Post by Iron Blue Arremer on Feb 14, 2011 9:29:19 GMT -5
Introduction
Richter Belmont is the main character of Rondo of Blood as well as its SNES port Dracula X. He also is an unlockable character in Symphony of the Night as well as Portrait of Ruin, where he tags along with Maria.
He is considered being one of the strongest Belmonts, however, due to him being controlled by Shaft in Symphony of the Night, he also caused the Belmont clan to give away the Vampire Killer, into the hands of the Morris clan. Before Julius picking up the whip again in 1999, Richter was the last Belmont holding the whip. This (luckily?) caused several heroes to arise, and next to the Morris clan, there also happened to appear Shanoa, and a few other heroes that aren't in this game and thusly won't be mentioned.
In Harmony of Despair, Richter is similar to the other whippers, however, he is the "martial arts" guy, utilizing quite a few martial arts to aid and actually outclass his whip. He is definitely aimed towards more advanced players, but he IS worth playing.
He is available as character DLC for 240 Microsoft points.
Abilities
General Overview
Richter has, like pretty much everybody else, a slide kick, a jump kick and a back dash. His slide kick will advance as soon as you find the Slide Kick martial art, allowing him to do slide kick jumps, making him the fastest character in hallways. He also starts with the Spin Kick which will give Richter a few pixels of height when used, allowing him to reach a few ledges he otherwise wouldn't be able to use. Except for his pure speed, he is the second-least mobile whipper, only outclassing Simon who has pretty much nothing but the standard fare.
Richter's Vampire Killer
Richter's whip is the second-strongest. He has the second-longest whip, and the third-fastest whip swing. He can only whip straight forward, limiting his reach with it. Speaking of which, he throws subweapons the slowest out of all 4 whippers. However, for Richter, the whip is merely an aid for the martial arts, so don't worry that you can't reach where Julius can.
Subweapons
Richter uses 6 subweapons in the base game which are the so-called "Belmont Classics". He also has access to all 5 of the DLC subweapons. He starts out with 1 copy of the Knife, which he cannot acquire more copies of. Every other subweapon he, like every other whipper, needs to find in stages. I will provide you with their locations.
Aside from getting stronger with each level, several subweapons will change their visual appearance if they level up, with a maximum of 3 possible variations.
Form 1: Level 1-4
Form 2: Level 5-8
Form 3: Level 9
Knife
Cost: 6 MP.
Location: Starter (1 copy)
Form 1: 1 knife | Form 2: 2 knives | Form 3: 3 knives
Recommended Form of Leveling: Backdashcancel
Also dubbed "the dagger", the Knife is a very easy to understand weapon. Richter throws a knife that flies straight forward until it hits an obstacle. It has infinite range. It deals very little damage and you will find better subweapons soon. Some people like to use it due to its comparably high speed and the ability to backdashcancel it.
Axe
Cost: 12 MP.
Location: Drops from Axe Knight enemy
Form 1: Small handaxe | Form 2: Round battleaxe | Form 3: Big crested battleaxe
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
The axe is probably one of the first, if not the first subweapon you will find. When using it, Richter tosses an axe in an upward arc. It will drop down when reaching its peak. The Axe is a handy subweapon, since it allows to cover space above the user, but it is easily cancelled out by many other projectiles and obstacles and is a bit difficult to aim with. The Axe also is able to hit multiple times, thus making it fairly useful against bigger targets above you.
Ricochet Rock
Cost: 12 MP
Location: Drops from Lerajie enemies
Form 1: A small bullet with a blue "tail" | Form 2: n/a | Form 3: n/a
Recommended Form of Leveling: Backdashcancel
One of the "newer" subweapons, using the Ricochet Rock will throw out a small projectile in a diagonally downward angle. It will bounce off of solid obstacles and pierce through enemies. It will disappear after some time or hitting the walls a certain amount of times. It's not specifically useful in most situations due to being hard to hit with and dealing comparably low damage, but if you are in a small room where the projectile has little or no room to escape (Brauner's room, for instance), it can be absolutely devastating.
Bible
Cost: 15 MP
Location: Chapter 2 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
Form 1: Small brown book | Form 2: n/a Form 3: Huge red and gold book
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
The Bible is a very interesting subweapon that might be difficult to work with, but can pay off pretty well. When using it, it will start spiraling in a circle motion, drawing bigger and bigger circles until it disappears after some time. There is nothing that can stop the Bible from moving, not even walls or impenetrable shields. The book deals considerable damage of Holy type. Most people use it as a form of shielding themselves (like in Medusa Head rooms), or to hit enemies through walls, ceilings or shields (Final Guards, for instance). Due to its multi-hit property, it can hit bigger targets quite a bit, however, its speed and weird pattern make it a bit more difficult to use. You should definitely give it a try, though.
