Stomp Battle (Alex Mercer vs. Raiden)"

[Pyro9278]

• Equal Speed​
• Raiden MGR (Custom Cyborg Body) Key (65.8 Megatons):​
• Alex Mercer Prototype 1 End Game Key (Above 480.4 Tons):​
• Anything over 8-A restricted​
• The fight occurs in Shadow Moses starting 10 meters away​
• SBA from the rest
  

  

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[DeathNoodles]

Bruh, what's the point of creating a matchup that you think is a stomp? Is it just to get Raiden on one of those top 5 strongest character for every tier matchups?

Because in one of the top 5 strongest character for every tier ranks, Alex Mercer from Prototype 2 keys is being used, not his Prototype 1 key.

Also, I've noticed Raiden's gear is Metal Gear 4. So, Raiden deosn't even have an AP advantage against Mercer, nevermind the fact that Mercer can amp himself with up to 3x his AP (and thus have 3x his Durability), forcing Raiden to only have his High-Frequency Blade as his only option to harm Mercer in Metal Gear 4 key.

Also, I've read your comments in the Metal Gear Discussion Thread. While Alex Mercer's Mid-High regeneration would presumably take hours to regenerate from, that is, with being incinerated by a nuclear fireball. And even then, Mercer likely regenerated from that significantly below 24-hour timeframe, which is more than viable enough for Mercer to return. And even if Raiden somehow reduces Mercer to sludge, that might still not be enough to be considered as an "incapacitation", since Mercer has shown to be able to still operate in a combat-applicable manner, such as being able to absorb stuff (like crows) while being nothing more than a liquid of biomass, literally all Raiden needs to do is make the mistake of stepping on Mercer's biomass, and Raiden gets absorbed completely by Mercer (which, without prior knowledge, Raiden would likely do unless he has experience of facing adversaries with similar assimilation abilities to Mercer).

Unless Raiden has explicitly shown that he can reduce a character down to ashes/dusts, smoke, vapour, or plasma, Mercer would only need his Low-High Regeneration alone to regenerate from all that... And his Low-High Regeneration takes seconds for Mercer to regenerate, scaling to the Supreme Hunter, who could reform from a puddle within a similar timeframe without absorbing any biomass.

 

[Pyro9278]

Bruh, what's the point of creating a matchup that you think is a stomp? Is it just to get Raiden on one of those top 5 strongest character for every tier matchups?

Because in one of the top 5 strongest character for every tier ranks, Alex Mercer from Prototype 2 keys is being used, not his Prototype 1 key.

Also, I've noticed Raiden's gear is Metal Gear 4. So, Raiden deosn't even have an AP advantage against Mercer, nevermind the fact that Mercer can amp himself with up to 3x his AP (and thus have 3x his Durability), forcing Raiden to only have his High-Frequency Blade as his only option to harm Mercer in Metal Gear 4 key.

Also, I've read your comments in the Metal Gear Discussion Thread. While Alex Mercer's Mid-High regeneration would presumably take hours to regenerate from, that is, with being incinerated by a nuclear fireball. And even then, Mercer likely regenerated from that significantly below 24-hour timeframe, which is more than viable enough for Mercer to return. And even if Raiden somehow reduces Mercer to sludge, that might still not be enough to be considered as an "incapacitation", since Mercer has shown to be able to still operate in a combat-applicable manner, such as being able to absorb stuff (like crows) while being nothing more than a liquid of biomass, literally all Raiden needs to do is make the mistake of stepping on Mercer's biomass, and Raiden gets absorbed completely by Mercer (which, without prior knowledge, Raiden would likely do unless he has experience of facing adversaries with similar assimilation abilities to Mercer).

Unless Raiden has explicitly shown that he can reduce a character down to ashes/dusts, smoke, vapour, or plasma, Mercer would only need his Low-High Regeneration alone to regenerate from all that... And his Low-High Regeneration takes seconds for Mercer to regenerate, scaling to the Supreme Hunter, who could reform from a puddle within a similar timeframe without absorbing any biomass.

