A R M O R E D C O R E L A S T R A V E N Z I N A I D A G U I D E ________________________________________________________________________ By Brett Miller (a.k.a CCR/Chaos/ChaosCoresRaven) Member or Armored Core Online ________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents 1 - Who is Zinaida? 2 - Zinaida Path 3 - Building A Lobster 4 - Taking Down Zinaida 5 - Credits 6 - Other Sources ________________________________________________________________________ W H O I S Z I N A I D A ? Zinaida is a freelance Raven. She palys a big part in the rather pathetic plot. You see her three times in the game overall. The first two times you see her you can't kill her off. the third time she comes strolling in at the end cathcing you off gaurd. If only she didn't bring upgrades with her. Sporting the hand rialgun and left arm Nix rapid fire MG and Human Plus to use a back mount Lemia2 whilst being on the run. If only she didn't sugar coat the pain by having infinate energy. It is a rumour I can't back up that she is at 4000AP and has modified defense points (upwars of 2000+ for shell & ene). Personaly it can't logicaly be anything else than that unless she got s special perk to show the part damage even if not damaged. Either way she is often the one Ai opponent of the game that every human player will come crawling from crying for help. Yes, even I had to ask for help. Zinaida is not realy nothing if you think about it. The problem is that you normaly come out of the first part to get to her with about 2000 to 3500AP lost. And if you do survive the path she will interact depeding on what you bring to the fight. The slower you are the more often she will pound at you with the Lemia2 that strips AP. So you are left with speed. ________________________________________________________________________ Z I N A I D A P A T H This is the way to get to the Zinaida mission. I'm not going to state how to beat each mission. Most players are capable of figuring out how to beat the path. Zinaida at the end is normaly the trouble. As everyone else, I recommend you try this route last and should you acidentaly run into this route, improvise the best you can. Guess what? I explain each mission anyway! :P ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8:00 Ditrubution Center Recon Aliance HQ 136,000C Recommend: Light radar head, 89E, Cetus, LH96FA, B83TP, F82D2, G91, Ananda, Yasya, Amino, O69ES, O79L+, Codon, Golgi, Histon, Marishi Tactics: When the mission starts, click on mode 2 of Cetus and slap the first MT you encounter. Then continue on slapping the rest. Try to save ammo by using a Yasya launch in the first open spot or two. Save your cetus as best you can and be sure to not fire unless on mode 2. Mode 1 is heater rounds, mode 2 is high attack rounds. When you destroy the enemy sniper MT you will procede into a battle with an AC and hopefully have not taken too much damage. Booster tap hop as best you can and try to strafe around him whilst releasing yasya pods and running the core EO. With this tactic you should be able to keep in one rotational strafe and just let the EO of your yasya pods and core take hits at him. If you run out of yasya then drop it ASAP and start to use your mode 2 cetus to finish him. His legs should be broken by that point thanks to yasya rounds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10:00 Destroy AC Sundial Vertex 64,000C Recomend: Same as last mission Tactics: This time Cetus Mode 2 and 89E full force. Easy Win. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12:00 Eliminate Enemy AC No Data / Indipendent Warlord 104,000C Recomend: You can use the same AC or you can use Bettle, UA, Drill, LT71, Monju, Kujaku, Ananda, Geryon or Geryon3 or Lamia2, KRSW, Jiten, Amino, O69ES, Codon, Golgi, Histon, Marish. Tactics: If using the same AC you use the Yasya and core EO on the first AC. Acurately fire mode 2 Cetus if the EO does't kill him. When the next AC comes out, back off and then after he lands start picking at him with the cetus mode 2. Again you should have dropped yasya if it ran out prior to the second AC. At all times stay in front of the area where they come out at. No reason to realy go anywhere else. You may be able to alternitively reverse your attack order, using cetus mode 2 on the RJ and then yasya on the quad granted the high shell def of the quad. Do know though the Cetus can get as low as 4 remaining rounds before the quad breaks from it. But it works. Whith the tank... simply keep the shield up and pick at the RJ and then do similarly with the quad. But if you choose Geryon3 I say save the ammo for the quad. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14:00 Battle Challenge Zinaida 0C Recommend: First AC Tactics: Seeing as you don't battle Zinaida and you end up fighting a tank you should just repeat tactics. This time work your way around the base helping Zinaida and then try to return to the area you started at by the time Shade crawls in. Back off from him firing mode 2 Cetus rounds and possibly switching in some yasya pods to take care of helios. Try to back off while hopping back to the left then right to dodge his GLL rounds. The heat of them is rather bad. Overall an easy battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16:00 Eliminate Enemy Invaders Vertex 60,000C Recomend: H84E2, Gaea, Macaque, Sealion, F73H, G91, Ananda, Harpy2, Harpy2, Pixie3, WL88S2 (Can change arm mounts to dual Roc4 for better attack performance if you have both) Tactics: At the start fire on the helios and watch your enemrgy when