| Model Number: RX-0[N] | Pilot: Riddhe Marcenas |
| Cost: 3000 Hp: 650 Transform: X Form Change: X | |
The Banshee Norn is the upgraded version of the Banshee, and unsurprisingly boasts improved performance. Now piloted by Londo Bell pilot Riddhe Marcenas, the Banshee Norn is equipped with two new armaments, the Armed Armor DE and Armed Armor XC. The Banshee Norn still relies on its Beam Magnum for ranged attacks, but now supplements it with the Revolving Launcher, an underbarrel attachment that fires a wide variety of explosive munitions.
Ability Summary
| Ranged | Armament | Ammo | DMG | Notes |
| Main | Beam Magnum | 5 | 95 | Fast projectile speed, Manual reload when empty |
| Charged Main | Mega Cannon (Gerobi) | – | 25~227 | Bendable gerobi beam |
| Charge Melee | Revolving Launcher (Napalm) | – | 95 | Fast projectile speed. Fire Stun |
| Neutral Sub | Revolving Launcher (MGaAP) | 1 | 78~128 | Delayed explosion |
| 4/6 Sub | Revolving Launcher (BOP Missiles) | 2 | 30~120 | 4 shots fired in a fan shape |
| 2/8 Sub | Revolving Launcher (Microhide Bombs) | 1 | 44~138 | Deploys a cluster of mines in front of Norn. Incurs Flame Stun on anything it comes into contact with |
| Special Shooting | Command Dash | – | – | Barrel rolls forward |
| Burst Attack | “Get out of my sight!” | _ | 315(F)/299(E & S) | Slow movement. Melee rush Burst Attack |
| Melee | Input | DMG | Notes |
| 5B | 5BBBB | 210 | High damage |
| 8B | 8BBB | 181 | Has a Shooting Guard during the first stage |
| 4/6B | 4/6BBB | 173 | |
| 2B | 2B | 120 | Melee counter |
| CC8B | CC8BB | 184 | Good cut resistance. |
| BC | BC | 115 | Results in an untechable Down on target |
Cancel Routes:
A: All AB, AC, BC
CSA: AC
5AB: 4/6AB, 8/2AB
4/6AB: 5AB, 8/2ab
8/2AB: 5AB, 4/6AB
CSB: 5AB, 4/6AB, AC
AC: Any move except AC
Overview
The Banshee Norn is a shooting-oriented machine that excels at the mid-long ranges. While it’s permanently in Destroy Mode, this is simply a visual appearance that has no functional purpose. While it has a simple-to-use moveset, it has a wide range of cancel routes that gives it various means to freefall. This great mobility, coupled with its strong ranged tools, make it a force to be reckoned with.
However, its horizontal boost dash speed is lackluster, and it has trouble keeping up with some of the faster 3000 cost units. This can make it a liability in some situations, as the Banshee Norn may not be fast enough to pursue a target, or fast enough to interrupt an enemy’s attack on its partner.
Ability Details
Ranged Weapons
Main: Beam Magnum
A Beam Magnum with 5 rounds. Manual reload on empty. The general performance (projectile speed, tracking, hitbox, damage) on this weapon is superior to the standard beam rifle. There’s a slight delay prior to the projectile being fired similar to the gundam Unicorn. As each projectile does high damage, a simple zunda will deal substantial damage.
The mediocre muzzle correction on top of the slow startup means that you shouldn’t rely on this too much at close range. However, since the projectile speed is fast and ammo is plenty, the Beam Magnum remains a useful tool for long ranges. Thus the bigger the difference in red lock distance between yourself and the target, the more pressure you’re able to exert with it. It’s important to lay a consistent barrage of fire from long range, even from maximum red lock distance.
The Beam magnum is cancelable to any Sub weapon, AC, and BC. If you’re placed in a state of vernier when performing a turnaround shot, you can still freefall cancel with 5AB and 4/6AB, even if you have no ammo remaining.
Charged Main: Mega Cannon (Gerobi)
2.5-second charge time. Norn fires a gerobi from the Armed Armor DE. As Banshee Norn does not have any other ranged weapon that does significant damage with a single input, this is a valuable weapon to take note of. The projectile velocity is excellent as is its muzzle correction, so it’s relatively easy to land a hit with this.
Charged Melee: Revolving Launcher (Napalm)
Norn fires a napalm bomb from the revolving launcher. 3-second charge time. Tracking and muzzle correction is weak, but the projectile speed is fast, thus it’s relatively easy to land this consistently. This does the same damage as a single hit from the Beam Magnum and inflicts Flame Stun on the target, making it easy to follow up on. You can use this as a substitute for 5AB as a followup from your Main, which combos nicely from the mid range and closer.
