Astray Gold Frame Amatsu

Model Number:MBF-P01-ReAMATU Pilot: Rondo Gina Sahaku
Cost: 2000 Hp: 560 Transform: X Form Change: X

The Astray Gold Frame Amatsu was developed after the Gold Frame was badly damaged in battle against the Red Frame. Its right arm was replaced with that of the Blitz Gundam, which included the “Trikeros” weapon that fires high-speed Lancer Darts. The arm also granted the Gold Frame with the ability to activate the Mirage Colloid system. But perhaps the most sinister of all of the Gold Frame’s abilities was absorbing energy from other Mobile Suits, forcefully draining their battery reserves to replenish its own.  

Ability Summary

Ranged Armament Ammo DMG Notes
Main Beam Rifle 5 70 Standard Beam Rifle.
Charged Main Lancer Dart 65 Physical projectile stun.
Sub Magashira No Hoko 1 90 Releases wires that stun on impact.
Special Shooting Mirage Colloid System 1 Special dash that requires ammo to perform.
Shooting Derivative: Flying Kick and Stab  124 AC~A derivative. 
Burst Attack The Dance Is Over! _ 277(F)/256(E)/260(S) A melee combo that starts from a projectile hit. 
Melee Input DMG Notes
5B 5BBB 182 3-stage melee combo.
5BB~8B~A 199
8B 8BBB 176
8BB~2B 166
4/6B 4/6BBB 176 Huge wraparound curve on the dash-in.
4/6BB~A 173
2B 2B 85 Single-hit launcher.
2B~A 146
CC8B CC8B 152 Quick combo with decent damage.
BC BC 59~104 Drains the enemy’s HP.
BC~8B 163~199 High damage.
BC~2B 105~141 Fast knockdown.

Cancel Routes:

A: AB, AC, BC

CSA, AB: AC, BC

AC: 5B, 8B, 4/6B, 2B, BC

Overview

The Astray Gold Frame Amatsu is a Mobile Suit that specializes in launching surprise attacks and hit-and-run tactics. The Special Shooting Mirage Colloid dash is the perfect tool for closing the gap on enemies that are not paying you attention to you, allowing you to punish enemies for taking their eyes off you even for a brief moment. While the Gold Frame has an average amount of boost for a 2000 cost unit, its mobility and swivel speed are top class within its cost bracket. However, it has a rather short red lock range.

Although it has the unique ability to drain HP from enemies, Gold Frame can be a risky unit to play in the melee range due to its low HP pool. Its melee moveset is also rather good, but not great.

That being said, it’s hard to ever reliably gauge whether you’re ahead in the damage race when going up against the Gold Frame, because it can deal big damage and heal itself in a single combo. It’s a unit that does well when avoiding direct confrontations, instead striking from the shadows.

Ability Details

Ranged Weapons

Main: Beam Rifle

A standard Beam Rifle with a standard reload time of 3 seconds per shot. This particular Beam Rifle does not have a big ammo pool, but you have CSA to make up for it. 

Because Gold Frame has mobility that matches high-speed 2500 units and 3000 all-rounder units, it can take advantage of this Beam Rifle to the fullest. It can also cancel out into other projectiles, allowing the Gold Frame to exhibit shooting performance matching all-rounder units. This is a very important tool for Gold Frame used to set up its offense and create chances to launch surprise attacks.

Charged Main: Lancer Dart

2-second charge time. Gold Frame fires 3 lancer darts (that behave as a single projectile) that stun on hit. The projectiles travel quickly and are physical in nature, meaning they can be destroyed. The darts can also track enemies and curve to a certain degree, even hitting slow-footed enemies who are boost dashing horizontally. 

This move causes vernier but also inherits a good amount of inertia before firing. The darts also do not travel full distance, disappearing after a certain range. And while the Lancer Darts don’t deal a lot of damage they have low damage proration, allowing for good damage follow-ups. 

While it might still be hard to hit this move, it’s a key move for Gold Frame, making up for its low Beam Rifle ammo count. Finding the right times to use this move is important in mastering the Gold Frame.