going into the air. After you wipe out some helios you should end up on the water being held by the dam (you should boost up there). A cut scene will show Wanton Busker coming into the area. Reply with the arm mounts and core EO. Keep movement to dodge his back orbits. After he falls patheticly and leaving you hopefully with around 4000AP another AC, this time Vola-Volant, will come in too late to save his comrad. This is where tactics get ever tricky to understand. You should spawn on the damn initialy after the cut scene finishes. Immediately boost up and backwards onto the water and position yourself so the damn is a wall in front of you. From here on out you are going to boost onto the dam, let the enemy start tocome at you and then when you get 3 locks of harpy2 you boost up, launching them down so they do not hit the edge of the damn and back off to behind the dam on the water and let the EO get hits. This will also ensure Vola-Volant has backed off to his starting spot. Now repat this back and forth tactic and you should easily do him in and without realy getting hurt. Should you run a harpy2 unit dry, drop it. If you run both dry, drop both and head into the other side. EO core active and arm mounts blazing. He should fall before you do. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18:00 Destroy Suspicious Force Evangel 142,000C Recomend: First AC. Tactics: Let Evangle handle the first wave. When the second wave comes you should launch out yasya pods. Once clear Evangle turns on you. Make him run off with mode 2 cetus fire. Simple mission. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19:00 Seize The Airstrip Alliance Tacticle Unit 158,000C Recomend: First AC. If you want... cahnge out yasya for Harpy3 + RM3 supports A back mount radar or Kangi coudn't hurt any either. Tactics: You start off with MTs to your front right. Procede forward with mode 2 cetus armed. 3 hits will kill an MT... so don't miss. Once the first are down start attacking the walnut grenade turrets. Use the Cetus on them. Two hits should do one in. Be sure the lock is red before you fire. Now, you are going to get a message saying the freinds have entered and are under fire. Work back twards where you started and drop a yasya launch or two in on those Mts. You may want to have nixed one of the radio towers (glowing parts) to kill some ECM interferance. When you get to the MT party you attack with yasya you should also notice that some big black planes sporting nades have entered the area. Stay put. They are circling around and coming from where your back would be when you started the mission. Just sit here and jump up before they get to you and have a yasya launched or if you choose the wiser Haroy2 and RM3 combo then use than. The Pods will kill them off. You should easily pass this mission without casualties. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20:00 Shutdown Energy Plant Aliance Tactical Unit 112,000C Recomend: Light Radar Head (Eye3 or *Mayfly*), Gaea, Macaque, Lizard, Birdie2, F73H, G91, Ananda, Funi, Geryon/Geryon2 (on right mount), Kinnara, Shade, LB4/LB2, Amino, O69ES, O69SS, Primer, Golgi, Phage, Marishi Tactics: This is a very strange mission tactics wise. Once the mission starts go to the right up one level and then jump and hide in the half way up platform that seems like a lift. Face the right inside corner, press the jump button and then the EO button qucikly. If done right you will fire on the MTs and fall down into cover again. Be sure to turn off EO when you fall back into place. Now, repeat this tactic unitll one of the MTs falls. Next jump up see if the remaining MT has removed its sheild. If so procede to joust it with your laser balde. That should do him in good. Procede into the building. Now, you will fall down once, turn left, before you fall again position yourself so your right side is twards the hole, go sideways, fall, and forward and joust the MT you should see with your blade before it uses its flame thrower on you. Now slash the two gratings and go down through the hole. Open the gate and walk onto the platform. Select the cannon on your backand slap the MT when its sheild is down. Two hits will take it out. Jump down and take the gate to the left. Two more gratings. Before advancing through the T intersection turn to your right so you face the wall, boost to your left, then forward, and joust another MT. You need to be quick or it'll have backed up and burn you the moment you cut the corner. If so give your AC a moment to cool and refill energy gauge. Another room, this time empty. Only one way to go. You'll encounter a grating again, and then a shield MT. Slash it as it lowers the sheild and back off to evade spalsh from it exploding. Before you go any further, sit at the end of this tunnle ant you'll see a rectangular and dull light blue object in the distance. Use your cannon manualy and hit it. 3 TARGETS REMAINING! Now continue and notice on radar that after the room that target was in there is an MT. So ground boost and joust it in a stealthy quick fassion or you'll be burned again. Contiue to target two. You can slash this one. As you continue on to another T intersection there is an MT on the left of the T and you need to do the stealthly slash again. Again wait it out if you get burned. Continue down the hole till you come to a gate. There is a target to your right on the wall. Ignore it. Pass into the corner room. Sneak up on the two MTs in the next room with your cannon. So try to use the wall to cover you and fire the cannon