KHBBS -- Level 1 Terra No Left Stick Challenge -- Boss 5 (Braig)
10So this was pretty much the worst fight ever for all the wrong reasons.
Against Braig, I ran into a problem I never had to deal with when doing this challenge as Aqua. Terra starts this fight facing away from Braig, so Guard can't reflect the shots. Because you can't lock on to Braig while he's sniping, you have no way of turning around without use of the left stick.
Now, I've known for a while that it was possible to reflect the shots with an attack. The problem is that your attack's hitbox has to connect with the shot's hitbox. You can imagine (and probably see for yourself in the video) why this is an issue.
Again, it's a lot easier if you're actually *facing the shots you're trying to reflect.*
What this also means is that if you get into a position where you can't move to the left or right by air-dodging into a sloped wall, and you're facing a direction where you can't hit back the shots, you die no matter what. This made worse by the fact that my (arguably necessary) aggression throughout the fight inevitably activates Command Styles, which change the hitboxes of my X button attacks, necessitating different positioning.The "sniper" attack continues until Braig either fires six shots or gets hit by two. Aqua's D-Link could give you a free pass once, but unfortunately it neuters your offense in this scenario.
I was hoping to avoid Second Chance/Once More, but no. This fight was difficult enough. Timing the shot-reflections (especially in a position like I am at 2:11) is terrifying, and the thought of being able to take one fewer hit from nearly inevitable mistakes is just not appealing to me at all.
I spent about two hours preparing for this fight after the first couple of failed attempts (when I first tried, I died in one hit and didn't have SC/OM).
My other options, I suppose, were Surge-spamming through everything (super lame) or Leaf-Bracer-ing through the sniper bullets. But, uh, I forgot Leaf Bracer existed, so that didn't happen.
Attempts: 30
Difficulty: 7/10
Yes, I know my number of attempts is pretty low for a 7, considering I gave No X Button Sephiroth the same score, but that fight isn't random. Success against Braig without moving is almost entirely dependent on the locations to which he decides to teleport.
FAQ
Q: What are the rules for this run?
A:
* The left stick may not be used for any reason during boss fights
* No more than 1 Cure in my Command Deck at a time
* No more than 1 Surge in my Command Deck at a time unless a fight is quite literally impossible otherwise (see: Mysterious Figure)
Q: It's the same as the Aqua one, then. Why isn't it called No Movement?
A: I'm not calling it "No Movement" because Air Slide is allowed (and quite necessary later). Air Slide is more of a "movement" than a Command (unlike Sliding Dash), so the name seems disingenuous.
Q: Is Terranort even possible to defeat with these restrictions?
A: I...don't actually know.
I stream on Twitch, Tue/Thu at 6-9PM EST: https://www.twitch.tv/art_izon