Bro don’t get worked up, the title isn’t serious

Raiden typically uses his HF Blade, so I don’t think Durability or AP would be much of an issue. Ngl, I thought MGS4 Raiden might be enough, but if Low-High regen is really that problematic... then at least Pre-Custom Cyborg Body Raiden could work. In that key, Raiden’s capabilities are far superior to MGS4, as Chariot mentioned in that other MG thread. He also has Blade Mode, which grants a variable multiplier from x2 to x10—combined with his swordsmanship, he could speedblitz Alex and incapacitate him, since HF blades can reach quantum-level cutting.

I also wonder if Alex could even absorb Raiden with his biomass. Raiden’s body is largely artificial, inside and out; he barely has organic parts unless you pierce through to his brain. I’ve seen Alex absorb non-organic stuff, but that seems limited to remote objects and clothing.

 

[DeathNoodles]

Bro don’t get worked up, the title isn’t serious

Raiden typically uses his HF Blade, so I don’t think Durability or AP would be much of an issue. Ngl, I thought MGS4 Raiden might be enough, but if Low-High regen is really that problematic... then at least Pre-Custom Cyborg Body Raiden could work. In that key, Raiden’s capabilities are far superior to MGS4, as Chariot mentioned in that other MG thread. He also has Blade Mode, which grants a variable multiplier from x2 to x10—combined with his swordsmanship, he could speedblitz Alex and incapacitate him, since HF blades can reach quantum-level cutting.

Lmao. Okay then. XD

I mean, the Low-High Regeneration could be an issue even for MGR Updated Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden.

I'm just going to re-quote what I said in the other thread here:

Being able to theoretically cut at the atomic/quantum scale on paper is one thing, but to be able to do it in practice is a whole different beast (also doesn't help that there was no on-screen feat of Raiden ever doing that even for MGR if I recall correctly, but I might be wrong. If I am wrong, please clarify and show me on-screen feats that says otherwise), and that isn't even taking into consideration of factors like whether it's within Raiden's character to persist for that long for a regenerating-type enemy, or if he actually has the stamina to go on long enough to do that without needing to take a rest.

Like, if I recall correctly, even MGR Custom Cyborg Body Raiden's stamina is quite noticeably finite, and he needs to "recharge" his Cyborg body via taking Electrolytes from either enemy cyborgs or other enemies... And considering the Custom Cyborg Body is superior to Patriots Cyborg Body, I assume the latter can't do any better than the former (but if I'm wrong, please correct me with the clarification and the showing of on-screen scans).

But there's one problem with that: with SBA, how the heck can Raiden even do that, when SBA only allows the two of them (Raiden and Alex Mercer) fighting?

The moment Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden enters Blade mode, he will use up his Fuel Cell energy and there's nothing in the environment he can use to gather Electrolytes to "recharge" (and the Electrolyte Pack from Standard Equipment is finite that only allows up to 5 stocks at once, or 10 at once with White Raiden skin), and he would just lose access to his speed amps eventually - and then he just gets screwed by losing in a battle of attrition to Mercer with speed equalised (can't continue to slice and dice the moment the speed amps are gone from lack of energy after all).

Though, MGR Custom Cyborg Raiden could cause a stomp matchup the otherway around via sheer AP difference if he has any type of fire-based or heat-based attack I guess. XD

I also wonder if Alex could even absorb Raiden with his biomass. Raiden’s body is largely artificial, inside and out; he barely has organic parts unless you pierce through to his brain. I’ve seen Alex absorb non-organic stuff, but that seems limited to remote objects and clothing.

Yes, Mercer can actually.

It's not just on-screen stuff from the game (with the Supreme Hunter being shown to absorb and mimic the grenade launcher attached to Robert Cross' arm), World of God even says the Blacklight Virus itself (not Alex Mercer by the way, actually the viruses/virions themselves) can assimilate ANYTHING, including metals.

This same WoG statement was used in a CRT threat for the Prototype franchise before, and it got accepted by a staff member who is knowledgeable enough in Prototype.

