Locomo IF, the miniboss residing in Cubit Foxtar’s stage, the Energy Facility, can be a fairly annoying and lengthy fight. In this video, I demonstrate three combos that utilize a wide variety of Zero’s EX Skills, each of which can defeat Locomo IF in a single cycle.
First up is a discussion on the elements of the fight that are common to all three methods. Orbit Shield, Split Heavens, and Saber Smash appear in every combo, with Orbit Shield proving particularly essential. The extra damage it deals while possessing a combo value of 0 is indispensable for these combos, so it’s crucial that you become accustomed to its use and timing. Knowing when to release the Shield and how to move afterward so that the Shield strikes Locomo mere frames before your first Saber attack is the key to a swift victory. On the defensive side of things, Locomo briefly gains a contact hitbox when flipping from fire to ice, and vice versa. This quick yet irritating “attack” necessitates a workaround-you can either make a very particular jump around Locomo’s flip or you can dash under it. My preferred dodge depends on which combo I’m going for; you’ll see both used here.
Lightweight Zero goes up to bat first. The principle here is to blitz Locomo with the classic 5-hit combo before Zero gets encased in ice. Of course, as powerful as he is, even Lightweight Zero needs the assistance of Orbit Shield to move things along quickly. Pay close attention to the brown rectangular tiles surrounding Locomo; like the markings on a clock, these will serve as your signposts for when to release Orbit Shield. Here, I toss the Shield just before the light on the bottom of the platform crosses the “3 o’clock” mark, so to speak. Next, I jump over Locomo’s flip rather than dashing under it. Positioning Zero close to the edge of the platform when you begin the combo is needed to avoid having the platform interfere with the Saber Smash finisher; therefore, jumping, even with the Quick Foot, provides more control. Astute frame-by-frame viewers will notice a few things: Zero’s foot barely escapes Locomo’s flip while jumping, and the first Saber slash hits 5 frames after Orbit Shield. Timing is everything, remember that.
If you go a bit further with your frame-advance sleuthing, you’ll find an odd, if disappointing fact: Zero actually gets frozen for exactly 1 frame, even after a successful Saber Smash. Whether this constitutes damage is up for debate, but for unreasonable purists (such as myself), there are two other combos that avoid this unfortunate reality.
Lacking a quick Split Heavens cancel option, Normal Zero instead turns to Gale Attack. This cumbersome yet brutally powerful stab proves most effective here, providing what is, in my opinion, the most practical combo you can hit Locomo with. The timing on the Orbit Shield throw is the same, but here, I dash under Locomo’s flip rather than jump over it-once again, a narrow escape from the flip is made. Having Zero’s back foot roughly at the edge of the platform after dodging is ideal; there is some lenience as the number of hits you’ll get out of Gale Attack depends on when you press the button relative to your target’s distance. The required number of hits is 2; at 6 damage each, this equals a triple slash. Going for 3 hits is inadvisable; you’ll mostly likely meet an icy fate due to the extra time the third hit takes. Thankfully, dashing off the edge of the platform automatically cancels Gale Attack, placing Zero in prime position for the usual follow-up. The Gabyoall cruising around on the floor is of no consequence owing to Orbit Shield keeping it locked in place.
The last combo belongs to Ice Zero, and this one is diametric to the notion of pragmatism. Comprising two miniature combos linked into one, I leverage the extra revolutions granted to Orbit Shield when augmented by the Ice Chip. Throw Blade is an ungainly skill for the purposes of this challenge, but it’s got a neat property that meshes cleanly with Orbit Shield, so I couldn’t pass it up. For the uninitiated, Throw Blade’s two components-the triangular wave projectile and the Saber cut-each have their own combo value: 1 and 3, respectively. This means that, even against enemies with invincibility frames, both will register as hits since the wave manifests before the slash. It essentially works like a marginally more powerful double slash. After the hit, you have a short window to drop through the platform before being frozen. The counter-intuitive thing here is that you have to input Split Heavens before the Shield hits Locomo again; its invincibility frames will reset just as Zero is rising in his uppercut motion. If timed correctly, the two hits will land nearly simultaneously; in this instance, they’re 3 frames apart.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Lightweight Zero
00:13 - Normal Zero
00:26 - Ice Zero
Thanks for watching! Feel free to leave any comments or questions you may have.