Holy Water
Cost: 15 MP
Location: Chapter 4 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
Form 1: Blue flames moving across the ground | Form 2: n/a | Form 3: n/a (flames are bigger? not sure)
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
Ah yes, the Holy Water, one of the very first subweapons in the Belmonts' arsenal. When using it, Richter tosses a small vial that will shatter on the ground, producing a blue flame that crawls across the floor until hitting a wall or its duration is over. It does not work on most "drop-through platforms". The bottle itself is non-damaging, only the flames do damage of Holy type. Several people consider Holy Water to be not specifically good, but it actually deals quite a lot of damage on more stationary enemies, and can definitely aid while whipping at your enemies.
Cross
Cost: 15 MP
Location: Chapter 5 Boss, Chapter 6 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
Form 1: A small blue shiny cross| Form 2: n/a | Form 3: The cross becomes very big
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
The Cross, the last and arguably one of the most powerful subweapons the whippers have access to. Richter throws a cross-shaped boomerang that will go straight forward for a bit, stick in mid-air for a second and then will fly back to where it originated from. It is able to hit not only while flying, but also while it stops, where it is able to hit multiple times. It deals a LOT of damage even with only one hit due to its Holy properties, and it is immensely useful.
DLC Subweapons
Javelin
Cost: 10 MP
Location: Chapter 8 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
Form 1: A purple spear (Slogra's to be exact) | Form 2: n/a | Form 3: A huge red spear
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
Richter tosses a spear forward, the projectile having a slight upward arc. It will stick in the ground for a few moments before disappearing. The spear has, otherwise when falling down, infinite range until hitting a wall or the ground. The Javelin is able to hit multiple times when falling, and up to 3 times while sticking in the ground. Only the blade of the spear is actually able to damage, not the pole. It's a handy weapon since you can hit enemies from afar even multiple times. However, where it really shines Legion and Beelzebub, which are pretty much exactly shaped to fit the Javelin's arc, making them great targets for using it, at least until they broke apart.
R. Dagger
Cost: 4 MP
Location: Shop after purchasing Chapter 10 DLC
Form 1: 1 dagger | Form 2: 2 daggers | Form 3: 3 daggers
Recommended Form of Leveling: Backdash Cancel
Here we have the actual dagger, even in 8-Bit for that matter. It works exactly like the Knife, just with a few differences. It has only limited range, is slower but deals more damage. Not to mention it's a bit cheaper. The R. Dagger is clearly superior over the Knife.
R. Axe
Cost: 10 MP
Location: Shop after purchasing Chapter 10 DLC
Form 1: 1 axe | Form 2: 2 axes | Form 3: 3 axes
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
The R. Axe works fairly similar to the actual Axe in terms of its arc. However, there is one major difference - instead of tossing one big axe, R. Axe throws out up to 3 axes that spread after reaching the arc's peak. Thus this allows you to cover more area and deal more damage for a cheaper price. R. Axe is clearly superior to it's standard counterpart.
R. Fire Bomb
Cost: 12 MP
Location: Chapter 10 Boss (Normal), purple/Boss (Hard)
Form 1: vial bursting into 8-Bit flames | Form 2: n/a | Form 3: n/a
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
The Retro version of the Holy Water, the R. Fire Bomb, is obviously again very similar to its counterpart. However, the differences between the two are quite noticeable aside from the cost. First, the thrown bottle projectile deals actual damage. The damage is a bit higher. And where the Holy Water's flame moves across the floor, the R. Fire Bomb's flame will, although moving a bit, pretty much stay in the general area, hitting the same target multiple times. It's kinda like a burst. The weapon is incredibly useful and in most situations clearly superior to Holy Water.
R. Boomerang
Cost: 12 MP
Location: Chapter 10 Boss (Normal), purple/Boss (Hard)
Form 1: a tiny 8-Bit Cross | Form 2: n/a | Form 3: n/a
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
Do not mistake this sub with Jonathan's Boomerang; it actually is the Retro version of the Cross! Again, this works fairly similar to its standard version. It just is far smaller, deals a TON more damage and its pattern is a bit more weird - it goes forward only a tiny bit, but covers a huge distance when flying back. Personally, I prefer the standard Cross over this, but it can be quite useful unless you catch it on its way back.