Considering a less dangerous and powerful version of the Blacklight Virus, the Redlight Virus, being capable of infecting entire buildings... It's probably not even that outlandish for the Blacklight Virus itself to assimilate even inorganic matter like metals.

So yes, Raiden's body being largely artificial (undoubtedly comprised of metals, which the WoG statement explicitly states is included) makes no difference, since he would get absorbed either way.

 

[Pyro9278]

Lmao. Okay then. XD

I mean, the Low-High Regeneration could be an issue even for MGR Updated Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden.

Like, if I recall correctly, even MGR Custom Cyborg Body Raiden's stamina is quite noticeably finite, and he needs to "recharge" his Cyborg body via taking Electrolytes from either enemy cyborgs or other enemies... And considering the Custom Cyborg Body is superior to Patriots Cyborg Body, I assume the latter can't do any better than the former (but if I'm wrong, please correct me with the clarification and the showing of on-screen scans).

But there's one problem with that: with SBA, how the heck can Raiden even do that, when SBA only allows the two of them (Raiden and Alex Mercer) fighting?

The moment Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden enters Blade mode, he will use up his Fuel Cell energy and there's nothing in the environment he can use to gather Electrolytes to "recharge" (and the Electrolyte Pack from Standard Equipment is finite that only allows up to 5 stocks at once, or 10 at once with White Raiden skin), and he would just lose access to his speed amps eventually - and then he just gets screwed by losing in a battle of attrition to Mercer with speed equalised (can't continue to slice and dice the moment the speed amps are gone from lack of energy after all).

It’s true that Pre-Custom Raiden can tire easily if he overuses Blade Mode, but he wouldn’t need to rely on it immediately unless Mercer demonstrates efficient regeneration from his attacks. That’s another point I’m considering: Mercer can regenerate from being vaporized or reduced to a blood puddle, but this doesn’t mean he’s immune to being worn down or that he can regenerate from mere particles. If he seemed fatigued during his fight with James after prolonged combat, HF blades could gradually wear Mercer down and finish him off.

Though, MGR Custom Cyborg Raiden could cause a stomp matchup the otherway around via sheer AP difference if he has any type of fire-based or heat-based attack I guess. XD

Raiden with his Custom Cyborg Body doesn’t have a vaporizing fire attack or anything like that, but his AP advantage alone could be overwhelming even without the HF Blade. Plus, in this key, Raiden wields Murasama—if a standard HF Blade could already deal real damage to Mercer and 'take him down,' Murasama would speed up the process exponentially. Unless Mercer developed some Armstrong-tier invulnerability mid-fight (which I doubt), this matchup leans heavily in Raiden’s favor.

Yes, Mercer can actually.

It's not just on-screen stuff from the game (with the Supreme Hunter being shown to absorb and mimic the grenade launcher attached to Robert Cross' arm), World of God even says the Blacklight Virus itself (not Alex Mercer by the way, actually the viruses/virions themselves) can assimilate ANYTHING, including metals.

This same WoG statement was used in a CRT threat for the Prototype franchise before, and it got accepted by a staff member who is knowledgeable enough in Prototype.

Considering a less dangerous and powerful version of the Blacklight Virus, the Redlight Virus, being capable of infecting entire buildings... It's probably not even that outlandish for the Blacklight Virus itself to assimilate even inorganic matter like metals.

So yes, Raiden's body being largely artificial (undoubtedly comprised of metals, which the WoG statement explicitly states is included) makes no difference, since he would get absorbed either way.

I hadn’t considered that detail—the virus could spread even through concrete structures and apparently metals, so it could realistically affect Raiden. Though I still believe absorption at least shouldn’t work the same way on his Cyborg body, even if I don’t have much to prove this... so it’s irrelevant.

Btw. Sorry for taking so long to reply, I was busy.

