Herculious & Kuwagust Anchus-affectionately referred to as the Beetle Bros.-are memorable outliers in MMZ2’s boss rush. The concept of resurrecting a boss from Z1 and pairing it with a previously fought boss in Z2 is rather novel. A precursor to the design used in the Prometheus and Pandora fights in ZX, the Beetle Bros. pattern consists of taking turns using their solo attacks and then attacking Zero simultaneously. In this challenge-which was suggested by ‪@UnExtrano-xp2by‬-I endeavor to defeat the Beetle Bros using only the Chain Rod. Here are the details.
The most pertinent bit of info regarding this fight is that the Beetle Bros. attack order is set in stone. Much like Leviathan, they’ll never deviate from the cycle inscribed in their programming, therefore, you’ll never get caught by surprise. As such, the fight is mostly consistent and lends itself well to speed-focused challenges. I make it a point to attack as often as possible and never miss a strike; it’s especially necessary considering the Chain Rod’s meager damage output. The attack order is as follows: Herculious jumps to the center and fires 4 bullets at Zero’s position, Kuwagust attempts to pull Zero into his pincers, both Beetles try to jet tackle Zero and lastly, their EX Skill forms an electric chain in the center of the room as they revolve around the edges.
While that process is inextricable, when observing the minutiae of each individual attack, you'll find that 3 of them have minor variations that merit some consideration. The list is as follows:
-When Herculious is firing his bullets at Zero, Kuwagust will retreat into the background, either to the left or right side. Dashing toward the side Kuwagust is dancing around at is recommended; when the attack ends, he returns to the ground from above rather than quickly dropping as Herculious does. It’s much easier to avoid contact damage by luring the bullets toward Kuwagust’s side, then dash jumping back to the middle of the arena, though, it is possible to perform a quick dash under Herculious by luring the bullets to the opposing side if you so choose.
-When the Beetle Bros. attempt to tackle Zero, they’ll dash up to three times. As far as I can tell, there’s no indicator as to how many tries they’ll take, so you have to react to it.
-The largest inconsistency surrounds their EX Skill. After the second rotation, they may arbitrarily decide to switch directions. Once again, no audio or visual signposts precede this, though, Zero’s dash is more than fast enough to avoid harm, so remain patient and keep your eyes peeled.
With that noted, I’ll discuss the exact attack routine I employed in this fight. The obvious shortcoming of the Chain Rod is that its basic strike deals only 2 damage, but it’s also considerably more unwieldy than the Z-Saber. You have to pick your spots carefully rather than relying on the quick movement afforded by the Z-Saber’s blisteringly fast slices.
I open the fight by buffering a Chain Rod input, allowing me to immediately hit Kuwagust before he recedes into the background. I follow that with two more upward hits on Herculious before having to dash away from his bullets. Both Beetles can be hit as they return to a neutral position after the attack.
Kuwagust’s wind tunnel is the most challenging aspect of the fight, his hitbox during this move is rather odd. Repeatedly jumping over him is the optimal solution but it’s not without risk, improperly timed jumps will see Zero get caught in his maw. The exact timing for when to jump is difficult to determine; the wind tunnel complicates matters by imparting momentum on Zero as it pulls him, accelerating you beyond what a normal dash can achieve. Whether you choose to wait for this momentum boost or make tighter jumps around him is up to you; either way, this attack demands the most practice to consistently avoid.
Concerning attacking, I angle a diagonal Chain Rod strike while making the first jump over Kuwagust. You may notice that I use the Chain Rod at close range for the next 3 hits, this is to reduce the latency induced by the animation; the longer the chain has to extend, the longer Zero is held in place.
The combination tackle attack is your prime chance to accumulate damage since both Beetles are on screen. As they fly around, I keep Zero in the middle of the arena and dash in place. By holding the dash button and repeatedly changing directions, you can perform a pseudo-duck, reducing Zero’s height for a short duration without charging forward. This is crucial as remaining close to the center allows you to quickly land some potshots on the Beetles between attempted tackles.
The Beetle Bros are completely invulnerable during their EX Skill, waiting it out is your only option. After it ends, the Beetle Bros reset their attack loop, and I respond in kind, repeating the sequence outlined above.
I hope you enjoyed this challenge, thanks for watching! Any questions or comments are welcome as usual.