Raphael Gundam

Model Number:CB-002	Pilot: Tieria Erde
Cost: 2500 Hp: 620 Transform: X Form Change: O

A 5th Generation Gundam produced as a result of technology compiled from Celestial Being and Innovators Mobile Suits. Attacking together with the GN-008 Seravee II, Raphael Gundam excels at dishing out powerful ranged attacks from multiple angles.

Seravee II Docked Ability Summary

Ranged	Armament	Ammo	DMG	Notes
Main	GN Beam Rifle	8	80	A standard Beam Rifle with high damage.
Sub	Launch Seravee II	100	–	Launches the Seravee II from Raphael’s back. Seravee II returns when the timer hits 0.
Special Shooting	GN Bazooka	2	15 ~ 214	5AC fires a wide gerobi.
Special Shooting	Rolling Buster	2	90 ~ 162	4/6AC makes Raphael do a Rolling Buster that stuns both allies and enemies on hit.
Special Melee	GN Field	100	–	Raphael deploys a GN Field, and is impervious to all attacks while active. Using any attack that isn’t Main or 2B will forcefully terminate the field.
Burst Attack	Full Power GN Particle shot	–	311(S)/295(F & E)	Fires a stronger version of 5AC, but with a GN Field deployed. Raphael is impervious to all attacks while the field is up.

Melee	Input	DMG	Notes
5B	5B	55 ~ 110	Raphael sends its GN Claws towards the enemy and fires a beam from each of them. Each beam does 55 damage.
8B	8B	65 ~ 130	Raphael launches the GN Claws a short distance forward.
2B	2B	70	Raphael performs a tackle. While the GN Claws are launched, all melee inputs will become this.

Cancel Routes:

A: AB, AC, 5B, 8B

2B: 5B

Seravee II Deployed Ability Summary

Ranged	Armament	Ammo	DMG	Notes
Main	GN Beam Rifle	8	80	Seravee II will fire a beam alongside your main if is not currently performing any action. Seravee II beam rifle will do 40~80 Damage.
Sub	Seravee II (Charge)	3	94	Commands the Seravee II to dash toward your target.
Special Shooting	GN Bazooka	1	12 ~ 212	5AC makes the Seravee II fire a straight gerobi.
Special Shooting	GN Bazooka (Rolling Buster)	1	80 ~ 144	Inputting 4/6AC makes it do a Rolling Buster that stuns both allies and enemies on hit.
Special Melee	Seravee II (Halt)	–	–	Stops the Seravee II from moving. It will resume movement when you next press A, AB or AC.
Burst Attack	GN Cannon Maximum Output	–	311(S)/295(F & E)	Both Raphael and Seravee II fire a gerobi at the target.

Melee	Input	DMG	Notes
5B	5BBB	189
	5BB~8B	186	Same motion as CC8B. Cartwheel Down.
	5BB~2B	182	Same motion as 2B. Launch
	5BB~(4B~6B)..	150~333	Dempsey roll. Alternate between 4B and 6B for multiple hits
8B	8B	80	Dust Down
4/6B	4/6BBB	173	Bounce Down
2B	2B	80	Launch
CC8B	CC8B	85	Cartwheel Down.

Cancel Routes:

AB, BC, *B: AB, AC, BC

AC: AB, BC

5B(Second hit): 8B(will perform CC8B), 2B

Overview

Raphael Gundam is a 2500 cost support suit that excels in attacking from long range. Its playstyle generally revolves around deploying the Seravee II and going for pincer attacks while trying to avoid taking damage as much as possible.

While the Seravee II is deployed, Raphael gains many options in the neutral game. One main advantage he gets is that since the tracking lock on Seravee II is not shared with Raphael, players in green lock can send it towards opponents and attack them with it as if they were in red lock, resulting in safe but effective pressure. Gauging the distance between Raphael, Seravee II, and the opponent is most important when playing in this form. Whiffing an attack takes precious seconds off of your deployment time, allowing your opponent to close the distance and potentially negating your long range advantage.