 

[DeathNoodles]

It’s true that Pre-Custom Raiden can tire easily if he overuses Blade Mode, but he wouldn’t need to rely on it immediately unless Mercer demonstrates efficient regeneration from his attacks. That’s another point I’m considering: Mercer can regenerate from being vaporized or reduced to a blood puddle, but this doesn’t mean he’s immune to being worn down or that he can regenerate from mere particles. If he seemed fatigued during his fight with James after prolonged combat, HF blades could gradually wear Mercer down and finish him off.

Ah yes, the James Heller example.

There's one issue with that though:

James Heller explicitly has to rip off Alex Mercer's arms multiple times (because Mercer can keep on regenerating his arms near-instantaneously with access to excess biomass), and even then Heller has to make sure each arm doesn't get put in the same place as Mercer by throwing off those arms away each time... And even then, for the final arm ripping, all of that is done in under half a minute. If I recall correctly, has Raiden ever shown to keep the body parts of his victims purposely isolated after he severs their parts?

In roughly 5-6 seconds, when Mercer was worn down in his battle with James Heller, Mercer regenerated to the extent that he stopped bleeding.

In approximately 20 seconds after Mercer's arms got ripped out the final time, James Heller began absorbing Alex Mercer. Heller didn't even leave a full half a minute for Mercer to recover.


And the demonstrating efficient regeneration from attacks is covered by the scaling to the Supreme Hunter's Regeneration feat (who is explicitly described in the developer notes to be a duplicate of Alex Mercer).

Just because Mercer's regeneration could be slowed down by having less excess biomass, doesn't mean he still can't regenerate. He can, and has, still regenerated without the need to absorb or use excess biomass to bolster his regeneration before.


Also, it doesn't matter if Mercer can't regenerate from mere particles, because Raiden's own sword doesn't reduce the entire target down to particles in a single attack - literally every single instance Raiden has ever sliced and diced, all the victims and objects still have their remains left behind. This means that, just by having gaps of time being left in-between the slashes and for when Raiden needs to recharge, Mercer's Low-High Regeneration alone is more than enough to regenerate from those gaps of time.

There is no logical way for Raiden to be able to achieve this with just a measly temporary 10x speed implication that eventually runs out on him with no way for him to "recharge" once he uses up all his supplies.


Also, Raiden would need to rely on Blade mode immediately, because speed is equalised. This means, without Blade mode, Mercer is as fast as Raiden is without Blade mode, and that could leave Raiden vulnerable to certain tactics from Mercer such as Mercer absorbing Raiden via touch.

Raiden with his Custom Cyborg Body doesn’t have a vaporizing fire attack or anything like that, but his AP advantage alone could be overwhelming even without the HF Blade. Plus, in this key, Raiden wields Murasama—if a standard HF Blade could already deal real damage to Mercer and 'take him down,' Murasama would speed up the process exponentially. Unless Mercer developed some Armstrong-tier invulnerability mid-fight (which I doubt), this matchup leans heavily in Raiden’s favor.

I hadn’t considered that detail—the virus could spread even through concrete structures and apparently metals, so it could realistically affect Raiden. Though I still believe absorption at least shouldn’t work the same way on his Cyborg body, even if I don’t have much to prove this... so it’s irrelevant.

It doesn't necessarily have to be a fire-based attack, just some type of heat-based attack (like having an energy attack that has a heat component) could suffice.

If Raiden only has pure kinetic AP though, then it actually works against him, since realistic physics says things like vapourisation/atomization don't actually occur from kinetic AP, it occurs from heat. This means, without actual scans showcasing that Raiden (or any other Metal Gear character, really) can vapourise/atomize a superhuman character purely from striking them hard enough with kinetic force, this wouldn't necessarily apply against Mercer.

This means even a 5-B character can punch a 8-C character, but the 5-B character's punch would not destroy the 8-C character's entire body in any way (unless they have on-screen feats or scans that says otherwise, since there does exist fictional franchises that allows a character to be able to vapourise/atomize their opponent via pure kinetic AP by punching hard enough due to how different their laws of physics are to real life... But so far, Metal Gear doesn't strike me as one of those series) - the 5-B character would be far more likely to punch a hole through the 8-C character with that punch than to induce vapourisation/atomization... Which basically means that anything at the scale of Low-High Regeneration or above would make even that 5-B character struggle (unless they do something weird like just destroying the entire planet and have the 8-C character float away from outer space, but that's a whole different can of worms).

