A common weapon in Real Robot Genre and other SF, but not necessarry used by the mecha themselves, as there are sometimes hand-held versions. They work much like real pile drivers, but rather then operating continuosly (for example, hydraulicaly), they typicaly work with a one-shot chemical charge driving the metal stake, complete with Spent Shells Shower and a revolver mechanism.

Pile bunkers are are sometimes build into a special gauntlet or arm for mecha or humans. Often, like This Is A Drill, justified by the need to penetrate mecha armor.

The spike returns to it's original position after each "shot" (how is not always apparent). Also, Pile Bunkers firing mechanism must be made from incredibly strong materials, or it will explode every time the spike strikes the target, like a gun with jammed barrel. Or, alternatively, won't be able to penetrate tough enough target.

Guns that fire the spike away should go in the nailgun category.

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Examples:

Anime and Manga

• Cyan Pile uses one in Accel World.
• They feature prominently in Armored Trooper Votoms and it's spinoff, Armor hunter Mellowlink. The protagonist of the later especially likes to finish off his oponents withe pile bunker attachment on his AT-rifle. The punch of VOTOMS mecha also works on this principle.
• Dai-Guards Knot Buster and Knot Punisher.
• Char's Rafale Revive Custom II from Infinite Stratos has a gauntlet version.
• In Neon Genesis Evangelion Sachiel, the very first Angel encountered, has one in its palms (when retracted, the spikes extend from the Angel's elbows). It pierces right through the protagonist's mecha's eye, in a very painful-looking way.
• Zoids CP-08 Pile Bunker, used by Rev Rapter and Iguan.
• In The Big O: the eponymous mecha has them.

Video Games

• Anarchy Reigns: Douglas Williamsburg has one.
• There are many in Super Robot Wars, for example, Kyouske Nabu's Alt Eisen Revolver Stake. His expy Haken from Endless Frontier wields a hanheld version.
• Front Mission ones look very much like some Votoms versions.
• One of Barret's Arm Cannon attachments in Final Fantasy VII.
• Lost Planet has them as a hand-held weapon.
• Armored Core has them, too.
• Dig Dug's Taizo Hori wilds giant Pile Bunker in Namco X Capcom.
• R-Type has them for ships.
• Metal Slug 5 has it as Slug Gunner's melee weapon.
• A weapon (and skill) in Ragnarok Online.
• An unlockable weapon in The Third Birthday.
• Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Armodrillo.

Visual novels

• Tsukihime's Ciel Seventh Holy Scripture and Melty Blood's Riesbyfe Stridberg True Apocrypha conceptual weapons are magical examples.

Western Animation

• Armodrillo from Ben 10 Ultimate Alien.