Forbidden Gundam

Model Number: GAT-X252	Pilot: Shani Andras
Cost: 2000 Hp: 580 Transform: X Form Change: X

A unit designed to be a solo vanguard. It excels in melee combat, but is also able to use its round backpack to release quick ranged attacks. Smart use of both its melee and range attacks will ascertain victory.

Move Summary

Ranged	Armament	Ammo	DMG	Notes
Main	Eckzahn	5	90	Fires a pair of physical railgun shots.
Sub	Hresvelgr	2	120	Beam will curve depending on input.
Special Shooting	Calamity Gundam Summon [Gerobi]	1	37 ~ 146	5AC: Calamity fires a gerobi.
	Calamity Gundam Summon [Bazooka]		40 ~ 102	*AC: Calamity fires 3 bazooka shots.
Special Melee	Raider Gundam Summon[Shooting]	1	14 ~ 118	5BC: Raider fires its machine gun at the enemy in its MA form.
	Raider Gundam Summon[Mjolnir Spin]		20 ~ 110	*BC: Raider swings its hammer around in front of Forbidden.
Burst Attack	Nidhoggr Combo Attack	–	267(F)/264(E)/278(S)	Calamity rides on top of Raider and the pair charge at the enemy while firing their weapons.

 

Melee	Input	DMG	Notes
5B	5BB	121
8B	8B	119	Grabs target and swings them one round before throwing them forward.
4B	4BB	117
2B	2B	142	Has a shooting guard in the rear. Does more damage when hit at full range.
CC8B	CC8B	111

 

Cancel Routes:

A: AB

AC: A, AB, BC, 2B

BC: A, AB, AC, 2B

2B: AC, BC, all melee except 2B and CC8B

 

Overview

Forbidden is a mid to long-ranged shooting specialist which excels at providing support for front 3000 cost units. While its Main has a bit of a startup and a noticeable reload time between every 5 shots, it has a much wider hitbox compared to other Beam Rifle-type weapons which allows you to catch enemies more often. It also has a nice range of shooting attacks that pair nicely with its Main, allowing it to keep the pressure going.

Forbidden’s biggest weakness is its lower-than-average mobility and its poorer performance in the close range, but that is mitigated somewhat by its freefall cancels thanks to Calamity and Raider. Both provide the means for both offense and defense, and fit well into Forbidden’s kit.

 

Ranged Weapons

Main: Eckzahn

Fires a pair of physical railgun shots. After firing all 5 shots the weapon reloads, taking 4 seconds to reload all 5 ammo.

When compared to the average Beam Rifle which reloads one shot every 3 seconds, you get to fire your Main more often than most. However, the 4-second reload window can feel excruciatingly long. Forbidden does have a lot of other ranged weaponry to use in the meantime, though.

This has a slower-than-average startup time, so adjust your timing accordingly when using the Zunda technique. 

Because each shot from this weapon fires two separate projectiles, if only one projectile hits the damage done is reduced and the down value is also lower. You need to hit 4 projectiles in total to down an enemy, so a lot of the time 2 shots will be enough to down an enemy, but you will occasionally need 3.

Overall this is a nice weapon for catching enemies in the long range due to its big hitbox, and combos nicely into your Sub for a quick down and nice damage. 

Sub: Hresvelgr

Input directions to dictate how the beam will curve. This does only 74 damage when cancelled into from your Main, so try to use it in a Zunda instead of a cancel to get more damage. 

This is Forbidden’s main calling card, allowing you to hit enemies in an unorthodox way. Each shot actually tracks twice, first at the initial point of firing, and once more after it has travelled awhile. This is why you see the beam curve. 

This move also downs enemies instantly, which can be a strong answer to enemies with super armor. With a strong read on an enemy’s movement this is a potent tool at all ranges.  

2/5AB: The beam is fired straight at the enemy, before curving once more. This curves more vertically than horizontally. This is the version you want to use when hit confirming from Main, or for catching landings. 

2)4/6AB: Curves left or right, depending on your input. This is great for catching enemies advancing on you with melee attacks, or for catching horizontal movement.