However, it's an entirely different story if fire-based or heat-based attacks are involved for the 5-B character against the 8-C character. A high enough AP for the fire or heat-based attacks could, theoretically, assume that it is "hot enough" to just vapourise/atomize the 8-C character completely - this is one of the particular cases where no on-screen feats or scans are needed to prove vapourisation/atomization, since the sheer AP difference with the fire/heat attack could assume that the lower-tiered character can be vapourised/atomised from the heat of the much higher-tiered character's attack based on realistic physics.


Without a fire-based or heat-based attack, Custom Cyborg Body Raiden would likely run into the same stamina issues as with his Patriots Cyborg Body key.

Though, if Raiden in Ripper mode has permanent speed buffs, then it would likely be a stomp in Custom Cyborg Raiden's favour. Doesn't Raiden in Ripper mode have infinite Fuel Cell Energy? I assume Ripper mode Raiden doesn't have a stamina issue with infinite Fuel Cell Energy. Kind of hard to deal with permanent 10x speed implications after all. XD

I hadn’t considered that detail—the virus could spread even through concrete structures and apparently metals, so it could realistically affect Raiden. Though I still believe absorption at least shouldn’t work the same way on his Cyborg body, even if I don’t have much to prove this... so it’s irrelevant.

Blacklight Virus son, they infect in response to physical contact.

Btw. Sorry for taking so long to reply, I was busy.

It's okay. Real life matters should always take precedence over debating about fictional characters with strangers online, after all. XD

 

[Pyro9278]

Ah yes, the James Heller example.

There's one issue with that though:

James Heller explicitly has to rip off Alex Mercer's arms multiple times (because Mercer can keep on regenerating his arms near-instantaneously with access to excess biomass), and even then Heller has to make sure each arm doesn't get put in the same place as Mercer by throwing off those arms away each time... And even then, for the final arm ripping, all of that is done in under half a minute. If I recall correctly, has Raiden ever shown to keep the body parts of his victims purposely isolated after he severs their parts?

In roughly 5-6 seconds, when Mercer was worn down in his battle with James Heller, Mercer regenerated to the extent that he stopped bleeding.

In approximately 20 seconds after Mercer's arms got ripped out the final time, James Heller began absorbing Alex Mercer. Heller didn't even leave a full half a minute for Mercer to recover.


And the demonstrating efficient regeneration from attacks is covered by the scaling to the Supreme Hunter's Regeneration feat (who is explicitly described in the developer notes to be a duplicate of Alex Mercer).

Just because Mercer's regeneration could be slowed down by having less excess biomass, doesn't mean he still can't regenerate. He can, and has, still regenerated without the need to absorb or use excess biomass to bolster his regeneration before.


Also, it doesn't matter if Mercer can't regenerate from mere particles, because Raiden's own sword doesn't reduce the entire target down to particles in a single attack - literally every single instance Raiden has ever sliced and diced, all the victims and objects still have their remains left behind. This means that, just by having gaps of time being left in-between the slashes and for when Raiden needs to recharge, Mercer's Low-High Regeneration alone is more than enough to regenerate from those gaps of time.

With Blade Mode, Raiden can systematically dismember Mercer - severing limbs and even bisecting him repeatedly. The mutilated biomass would scatter, significantly slowing Mercer's regeneration rate to create kill opportunities. HF blades inherently inflict cumulative damage, a tactic Raiden has mastered - evidenced by his prolonged battle against Senator Armstrong, who could restore stamina and heal from wounds. Raiden maintained relentless pressure to eventually overcome Armstrong.
Let’s be real—Armstrong isn’t a perfect analog for fighting Mercer, but it sets a precedent. Raiden will relentlessly breach Mercer’s defenses, and without Armstrong-level durability, Mercer will falter faster than he did against James. His regeneration will degrade quicker under sustained HF blade assaults

Ah yes, the James Heller example.There is no logical way for Raiden to be able to achieve this with just a measly temporary 10x speed implication that eventually runs out on him with no way for him to "recharge" once he uses up all his supplies.