Sub: Magashira No Hoko

Gold Frame rises upwards slightly to release a pair of wires that stun on hit. The wires travel out almost as far as your max red lock range before returning. Once they return, they take only one-second to reload before they can be used again, similar to boomerang-type weapons. Note that the wires have no active hitbox when returning to you, only when travelling out. You can cancel into this from Main, with zero cancel damage proration.

There is a short duration between rising upwards and releasing the wires. Canceling out of the move too early might make you forgo releasing the wires at all, so be careful. The wires track well, but note that if you are knocked down the wires instantly return. In the midrange it’s very easy to hit this move against enemies with average mobility. There are many ways to set up and hit this move, so use it frequently to figure out the best times to unleash this. 

Special Shooting: Mirage Colloid System

Gold Frame’s most important move. Gold Frame disappears from sight and dashes quickly. Different dash maneuvers are performed depending on the directional input. This consumes boost to perform, but can be done even when you are in Overheat. If you use this move in green lock you will still dash towards the enemy. Takes 7 seconds to reload after being used, and there is a 3-second cooldown time after usage before the reload starts.

5BC makes you dash straight at the enemy, while 4/6BC makes you strafe left or right before dashing in. Note that dash-in distance for 4/6BC is shorter than 5BC as a result of the sideways movement.

This move cuts tracking upon activation, and when you cancel into a derivative. Although you go invisible you do not take an extra 50% damage like Blitz does.

You can cancel into all melee moves except CC8B from the dash. All melee moves canceled from AC have improved dash-in speed and reach, allowing you to reach levels of chase down you never thought possible for a 2000 cost. Just note that 4/6B loses its wraparound curve dash arc when canceled from this dash. Tracking on an enemy is also re-applied once you cancel into a melee move, so even if the enemy cuts tracking while you are dashing with Mirage Colloid you will track them again once you cancel into an attack.

Remember how you can dash towards a target even when in green lock? You can use this to your advantage to dash towards a secondary target who is not aiming at you to escape from your primary target, while cutting tracking.

Canceling into 5B offers good tracking, fast dash-in speed, and a fast startup. It also leads to the biggest damage. 8B has a faster startup and better priority than 5B, but does not track as well. This makes it most suitable for contesting melee intercepts. It also does good damage, matching 5B. 4/6B has similar performance to 5B but leads to poorer damage, so this is not your best option in most cases. 2B has the fastest dash-in speed of all and comparable startup to 5B and 8B, and also leads to good combo damage. While it doesn’t track as well as 5B and 8B the sheer dash-in speed makes up for it. BC doesn’t reach very far and is heavily prorated even in life drain, so it’s best you don’t cancel into it from AC at all.

AC~A Derivative: Flying Kick and Stab

High damage and low down value makes this a great combo part. You can cancel this into any BC move. However, the reach of this move is poor compared to many other melee moves canceled from AC. You can opt to use this derivative when attacking enemies that have already been stunned or staggered by your various moves. 

While you might be tempted to seal off this move completely as a combo initiator, it is actually more suited for direct confrontations that sneak attacks. Because you cut tracking on the start of this move, and due to its good priority and fast startup, you can actually intercept incoming melee or challenge enemies trying to land a melee hit on you. The downward tracking off this move is also excellent. This might be the most difficult move to effectively cancel into from AC, but it’s definitely useful once mastered.

Melee Set

5B: Trikeros Kai

A standard 3-stage melee combo. Good DPS overall. One of the main melee attacks you want to cancel into from AC.

5B~8B Derivative: Uppercut

A low damage uppercut that also has low down value. 

5B~8B or 4/6B or 2B~A Derivative: Lancer Dart

Fires Lancer Darts that explode. Cannot be sidestep canceled. Once the Lancer Darts have pierced the enemy they will explode after a short duration, so you can boost dash cancel out early. 

8B: Middle Kick

A 3-stage melee combo. Fast startup and good priority. The combo time is also pretty fast.

8BB~2B: Somersault

A single hit launcher. This causes less damage than the full 8B combo but has little down value, allowing you to set up longer combos.

