Model Number:ZGMF-X88S |
Pilot: Andrew Waltfeld |
Cost: 2000 Hp: 580 Transform: X Form Change: X |
Andrew Waltfeld’s custom Gaia Gundam that has been repainted to match a tiger’s ferocity. Sporting the same quadrupedal movement as Waltfeld’s signature LaGOWE, the Gaia Gundam is a perfect match for Waltfeld’s preferred style of combat and tactics.
Ability Summary
Ranged |
Armament |
Ammo |
DMG |
Notes |
Main |
Beam Rifle |
8 |
75 |
High damage for a 2000 cost Beam Rifle. |
Sub |
Vulcan |
60 |
10-110 |
Head Vulcans. |
Special Shooting |
Beam Cannon Multi Shot |
1 |
40~128 |
Transforms and fires 3 beams. |
Burst Attack |
Gaia Assault |
– |
296 (F) / 276 (E & S) |
Melee |
Input |
DMG |
Notes |
5B |
5BBBB |
219 |
|
8B
|
8B |
75 |
|
8B~A |
147 |
||
4/6B |
4/6BBB |
186 |
|
2B |
2B |
93 |
Great hitbox. |
CC8B |
CC8BB |
141 |
|
Special Melee |
BC |
60 |
Meteorite kick. 2 ammo. |
Cancel Routes:
A: AC, BC
AB, AC: BC
All melee: BC
Overview
Henceforth, Waltfeld’s Gaia will be referred to as the Orange Gaia, while Stellar’s Gaia will be referred to as the Black Gaia.
A clone unit of the original Black Gaia, the Orange Gaia does not have the same transformation gimmick as the original, and also loses the original’s assists in Chaos and Abyss, instead getting the ultimate booby prize— head vulcans.
In exchange, Orange Gaia transforms into its MA mode on certain attacks, including all of its melee moves. It also has improved mobility in its MS mode compared to the Black Gaia. Overall this is a simplified version of the original, acting more as an all-rounder.
Ranged Weapons
Main: Beam Rifle
8 ammo with 75 damage per shot- that’s a lot better than most Beam Rifles carried by other 2000 cost units. Because Orange Gaia does not have the powerful assists that the original has, this more powerful Beam Rifle is intended to bridge that power gap. Cancels into your AC and BC.
Sub: Head Vulcans
You hate to see it- a clone unit that they just slap vulcans on because they can’t possibly give Waltfeld access to Chaos and Abyss as summons because it goes against canon. 4 hits to stagger. The overall performance of this move is so poor that you can completely seal it off and you might actually be better off.
Special Shooting: Beam Rifle Multi-Shot
Transforms into the MA mode and fires 3 pairs of beams. The Black Gaia’s CSA in MS mode. Can be cancelled into BC. The reload on this move is only 6 seconds, so you can use this often in conjunction with your Main. Just note that the performance on this move is not particularly great, and the damage proration is extremely bad, meaning you won’t be doing much damage cancelling from A~AC, and you also won’t be doing big damage from cancelling AC into anything else.
Melee Set
The exact same moves as Black Gaia’s MA mode, but with more damage. Gaia’s melee moves have good cut resistance, but don’t have outstanding priority, meaning you may find yourself losing out in direct confrontations with melee-centric MSes.
5B: Beam Blade
High damage melee combo with a forced PoV change. Causes an untechable down on the last hit. This move actually causes you to fall rapidly on whiff, so you can use it as a landing tech or a setup for your next attack.
8B: Slash-through
You still have access to Black Gaia’s 8B~A cancel route. Great combo part leading to big damage.
4/6B: Spin Slash
Similar to LaGOWE’s spin slash. Travels a good distance and has relatively good cut resistance.
2B: Helmbreaker
Gaia rises quickly before spinning downwards towards the enemy. You cannot sidestep once you make contact with the ground. Can be used for mobility. This also has a good hitbox, allowing you to hit enemies caught in your wake. Just watch out for the slow startup.
CC8B: Slash-through
Stuns on hit. Between the first and second hit is a long pause, so be careful about getting cut during the sequence.
BC: Meteor Kick
Reloads 1 ammo every 10 seconds. Gaia kicks off a meteor to dash at the enemy, following an L-shaped path. Similar to Gold Frame’s 4/6AC. There’s some good horizontal movement on this attack that can make it hard for opponents to hit you, but this move is even better when used as a surprise attack. This has really good vertical targeting, allowing you to even hit enemies directly below you.
The startup is extremely fast and you travel very far with this move, but the tracking itself is rather weak, meaning enemies sometimes can escape just by boost dashing away. As far as possible, align your axis with the enemy’s to increase your odds of hitting. This move causes a long stagger on hit.
You can use this move even in overheat, but it’s best to use this move with at least some insurance boost to sidestep if things get tricky. The meteorite also has a shooting barrier, but because the rock is behind you it doesn’t account for much.
Being able to use this move while in MS form is one of Orange Gaia’s few advantages over the Black Gaia. It also reloads faster than the Black Gaia’s.
Burst Attack
Gaia Assault
Gaia transforms between MA and MS forms to execute this melee combo. Super armor on startup. Compared to other Burst Attacks this has rather good cut resistance, making it a rather safe option for big damage. Same burst attack as Black Gaia’s.
Recommended Combos (MS)
Ranged Weapons |
||
Input |
DMG |
Notes |
A>>A>>A |
158 |
Zunda. |
A>>BC~8B~BC~8B |
219 |
|
A>>BC~8B~A |
200 |
BnB. |
Melee |
||
5BBBB~BC~8B~A |
281 |
|
5BBBB~BC~8B~BC |
277 |
|
8B~BC~8B~BC~8B~A |
257 |
|
4/6B(1 hit)~8B>2B~8B~BC~8B~A |
296 |
Big damage. |
4/6BBB>>A |
225 |
|
2B~8B>4/6B(1 hit)~8B~BC~8B~BC~A |
310 |
Biggest damage without Burst. |
2B~8B>4/6B (1 hit)~8B~BC~8B~A |
305 |
1 rock version of the above, only 5 less damage. |
CC8BB~BC~8B~A |
255 |
|
CC8BBB~BC~8B~BC~8B~A |
270 |
|
F Burst Only |
||
4/6BBB~BC~4/6BBB~BC~ABC |
351 |
Easy big damage. |
2B~8B>4/6B(1 hit)~8B~BC~8B~BC~8B~ABC |
358 |
Biggest damage possible probably. |
Strategies
- Orange Gaia’s biggest advantage is having access to Black Gaia’s powerful melee and meteor kick in its MS mode. Overall the playstyle of this suit is much simpler than with Black Gaia- just play it like an all-rounder, and look for melee opportunities where you can do big damage.
- You don’t have any tools for pressuring the opponent or forcing entry, so stick close to your partner and hope that they can open the enemy up for you.
- Just like Black Gaia, F or S burst are your best bets. S is safer while F is your high risk high reward option.
- Teams best with 3000 cost units, does alright with 2500. Try not to team with 2000 or 1500 cost partners.