Reaper Drone

This article is about the weapon. For the vehicle, see Reaper.

The Reaper Drone is a weapon in Saints Row: The Third.^[2]

Watch from the air as you direct a missile to it's[sic] exact target.

— Weapon description^[3]

Overview[]

The Reaper Drone "lets [the player] pilot missiles while [they] hide from a safe distance".^[2] The Reaper Drone has two firing modes: a straight-fired rocket, or a controlled smart bomb. The unguided missile can be fired more rapidly, but the guided missile does more damage.

The actual unmanned aerial vehicle is never visible, only the control computer. The computer is a large laptop-type computer contained within a steel briefcase, with 3 screens that display a total of 7 green radars. However the laptop can not be deployed in closed areas like cribs, stores or any other buildings.

Analysis[]

Pros

Massive damage output
Very effective against large groups of enemies
Option between fast firing dumb-fired missiles and powerful remote controlled missiles
Unlocked very early in the storyline (third mission)

Cons

Low ammunition
Splash Damage can cause friendly fire
Difficult to distinguish between friend or foe
Very expensive upgrades
Leaves the user vulnerable

Weapon Upgrades[]

Main article: Weapon Upgrades.

Level	Price	Upgrade
1	(story)	Watch from the air as you direct a missile to it's[sic] exact target. — Level 1 description^[3]
2	$30,000	Carry more missiles. — Level 2 description
3	$60,000	Carry more missiles. — Level 3 description
4	$120,000	Carry more missiles. — Level 4 description

Trivia[]

In the "Shock and Awesome" trailer the Reaper Drone control computer is used by Playa as a nut shot on a Special Tactical Anti-Gang member.^[4]
The Reaper Drone was misreported by GameInformer^[5] and other sources^[6]^[7] to be named the "Predator Drone", until Drew Holmes corrected this in an interview with Destructoid.^[8] However, it still applies to the same class of unmanned aerial vehicles, since the Reaper is a "second generation" Predator, basically a far larger version of the venerable drone.
The control laptop for the Reaper is in the Guard Armory in Saints Row IV , but cannot be picked up.
The guided missile can be exited without any consequence - the missile does not have any model, but still explodes normally on any target, and is of more benefit against stationary targets due to the increased damage over the dumb-fired missiles. Attacking moving targets with the guided missiles requires considerable leading as they travel far slower than the unguided ones if their speed has not been increased prior to exiting the drone controls.
Cypher's computer in training missions is the same model used by the Reaper Drone.^[9]