| Model Number:MBF-P02 | Pilot: Lowe Guele |
| Cost: 2000 Hp: 600 Transform: X Form Change: O | |
Using the Strike Gundam’s data, Orbe developed five prototype Astray Mobile Suits to be used efficiently in combat by Naturals. The Astray Red Frame came to be owned by Lowe Guele, a junker who customized the Mobile Suit to his liking in various ways. One of the Red Frame’s signature weapons was its “Gerbera Straight” katana that was renowned for its exceptional sharpness.
Ability Summary
| Ranged | Armament | Ammo | DMG | Notes |
| Main | Beam Rifle | 5 | 65 | Low damage and ammo count. |
| Charged Main | Gerbera Straight Throw | – | 75 | Extremely strong downward tracking. |
| Charged Melee (Burst Only) | 150-meter Gerbera Straight Throw | 1 | 165 (F&E) | Throws the gigantic 150m Gerbera Straight. |
| Sub | Vulcans | 60 | 5-78 | Pretty good performance. |
| Special Shooting | Dash | – | – | Dashes towards the enemy at high speed. Directional inputs available. |
| ~A Derivative: Leaping Slash | – | 112 | “Pyonkaku”. | |
| ~AB Derivative: Namasu Giri | – | 162 | Stands still to execute multiple rapid iai slashes. | |
| ~AB~B Derivative:
Slash-through & Pose |
– | 219-250 | Derivative of the above. Big damage follow-up. | |
| Burst Attack | 150m Gerbera Straight Slash | 5ABC or 4/6ABC | 310(F)268(E&S) | 5ABC slashes downwards, 4/6ABC slashes left or right |
| 150m Gerbera Straight (Lohengrin) | 2ABC | 249 | Gerobi |
| Melee | Input | DMG | Notes |
| 5B | 5BBBBB | 239 | Strong priority on the first hit |
| 5BB~8B | 215 | Multi-hit attack | |
| 5BBB~2B | 215 | Good cut resistance | |
| 5B(BBB)~AB | 109-228 | Can cancel into Sub anytime before the last hit. Good forward movement | |
| 8B | 8BB | 132 | High priority |
| 8B~2BB | 146-177 | Throws the enemy | |
| 8B~AB | 111 | Same derivative as 5B~AB | |
| 4/6B | 4/6BBB | 178 | Main melee move |
| 4/6B(B)~AB | 110-159 | Same derivative as 5B~AB | |
| 2B | 2B | Melee counter with shooting guard | |
| 2B~B | 75 | Kicks the iron plate at the enemy | |
| CC8B | CC8BBB | 190 | Slash-through combo |
| CC8BB~8B | 225 | Same derivative as 5B~AB | |
| CC8BB~2B | 201 | Same derivative as 5BBB~2B | |
| BC | 5BC~BB | 246 | Energy Ball combo |
| 8BC | 155 | Rasengan |
Cancel Routes:
A: AC
CSA: AC
Melee: AC (on whiff or on hit. While in overheat, only cancellable on hit)
AC: Melee
Overview
The Astray Red Frame is a veteran Mobile Suit that has been in the Extreme Versus series since the very beginning, and although it has undergone many changes and improvements it’s still the same high-risk, high-reward melee MS. “If I can just get one hit, I can turn the tide of battle” is the Red Frame mantra, but Red Frame players need to understand that getting that single hit is no easy task.
The Red Frame has top class combo damage for a 2000 cost, and has high mobility as well thanks to its fast dash. However it has a short red lock range and a lackluster ranged game, not to mention that all of its combos starting from ranged attacks deal heavily prorated damage.
Once the Red Frame has scored its one combo knockdown it does have good okizeme setups to keep racking up damage, but when playing Red Frame one can never truly relax until the enemy is dead. In many matchups the Red Frame fights an uphill battle from start to finish, but if one doesn’t give up the opportunity for a flashy comeback might present itself.
Ability Details
Ranged Weapons
Main: Beam Rifle
A Beam Rifle that’s regular in every single way, except its low damage and ammo count. However it’s still a very important tool for the Red Frame, especially since you can cancel it into your AC dash to start your offense, or continue a combo.
An AC dash canceled from A will inherit red lock status, so even if your enemy retreats into green lock range you will still be able to dash towards it.
Overall this is a useful tool for poking safely. Just don’t rely on it too much or try to use it like you would with a shooting MS, or you will soon find yourself out of ammo.
Charged Main: Gerbera Straight Throw
2-second charge time. Red Frame stops to throws its Gerbera Straight at the enemy, stunning on hit. The projectile is not very fast, but the downward tracking is insane. This makes it a very strong tool for catching landings, and the stun effect gives you ample time to follow up. This and your BR make up for the bulk of your neutral shooting game, and you can use the Second Impact technique effectively with these two weapons.
Charged Melee: 150-meter Gerbera Straight
2-second charge time. The Astray “Powered Red” throws its gigantic Gerbera Straight at the enemy. This move can only be used during your Burst, and can only be used once per Burst.