4/6B: Slash Combo

The tracking, startup, and dash-in speed are all average on this move. The one outstanding area it has in in the wraparound curve, which is a very wide arc. This makes it easy to dash-in on enemies trying to intercept your melee attack with projectiles. However this melee combo doesn’t deal much damage, so cancel out early into other moves to deal more damage. 

Note that the second stage of this attack takes a long time before the hit, so try to cancel out early into another attack. 

2B: Launching Kick

A single kick that launches the enemy upwards. High damage for a single hit. This is not very good to use raw, but when canceled from AC this move becomes a lot better.

CC8B: Stab

A 2-stage slash-through combo. The vertical tracking and dash-in speed are good. The proration on this move is also good, but the down value is high. Nice cut resistance, too. 

BC: Maga No Ikutachi

Melee attacks on a 4-second cooldown. Gold Frame grabs the enemy and sucks energy out of it (you can mash B to deal more hits, up to 5), before unleashing a somersault kick.

This attack drains HP from the enemy and adds it to your own HP pool. This attack has zero cut resistance, but if you’re left alone for long enough you can use this to heal a bit. Note that using this attack when your HP is full will only deal damage to the enemy and provide 0 healing.

Note that you can change target to keep an eye on your main target’s partner while you drain its HP. The first hit of this attack already drains a little HP, so if you use it to knock an enemy down you will fast fall while also gaining back a little HP (something like 9 or 10). While this attack typically cannot be used consecutively, you can Burst to reload this and possibly drain an enemy twice.

8B and 2B derivatives are available. You can cancel into these derivatives before the 5th hit of the 2nd stage of the initial BC attack. Note that you cannot heal by grabbing your own partner and you won’t be able to perform any follow-up (why would you want to) except 8B. You also heal less (6HP) on the final hit of the attack if you deal less than 5 hits before the somersault. 

A unique property of this melee attack is that cancel proration is applied when canceling into this move from another melee attack. You can deal higher damage if you opt to sidestep cancel into BC as opposed to direct canceling.

It’s extremely easy to cut this combo. An enemy watching his teammate get drained only requires a single moment to fire a BR your way to completely interrupt you. If you eat said BR the amount of HP you drain will be considerably less than the damage taken from the BR, making it anything but a fair trade. In other words, be on high alert when using this move, and be ready to escape anytime an interrupting shot comes your way.

BC~8B Derivative: Impale Into Lancer Dart

Gold Frame stabs the enemy with a Lancer Dart, lifts it up, and fires the dart into it, causing an explosion. High damage but zero cut resistance leading into a hard knockdown. You can sidestep cancel this. Just like with the 5B or 4/6B~A derivative if you shoot a Beam Rifle shot into the enemy at the moment it explodes you deal extra damage. The timing to hit this is side stepping and firing the BR shot the moment Gold Frame lets go of the enemy.

BC~2B Derivative: Jump Slash

Gold Frame leaps upwards and slashes downwards. Causes hard knockdown. No landing property, so if you do this from too high up this move will not bring you all the way to the ground. Gold Frame stuns the enemy before rising upwards, which you can use to either set up another combo or set up a down value reset combo opportunity.

Burst Attack

The Dance is Over!

Gold Frame fires a Lancer Dart into the enemy that stuns, before executing a long combo while in Mirage Colloid, finishing with an Izuna Drop. The projectile has a very short range, and if you input 4 or 6 while executing this move the dash-in on the enemy will be on a wraparound curve. The Izuna Drop causes an explosion, which enemies or allies can get damaged by.

Gold Frame has super armor on the dash-in after firing the Lancer Dart. This move also cuts tracking when activated, and right before the Izuna Drop. This move also has good cut resistance on the third and fourth stage, but poor cut resistance on the second. 

The hit before the Izuna Drop allows the Gold Frame to recover up to 40HP. Other hits do not recover HP. As you’d expect this is a great Burst Attack to land, as long as you can find the opening to pull it off.

