Crossbone Gundam X1 Kai

Model Number: XM-X1	Pilot: Kincade Nau
Cost: 2500 Hp: 600 Transform: X Form Change: △ (ABC Mantle)

One of the Gundam Type units still kept by the Crossbone Vanguards after a fierce battle, with slight upgrades. The primary upgrade is the Screw Whip, which greatly improves its mid-range battle capability.

Ability Summary

Ranged	Armament	Ammo	DMG	Notes
Main	Zanbuster	5	70	Standard BR, low ammo
Charged Main	Grenade Launcher	–	120	Physical projectile, has Vernier, causes Forced Down.
Charged Main [During Burst]	Grenade Launcher (Nuclear Warhead)	1	218(F & E)/243(S)	Similar to CSA, but fires a nuclear warhead, one ammo per Burst.
Special Shooting	Pez Batalla Assist	3	119	X1 Kai grabs the Assist like an axe and cleaves the target with it. Has Superamor and bounces the enemy. Is a melee attack which can be rainbow stepped. Can be cancelled into ~BC derivative
			287	X1 Kai slashes enemy and stuns the target next before ending off with a series of whirlwind slashes. High damage, but offers little cut resistance. X1 Kai’s BC in Full Boost
			13 ~ 117	Summons the Pez Batalla to chase target. Slow chase speed, but excellent
Special Melee	ABC Mantle [Equip/Unequip]	100	–	Removes ABC mantle when equipped and vice-versa. Can be used as a freefall cancel route
Burst Attack	Beam Saber Melee Combo	–	308(F)/294(E & S)	Melee Combo

Melee	Input	DMG	Notes
AB (Screw Whip)	5AB	20	Restrains the target and holds it in place. Cancellable to any of the derivatives below
	5AB~A	~174	Restrains the target and does continuous chip damage per A input. Not recommended for most melee combos due to the poor cut resistance
	5AB~B	–	X1 Kai vaults over the target. Can be cancelled into any melee combo except CC8B
	5AB~2B	–	X1 Kai pulls in the target. Can be cancelled into any melee combo except CC8B
	4/6AB	90	X1 Kai swings the Screw Whip horizontally. Fast startup, excellent self-defence tool.
5B	5BBBB	223	Beam Zanber combo ending off with a kick
	5BB~8B	185	8B derivative with X1 ending with a slash through. Useful if you need to end combos quickly.
	5B(B)~2B	114 ~ 162	2B Derivative with X1 ending with Brand Marker thrust. Stuns the target
8B	8B	143	X1 Kai does a single beam Zanber slash before following up with a slash-through that sends the target on a Somersaulting Down.
4/6B	4/6BB	150	Brand Marker thrust -> Heel Drop. Bounces the enemy off the ground.
4/6B	4/6B~2B	130	2B derivative
2B	2B	60 ~ 110	X1 Kai throws its its brand marker forwards as a barrier of sorts. Shooting attack that attracts assists.
CC8B	CC8BB	190	Extremely fast close-in speed.
BC	~BCBB	278	X1 Kai slashes enemy and stuns the target next before ending off with a series of whirlwind slashes. Can be canceled from any melee input. High damage, but offers little cut resistance. X1 Kai’s BC in Full Boost

Cancel Routes:

A: AB, AC, BC, 2B

CSA: BC

5AB~5B/2B: All actions except ex-burst

2B melee derivative: 2B

*AC: 2B, BC

2B: A, BC

5B(BB), 8BBB, 4BB, CC8BBB: *AB, 5AC

5AC: *AB

Overview

Sail ho! Ye olde boi Gundam X1 kai once again returns, this here time with a few new tricks to the sky its sleeves. Featurin’ a fearsome melee set, jolly ranged option an’ excellent self-defence, the x1 kai be a solid pick fer anyone lookin’ to do well in this here in this here game.

Don’t be mislead by the in-game classification, X1 Kai works best as an all-rounder; supporting it’s teammate with well-placed beam rifle shots and making use of its extremely fast CC8B and added protection from its ABC mantle to close in quickly and deal damage.

That being said, X1 Kai is most effective when played in a rear supporting role, shadowing any unsuspecting enemies before closing in quickly. It’s melee combos may seem easy to interrupt at first, but the presence of the mantle coupled with moves like its screw whip lets it finish off any melee chains quickly before bailing out.

Ranged Weapons

Main: Zanbuster

Average BR. Has plenty of cancel routes, ranging from AB, AC and BC. Freefall can be achieved by inputting main right after 2B, even if thhere’s no ammo! As ammo count is below average, take care not to waste it by shooting unnecessarily. Wherever applicable, avoid zunda when wanting to down an enemy and instead rely on your Sub, your CC8B or your AC to save ammo.

However, not every missed shot is a wasted shot; use main to force movement from your enemy and force him into Overheat before closing in with your melee.