While the charge time is long, Banshee Norn relies mostly on its Main weaponry to deal damage, so you’re not really putting yourself at a disadvantage holding CSB for an extended period of time. While firing this causes Vernier, you can perform a freefall cancel by inputting 5ab or 4/6AB immediately after using this.
AB: Revolving Launcher
Norn fires a variety of munitions from the revolving launcher. The armament used varies depending on directional input, and can be canceled to one another. As a result, when canceled from Main, you have multiple freefall options in both 5AB and 4/6AB, allowing you to mitigate any rigidity in movement you might have if put in a state of vernier. While the freefall cancels can be performed even if there is no ammo available, it will not work if the first turnaround shot is performed with a Sub munition that has 0 ammo.
5AB: Revolving Launcher (MGaAP)
Norn’s infamous “blue balls”. Fires three armor-piercing grenades that explode with a time-lag. This has a 6-second reload time and each projectile deals 55 impact damage and 32 explosion damage. While it does not cause vernier, the actual animation is fairly long due to the consecutive shots.
Muzzle correction and tracking is reapplied after each shot, making this tool something that enemies should not underestimate. If the target moves out of the firing angle during the animation, the Banshee Norn itself will reorient itself towards the enemy. While this may accidentally cause vernier, you can always input 4/6Ab to perform a freefall cancel to escape.
The overall damage proration on this move is high, so even if you follow this up with another attack, the damage will remain low. Unlike most explosive munitions, MGaAP rounds disappear completely with no explosion if blocked.
The MGaAP rounds remain a key component of Bashee Norn’s offensive tools. Although the damage potential of the weapon is mediocre, it’s still a great tool for hit-confirming and forcing boost consumption.
4/6AB: Revolving Launcher (BOP missiles)
Fires four grenades in a fan-shaped arc. Reloads on empty with a reload time of two seconds. While the grenades are fired in a wide spread, the projectiles themselves do not have any tracking.
Due to its wide spread, it’s difficult to hit this at long range as targets may simply pass through the gaps in between each round. It’s possible to catch targets on a lateral movement with this munition, though it still remains a difficult feat due to the poor muzzle correction and tracking. However, the startup on this is fast and the animation ends quickly, making this the best option if you’re using the Revolving Launcher strictly for freefall canceling.
However, hitting this at point blank range does bring about potential for big damage, which you should exploit accordingly.
2/8AB: Revolving Launcher (Micro Hide Bomb)
Norn fires a spread of Micro Hide Bombs that hover in place. 9-second reload time. The bombs function similarly to Gyan’s mines and inflict Flame Stun on any suit that comes into contact with them (including your partner and you!). Despite their appearance, the bombs themselves consist of a single hitbox and will also explode automatically after a certain period of time even without having come into contact with anything.
The mines can be used as a form of deterrence against incoming enemies, area denial, wake-up shenanigans, or as an additional defensive measure prior to your freefall cancel. The mines themselves are deployed all at once at a certain distance, and you can hit a target instantly if the position of the mines overlap with the target’s during the point of activation. You can even bypass shielded targets if your positioning is accurate.
However, the startup on this attack is slower than with 5AB and 4/6AB, so make sure to activate early lest you be punished during the startup. This is the only Revolving Launcher munition that causes vernier, though you cancel to either 5AB or 4/6AB to quickly freefall.
AC: Command Dash
Banshee Norn performs a barrel roll and moves forward. This consumes about 30% boost upon input and can’t be used during Overheat. While it’s not exactly Boost efficient, the barrel roll propels the Banshee Norn faster than a regular Boost Dash would. You can also perform a Rainbow Step from it and you can also cancel into a variety of moves after one roll rotation has occurred. When used in Red Lock, the Banshee Norn will fly towards the target, but will move towards the direction it was facing when used in Green Lock.
While you can cancel into an attack while rolling, there’s a slight delay in the startup that may leave you vulnerable to enemies flying towards you. Due to its boost consumption and the delay in startup, it’s not a move you should use frequently. However, it’s a good option to utilize while in Burst due to the increased speed and Boost recovery rate. However, the cancel delay still exists while in Burst, so don’t carelessly throw yourselves into a waiting enemy.
Regardless of its weaknesses, the barrel roll can function as a useful escape tool especially when used in Green Lock. Savvy players will also sometimes use the surge in speed to quickly fly above and behind the enemy before shooting the target from the back.