Martial Arts
Martial Arts are techniques your character can perform as soon as you recieve a copy of them. You don't need to equip them, but rather have to put in a certain button combination which you can check in the "Martial Arts" section on the Main Menu.
Martial Arts do not level up - one copy is enough - and they do not improve your character's stats.
Spin Kick
Cost: 0 MP
Location: Starter
This is, hands down, Richter's most important martial art. And he starts with it. And he doesn't even consume MP with it! Press RB and Richter will make a short hop, doing a half roundhouse kick. You can do it in mid-air too! The kick deals INSANE damage. It can be chained into using the whip, as well, though it's a bit difficult to time. But if you have it down, you can dominate bosses with this attack. Nobody is in any way resistant to this martial art. Use it, love it!
Uppercut
Cost: 5 MP
Location: Chapter 4 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
As the name hints, Richter jumps upward with his hand held up, holding a knife. He deals quite a bit of damage, but unfortunately, the hitbox is actually right where his dagger is. This makes the Uppercut really difficult to use against most enemies. You can hit enemies through small ceilings, though.
For instance, in Chapter 6 there's a Final Guard protecting a purple chest. In the room before the room that one is in, there's a Final Guard standing right above on a rather thin ceiling. You can actually hit him with the uppercut through that ceiling.
Sliding Kick
Cost: 0 MP
Location: Chapter 2 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
The Sliding Kick is, for the most part, an addition to Richter's standard slide kick. When using the standard slide kick and pressing the jump button again, Richter will lift off of the ground and slip forward through the air until landing again or hitting an obstacle (wall, enemy). The kick itself deals damage, but the hitbox is only where Richter's outstretched foot is. It will speed up your progress when slidekicking across some hallways and rooms, but be careful if there's enemies around so you don't bump into 'em.
Somersault
Cost: 0 MP
Location: Chapter 3 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
The Somersault or, as it has been dubbed, "back flip", is a small but somewhat useful addition to Richter's martial arts. When in mid-air, pressing the backdash button will cause Richter to make a backflip. This will give him a few invincibility frames which allow him to pass through and thusly avoid some attacks. It's a bit difficult to get the timing down on this one, but it's definitely worth using.
Tackle
Cost: 5 MP
Location: Chapter 4 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
Pressing the input for this will cause Richter to strike a heroic pose, swirling his... dagger? Or is it his whip? I dunno. It looks kinda weird. He flies forward while in this pose and damages enemies while doing it. However, he also gains invincibility frames, more than with the Somersault, so he can pass through enemies and attacks with it. The range is about as long as Jonathan's Sonic Strike, so it's not as useful as Omnia Vanitas, but it's still pretty damn awesome.
Recommended Setups
Since there's so many possible setups with the whip users, I will give you a run-down on the most important pieces.
Simon's set (Plate, Sandals, Bandanna, Cloak):
Mainly powers up STR and HP, as well as good DEF and defensive stats.
Retro set (Armor, Helm, Boots, Cloak - Chapter 10 exclusive):
Pretty much outclasses Simon's set in everything but HP, and some defensive stats. Retro Boots have the speed of Mercury Boots.
Fuma's set (Armor, Helm, Greaves - Chapter 11 exclusive):
Is more geared towards INT and MP, as well as its regeneration. Fuma's Greaves have the speed of Winged Boots.
Good equipment to use outside of these:
Head: Royal Crown (INT, Fuma's Helm is better)
Chest: Death's Robe (INT, Fuma's Armor is better), Berserker Mail, Ancient Armor
Legs: Sonic Boots, Winged Boots, Spiked Boots (epic spin kick damage, use them as much as possible!)
Back: Bishamon Raiment (MP regeneration), Assassin's Cape (STR), Paludamentum (MP, only use if you don't have Bishamon Raiment), Blue Cape (INT)
Accessory: Chaos Ring (MP reg), Miser Ring (ATK), Artemisian/Apollonian Ring (INT and STR) - secondary are Sunstone/Moonstone (INT) and Megingiord (STR)
Progressing Richter
Richter levels up his abilities through usage like most of the characters. His attack power for both subweapons and whip will power up through leveling his subweapons. Contrary to popular belief, Richter will NOT get stronger when leveling the DLC subweapons. These have no influence on his stats, and are independent from the "base" subs.
A very good way to ease up the progress is to get all the subs to level 8 before going on to 9.