This has strong vertical tracking and muzzle correction, plus it’s ginormous, making it easy to hit. The sword itself also has an active shooting guard that can block incoming ranged attacks. Red Frame has a lot to do during its Burst, but if you find yourself in the neutral this is a great move to use.
Sub: Vulcans
Reloads on empty, taking 4 seconds to reload 60 ammo. Red Frame fires its head vulcans at the enemy. Tapping the buttons fires 5 shots, or you can hold down the A button to fire up to 20 shots repeatedly. Takes 4 hits to stagger an enemy.
This can be useful for finishing a low HP enemy off, or as a ranged attack when you’re out of Main ammo. This is by no means a move that you should be using frequently, but it’s not so terrible that you need to seal it off, either.
Special Shooting: Dash
The official name of this move translates to “Iai Stance”. The Red Frame dashes at high speed towards the enemy in its Iai stance, and gains access to new moves. You can dash in a left or right curving arc by inputting 4 or 6. Doing so is often preferred as it could allow you to dash past incoming projectiles.
You can cancel any melee attack, even on whiff, into this dash. This makes you extra effective at chasing down enemies by looping [melee~AC] repeatedly. Just watch out for the high boost consumption. This no longer works when you are in Overheat.
When in green lock you will dash towards the direction you are facing. This can be useful for escaping when in Overheat. You can also tack on the ~A derivative at the end to do a pyonkaku that makes you travel even further.
The various derivatives available during the Iai stance are covered below.
AC~A Derivative: Pyonkaku
Red Frame leaps into the air and slashes downwards with the Gerbera Straight. Puts the enemy in an untechable down state on hit. You can use this move to chase down enemies above you, use it for movement, or as a combo finisher with good cut resistance.
AC~AB Derivative: Namasu Giri
“Namasu” is a type of dish made with finely sliced pieces of raw fish and vegetables, “Giri” means to slice. True to the move’s name, Red Frame stands still and performs multiple iai slashes to slice and dice the enemy. This move looks very cool and does good damage, and you can cancel this move into the ~B finisher to look even cooler.
AC~AB~B: Slash-through & Pose
Red Frame slashes through the enemy (stuns) and slowly sheathes the Gerbera Straight. Upon doing so, the enemy explodes. Very cool for you, excruciating to watch for the enemy. This does a lot of damage but has almost no cut resistance, so make sure you do this in a situation where you won’t get interrupted.
Melee Set
The Red Frame shines in melee combat, with its assortment of fast-startup, high-priority, high-damage attacks that can shred through an enemy’s life bar in seconds. Making the right reads you can even challenge the likes of Master and Epyon, which means of course that against regular Mobile Suits you often have the upper hand in direct melee confrontations.
However, if there’s one area that the Red Frame is lacking in, it is it’s ability to chase enemies down. Even factoring in its AC dash the Red Frame can find it difficult to chase high-performance MSes with naturally high move speed. Read the enemy’s movements carefully and time your dashes right to close the gap slowly but surely, and strike when the opportunity presents itself.
5B: Gerbera Straight
A 5-stage slash combo with the Gerbera Straight. The 4th hit stuns the enemy.
This has various derivatives available, and does good damage overall. It also has good priority, beating most all-rounder MSes in a direct clash.
5B or CC8B~8B Derivative: BuCUE Head Saber Spin
An attack using the BuCUE Head weapon fashioned by the Red Frame’s pilot, Lowe Guele. This is not your most efficient attack. But it has high down value and can be used to knock an enemy down quickly.
5B or CC8B~2B Derivative: Aerial Slam
Grabs the enemy and spins with it to deliver a finishing slam. Good cut resistance, and the damage isn’t bad either. You can cancel out of this during the initial rising portion to lift the enemy higher for a different combo.
If your target’s teammate or your ally happens to be at the point where you slam your target, they will also get knocked down and take damage.
5B, 8B or 4/6B~AB Derivative: Slash-through
A slash-through performed at high speed thanks to the Flight Unit mounted on the Red Frame’s back. This move has good cut resistance, and quickly puts the enemy in an untechable down state.
8B: Stab
A multi-hit stab followed by a slash. The priority and startup on this are excellent. This is good enough to beat out many MSes in a direct melee confrontation. If you’re dashing towards an enemy and you expect it to try and beat you out with a high priority melee attack, this or your 2B melee counter are great counter options.
8B~2B Derivative: Back Throw
Red Frame throws the enemy backwards and follows up with a slash. This bounces the enemy on hit which allows for an easy follow up.
4/6B: Kenpo Combo
The Red Frame attacks with a chop, an elbow strike, and finishes with a shoulder tackle. This is a very quick 3-hit combo, with good wraparound on the dash-in. This also has incredibly fast startup and very high priority, making it your main melee move. Whenever you’re in doubt of what melee move to pick, pick this one.
2B: Melee Counter
The Red Frame kicks up an iron board and blocks itself with it. If the enemy hits the iron board with a melee attack it will get get stunned and countered with a BuCUE Head slashing attack. The iron board also has shooting guard properties, able to withstand a certain amount of ranged damage.