around the left side wall's corner into that room. Should hit and kill both of them easily. Hit the wall target and then return to the one I said you could ignore. If you hit it prior then the lights go out. Now you have to back track all the way to that once empty room I talked about. Faust is now in the building. He uses a basic AC so the real trouble is his balde. So if he tries to hit you with it slash back harder. USe your cannon and EO and Rifle if the cannon runs low. He should fall. Make your way out of the plant. NOOO!!! Yup, now we have to face the Tank Pulverizer. The second after the cut scene gear up your missles and relations. They will easily take out the pulverizer. Mission complete. Easy. Keep in mind to chuck the back cannon should it go dry before you go fighting the pulverizer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22:00 Eliminate Zinaida Jack-O 0C Recomend: First AC. Tactics: Mode 2 Cetus. Your battle gets interrupted by a Pulverizer. :sigh: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0:00 Eliminate Sorcerer Jack-O 0C Recomend: First AC once again. Tactics: The usual cetus mode 2. :yawn: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2:00 Defeat Invading Force Vertex 168,000C Recomend: Same AC. Dual Karura + RM3 Tactics: Mode 2 cetus on the ground units, back off if a large missle gets fired at you. Unsupported karura on the flying enemies. When the pulverizer comes, supported karura fire and drop dry missle packs quickly. Best use the core EO for the Pulverizer as well. Be sure to keep distance but do not go all the way out of bounds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ` 3:00 Attack The Advnacing Force Jack-O 0C Recomend: Dual Karura + RM3 modify of first AC. Tune Head VS ECM Tactics: Watch out for the dual plasma MTs. Fire the missles from range. Try your best to make it through with about 6000AP. After you finish the MTs off Jack comes in and he should be rather easy to kill with the mode 2 cetus alone. Rather easy, but frustrating. " WE MUST HURRY!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4:00 Eliminate Airborne Force Vertex 142,000C Recomend: First AC. Maqaque arms, RL Linear Rifle, Left Nade Rifle or what ever Tactics: Yasya the entire area. Survive the 3 waves. That is all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5:00 "It's time to go to work!" "Who the *bleep* are you?!" "THE WORKAHOLIC!" - Old School Song. Search Workaholic. Now we build the Lobster! ________________________________________________________________________ B U I L D I N G A L O B S T E R The following AC build has been used twice so far to my knowledge and easily deafted Zinaida. One of the two I know of had tried "50 times" to beat her down. First try with this he took her down. (Quoted Kewne) AC Name: Lobster Modle: CC-06-LOBSTER Manufacturer: Chaos Cores ___FRAME H81S4 (ECM) C83UA (D. Ene) CETUS (MODE 2) DINGO2 (D Ene) ___INTERNALS B83TP (Heat) F91DSN G91 (Weight or Outpur) Ananda (Cooling) ___INS / EXT - - ___BACK MOUNTS WB85RPX WB69RA ___ARM MOUNTS - - ___HANGERS - - Optionals: Amino, O69ES, O69SS, O71L+, Marishi, Codon Red Weapons Paint: Base|Aid|Op|Detail|Joint 135|060|040|200|020 045|000|025|030|000 045|000|025|080|000 ________________________________________________________________________ T A K I N G D O W N Z I N A I D A You now have the AC to beat the last mission and put Zinaida down. Before you engage in the mission I recomend that you take a second and read the following combat tactics that when used make Lobster the red hott design for taking Zinaida down. - Best operated via TYPE B control scheme - Prior to the engaging in the mission go into system>options>sound Turn BGM and Voice volumes to zero (0) Leave FX volume alone - Ensure that text message pop ups are enabled - When you eneter the mission you should go through the tunnles and walk, boosting only to the sides if you need to to dodge an unknown. - Take the very first tunnle you see. Either walk around the beam fences or just jump through them quickly. - When you get to the second part of the mission with lasers firing at you switch to RX rockets and fire at the wall targets accurately. One RPX rocket will destroy one target. Once the power is out (room tunrs blue) immediately drop the RPX rockets. - When Zinaida enters and the cut scene ends, immediately back off from her in a boost hop fassion going left and right to dodge fire. - Quickly find mode 2 of cetus arms. Aim and fire accurately. - Circle strafe while backing off around the center of the area. Use the center to get her stuck or to dodge while hopping close to the ground. - In time she will fall - C O N G R A T S . . . Y O U H A V E B E A T E N Z I N A I D A ! ________________________________________________________________________ C R E D I T S Hugh King (A.K.A. Kuroi Kenshin) The base path for Zinaida Route Kewne (ACO Board Alias) Backing the Lobster and having succeeded in using it GameFAQs For years of hosting game support FROM SOFTWARE Despite the mishaps with the series ________________________________________________________________________ O T H E R S O U R C E S Armored Core Online (A.K.A. ACO) www.armoredcoreonline.com The Main AC Forums Community EJ Raven - Head Administrator Ravens Haven www.armoredcore.org The Tourny Vet Forums (Of Infinate Wisdom!) Kobel - Head Administrator ________________________________________________________________________ Coppyright 2006 to Brett Miller aka Chaos Cores Raven / CCR This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.