4)8AB: Curves upwards. Used less often than the other two, but can still be useful for catching enemies directly above you.

Special Shooting: Calamity Gundam summon

Summons Calamity to perform one of two options. Can be cancelled into your Main to freefall. 

5AC: Fires a thin Gerobi. This can be useful in self defense situations, although usually Raider fills that role. You can use this to set up a “beam fence” similar to Kshatriya’s 4/6AB, catching horizontal movement. 

*AC: Calamity fires three shots from its Bazooka. Each shot deals only 40 damage, and does not break shooting guards. This summon is the preferred option most of the time when doing freefalls.

Special Melee: Raider summon

Summons Raider to perform one of two actions. 

5BC: Raider moves forward in MA form, firing its machine guns. Raider itself also has a hitbox. The other summon is purely defensive, so use this if you want to try hitting the enemy at range.

*AC: Raider appears near the Forbidden and swings its mighty hammer, Mjolnir. The hammer blocks projectiles and also has a physical hitbox that will hit enemies who attempt to hit you with a melee attack.

Note that certain projectiles, like Destiny’s boomerangs or other piercing type weapons, can penetrate Raider’s defenses.

Depending on your lever input, Raider appears in a different position. 2BC is the best option for melee self defense.

This is your best defensive summon, but you want to use it closer to the ground if freefalling so that Raider covers your landing. 

 

Melee Set

5B: 2-stage combo

Generally poor performance makes this melee best suited as a combo part.

8B: Stab and Swing

Forbidden stabs its scythe into the enemy, and swings it around before throwing the enemy. This has poor cut resistance, but due to the long combo length it can be useful for keeping one enemy restrained.

4/6B: Horizontal Combo

Two-hit combo swinging the scythe in a wide horizontal arc. You also dash in a curved angle that can make it easy to dodge enemy shots while closing in. Melee is not typically recommended for the Forbidden, but this is not a bad option.

2B: 360-swing

Forbidden charges up before swinging the scythe in a circular arc. Forbidden does not chase the enemy while doing this, instead remaining completely stationary before swinging its scythe at the air regardless of where the enemy is.

While you could pull that off as a melee counter, the best use of this move is as a setup for your freefalls as you have a shooting guard to cover you during the charge animation. You can then sidestep this move and go into any of your assist freefalls, giving you a very safe landing option. For this reason, this is the melee move you will use most often.

CC8B: 2-stage slash

This is Forbidden’s fastest forward-moving melee, and can be used when you hit a Main in the close range.

 

Burst Attack

Raider and Calamity Charge

Calamity rides on Raider in MA mode, and the pair charge at the enemy while firing their weapons. A single sidestep will cut all tracking on this, and the pair actually have very little hp so even the slightest hit will destroy them. However, if your Burst gauge is near empty and it looks safe, it doesn’t hurt to just throw this out and hope it hits something.

 

 Recommended Combos

Ranged Weapons
Input	DMG	Notes
A>>A	153
A>>AB	174	If you do a direct cancel (A~AB) the damage is 142.
A>>CC8B>AB	211	Best damage in close range
Melee
5BB>8B>AB	234
4BB>A	175	Fast down
4BB>8B>AB	232
CC8B>8B>8B>AB	252	Do one less 8B for a respectable 242 damage

 

Strategies

• Stay at the mid to long-range, providing cover fire for your teammate. If the enemies are paying you no attention, you can move into a closer range and try to hit any of your Subs.
• The standard self defense cancel route is: 2B>(any assist)~A. You can use *AC when doing this from the long range, and 2BC when doing this to escape melee pressure.
• Keep track of how many Main shots you have fired so you do not run out of ammo at an inopportune time. Because you only have 5 shots, try and cancel into your Sub or opt not to down the opponent to save ammunition. 
• F Burst is, as you’d expect, not very good. E is the safe option for longevity, while S is the best option for racking on more damage and putting more pressure on the enemy. 
• Forbidden pairs well with most 3000 cost units.