Ways to protect my Homunculus Servant

Once I finally hit level 6 I'm thinking of arming my homunculus servant with a Wand of Magic Missiles, flying around the battlefield as an aerial attack drone. Assuming my DM even allows this, what are some good ways you've found of protecting my Homunculus from being downed early in a fight?

The fact that it's flying will keep it out of range of martial attacks, but that benefit fades if we're in a dungeon with low ceilings. 

I can't cast Mage Armor on it since it's a construct and not a creature, and that would only push its AC to 15 anyway.

I could pair it with my cannon, and perhaps enemies would target the small-sized cannon belching fire, instead of the tiny Homuculus attached to it.

If the cannon is Tiny, the Homunculus would technically have enough strength fly around with it (But again my DM may not allow this)

I could pair it with one of the medium sized PCs in the party, granting it a bit of protection.

What other options have you got?

Constructs are creatures. You can absolutely cast Mage Armor on a Homunculus Servant.

The more you can do with tactical positioning, the better. Your homunculus can fly and the Wand of Magic Missile has a range of 120 feet, so if it's not the most adjacent target on the battlefield it's less likely to be targeted. 

Of course sometimes its value is absolutely in being a probe to look at the dangerous thing, or to give Advantage to someone in melee. (At that point Dodge can be a good choice.)

It's annoying to lose your little friend but honestly if it soaks up an attack or two on the way that's also super valuable.

FWIW usually I lose mine to fierce AOEs which is far more annoying.

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

Constructs are creatures. You can absolutely cast Mage Armor on a Homunculus Servant.

 Ooooh really? Fantastic!

Quote from FoolishMortal18588 >>

The more you can do with tactical positioning, the better. Your homunculus can fly and the Wand of Magic Missile has a range of 120 feet, so if it's not the most adjacent target on the battlefield it's less likely to be targeted. 

Of course sometimes its value is absolutely in being a probe to look at the dangerous thing, or to give Advantage to someone in melee. (At that point Dodge can be a good choice.)

It's annoying to lose your little friend but honestly if it soaks up an attack or two on the way that's also super valuable.

FWIW usually I lose mine to fierce AOEs which is far more annoying.

 I typically use my familiar to give advantage in battles right now, but of course it cannot use a wand. And yeah, every attack on the familiar/homunculus is one that doesn’t hit me or my friends. 

If you are having your familiar use the Help action, you can cast Invisibility on it and they can remain Invisible while darting in to Help then darting away without taking an Opportunity Attack. Or better yet, craft and give your familiar an Enspelled Staff so it can cast the spell itself.

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

Constructs are creatures. You can absolutely cast Mage Armor on a Homunculus Servant.

 Of course you have to get access to the spell, possibly via Magic Initiate, since it's not on the Artificer spell list. Or from another party member, if your Wizard or Sorcerer has a spell slot to spare.

Agree about tactical positioning - the Homunculus can pop out of a fog cloud to fire magic missile then pop back into the cloud (not to mention being out of reach of many of the enemies). Can give the HS a Ring of Obscuring (Wildemount) so it can cast and concentrate on Fog Cloud.

Maybe another option: The Abjurer's Bangle i(Griffon's Saddlebag) s a great way to give an extra 30hp (or 75 or 120) to a creature - although requires that a creature speaks a command word which your DM may not allow for these non-speaking constructs (maybe it can beep the command?).

Ring of Obscuring EGW p269
Ring, Uncommon (Requires Attunement)

This band of iron resembles a skull and is cold to the touch. It has 3 charges and regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. As an action while wearing the ring, you can expend 1 of its charges to cast the fog cloud spell from it, with the following changes: the cloud is centered on you when it first appears, and the spell lasts for 1 minute (no concentration required).

Abjurer's Bangle (Uncommon) TGS2 p32
Wondrous Item, Uncommon

You can clasp or remove this metal bracelet around the wrist or ankle of yourself or a willing creature within your reach using an action. The bangle emits a ward of abjuration magic from it that has 30 hit points. A creature wearing the bangle can use its reaction when it takes damage to speak the bangle's command word, causing the magical ward to take the damage instead. Any excess damage carries over to the creature when the bangle's ward is reduced to 0 hit points, at which point the bangle becomes a nonmagical bracelet.