Melee Set
Despite being a range-focused suit, the Banshee Norn’s melee performance isn’t too shabby and it does decent damage overall. However, the Banshee Norn itself doesn’t move around much during its melee animations, so it doesn’t have much in terms of cut-resistance. If you feel like you’ll be interrupted mid-combo, make sure to rainbow step cancel away and Down the target with a Beam Magnum shot instead.
The general performance on the first stage of its melee moves is decent, though the reach of its melee is fairly short. While it’s not advised that you be aggressive with its melee, you can still use these attacks as a self-defence option.
5B: Beam Saber combo
A four-stage melee attack. There’s a viewpoint change from the third stage onwards. Due to the poor cut-resistance, it’s generally advised that you rainbow step from the third stage and finish off the combo with a Beam Magnum shot instead. However, if you feel safe enough to pull off a full combo, the fourth stage of this sequence does good damage and bounces the enemy, allowing you to delay the enemy’s recovery.
8B: Armed Armor DE Shield Bash > Kick > Beam Saber Slash
A three-stage melee combo that launches the target. The first stage of this melee has a Shooting Guard, although the attack’s hitbox is rather small and the startup and chase speed are both lackluster. As a result, you’re not likely to connect with this if you are using it to close in on a foe. However, the tracking and chase distance on this attack are both respectable, so you can use this as a self-defense measure against units that are trying to close in with a ranged attack.
Avoid using this against most gerobis as the Banshee Norn will likely perform its shield-lowering animation before the gerobi has ended. As the final hit launches a target upwards, you can easily follow this up with another attack. If you intend to follow up with a ranged attack, sidestepping to the left or rearwards after the slash-through will not incur Vernier.
4/6B: Beam Saber > Heel Drop > Slash
A three-stage melee combo with the Beam Saber. It’s possible to have a wraparound motion in the first stage and there is also a viewpoint change on the third stage. The general performance of the attacks is respectable and you can rely on this in most rainbow battles. As this launches the target into the air, you can easily follow this up with another attack. However, do take note that this melee combo does a maximum of only 2.96 Down value, so following this up with a Beam Magnum shot is not enough to put the target in a state of Yellow Lock.
2B: Beam Jutte (Melee counter)
Banshee Norn performs a melee counter with the Beam Jutte. Once the counter connects, the attack occurs automatically without any additional input. The counter itself can be followed up on fairly easily. Compared to other melee counters, the Beam Jutte has a shorter startup and a longer active time. However, the Banshee Norn does not move much in its animation. When used to counter a whip attack at max range, it’s entirely possible that the immediate melee move will not connect due to its short range. In this situation, you should instead cancel into CC8B for a successful follow up.
CC8B: Slash-through
Banshee Norn does a slash-through, then U-turns and performs a charging thrust before kicking away the target. There’s a viewpoint change on the seconds stage onwards. The startup on this attack is fast, and the general performance is good enough for you to win in melee clashes. However, as the kick launches the target slightly upwards, your timing has to be spot-on if you want to follow this up with another melee attack. If you’re not feeling confident, it’s far safer to rainbow step after the slash-through and continue your melee combo from there.
BC: Armed Armor DE Shield Thrust
Norn grabs the target with the tip of the shield before pushing it and launching it away. As it’s a grapple attack, the Banshee Norn will simply freefall if the target goes into Yellow Lock after getting hit by the first stage of the attack.While the startup isn’t as fast as CC8B, this attack has excellent reach and is fast enough to be useful in ranges where the Beam Magnum may not be an effective anti-melee deterrent. Despite these characteristics, you should not be overconfident and assume you can win any melee encounter with this.
The BC grab is cancelable from Main, and you can use it as a follow-up in situations where you may not have enough beam magnum ammo to complete a zunda, or when your Sub ammo is reloading. As it launches the target, it’s easy enough to follow up with any attack.
The Down value of this attack is low, and you can rainbow step and repeat this attack up to 4 times (5 while in Burst). While this attack has no cut resistance, doing repeated instances of this attack allows you to do a very high amount of damage and also allows you to retrain your target for a long time. Thus, it’s an excellent tool to use if your team sees an opportunity to make the fight into two separate 1v1 encounters.
Burst Attack
Disappear from my sight!
Like most melee Burst attacks, there’s super armor on the first stage of this attack. While the damage dealt is high, this attack doesn’t have great overall cut resistance and has a rather long animation. However, the long animation may serve as an advantage in some situations as it allows you to restrain the target for an extended period of time. There’s nothing else really exemplary about this attack, so assess the situation before committing to this attack.