Recommended Combos

Ranged Weapons
Input DMG Notes
BR>>BR>>BR 147 Zunda. 
BR~AB>>BR 161 BnB.
BR~AB~(>)BC 160(168) Recovers 55(60) HP.
BR~AC~A~BC(4hits) 190
CSA~AC~A>CC8BB 219 High cut resistance
CSA>>CC8BB>BR 202
CSA>>BR>>BR 150
CSA>>BR~AB 159
Melee
5BB>5BBB 234
5BB~8B>5BBB 242 5B BnB
5BB~8B>2B~A 231 5B BnB #2
5BB~8B>(~)BC~8B 228(219) – 248(235) Sidestep cancel for higher damage.
8BB~2B>2B~A 229 BnB
8BB~8B>(~)BC~8B 222(212)-238(224) Sidestep cancel for higher damage.
4/6BBB>8BB~2B 233 BnB
4/5BBB>(~)BC 200(198)-220(213) Sidestep cancel for higher damage.
4/6BBB>8BB~BC(1hit) 227 Freefall, recover 15 HP.
2B>5BB~8B~A 230
2B>5BB~8B~BC(1hit) 212 Freefall, recover 15 HP.
CC8BB>5BB~8B~BC(1hit) 211 Freefall, recover 10 HP.
CC8BB>>CC8BB 242
BC~A>5BBB>A 270 Double BC combo.
BC>8BB~2B~BC(1hit) 239 Double BC combo, sort of. Freefalls.
A~BC>ABC 187(F) Recovers 95HP.
5BB~8B~BC>ABC 272(F) Recovers 95HP.
AC~A(burst just after the hit)>AC~A>5BB~8B>ABC 347(F) Big damage.

Strategies

  • Gold Frame is an all-rounder unit that specializes in launching sneak attacks. 
  • Gold Frame may be lacking in the BR ammo department, but it reloads quickly and you can use Sub and CSA to help supplement your ammo supply.
  • Using its mobility that can even rival 3000 cost units, Gold Frame can easily maneuver on the battlefield and look for opportunities to launch sneak attacks with AC.
  • 5B for damage, 8B for priority, 2B for combos, CC8B for chase distance and 4/6B for dash-in wraparound— Gold Frame’s got it all. It also has all the derivatives it needs to land effective combos. However, against opponents with wide AOE anti-melee moves like X1 Kai and its 4/6AB whip Gold Frame can struggle to get in. 
  • Gold Frame has a short red lock range, which forces it to fight in a closer range than many would normally consider safe. In the end you have no choice but to play a high-risk, high-reward strategy. The safest option is to use Main or Sub to set up chances to go in for melee combos instead of trying to hit them raw.
  • AC is a very important, if not the most important move in Gold Frame’s arsenal. Just be mindful that while it cuts tracking at the start of the dash it still travels in a straight line for the most part, so be wary of incoming melee intercepts.
  • Your best opportunities to land melee hits are when your partner Bursts and draws enemy attention. Look for other times when your partner is being double locked and look for opportunities to go in with AC, CC8B, or land a projectile.
  • At the end of the day, Gold Frame has very little HP and melee that is unsuitable for spamming constantly ala Master. It will be hard to win by trading damage, instead you should look to deal damage while taking as little as possible. BC can heal you up but eating a single BR shot will negate most healing you can do so be careful. 
  • F Burst gives a nice damage boost to your melee attacks, allows you to cancel from shooting to melee attacks, and further boosts the performance of your..melee attacks. AC~2B becomes so fast that most enemies will not be able to react to it in time. However Gold Frame has very low HP so making a mistake can be pricey. High-risk, high-reward.
  • E Burst is the safest Burst as always, but on the low-HP Gold Frame this helps fix its weakness. However you miss out on the comeback potential S or F offer. 
  • S Burst allows you to spam your shooting attacks and freefall with them. Your AC also reloads faster (5.5 seconds), allowing you more chances to land a melee combo. You can AC up to 3 times with a half Burst, and 5 times with Full. Instead of forcing melee attacks with F Burst, S allows you to beam spam the enemy into oblivion which can present more openings to land an AC dash melee combo. Overall it offers a good blend of safety and offense.
  • As you would expect, 3k or 2.5k partners are best for Gold Frame as they can draw attention away from you, creating sneak attack opportunities.