Gundam Exia

Model Number: GN-001	Pilot: Setsuna.F.Seiei
Cost: 2000 Hp: 540 Transform: X Form Change: △ (Exia Repair)

One of Celestial Being’s 3rd generation Gundam units,. Exia was designed for close-range melee combat, its weaponry includes two beam sabers, two beam daggers & three physical swords. Its large GN Sword was developed as a theoretical countermeasure to rogue Gundam units, as it is capable of slicing straight through GN Fields as easily as it does Mobile Suits. 

Ability Summary

Ranged	Armament	Ammo	DMG	Notes
Main	GN Sword Rifle Mode	3	65	Able to rapid fire up to 3 shots. Reloads when empty.
Charged Main	GN Short Blade	–	55	Fast physical projectile, weak stun.
Sub	GN Beam Dagger	1	75/69	Throws 2 daggers. Multiple directional inputs available.
Special Shooting	GN Arms summon	1	138	Fires 2 big projectile beams.
Burst Attack	GN Arms Assault	–	303 (F)/275(E & S)	Melee combo.

Melee	Input	DMG	Notes
5B	5BBB	186	High proration.
	5BB~8B	211
	5B(B)~2B	113~162
	5B(B)~A	105 ~ 156	Launch the enemy upwards while throwing the GN Blade. Beware of barriers blocking the blade.
	5BBBBB	272(F)/248 (E)	Trans-AM only.
8B	8B	77	High priority, dust down.
	8B~A	79 ~ 117	Throws the beam blade
4/6B	4/6BBB	170	Short attack animation.
	4/6B(B)~8B	206
	4/6B(B)~2B	113~160
	4/6B(B)~A	105~154	Launches upwards while throwing GN Blade. Beware of barriers blocking the blade.
2B	2B	70	Launch target up.
	2B~A	112	Launches upwards while throwing GN Blade. Beware of barriers blocking the blade.
CC8B	CC8BB	139	Good reach and priority.
	CC8BBBB	263 (F)/238 (E & S)	Trans-AM only. Omnislash.  Forced down.
BC	BC	127	Spinning slash that arcs upwards then spins down.
	2/8BC~B	85	No landing property, jumping melee. Very good Pyonkaku.
	4/6BC~B	138	Dashes in a wide horizontal arc towards the target.

Cancel Routes:

A: AB, AC, BC, *BC

CSA: 8B

AB: A, *BC, 8B

AC: A, AB

Any melee except the final 3 hits of the burst variant 5B: AB, BC

(*B)~A: AB, BC

 

Gundam Exia Repair

Ranged	Armament	Ammo	DMG	Notes
Main	GN Sword Rifle Mode	3	60	Able to rapid fire up to 3 shots. Reloads when empty.
Burst Attack	Overboost Stab	–	318(F)/279(E & S)	Dash forward while stabbing after a long start up.

Melee	Input	DMG	Notes
5B	5BBB	171	High proration.
	5B(B)~2B	99~146
	5BBBBB	195 (F)/176 (ES)	Trans-AM only.
8B	8B	67	Dust down.
4/6B	4/6BB	89
2B	2B	65
CC8B	CC8BB	112	Slash through.
	CC8BBB	217(F)/197(E & S)	Trans-AM only. Omnislash.  Forced down.
BC	BC	76	Spinning slash that arcs upwards then spins down.
	2/8BC~B	70	No landing property, jumping melee.
	4/6BC~B	121	Dashes forward in a arc toward the target.
AB /AC	AB /AC	70	Forward stab.

Cancel Routes:

A: AB, *BC, AC

AB: *BC, 8B

5B,4/6B,8B, ~A & ~8B derivatives : AB, *BC, 2B

Overview

A series regular, the Gundam Exia is a suit that excels in all ranges and boasts excellent agility maneuverability for its cost bracket. By making use of its myriad of cancel routes and movement options, the Exia is able to stay slippery while still exerting considerable pressure on its opponents. This excellent mobility does not come at the expense of firepower, and the Exia can dish damage consistently with its ranged assist, various GN Blade/Dagger throws as well as a potent melee kit. Like the Gundam Barbatos, simply utilizing simple boost dashes/hops will not be enough. You’ll need to utilize the Exia’s unique movement options to draw out this suit’s full potential. 

