With the +1 Resonance for each level of Submersion their skills largely DO NOT MATTER. Resonance tests are used for most major endeavors, such as to Thread a Sprite above its base rating or to Compile/Register a Sprite. This means long term the most effective buildout for a Technomancer point-for-point is max Resonance on game start, then max Submersion with experience. Complex Forms can then be Threaded as needed to raise them from their starting levels to the max non-physical damage from Fading levels.

[EG: Joe Shmo the Dwarven Technomancer starts with 10 Complex Forms at 6, max for a 5 Logic character starting off, and Joe Shmo has a Resonance of 6. He Submerges 2 levels worth with his karma from his runs which raises his Resonance from 6 to 8. (26 karma total)

EXAMPLE OF A RUN:
Joe needs to break into a tough host in a hurry. He Threads an Unregistered Sprite to boost his Exploit from its original value of 6 to 10. He wants to raise it 4 points so he needs 4 hits. He rolls his Software+Resonance (4+8=12) and gets an average of 4 hits. Good job, Joe Shmo! Now he needs to Resist 4S Fading using Willpower plus, you guessed it, Resonance. He rolls Willpower of 6 (dwarven bonus raised it from 5) and his Resonance ( for a total of 14 dice. He gets average and 4.66 hits, which will call 4 to be conservative reducing the Drain, errr... FADING to zero. Now Joe is using a Rating 10 Complex form. He has a rating 4, 4 task Registered Sprite which he has aid him, so he now has an effective 14 Exploit program rating. Combined with his Hacking of 7, Joe Shmo gets an average of 7 hits per Initiative pass, and thanks to his Submersion gets FOUR passes per Turn. A couple of passes later Joe slips past the Firewall, and enters the node.

He needs to roll Matrix Perception to identify any Trace programs trailing him, which as a Technomancer he gets +2 dice. He has his Registered Sprite stop aiding the Exploiut (he doesn't need it now that he is inside) and has the Sprite aid Analyze. He threads Analyze, and rolls average with his Intuition (5) + 14 dice from this Threaded, Aided Complex Form of 6. On 19 dice he gets 6.33 hits. The node is the best made and gets to roll 12 dice, receiving 3 hits. Joe Shmo's 3 net successes give him 3 questions about the icons giving him more than enough info on whether to start a Redirect Datatrail operation or not.

YIKES!

The numbers continue to look ugle with the only exception being cybercombat. The time needed to Thread the appropriate levels in Complex Forms don't suit cybercombat very well but certainly a Technomancer could forego one pass to thread their uber Attack program and hammer the poor devil on the other end.

Statistically I don't see how Technomancers can be challenged by anything except attrition of their health (since it doesn't come back when they re-log) or possibly keep them in check with Technomancers patrolling Nodes.

Am I off base in how uber they are here?!

Submersion raises max resonance, and then you have to purchase resonance up. Two step process just like magical initiation IIRC.

But yes technomancers can be quite powerful.

But like Otaku, they pay for it. it's another set of skills to buy, raise and maintain. they can be hacked (a scary thought indeed) and it takes hours to reboot.

yes, they are really powerful high end, but then again, so is everyone.