Richter Belmont is the main character of Rondo of Blood as well as its SNES port Dracula X. He also is an unlockable character in Symphony of the Night as well as Portrait of Ruin, where he tags along with Maria.
He is considered being one of the strongest Belmonts, however, due to him being controlled by Shaft in Symphony of the Night, he also caused the Belmont clan to give away the Vampire Killer, into the hands of the Morris clan. Before Julius picking up the whip again in 1999, Richter was the last Belmont holding the whip. This (luckily?) caused several heroes to arise, and next to the Morris clan, there also happened to appear Shanoa, and a few other heroes that aren't in this game and thusly won't be mentioned.
In Harmony of Despair, Richter is similar to the other whippers, however, he is the "martial arts" guy, utilizing quite a few martial arts to aid and actually outclass his whip. He is definitely aimed towards more advanced players, but he IS worth playing.
He is available as character DLC for 240 Microsoft points.
Abilities
General Overview
Richter has, like pretty much everybody else, a slide kick, a jump kick and a back dash. His slide kick will advance as soon as you find the Slide Kick martial art, allowing him to do slide kick jumps, making him the fastest character in hallways. He also starts with the Spin Kick which will give Richter a few pixels of height when used, allowing him to reach a few ledges he otherwise wouldn't be able to use. Except for his pure speed, he is the second-least mobile whipper, only outclassing Simon who has pretty much nothing but the standard fare.
Richter's Vampire Killer
Richter's whip is the second-strongest. He has the second-longest whip, and the third-fastest whip swing. He can only whip straight forward, limiting his reach with it. Speaking of which, he throws subweapons the slowest out of all 4 whippers. However, for Richter, the whip is merely an aid for the martial arts, so don't worry that you can't reach where Julius can.
Subweapons
Richter uses 6 subweapons in the base game which are the so-called "Belmont Classics". He also has access to all 5 of the DLC subweapons. He starts out with 1 copy of the Knife, which he cannot acquire more copies of. Every other subweapon he, like every other whipper, needs to find in stages. I will provide you with their locations.
Aside from getting stronger with each level, several subweapons will change their visual appearance if they level up, with a maximum of 3 possible variations.
Form 1: Level 1-4
Form 2: Level 5-8
Form 3: Level 9
Knife
Cost: 6 MP.
Location: Starter (1 copy)
Form 1: 1 knife | Form 2: 2 knives | Form 3: 3 knives
Recommended Form of Leveling: Backdashcancel
Also dubbed "the dagger", the Knife is a very easy to understand weapon. Richter throws a knife that flies straight forward until it hits an obstacle. It has infinite range. It deals very little damage and you will find better subweapons soon. Some people like to use it due to its comparably high speed and the ability to backdashcancel it.
Axe
Cost: 12 MP.
Location: Drops from Axe Knight enemy
Form 1: Small handaxe | Form 2: Round battleaxe | Form 3: Big crested battleaxe
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
The axe is probably one of the first, if not the first subweapon you will find. When using it, Richter tosses an axe in an upward arc. It will drop down when reaching its peak. The Axe is a handy subweapon, since it allows to cover space above the user, but it is easily cancelled out by many other projectiles and obstacles and is a bit difficult to aim with. The Axe also is able to hit multiple times, thus making it fairly useful against bigger targets above you.
Ricochet Rock
Cost: 12 MP
Location: Drops from Lerajie enemies
Form 1: A small bullet with a blue "tail" | Form 2: n/a | Form 3: n/a
Recommended Form of Leveling: Backdashcancel
One of the "newer" subweapons, using the Ricochet Rock will throw out a small projectile in a diagonally downward angle. It will bounce off of solid obstacles and pierce through enemies. It will disappear after some time or hitting the walls a certain amount of times. It's not specifically useful in most situations due to being hard to hit with and dealing comparably low damage, but if you are in a small room where the projectile has little or no room to escape (Brauner's room, for instance), it can be absolutely devastating.
Bible
Cost: 15 MP
Location: Chapter 2 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
Form 1: Small brown book | Form 2: n/a Form 3: Huge red and gold book
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
The Bible is a very interesting subweapon that might be difficult to work with, but can pay off pretty well. When using it, it will start spiraling in a circle motion, drawing bigger and bigger circles until it disappears after some time. There is nothing that can stop the Bible from moving, not even walls or impenetrable shields. The book deals considerable damage of Holy type. Most people use it as a form of shielding themselves (like in Medusa Head rooms), or to hit enemies through walls, ceilings or shields (Final Guards, for instance). Due to its multi-hit property, it can hit bigger targets quite a bit, however, its speed and weird pattern make it a bit more difficult to use. You should definitely give it a try, though.