Charged Main: Grenade Launcher/Grenade Launcher (Nuclear Warhead)

Physical projectile, causes Forced Down. Projectile speed is similar to X1’s beam rifle though tracking is good. Because ammo for X1’s main is scarce, use this to supplement your range options and to poke your opponents. Using this causes Vernier, so take care not to get hit while stationary, the Vernier status can be mitigated by freefalling with BC. As it does 120 damage for a single hit, it can greatly increase the damage done by melee combos by releasing this at the end of every combo.

Charged Main(During Burst): Grenade Launcher (Nuclear Warhead)

During burst, the CSA will be changed to Grenade Launcher (Nuclear Warhead).

Fires a nuclear warhead, one ammo per Burst. As with all nuclear warheads, it’s best to use this at an elevated position so that the nuke hits the ground and causing a large AoE that maximises the chances of hitting your enemy and friend(!). Due to the large AoE, it servesuseful to catch enemies on wakeup or simply to limit the opponents’ movement.

Special Shooting: Pez Batalla Assist

Summons Pez Batalla to assist. Despite having 3 ammo, any subsequent assist cannot be called until the first is either destroyed or has disappeared.

The assist has two variations:

AC: X1Kai grabs the Pez Batalla and cleaves with it like an axe

A very strong tool in X1 Kai’s arsenal. Has Super armor on startup and cancelable from Main. Can also be rainbow stepped from, opening a wide range of followup options. While the inital axe grind is deals damage in stages, the final hit leaves the target bounced. When used together with X1 Kai’s ABC mantle, this tool has exerts immense pressure on the target.
AC with any directional input: Pez Batalla chases the target before ramming into it

Can be cancelled to 2B or BC. The assist itself ignores shooting guard, and does damage the moment is appears. While the initial speed is slow, the assist accelerates quickly. This assist is infamous for its legendary tracking and is capable of doing a complete U-turn to chase a target. It’s tracking is nullified the moment the target side steps, so this assist is more suitable for hitting targets that are not paying attention.

Even then, this assist has plenty of applicable uses. Use it to deal damage, force boost consumption, apply pressure and catch unwary targets. However, you can call only one assist at a time and you’ll have to wait until the assist disappears before you can summon another one

Special Melee: ABC Mantle [Equip/Unequip]

The ABC mantle nullifies any Beam attack so long as is active. While the Beam Mantle only has 100 durability, the mantle is reloable after a certain period of cooldown. The X1 Kai starts the match with it already active and will respawn with it active as long as it’s not overcost.

However, general speed, mobility and turning radius is slightly reduced while the mantle is active, and the mantle is useless against Physical projectiles like those from IBO mobile suits. It is also ineffective against gerobi attacks as the beams will eat through mantle very very quickly.

Despite these flaws, it is still an excellent overall, as the input of putting on and removing the cloak provides a vast multitude of freefalling options. Obviously this can only be done if the Cloak is active and not on cooldown

2B: Brand Marker

Throws 2 Brand Markers forward. The markers can nullify a shot and can also serve as a decoy target for any assists. As the markers each have a durability value of 1, a single bullet from any machingun will completely nullify it.

However, the brand markers serve a very important tool for X1 Kai’s overall mobility. Cancelling to main after throwing the brandmarker allows the X1 Kai to freefall, and can be done even if there is 0 Main ammo. However, if a single marker remains, it cannot be thrown again. Users will have to wait until the markers disappear before they can utilise this move again. Furthermore, the markers float at the height of activation, so users will have to activate closer to the ground if they intend to use it to cover their landings. At red lock ranges, using this move automatically reorients the X1 to its target. An excellent tool overall and one that should not be neglected.

Melee Set

AB: Screw Whip(Hold)

Throws both Screw Whips forward that holds target in place. Whip speed is fast, but causes Vernier, has short range and has no muzzle correction. Has good vertical tracking at time of activation and can also be cancelled from Main. While this move leaves the X1 vulnerable to the opponent’s partner, it has its uses and can significantly stall and delay the hapless target from taking any action. Furthermore, utilising the AB~A cancel route can result in some very nasty damage to the target. While such an occurence is unlikely in an actual match, the damage potential from this move alone is still something players should take careful note of. The Screw Whip has two possible cancel routes once a target is held

AB~A: Screw Whip(Hold) > Drill

X1 further damages the target by drilling the screw ends of the whip into the target. Up to 10 additional inputs are possible. Does a surprisingly good amount of damage and has good stalling potential.

AB~B: Pull over and Vault

X1 Kai pulls over and vaults over the target. A down value of 0.5 is added when pulling in target despite not doing any damage. If the target’s down value has accumulated to its maximum during the input, the opponent will be Forced Down and land on the ground first, while the X1 Kai vaults overhead. Take care to avoid this happening as it may leave the X1 Kai very vulnerable should it be in Overheat.