However, despite the presence of its Exia Repair form, the Exia’s low HP remains a concern and the Exia won’t necessarily be able to go toe to toe with suits of a higher cost bracket. Thus, players who rush in haphazardly will find themselves getting marked and shot down quickly. Regardless, the Gundam Exia has clear strengths that far outweigh its weaknesses and players intending to master this suit should adopt a shadow playstyle and exploit Exia’s various movement options to stay slippery while constantly peppering the target with its plentiful ranged options. When the opportunity presents itself, quickly close in for a punishing melee combo.

Ranged Weapons

Main: GN Sword Rifle Mode

Able to rapid-fire up to 3 shots. Reloads when empty. This has a lot of cancel routes into things and out of things, making it a versatile tool for your offense and defense. While you can only fire in short bursts, this actually reloads very quickly in just 4 seconds. For reference, the average beam rifle reloads 1 ammo every 3 seconds. 

Charged Main: GN Short Blade

Fast physical projectile, weak stun. Average startup, but good muzzle correction. The tracking on this is not the best, though. Still, this is good to throw out when your Main is reloading, as it charges in only 1.5 seconds. You can cancel out of your BC movements like 2BC or 4/6BC into this move to keep you mobile before the throwing animation. 

Sub: GN Beam Dagger

Throws 2 daggers that behave as physical projectiles. Exia moves before throwing the daggers, allowing you to stay mobile while attacking. If you cancel into your Main after this, you inherit the inertia from this move and enter a freefall state. You can even cancel this into certain melee attacks. Overall this is a really good move for offense and defense, and definitely something you should get used to busting out.

5/2AB: 

Somersaults backwards while throwing both daggers at the same time. 2AB moves you backwards further than 5AB.

4/6AB: 

Flips sideways while throwing daggers one by one. Each dagger tracks separately. The first dagger causes a heavy stagger, the second one stuns. While this does less damage than 5/2AB, having both daggers track separately can give you a slight edge.

You will probably find yourself using this move a lot more often than 5/2AB, because most of the time it makes sense to evade sideways instead of backwards. But please don’t seal off 5/2AB: it definitely has its uses. 

Special Shooting: GN Arms summon 

The GN Arms Fires two big projectiles that tracks decently well. The GN Arms has a shooting barrier in front of it, and also has an active hitbox. This means any enemy that comes into contact with the GN Arms will get knocked back and take some damage. Although, this is not something you should be aiming for.

This is a really versatile move because you can cancel into it and out of it with your Main. When cancelled into your Main this is yet again another freefall option for Exia.

Overall, this is yet another great move. You inherit a lot of inertia when using this move, causing you to slide a great distance. While hitting with it is not always easy, it’s just great to be able to stay in motion while attacking, which this move and a lot of other Exia moves provide.  

Melee Set

5BBB: GN Sword Slashes

A good all rounded melee with decent damage and low proration and a variety of derivatives, but only average travelling speed. 5B also has good reach, also as far as CC8B, and good vertical tracking,

5BB, 4B(BB)~8B: GN Beam Saber Slashes

Cancels into 3 slashes with GN Beam Saber, last hit slams target onto the ground. Takes a little longer, but does more damage.

5BB, 4B(BB)~2B: GN Sword uppercut

Cancels right into the 2B input. Not very often used.

5BB, 8B, 4B(BB)~A: GN Blade throw

Throws a pair of GN blades which flies back like a boomerang. Can only hit the same target once, launches target airborne upon hit. The damage and proration isn’t anything special to boast about, but the launch allows you to combo into other attacks more easily. Cancelling it into 5BC (whiff the first hit of 5BC) will result in a high damage combo.

