to zero, and even as low as -80 MDC below zero, the robot is trashed.
Bots w ith legs drop to their knees and into a crumpled heap.
All systems are down, life support is dead, computers are fried, and the robot is pretty much a pile of junk.
Furthermore, the other parts of the robot (guns, arms, hands, sensor clusters, etc.) are likely to have taken damage from the MDC.depleting attack even if the specific mechanisms were not specifically targeted.
HOWEVER, they are probably salvageable and this is one way Operators and Rogue Scientists can make money.

If Main Body MDC is damaged more than 80 points below zero, half of the main body is gone, blown to bits, and the rest of the main body and all other parts are slag or burned out junk with no value other than as scrap metal (60 credits) by the ton.

It's a pretty strange guideline, I think a % based on the main body (whether that's 10, 20, 50, etc.) would more sense than a fixed 80 points, whether you're talking about a robot with a 50 MDC main body (minimum size for birds, lowest I could find on SB1Rp24) or 1030 MDC (250+6*130 large robot horse max... highest I could find on SB1Rp23)