While the Seravee II is docked, Raphael’s movements become heavier and it loses access to some of its best tools. The main goal while in this mode is to take as little damage as possible until you can deploy the Seravee II again. Again, distancing yourself from your opponents is key, this time because Raphael’s self-defence in this form is terrible. While you do have a one-time out in the form of your GN Field, more experienced players will try to bait it out of you and attack after it goes down. Below we will discuss the weapons Raphael has as well as some strategies players like to use with this suit.

Seravee II Docked Ability Details

Ranged Weapons

Main: GN Beam Rifle

A standard beam rifle. Do note however, that ammo is shared even after you deploy Seravee II.

Sub: Seravee II (Deploy)

Deploying Seravee II grants Raphael access to an entirely different moveset which we will explore below. Raphael spawns with full ammo on this move.

Special Shooting: GN Bazooka/Rolling Buster

5AC fires a wide gerobi while 4/6AC makes the Raphael do a rolling buster. This is your big damage move while docked. 5AC is mainly used to punish enemy landings while 4/6AC can be used as a self-defence tool (if you see the opponent coming) or to catch nearby enemies looking away from you. Also worth noting is that the ammo for both types of AC is shared, which means that you can do 5AC twice or 4/6AC twice should the situation call for it.

Special Melee: GN Field

Deploys a GN Field that makes Raphael invulnerable to all attacks until it is terminated or expires. Essentially a get-out-of-jail-free card. Since Raphael is invincible while the field is up, you can use it to escape high pressure situations (opponents bursting, trapped in a corner with a melee suit, etc).

5B: GN Claw

Deploys the pair of GN Claws which chase down the enemy. If you fire your Main while the Claws are deployed, they will each fire a Beam from their current location.

You can use this tool in a variety of ways, including on defense by releasing the Claws before guarding (if enemies hit your guard with a melee attack they will be temporarily knocked back, and hopefully your Claws will be able to hit them).

While the Claws are deployed you cannot use your Sub, 8B, AC, or BC, and your 5B will become the 2B input. The Claws will return early if you are stunned or knocked down.

You can zusakyan using this move by sidestepping as you touch the floor before releasing the Claws, instantly refilling your boost even in Overheat. This is a great technique for refilling your boost while also cutting tracking.

You can input 4 or 6 on the lever while releasing this move to deploy the Claws in a left or right surround formation respectively.

Contrary to what it might seem, it’s actually really hard to use this tool to force movement and then aim to catch landings with your Main. The best use of this is still in conjunction with your guard, or for firing at multiple angles in the hopes of catching opponents with stray shots. You can also use the cancel route A~B to tack on some extra pressure after a BR shot, at the cost of standing still.

8B: GN Claw Assault

Sends the claws out to crash into the opponent. Unlike the 5B input the Claws behave more like projectiles that fly straight at the enemy. Unfortunately this move is not particularly outstanding, but you can use it as a follow-up to a Main shot.

Burst Attack: GN Cannon (Maximum Output)

Raphael deploys a GN Field identical to its Special Melee before firing a wide gerobi. Raphael is invulnerable until it finishes firing. You do not need any ammo on the Special Melee to deploy the GN Field in your burst attack.

Melee Weapons

2B: Tackle

Single-hit tackle. When your claws have been deployed all melee inputs will instead execute this move. Downs in a single hit. You can use this as a last resort against units coming at you with superarmor, or even other regular melee attacks. It might look enticing to try and hit with this while your BC shield is deployed but you won’t find the opportunity to hit with melee attacks often while your shield is active.

Seravee II Deployed Ability Details

Ranged Weapons

Main: GN Beam Rifle

The exact same beam rifle as the docked form. One main difference however, is that when you fire a shot while the Seravee II is currently not performing an action, it will also fire a beam towards the opponent you were targeting from wherever it was at that point. This serves as another way to hit your opponent from long range in addition to your *AC, and can also be used in a zunda to conserve 1 main ammo.