5BBBBB: Trans-AM Omnislash

Trans-AM (Burst) only. Note that you lose 8B and A derivative during any part of 5B while in Burst. In exchange, you get a long, interrupt resistant 6 hit combo with high damage output.  The 4th and 5th hit staggers instead of Down, so cancel out of these 2 hits if you intend to combo into other attacks. 

8B: GN Sword Stab

Slow start up, but very good priority. Causes Dust Down very quickly, making it a good option if you need to Down a target and move off. This move will even beat Master Gundam’s melee in priority because the active hitbox on the sword is disjointed from your hurtbox. If you need to intercept an opponent’s melee with melee of your own, this should be your weapon of choice. Can be cancelled into from 4/6AB. 

8B~A:  GN Blade throw

Same as 5B~A. However, you’ll be using this derivative the most off 8B because it’s very difficult to continue your combo with the usual sidestep.  

4/6BBB: GN Beam Saber

Short attack animation. A generally well balanced attack, and has the same 8B and A derivatives. Take your pick to 4BB>4BBB for quick damage, or use the melee derivatives. Overall a good 4/6B with a nice hitbox and fast startup that lets you engage in rainbow step wars (as far as a 2000 cost units boost will let you, anyway).

4/6B(BB)~A: GN Blade throw

Same derivative as with 5B and 8B.

4/6B(BB)~8B: GN Beam Saber Slashes

Same derivative as with 5B and 8B. 

4B(BB)~2B: GN Sword uppercut

Same derivative as with 5B and 8B.

2B: GN Sword Uppercut

Simple uppercut that launches the target slightly higher into the air. Has a higher down value then most of Exia’s other melees.

CC8BB: Slash-through x 2

Another melee that you will be using a lot as Exia. Good reach and priority, but does not track well vertically. Use it when chasing targets, and cancel into 2B or *BC according to your needs. This is pretty cut resistant making it your safest melee.

CC8BBBB: Slash-through x 4

Trans-AM only. Similar to the usual CC8B, but only adds 2 more hits. Not that worth to use taking into account the damage output and the time spent especially since you’re in Burst. 

BC: GN Sword

Melee attacks with good movement. There are 3 different inputs available for BC:

5BC: Spinning Slash

Immediately starts a spinning animation with GN sword, last hit bounces. This attack starts regardless of how far you are from your target, which makes it a good form of anti-melee as the hitbox for BC comes out very quickly. This attack itself has 4 hits, and the 4th hit in particular does good damage and has low proration, making it a key part in high damage combos. In particular, all the ~A (GN Blade Throw) derivative launches the target into the ideal position for a BC follow-up. If you are close to the ground when the Bounce occurs, you can try to Boost Dive, recover boost, and continue the combo. 

4/6BC: Swerve dash

Dash and swerves to the left or right forward before slashing. The dash distance is fixed, so you cannot use it at point blank and hope for a quick hit. On the flip side, using 4/6BC from medium range in conjunction with a sidestep allows for quick and safe entry into melee range. In green lock, Exia will also dash according to which direction he is facing, allowing for a variety of movement angles that is usually unavailable. 

2/8BC: Mario Hop

No landing property, jumping melee. Very good Pyonkaku due the jump height. On hit, slams the target downwards while Exia somersaults back. You can sidestep this at any point to start an offense or mix up your landing timing with your other freefalls. You can use this move repeatedly in succession to get into close range, and then Burst to refill your boost and launch an offensive. This technique is why you often see Exias bursting while in the 2/8BC animation. That, and it looks cool.

Burst Attack

GN Armor TYPE-E

Melee combo. Exia has super armor during the first slash-through, while the 2nd and 3rd hit has no down value. As usual with melee combos that move around, this attack will whiff easily when near a wall. This does very good damage and looks great.

Gundam Exia Repair

Exia will go into Exia Repair if he dies last and there is insufficient Team Cost for him to respawn. Exia Repair spawns with 100 HP, and will have his Down Value and proration reset to 0. During Exia Repair, he also loses his shield, causing him to be unable to block. His GN Sword also breaks, leaving only a metal stump, which reduces the actual hitbox and priority of all his melee attacks. His Burst Attack also changes. 

