According to the guide, defensive offensive allows you to dodge every charge and QTE sequence from them. It also says you can manually run to avoid the pillars he throws at Raiden. Only the final charge in Phase 3 is unavoidable.
Checked. Only avoidable if you abuse I frames to avoid the giant normally unavoidable hitbox that heatseeks. Even then, it's blatant gameplay mechanics, you're supposed to enter the QTE (you can even do the same to the final QTE fyi, ad infinitum).
The game automatically always puts you in Blade Mode when he tosses the debris, even if you run away, you're intended to slice them apart, the game actively tried to force you into it.
And in the final QTE Raiden stills slams Armstrong physically so either way.
But no, QTE's are 100% canon, they're intended to happen, are always meant to happen at various health checkpoints, there's unique dialogue that plays out in the exchanges, and so on and so forth.
Do not actually try and pull the "well if you purposely go out of your way and make an effort to avoid them even when the game tries to force them then they don't count".
Of course they count, and not just that QTE, but every QTE in the game, they're intended and purposely designed to happen, to show and reflect the characters interactions, even occasionally outright alluded to in codecs and dialogue.
I mean, you really gonna sit there and go "you can avoid them so they're noncanon and don't count", in the same vain I can say that Raiden can avoid using Muramusa to take Armstrong down to death's door and fight him with his bare hands so him using Muramusa don't count even though he's clearly intended to make use of it. Or that the entire second part of Sundowner isn't canon because you can avoid it even though it's clearly canon with dialogue and all that. I could go on, hell at this point, why even have any profiles? The QTE's throughout the game are the best and most accurate canonical representation of their abilities and what transpired, but if we're about to ignore them then we have far less to go on. Hell let's not stop there, the MGS4 Snake and Ocelot fight, that's filled with like a dozen QTE's, but you can stun lock his ass so they aren't canon I guess?
Point is, Armstrong (along with every other one in the game, given there's like 40+) QTE's are very blatant and purposely designed to happen, there's story elements and dialogue to them with an entire phase being designed and implemented in response to two of the QTE, the game as a whole makes heavy use of them and Armstrong is scripted to use them at certain points in the fight every time. And as mentioned the final QTE still has Raiden doing the same shit and Muramusa doing the same as the others as well.
I'll sit here all day and vehemently argue their usability and canonicity, I'd rather have the profiles be deleted then blatant ignorance of events.
When I said I wonder if the guide has anything of note I meant a statement like "Raiden grew in strength" or a solid statement explaining the damage discrepancy with his bare fists exists whether it's due to progression or otherwise.
Though, the other scan is useful given its an objective statement, so I'll give you that one. Though I'm unsure if it actually helps anyone's case given its just reiterating things we already know and have been argued, besides Vamp.