Holy Water
Cost: 15 MP
Location: Chapter 4 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
Form 1: Blue flames moving across the ground | Form 2: n/a | Form 3: n/a (flames are bigger? not sure)
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
Ah yes, the Holy Water, one of the very first subweapons in the Belmonts' arsenal. When using it, Richter tosses a small vial that will shatter on the ground, producing a blue flame that crawls across the floor until hitting a wall or its duration is over. It does not work on most "drop-through platforms". The bottle itself is non-damaging, only the flames do damage of Holy type. Several people consider Holy Water to be not specifically good, but it actually deals quite a lot of damage on more stationary enemies, and can definitely aid while whipping at your enemies.
Cross
Cost: 15 MP
Location: Chapter 5 Boss, Chapter 6 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
Form 1: A small blue shiny cross| Form 2: n/a | Form 3: The cross becomes very big
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
The Cross, the last and arguably one of the most powerful subweapons the whippers have access to. Richter throws a cross-shaped boomerang that will go straight forward for a bit, stick in mid-air for a second and then will fly back to where it originated from. It is able to hit not only while flying, but also while it stops, where it is able to hit multiple times. It deals a LOT of damage even with only one hit due to its Holy properties, and it is immensely useful.
DLC Subweapons
Javelin
Cost: 10 MP
Location: Chapter 8 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
Form 1: A purple spear (Slogra's to be exact) | Form 2: n/a | Form 3: A huge red spear
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
Richter tosses a spear forward, the projectile having a slight upward arc. It will stick in the ground for a few moments before disappearing. The spear has, otherwise when falling down, infinite range until hitting a wall or the ground. The Javelin is able to hit multiple times when falling, and up to 3 times while sticking in the ground. Only the blade of the spear is actually able to damage, not the pole. It's a handy weapon since you can hit enemies from afar even multiple times. However, where it really shines Legion and Beelzebub, which are pretty much exactly shaped to fit the Javelin's arc, making them great targets for using it, at least until they broke apart.
R. Dagger
Cost: 4 MP
Location: Shop after purchasing Chapter 10 DLC
Form 1: 1 dagger | Form 2: 2 daggers | Form 3: 3 daggers
Recommended Form of Leveling: Backdash Cancel
Here we have the actual dagger, even in 8-Bit for that matter. It works exactly like the Knife, just with a few differences. It has only limited range, is slower but deals more damage. Not to mention it's a bit cheaper. The R. Dagger is clearly superior over the Knife.
R. Axe
Cost: 10 MP
Location: Shop after purchasing Chapter 10 DLC
Form 1: 1 axe | Form 2: 2 axes | Form 3: 3 axes
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
The R. Axe works fairly similar to the actual Axe in terms of its arc. However, there is one major difference - instead of tossing one big axe, R. Axe throws out up to 3 axes that spread after reaching the arc's peak. Thus this allows you to cover more area and deal more damage for a cheaper price. R. Axe is clearly superior to it's standard counterpart.
R. Fire Bomb
Cost: 12 MP
Location: Chapter 10 Boss (Normal), purple/Boss (Hard)
Form 1: vial bursting into 8-Bit flames | Form 2: n/a | Form 3: n/a
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
The Retro version of the Holy Water, the R. Fire Bomb, is obviously again very similar to its counterpart. However, the differences between the two are quite noticeable aside from the cost. First, the thrown bottle projectile deals actual damage. The damage is a bit higher. And where the Holy Water's flame moves across the floor, the R. Fire Bomb's flame will, although moving a bit, pretty much stay in the general area, hitting the same target multiple times. It's kinda like a burst. The weapon is incredibly useful and in most situations clearly superior to Holy Water.
R. Boomerang
Cost: 12 MP
Location: Chapter 10 Boss (Normal), purple/Boss (Hard)
Form 1: a tiny 8-Bit Cross | Form 2: n/a | Form 3: n/a
Recommended Form of Leveling: Slot-Rotation
Do not mistake this sub with Jonathan's Boomerang; it actually is the Retro version of the Cross! Again, this works fairly similar to its standard version. It just is far smaller, deals a TON more damage and its pattern is a bit more weird - it goes forward only a tiny bit, but covers a huge distance when flying back. Personally, I prefer the standard Cross over this, but it can be quite useful unless you catch it on its way back.