Also, Raiden would need to rely on Blade mode immediately, because speed is equalised. This means, without Blade mode, Mercer is as fast as Raiden is without Blade mode, and that could leave Raiden vulnerable to certain tactics from Mercer such as Mercer absorbing Raiden via touch.

It doesn't necessarily have to be a fire-based attack, just some type of heat-based attack (like having an energy attack that has a heat component) could suffice.

If Raiden only has pure kinetic AP though, then it actually works against him, since realistic physics says things like vapourisation/atomization don't actually occur from kinetic AP, it occurs from heat. This means, without actual scans showcasing that Raiden (or any other Metal Gear character, really) can vapourise/atomize a superhuman character purely from striking them hard enough with kinetic force, this wouldn't necessarily apply against Mercer.

This means even a 5-B character can punch a 8-C character, but the 5-B character's punch would not destroy the 8-C character's entire body in any way (unless they have on-screen feats or scans that says otherwise, since there does exist fictional franchises that allows a character to be able to vapourise/atomize their opponent via pure kinetic AP by punching hard enough due to how different their laws of physics are to real life... But so far, Metal Gear doesn't strike me as one of those series) - the 5-B character would be far more likely to punch a hole through the 8-C character with that punch than to induce vapourisation/atomization... Which basically means that anything at the scale of Low-High Regeneration or above would make even that 5-B character struggle (unless they do something weird like just destroying the entire planet and have the 8-C character float away from outer space, but that's a whole different can of worms).

However, it's an entirely different story if fire-based or heat-based attacks are involved for the 5-B character against the 8-C character. A high enough AP for the fire or heat-based attacks could, theoretically, assume that it is "hot enough" to just vapourise/atomize the 8-C character completely - this is one of the particular cases where no on-screen feats or scans are needed to prove vapourisation/atomization, since the sheer AP difference with the fire/heat attack could assume that the lower-tiered character can be vapourised/atomised from the heat of the much higher-tiered character's attack based on realistic physics.


Without a fire-based or heat-based attack, Custom Cyborg Body Raiden would likely run into the same stamina issues as with his Patriots Cyborg Body key.

Though, if Raiden in Ripper mode has permanent speed buffs, then it would likely be a stomp in Custom Cyborg Raiden's favour. Doesn't Raiden in Ripper mode have infinite Fuel Cell Energy? I assume Ripper mode Raiden doesn't have a stamina issue with infinite Fuel Cell Energy. Kind of hard to deal with permanent 10x speed implications after all. XD

I was about to give up, but digging deeper, I remembered a few things:

Since MGS4, Raiden can channel electricity into his attacks—including his HF Blade. On top of that, multiple scenes show that while the sword doesn’t outright vaporize targets, it leaves a heat trail when slicing through anything, from basic cyborgs to Metal Gears (machines built to withstand nuclear winters and classified as portable WMDs). Though there’s no exact value for the electrical/thermal energy output, the visual evidence is consistent.

All of this naturally aligns with the HF Blade’s heat-emitting capabilities—while it’s never shown to explicitly vaporize targets, the heat and electrical discharges in its attacks are undeniable. Plus, I’ve already switched Raiden to his Custom Body key, so he can still play butcher. And honestly, Alex can absorb him if he slips up, so I’m not worried about this being unfair. At this point, it genuinely doesn’t seem that way

So Raiden could carve through Mercer like butter with an extended Blade Mode—or even more brutally with Ripper Mode, which has no fixed multiplier but is confirmed to surpass Blade Mode. This means Raiden could operate at even higher speeds against Mercer’s regeneration, overwhelming it fast enough to reduce him to chunks before he can recover

 

[DeathNoodles]