Ranged Weapons

Main: GN Sword Rifle Mode

Able to rapid fire up to 3 shots. Reloads when empty. Reduced damage when in Repair. 

Melee Set

AB: GN Sword Stab

A simple forward stab, multi hit. Similar to the normal 8B.

5BBB: GN Sword Slashes

Standard 3 hit. Can cancel to 2B into a Spinning Down.

5BBBBB:  Trans-AM Slash Through

Burst only. Adds 2 extra slash through, but due to the reduced hitbox of the broken GN Sword, this attack might whiff all by itself even if you’re not near a wall. 

4/6B: Cleave

A cleave with high recovery time. 

2B: Uppercut

Spinning down. Don’t bother using this attack by itself since you can cancel it from 5B.

CC8BB: Slashthtough x2

Still the main go to for Exia for melee choices. 

CC8BBBB: Trans-AM Omnislash

Burst only. Adds 2 slashthough. Still passable as a melee option.

BC: GN Sword

There are 3 different kind of input for BC

5BC: Spinning Slash

This attack still starts regardless of how far you are from your target, but due to the reduced hitbox, it’s not as reliable as before. The reduced hitbox also makes it difficult to make only the 4th swing to hit.  

4/6BC: Swerve dash

The dashing and swerving all remains the same thankfully but this attack will be reduced to a movement option. 

2/8BC: Mario Hop!

No landing property, jumping melee. Very good Pyonkaku due the jump height. Use 2B Stepdive to advance safely.

Burst Attack

Overboost Stab

Dash forward while stabbing after a long start up. The animation is same as his AB. 

Strategies

• Exia is not just a YOLO suit- it actually has a lot of very good ranged options that allow you to play as an all-rounder in the close-mid range. You can feint with melee attacks and disengage with freefalls or your numerous movement options, or vice versa.
• Exia has many long cancel route strings thanks to its ability to combo almost everything into and out of Main. For example: A~4/6AB~A~AC~A~2BC. This throws everything you have at the enemy in a single string. Mastering Exia will require you to spend a lot of time in the training room messing around with his numerous cancel routes. 
• Exia does great on offense but is also great on defense. You can run away very quickly for a 2000 cost unit by utilizing your movement tools. If you’re being chased by an enemy you can’t defeat, switch target to his teammate and pyonkaku with 2BC repeatedly towards him. Very few units will be able to catch up with you. 
• 4/6AB is great against enemies trying to hit you with melee. It’s even better if you cancel it into 8B, one of the highest priority melee attacks. 
• Exia is meant to be played as a support unit for a 3000 cost front unit, so conserving your HP is essential to victory. Play passively on your teammate’s first life, and once he respawns you can get more offensive if you have the HP for it. 
• F Burst works best on Exia. S has some shenanigans but you already have so many cancel routes that Shooting adds few benefits. E is unnecessary because you can always burst twice if you half burst correctly on your first life. 

Recommended Combos

Ranged Weapons
Input	DMG	Notes
A>>CC8B~2BC	184	Very good interrupt resistance
CSA>>CC8B~5BC (4th hit only)>8B~A>5BC (4th hit only	209	Delay the first 5BC slightly.
Melee
4/6AB (1 hit)>>CC8B~5BC (4th hit only)>8B~A>5BC (4th hit only)	225
5BB~8B(2hit) > 5/BB~8B(full hit)~2BC:	249
8B~A~5BC (4th hit only)>>CC8B~5BC (4th hit only)	275
4BB~A>5BC (4th hit only)>8B (4 hits)~2BC	259
CC8B~5BC (3rd & 4th hit)>8B (4 hits)~A>5BC (4th hit only)	266
Burst Only
8B~A~5BC (4th hit only)>5BBBBB OR Burst Attack	346	Ending with Burst Attack is always cool.