Automaton
| Dragon Quest monster | |
|---|---|
| Automaton | |
 Art by Akira Toriyama | |
| Japanese | からくり兵 |
| Romaji | Karakuri hei |
| First appearance | Dragon Quest VII |
| Old localization | ClockMech |
The Automaton is a mechanical monster that appears as a regular enemy and boss in Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past.
Characteristics
Massive blue mechanised men that trundle terrifyingly into battle armed with a massive man-sized axe and a bone mashing spiked mace, allowing them to lash out twice in a single turn. The great greasy teal-coloured engine is the technology behind their power and speed, keeping them going over long distances as they trudge across the land, with neon green wiring holding everything together in place of the nerves, bones and muscle of a living carbon based life form. They possess the same characteristic singular red "eye" as other mechanical enemies in the series like the Killing machine. When they use the striking Multislice skill they tuck their clunky legs into their bulky body and spin wild with their weapons drawn, damaging every single foe in a single slice.
Story
Appearances
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
Strategy
Automatons can be encountered in the field in Faraday in the past. They can attack twice and hit everyone in the party with Multislice.
Multislice does decreasing damage so whoever is in front will receive the brunt of the damage and whoever is last in position won't suffer as much. Ruff's Aooo! skill has a chance of preventing the Automaton from using one of its turns, which may save you from its attack for a round or at least preventing them from attacking twice. Make liberal use of that. Defeating Automatons should have highest priority before any other enemies. Lucky players can receive an Iron axe as a drop from them, which is more powerful than any weapon that can be purchased from shops at that point and for the next few islands.
Other Appearences
Etymology
The Automaton's original name in Japanese, karakuri hei, is a reference to karakuri puppets, a type of traditional mechanized puppet or automata that was made in Japan from the 17th to the 19th century. Some were small and used as home decorations that could serve tea or sake, but they were also life-sized karakuri puppets that were used for public theater performances or religious festivals.