Sub: Seravee II (Charge)

Commands the Seravee II to charge at the target from wherever it currently is. If the opponent is near enough, the Seravee II will grab him and explode after ~3 seconds. This is your most important move as it not only traps your opponent, but it also serves as your way to position the Seravee II for attacks. Since you can cancel AB to another AB, it allows the Seravee II to traverse a large portion of the map quickly with the 3 ammo. Also worth remembering is that after the Seravee II explodes an opponent, you can follow-up with 5AC for a painful knockdown.

Special Shooting: GN Bazooka/GN Bazooka (Rolling Buster)

Seravee II fires a straight line gerobi or Rolling Buster gerobi from wherever it currently is. 5AC is mainly used in conjunction with AB and BC to position the Seravee II for a gerobi to catch unsuspecting opponents trying to land. 4/6AC is used more defensively, most often when an opponent has knocked you down and is trying to set up his okizeme. Waking up with 4/6AC limits your opponents’ oki options as he has to take into account the Rolling Buster Seravee II is firing. 4/6AC can also be used in your own okizeme, and can be tricky for your opponent to escape from when fired in a corner.

Special Melee: Seravee II (Halt)

Stops the Seravee II from moving while simultaneously cancelling any action it was currently performing. Used alongside AB as a means to control Seravee II’s position on the map. Experienced players sometimes also ‘park’ the Seravee II at a part of the map and wait until an opponent gets near enough before going for a gerobi attack.

Burst Attack: GN Cannon (Maximum Output)

Both Raphael and Seravee II fire a straight line gerobi at the target. Depending on where Seravee II is at the time of firing, you can set up a pincer attack using this move.

Melee Set

5B: 3-hit Punch Combo

Not easy to hit raw, but the damage you can potentially do off this move is extremely high.

5B~4/6B Derivative: Dempsey Roll

By alternating between 4B, 6B, 4B, 6B, etc, you can tack on over 20 punches and deal extremely high damage with this homage to Makunouchi Ippo. The combo time is extremely long as there is zero cut resistance, but if you manage to pull this off you’ll look extremely cool and deal a huge chunk of damage while you’re at it.

8B: Straight

One-hit, causes a dust down. No follow-up possible, except by fuwastepping forward and firing a BR shot.

4/6B: Hook to Upper to Hammer

2 stage, 3-hit attack. To follow-up from the second hit it’s recommended that you backstep instead of sidestep. Overall a pretty good melee move with reasonable priority and wraparound.

2B: Uppercut

Leaves the opponent in a launched down state, but it’s preferred that you end your combos with AB instead to give the opponent a big hug and keep him restrained for a long time.

Strategies

Raphael is a suit that rewards players for safe, patient gameplay. As a Raphael player, you will be spending most of your time in green lock trying to attack your opponents with the Seravee II.
While Seravee II is docked, Raphael’s movement will be sluggish and therefore requires careful navigation of the battlefield until your Sub recharges. You will want to stick to your partner while docked in order to ward off opposing aggression. Your main source of damage in this form will be the beam rifle, but remember to use it sparingly as you will need ammo for your deployed form as well. Avoid using the GN Claws unless absolutely necessary or if your Sub is nowhere near recharged as you cannot deploy the Seravee II while the claws are active.
When Seravee II is deployed, Raphael’s movement improves and gains access to a different moveset. In this form, positioning is key. Use your Sub and Special Melee to maneuver Seravee II into an advantageous position before using your attacks. With careful positioning, Raphael can be an absolute annoyance to the opposing team as they basically have to deal with 3 enemies at once. Again, it is imperative that you keep your distance from the opponent and avoid taking damage as much as possible.
As with most support 2.5k suits, Extend Burst is best suited for Raphael as it gives you a second chance to escape your opponent and resume your game plan. Shooting and Fighting Burst do not help Raphael much in terms of gaining an advantage, and are therefore not commonly picked.
Raphael pairs well with 3000 cost suits that can draw aggro away from it while being able to rush in to assist when needed. Suits like Bael, Hot Scramble and 00 Quanta come to mind.