Good option to utilise if you see an incoming projectile towards the X1 as it adds a layer of cut resistance with the vaulting motion. However, if you use this against a target that is at a higher, the end position of both units makes it difficult to reliably follow up with melee combo.

AB~2B: Screw Whip Pull

X1 Kai pulls the target towards it. Unlike 5AB~B, no Down Value is added. Cancellable to most melee (except CC8B and derivatives). However, as X1 Kai is mostly stationary, you’re vulnerable to getting interrupted.

4/6AB: Screw Whip

X1 Kai whips horizontally in the inputted direction. Excellent tool overall for both offence and defence. Reach of this tool is relatively long and covers a fanshaped area directly in front of the X1 Kai. It does not have any semblance of of vertical tracking, so expect to only hit targets on the same altitude. However take note that the whip itself is considered a melee attack so exercise caution against units with melee counters. In turn, this also means it can be rainbow stepped from, and AB > AB is a good option for quickly downing an enemy. The side whip also deals damage quickly and is useful for ending combos.

Any unit that’s been hit by the side whip can also be followed up with a CC8B combo, so take note of this opportunity to do damage.

5BBBB: Rising slash > kick

3 hit combo which launches the target into the air followed by a kick with the heat dagger. Only the last stage has a camera change. While startup is fast, chase distance and speed is mediocre. However damage from this combo alone is respectable. However, X1 Kai’s other melee options are also good, so this combo string is used less often.

5B(B)~8B: Slash through

X1 Kai does a quick slashthrough with its Beam Zanber that leaves the target in a spinning Down. Follow up with 4/6AB for a quick down. Usually does more damage compared to second hit of the 5B combo but due to damage proration, may at times do less damage depending on when the melee combo was initiated.

5B(B)~2B: Brand Marker Jab

X1 Kai does a quick jab with the brandmarker that leaves the target in a weak Stun. The startup is very fast and is useful for when you need to make a quick exit before getting interrupted.

A slash followed by a slashthrough which leaves the target in a spinning Down.

4/6BB: Brand Marker Jab > Kick

X1 Kai does a jab with Brand Marker before kicking down the target. Bounces the target for easy followup. Reach and swerve angles are comparable to most general-purpose suits, but tracking and startup is good. Although is is viable in rainbow wars, the 4/6AB is a relatively low risk tool at the ranges, so this melee string is not often used. However, still a useful tool as it leaves the target bounced which leave the target little opportunity to counterattack even if the user is in Overheat. Furthermore, reach and speed during F Burst is excellent and can be used as a closing in tool in those situations.

CC8B: Flurry

X1 Kai closes in quickly and does a series of slashes. X1 Kai’s bread and butter and its main source of damage. Rush Speed and reach are excellent; good option for closing in overall. While approach vector is straightforward and correction is mediocre, this is still a good option overall. Rush speed is faster than an actual Boost Dash, thus even if you don’t want to fully commit to a melee, it’s still possible to use this just for the quick burst of speed.

Due to its fast startup and rush speed, the X1 is able to exert a lot of pressure even without having to do anything. If used with F Burst, performance of this tool is significantly increased.

~BCBB: Whirlwind Slash

X1 Kai does a series of whirlwind slashes with the beam Zanber and its Screw Whip. Extremely high damage. X1 Kai’s original BC in Full Boost, this has been shifted to a melee derivative as BC now handles X1 Kai’s ABC Mantle. The second stage of the attack (whirldwind slashes) does not consume any Boost though it is not particularly cut-resistant as X1 Kai is mostly stationary during the animation. However, the ABC Mantle (if active) will offer it some degree of defence against Beams. Due to its wide sweeping animation, the attack may accidentally whiff if near to the map borders and/or slopes.

Regardless, if there exists an opportunity to utilise this move without fear of being interrupted, then go for it.

Burst Attack

Beam Saber Melee Combo

X1 Kai does a series of slashes and jabs with its Beam Zanber and brand Marker. Has Superarmor on startup, but offers little cut resistance.

Strategies

Beam rifle ammo is lower than average, save ammo with A~AC instead of a Zunda to down a target.
Practise the art of changing target camera whilst meleeing a target. this allows you to keep an eye on the enemy partner whilst you are dealing damage.
Abuse the Screw Whip! Its wide hit box and fast startup make it an excellent tool overall, whether for ending combos quickly or as self-defence.
Manage the reload timings of the AC assist. The default AC is a great self-defence tool that grants Super armor and may just be the very thing to save you from an incoming melee
While it’s melee potential is great, X1 Kai is a great all-rounder too. Both Sub and AC are cost efficient tools to quickly down an enemy from a Beam Rifle shot.
Be patient. X1 Kai plays more like a shadow suit with a hit and run mentality. Close in quickly with CC8B and end combos quickly with the whip. Go for the big boi combos only if the situation allows it.