With Blade Mode, Raiden can systematically dismember Mercer - severing limbs and even bisecting him repeatedly. The mutilated biomass would scatter, significantly slowing Mercer's regeneration rate to create kill opportunities. HF blades inherently inflict cumulative damage, a tactic Raiden has mastered - evidenced by his prolonged battle against Senator Armstrong, who could restore stamina and heal from wounds. Raiden maintained relentless pressure to eventually overcome Armstrong.
Let’s be real—Armstrong isn’t a perfect analog for fighting Mercer, but it sets a precedent. Raiden will relentlessly breach Mercer’s defenses, and without Armstrong-level durability, Mercer will falter faster than he did against James. His regeneration will degrade quicker under sustained HF blade assaults

Yeah, but Mercer's regeneration doesn't end. His regeneration being "slower" doesn't mean he stops regenerating - he will just keep on regeneration, and literally the only time Mercer has ever been killed was by being absorbed by another Blacklight shapeshifter - keep in mind, not even a nuclear fireball incinerating him has killed him after all.

Slicing and dicing would only go so far when the opponent just keeps on regeneration without stopping, regardless of their rate of regeneration (plus, this doesn't even take into consideration that Raiden never has any scans showcasing that it's within his character to want to wait around and completely slice and dice an enemy until they are nothing but atoms or less, so really, you're also debating on a win condition that Raiden doesn't have scans or feats supporting him for either, just hypothetical what-ifs that Raiden has never displayed to do).

And for Armstrong, Armstrong's Regeneration is nowhere near the level of Mercer's. Armstrong's High-Low to likely Mid Regeneration is hardly comparable to Mercer's Low-High Regeneration (nevermind his Mid-High Regeneration over time) after all. So what tactic could work against Armstrong wouldn't necessarily be as applicable against Mercer (and also, Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden hasn't fought Armstrong yet, Raiden wouldn't even know that he needs to use that sort of tactic against Mercer).

Also, how would durability even matter against Murasama or other High-Frequency Blades? If I recall correctly, Armstrong is listed as having Resistance to High-Frequency Blades in his profile - which has nothing to do with Durability, that's just hax resistance... Since you know, High-Frequency Blades are basically just low-tiered Durability Negation hax and all.

This means that having Armstrong-level Durability would not matter at all, since that's just hax resistance and not durability, and even then, Armstrong was shown to get notably damaged by Murasama later, so this hax resistance definitely has a limit.

And this regeneration can work even without needing to absorb any biomass, due to the Supreme Hunter regeneration feat. Mercer was also shown regenerating a large, notable hole in his head without the need to absorb any excess biomass as well.


Also, all these tactics you've mentioned above only apply for Custom Cyborg Body Raiden, not for the Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden. Not only did Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden not yet having encountered Armstrong for the experience, but he also doesn't have Ripper mode listed in his profile... Which means he likely suffers the stamina issue I've mentioned above.

Not like this is relevant anymore, since you switched the keys to Custom Cyborg Raiden, who likely has no stamina issue in Ripper mode. XD

I was about to give up, but digging deeper, I remembered a few things:

Since MGS4, Raiden can channel electricity into his attacks—including his HF Blade. On top of that, multiple scenes show that while the sword doesn’t outright vaporize targets, it leaves a heat trail when slicing through anything, from basic cyborgs to Metal Gears (machines built to withstand nuclear winters and classified as portable WMDs). Though there’s no exact value for the electrical/thermal energy output, the visual evidence is consistent.

All of this naturally aligns with the HF Blade’s heat-emitting capabilities—while it’s never shown to explicitly vaporize targets, the heat and electrical discharges in its attacks are undeniable. Plus, I’ve already switched Raiden to his Custom Body key, so he can still play butcher. And honestly, Alex can absorb him if he slips up, so I’m not worried about this being unfair. At this point, it genuinely doesn’t seem that way

So Raiden could carve through Mercer like butter with an extended Blade Mode—or even more brutally with Ripper Mode, which has no fixed multiplier but is confirmed to surpass Blade Mode. This means Raiden could operate at even higher speeds against Mercer’s regeneration, overwhelming it fast enough to reduce him to chunks before he can recover

Probably not going to work for Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden, since MGS4 and Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden are not only in the same AP range as Mercer, but on an even lower AP range than Mercer (who also has resistance to temperatures as high as thermobaric weapons, which can reach temperatures as high as 2,500 Degrees Celsius at minimum if my brief searches from Google is correct).