Recommended Combos
| Ranged Weapons | ||
| Input | DMG | Notes |
| A>>A>>A | 186 | Zunda |
| A>>(~)5AB | 165 (152) | |
| A>>A>>5AB | 184 | Can also be direct canceled into for less damage |
| A~CSB>>A | 191 | |
| A~BC>A | 202 | BnB in BC range. |
| A~BC>BC>BC | 214 | Only slightly more damage than the above, for a much longer combo. Do this only in 1on1 situations or to waste the enemy’s time |
| CSB~5AB | 156 | Useful when you have 0 boost. Does as much damage as an average zunda |
| CSB>>A~5AB | 191 | |
| Melee | ||
| 5BBB>4/6AB | 229 | Good damage for a short combo time, making it hard to cut. |
| 5BBBB>BC>BC | 266 | End with an A shot at the end for 267 damage. |
| 8BBB>BC>BC | 257 | End with an A shot for 260 damage. |
| 4/6BB>5BBB>A | 224 | BnB |
| 4/6B>5BBBB>A | 236 | |
| 2B>5BBBB>A | 269 | |
| CC8B>5BBBB>A | 236 | BnB |
| CC8BB>BC>BC | 237 | |
| BC(1hit)>5BBBB>A | 221 | BnB. End with BC for 230 damage. |
| BC>5BBBB>5AB | 273 | |
| BC>8BBB>A | 262 | Slightly better cut resistance |
| BC>BC>BC>BC | 256 | Tie up an enemy for a long time |
Strategies
- While the base speed of the Norn is rather slow, the abundance of freefall cancel routes makes the Norn a rather slippery unit to hit.
- The general playstyle involves players maintaining a strong ranged game while dealing consistent damage with the Beam Magnum, and also taking advantage of the Norn’s various freefall options and plentiful ranged options to position yourself for an attack.
- Freefall canceling into 5AB and 4/6AB gives you the smoothest and fastest freefall. 2AB, 8AB or CSB~5AB or 4/6AB allows you to freefall regardless of your facing orientation,
- Norn’s Main has a slower-than-average startup and poorer-than-average boost dash speed. Its attack with the fastest startup is 4/6AB, so Norn is weakest at point-blank range where your Main, 2AB or 4/6AB are too slow.
- In such situations, fuwastepping backwards with firing A~5AB, or 2AB or 8AB~*AB allows you to put some distance between you and the target, giving you the space you need to intercept.
- Norn does very well against melee units that center their offense around starting combos with raw melee attacks (Epyon, Master, etc). However, your best self defense bet is still maintaining distance between you and the opponent.
- Occasionally making use of Norn’s well-performing melee attacks is important. Particularly noteworthy is its CC8B which has a blinding-fast startup, at the very least trading with all melee attacks in the right range. The startup on its 2B counter is also fast and 8B has a shooting guard, so basically Norn is not short on options for making counter attacks. While Norn doesn’t have the best cut resistance on its combos, the damage it deals is not low by any measure. Although Norn is primarily a ranged unit, sealing off its melee attacks means denying one of its core strengths, so be sure to use them in the right situations.
- Banshee Norn is average in okizeme performance overall, so don’t feel like you need to constantly pressure downed enemies. Play according to the matchup and the situation.
- Banshee Norn does not like facing down enemies with superior range and mobility, and it’s easy to feel outclassed by some of the more overwhelming enemies in the game. In such situations, enlist the help of your partner to even out the odds.
- S Burst remains pretty much the best choice for the Banshee Norn. With the Beam Magnum having a manual reload and a whole host of non-vernier munitions, you can keep up a relentless ranged barrage while in Burst. While it’s true that Banshee Norn already has plenty of ranged cancel routes, a good bulk of its damage comes from its Beam Magnum, which you’d likely be spamming anyway.
- However, you shouldn’t avoid melee entirely. The first-stage performance of most of its melee attacks is excellent, and Banshee has some damaging melee combos. While it’s true that you should ideally aim to maintain a good distance between yourself and the enemy, don’t hesitate to close in for a melee if a safe opportunity presents itself. While its melee combos generally do not have good cut-resistance, you can always end it off with a rainbow step and Beam Magnum shot.
- E Burst remains a good self-defense option, the issue however is that Banshee Norn’s self-defense is already respectable and E Burst does nothing to improve on Banshee Norn’s strengths. Recommended to use this only in shuffle rooms where you don’t have much say in who your partner will be.
- F Burst isn’t the best choice as Norn has no melee sets that deal damage quickly or with good cut resistance. Furthermore, the Norn’s base boost dash speed is below average, so all the mobility buff from F Burst does is make it on par with other 3ks.
- Norn pairs best with 2500 cost units, but also does well with 2000 cost units. Generally it’s better if Norn dies first, but it’s a pretty good support unit so it doesn’t mind dying second and taking the support role. Remember to be flexible based on the situation.