Martial Arts
Martial Arts are techniques your character can perform as soon as you recieve a copy of them. You don't need to equip them, but rather have to put in a certain button combination which you can check in the "Martial Arts" section on the Main Menu.
Martial Arts do not level up - one copy is enough - and they do not improve your character's stats.
Spin Kick
Cost: 0 MP
Location: Starter
This is, hands down, Richter's most important martial art. And he starts with it. And he doesn't even consume MP with it! Press RB and Richter will make a short hop, doing a half roundhouse kick. You can do it in mid-air too! The kick deals INSANE damage. It can be chained into using the whip, as well, though it's a bit difficult to time. But if you have it down, you can dominate bosses with this attack. Nobody is in any way resistant to this martial art. Use it, love it!
Uppercut
Cost: 5 MP
Location: Chapter 4 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
As the name hints, Richter jumps upward with his hand held up, holding a knife. He deals quite a bit of damage, but unfortunately, the hitbox is actually right where his dagger is. This makes the Uppercut really difficult to use against most enemies. You can hit enemies through small ceilings, though.
For instance, in Chapter 6 there's a Final Guard protecting a purple chest. In the room before the room that one is in, there's a Final Guard standing right above on a rather thin ceiling. You can actually hit him with the uppercut through that ceiling.
Sliding Kick
Cost: 0 MP
Location: Chapter 2 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
The Sliding Kick is, for the most part, an addition to Richter's standard slide kick. When using the standard slide kick and pressing the jump button again, Richter will lift off of the ground and slip forward through the air until landing again or hitting an obstacle (wall, enemy). The kick itself deals damage, but the hitbox is only where Richter's outstretched foot is. It will speed up your progress when slidekicking across some hallways and rooms, but be careful if there's enemies around so you don't bump into 'em.
Somersault
Cost: 0 MP
Location: Chapter 3 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
The Somersault or, as it has been dubbed, "back flip", is a small but somewhat useful addition to Richter's martial arts. When in mid-air, pressing the backdash button will cause Richter to make a backflip. This will give him a few invincibility frames which allow him to pass through and thusly avoid some attacks. It's a bit difficult to get the timing down on this one, but it's definitely worth using.
Tackle
Cost: 5 MP
Location: Chapter 4 green/blue/purple/Boss (both difficulties)
Pressing the input for this will cause Richter to strike a heroic pose, swirling his... dagger? Or is it his whip? I dunno. It looks kinda weird. He flies forward while in this pose and damages enemies while doing it. However, he also gains invincibility frames, more than with the Somersault, so he can pass through enemies and attacks with it. The range is about as long as Jonathan's Sonic Strike, so it's not as useful as Omnia Vanitas, but it's still pretty damn awesome.
Recommended Setups
Since there's so many possible setups with the whip users, I will give you a run-down on the most important pieces.
Simon's set (Plate, Sandals, Bandanna, Cloak):
Mainly powers up STR and HP, as well as good DEF and defensive stats.
Retro set (Armor, Helm, Boots, Cloak - Chapter 10 exclusive):
Pretty much outclasses Simon's set in everything but HP, and some defensive stats. Retro Boots have the speed of Mercury Boots.
Fuma's set (Armor, Helm, Greaves - Chapter 11 exclusive):
Is more geared towards INT and MP, as well as its regeneration. Fuma's Greaves have the speed of Winged Boots.
Good equipment to use outside of these:
Head: Royal Crown (INT, Fuma's Helm is better)
Chest: Death's Robe (INT, Fuma's Armor is better), Berserker Mail, Ancient Armor
Legs: Sonic Boots, Winged Boots, Spiked Boots (epic spin kick damage, use them as much as possible!)
Back: Bishamon Raiment (MP regeneration), Assassin's Cape (STR), Paludamentum (MP, only use if you don't have Bishamon Raiment), Blue Cape (INT)
Accessory: Chaos Ring (MP reg), Miser Ring (ATK), Artemisian/Apollonian Ring (INT and STR) - secondary are Sunstone/Moonstone (INT) and Megingiord (STR)
Progressing Richter
Richter levels up his abilities through usage like most of the characters. His attack power for both subweapons and whip will power up through leveling his subweapons. Contrary to popular belief, Richter will NOT get stronger when leveling the DLC subweapons. These have no influence on his stats, and are independent from the "base" subs.
A very good way to ease up the progress is to get all the subs to level 8 before going on to 9.