This means the HF Blade's heat-emitting capabilities likely won't even work for Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden, since Mercer is actually the one that has the higher AP and Durability here, so vapourisation/atomisation won't occur even with the heat trails thing for Patriots Cyborg Body Raiden.

That tactic would likely only work for Custom Cyborg Body Raiden with a much higher AP advantage... Who also likely just stomps anyways, since Raiden has permanent 10x speed amplifications in Ripper mode (still not sure why Raiden doesn't have Infinite Stamina in his profile listed with Ripper mode since there's that infinite Fuel Cell energy thing). I mean, Absorption via touch is Overpowered in a speed equalised matchup and all, but permanent 10x speed buffs in a speed equalised matchup means Raiden basically has all the time in the world to notice the Absorption effect and avoid/dodge his Absorption taking effect.


Basically, no matter how this matchup is spun, it's either a stomp matchup in favour of either Raiden or Mercer with no in-betweens. You either get a character that loses a battle of attrition in one of their keys, or you get the other character being sliced and diced by the faster frenzied character's other key (with heat trails from much higher AP)... Not much of a basis for a fair matchup there. XD

I mean, there is even a rule for this sort of thing:

Any speed equalized match, in which a major reason a character loses is due to having a disadvantage against some speed value they usually wouldn't have a disadvantage against, may not be added to profiles.

• As a result, winning a speed equalized match against a faster opponent due to a speed boost so large that it blitzes the opponent will not be added

So really, having permanent/indefinite speed amplications is already enough to prevent this matchup from being added to the character profiles; temporary speed buffs may have the benefit of the doubt, but the existence of Raiden's Ripper mode in his Custom Cyborg Body key (which is a permenant/indefinite speed buff)) means this matchup can never be added to the profiles. ^_^;

 

[Arkansalter2]

Doesn't Raiden blitz amps?

 

[DeathNoodles]

Doesn't Raiden blitz amps?

With permenant speed amps via Ripper mode, it results in a stomp matchup for sure.

 

[Pyro9278]

With permenant speed amps via Ripper mode, it results in a stomp matchup for sure.

Yeah, I give up. This is definitely the Stomp Battle

The thread will have to be closed

 

[Arkansalter2]

All that and all I had to say was 4 words. That's crazy.

 

[Unlucky2362]

Honestly, making Raiden's Ripper Mode infinite wouldn't be much different than James Heller's state after consuming the Alpha Juggernaut. (Heller's difference is that he can destroy almost everything in one hit) However, if we don't count him as infinite (after all, Ripper Mode lasts about 10 seconds), this match is like a battle that turned in Mercer's favor.

 

[AThe1412]

I'm very VERY certain that Raiden can use both Blade Mode and Ripper Mode for much longer than only several seconds. You want in-game evidence? Just the entire fight with Monsoon.

 

[StarShooter80]

I'm very VERY certain that Raiden can use both Blade Mode and Ripper Mode for much longer than only several seconds. You want in-game evidence? Just the entire fight with Monsoon.

Nah that fight just happened in 3.2 nanoseconds, mftl+ mgrr without calc staking is real!!!

 

[Unlucky2362]

I'm very VERY certain that Raiden can use both Blade Mode and Ripper Mode for much longer than only several seconds. You want in-game evidence? Just the entire fight with Monsoon.

This happened because Raiden went crazy after turning off his Pain Inhibitors. But it is still very dangerous and harmful to him. He realized the pain after the battle was over. Even his systems were seen to be at a critical level by his friends who controlled his cyborg body. (Like Kevin, Doctor...) Prima Guide also clearly says that Raiden burns through his Fuel Cell energy at a 'ferocious' rate when he activate Ripper Mode.

https://archive.org/details/metal-g...te-official-guide-piggyback/page/131/mode/2up

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