How To Razorfane: The Basics

Hey, Fish here, with my first (excluding the Glossary) Unholy Blog Post. Today, we'll be looking at the basic how-tos of Razorfane, the blade-wielding psychopath from the Teknos nation. Some basic tips and tricks will be posted, with more advanced tactics being saved for a later post.

Razorfane

Who is Razorfane?

Before we begin, we should check out his Help Page;

Razorfane

A legacy of pain and misery belongs to the Razorfanes... and they savor it.

BATTLE

BUZZSAW: Flensing discs each do 10 damage

DERVISH: Mad torso-twirl does 10 damage

BLADEWALL: Barrier cuts for 10 damage

STRONG vs. Prana Devil, Ecton

WEAK vs. Brontu, Firewitch

STRATEGY

COST: 100     LIFE: 80     MOVE: 2

MAP POWER: Bladewall     COST: 15

Only Razorfanes may enter hex for next 2 turns.

HOME: Steel Hallway

So, what important information can we gather from this?

• Razorfane is an all-round unit; the Jack of all Trades, Master of None. He's decent in all fields; tanking damage, defending bases, attacking, burst attacks, sustained damage, harass, tele-trapping, and much more.
• Every attack in his arsenal does 10 damage, but all three attacks have a very unique way of getting the job done.
• As the page says, he's a great Prana counter; he's not the best Ecton counter, but he's much better off than others, as long as he avoids the whip's powerful slow and claims the teleporters with traps first.
• Brontu and Firewitch give him a VERY hard time; dodging that charge isn't easy, and Firewitch's pokes are pretty safe from up there in the sky.
• He costs a nice, clean 100 in Strategy Mode; he's not cheap, but he's no Jaeger.
• He moves at a decent pace in Strategy Mode, letting him move about with relative ease, but he lacks the ability to outrun certain targets.
• His map power stops allies and enemies alike, making it a risky move, somewhat.

How do I play him in Mayhem?

Now, before you continue, you should try him out in a few Mayhem matches against the Easy AI; don't worry, they won't bite, unless they're Prana; and Prana should die quickly.

Here's what you should learn from a few practice matches with the Iron Man:

• Dervish is cheaper, but less spammy and much shorter in range, making it generally worse in combat.
• Buzzsaw is an amazing ranged move; its high fire rate gives him some amazing burst, or you can hold it off a bit and keep the pressure high. This is your main attack.
• Bladewall is good for teleporters and small corridors, just like in Strategy Mode.
• Bladewall also blocks projectiles completely.
• Bladewall has a set HP limit; if it takes too much damage, then it'll dissipate.
• You can only have 3 bladewalls at a time; I know you found this one for sure, since you probably tried to have infinite bladewalls on the teleporter, out of curiosity.
• Brontu is an ass, and gives no damns about your Bladewalls, Buzzsaws or Dervishes. He is your biggest counter.
• Firewitch is a Fireb*tch who never gets near enough to get hit.

These points are Razorfanes's basic principles; we need to understand these before we can get better as a Razorfane.

Here are some more subtle Razorfane facts/tactics/things to try out in a Mayhem match:

• Dervish destroys most projectiles; this is why it is less spammy and worse in combat; it's a utility move for keeping yourself safe. Experiment and see just what that chainsaw can break.
• Try Hit n' Runs with Buzzsaw; corner a foe, expend your energy meter with razor blades, and get out of there ASAP.
• Bladewall has decent knockback. This can lead to some very devastating tele-traps if one positions the three walls around a teleporter exit, with very little chance of escape.
• If Brontu gets ballsy, try jumping up and to the side of the charge, but be aware of the off-chance of landing into a Roar or Gas Cloud.
• Beware the Roar; it is your greatest weakness in Brontu's arsenal. It destroys Bladewalls, Buzzsaws and deals out a lot of damage. It's just as dangerous as the charge in its own, special way.
• Try using objects on the map that boost your jump height, or the Superjump power-up to deal with Firewitch; her only advantage over you is her height advantage, so these items can help alleviate the issue.

How do I play him in Strategy?

Unlike his allies, Razorfane's map presence is rather underwhelming; his allies can attack from afar, heal, sneak-attack, remove control of an enemy unit and over-buff, and all he gets is a wall that can be detrimental at times. It's nice for postponing an attack, but that's about it; good thing it's cheap, at 15 Aur a wall, and it lasts for quite a few turns, making it a decent investment when used on one of the rare occasions that it's actually needed.

Razorfane's real threat is the fact that he can easily kill anyone not named Brontu or Firewitch. His Prana-countering prowess lets him destroy Prana Breeding Farms, and when it comes to everyone else, his decent speed of 2 lets him keep up with them. This speed also lets him keep a good distance from the burly rhino and the nimble bit... witch, who both have to try and keep up with their 2 speed. He's a killer, made to run out and kill off important targets; considering that firewitch is usually low on your team's threat list, you don't have too much to worry about when it comes to your job. Problem is, Brontu is very high on your team's threat list, due to mining 40 Aur a turn, so you'll want to keep a check on him with someone else (Brontu's best check is, unfortunately, one of the hardest characters to learn in the game; I'll get his basics soon).

Keep practising your Razorfane skills in Mayhem, and your Strategy play should also improve, due to how he's built; he's all about Mayhem combat.

In conclusion,

Razorfane is an all-round character with heaps of potential; he's the easiest to pick up, and the hardest to master (in relation to how easy he is at first; our Brontu-countering bikie pal is much harder).