You can sidestep cancel this move as well. Setting up the counter costs roughly 10% of your boost gauge, so it’s not like you can use this non-stop. Although having an option that beats both melee and ranged mixup options seems appealing, the slow startup of this move is something you need to take carefully into account. Make the right reads early and this can prove to be a very troublesome move for an eager melee-loving opponent to get around.
2B~B Derivative: Iron Board Kick
Kicks the iron board at the enemy.Causes a strong stagger on hit. As a last resort self defense you can set up the counter, and kick this board at the enemy if they don’t take the bait. This has zero tracking but the hitbox is big, making it useful in the close range.
CC8B: Slash-through
A slash-through combo ending with a spinning slash. This move travels far, and has a fast travel speed. However, the priority on this attack is rather low.
5BC: Energy Ball Combo
A series of kenpo strikes followed by multiple hits of the Energy Ball. Good forward movement and cut resistance on the kenpo strikes, but zero movement on the final hit. The reach, priority, damage, and vertical tracking on this move are all excellent, making this your second go-to melee move.
After the final hit Red Frame does a pose with its scabbard that does absolutely nothing, so it’s recommended that you boost dash cancel out of it so you don’t remain a sitting duck.
8BC: Rasengan
Unofficial name. Red Frame lunges at the enemy with the Energy Ball. This has the greatest priority of all of Red Frame’s attacks, beating out almost all opposing melee moves. The cut resistance on this is pretty good, and it also costs only 10% of your gauge to perform. The downside is that during your normal mode you cannot follow-up on this move unless you use CSA or hit the enemy against a wall, although you can follow-up easily during Burst.
Burst Attack
150-meter Gerbera Straight Slash
Super armor all the way through. The Red Frame pulls a 150m-long sword out of thin air and slashes at the enemy, dealing big damage. 5ABC will make the Red Frame slash vertically downwards which is hard to hit raw but is great in combos, while 4/6ABC will make the Red Frame slash left or right. Easier to hit raw than the 5ABC.
2ABC: Lohengrin
A Burst Attack added as part of a promotion for the Metal Build Astray Red Frame. The Red Frame fires a huge green gerobi from the hilt of the 150m Gerbera Straight. Causes an explosion when the beam makes contact with terrain. Very strong muzzle correction, and a great burst attack to try and hit on unsuspecting or inattentive opponents.
Recommended Combos
| Ranged Weapons | ||
| Input | DMG | Notes |
| A>>A>>A | 137 | Low damage zunda |
| A>>4/6BBB | 177 | BnB |
| A>>CC8BBB~CSA | 202 | |
| CSA>>A>>A | 160 | |
| CSA>>5BC~BBBBB~CSA | 279 | |
| CSA>>4/6BBB | 209 | |
| Melee | ||
| 5BBBB~AC~AB~B | 291 | |
| 5BBBB>4/6BBB | 261 | |
| 5BBBB>CC8BB~2B | 265 | |
| 8B(1hit)>5BC~B>4/6BBB | 275 | Fast and high cut resistance |
| 8B~2B>5BC~BB | 250-262 | |
| 4/6BB>4/6BBB | 228 | BnB, fast and good damage |
| 4/6BB~8BC~CSA | 241 | Overheat combo |
| CC8BB>4/6BBB | 234 | |
| CC8BBB(1hit)>>CC89BBB(1hit)~CSA | 280 | |
| 5BC~B~AC~AB~B | 300 | |
| 5BC~B>4/6BBB | 259 | |
| 5BC~BB~CSA | 288 | |
| 8BC~CSA>>A | 232 | |
| F Burst Only | ||
| 5BC~B>5ABC | 339 | |
| 5BC~B>5BC~B>5ABC | 355 | |
| 5BC~BB>5BC~BB>5BC~B>5ABC | 373 | |
Strategies
- Red Frame has combo damage output that exceeds what you would expect of a 2000 cost unit. However it can be extremely difficult to actually land these combos. Instead of blaming game balance when you charge at the enemy like a monkey and get shot down by ranged attacks, learn to close the distance while evading incoming shots, followed by how to set up opportunities to land your hits. Remember that a single melee combo can turn the tides, so be patient and work with your partner to make the comeback happen.
- Red Frame does not have the ammo or red lock range to participate in elongated neutral shooting battles. Your primary focus should be closing the gap between you and the enemy, while using your shooting attacks to force movement or catch landings to score downs.
- Once you’ve scored a down, stick close to the enemy and don’t let it escape unless your partner is in dire straits. It takes a lot of work for Red Frame to get close to the enemy, so don’t give up your ideal positioning for free. Red Frame has good okizeme options with its high priority melee attacks, its melee counter, and its fast dash, so keep the enemy guessing on wakeup and you can score repeated combos for quick kills.
- Watch out for enemies with E Burst. If you know that they have it available don’t attack them while in Overheat because it can leave you vulnerable to a counterattack.
- F Burst is the obvious choice for the Red Frame, greatly boosting your damage and comeback potential.
- Red Frame pairs best with 3000 cost partners that can easily draw enemy attention, creating opportunities for the Red Frame to get in some sneak attacks. Communicate with your partner on who should be dying first, and try your best to adhere to the game plan and keep your HP high, if necessary.