In a game like ARMS, where incredibly long arms are sent out to punch foes rather far away from you, it is only reasonable to assume some characters are stalwart tanks. They’re designed to find a good position and occupy it for as long as possible. Mechanica, in her metal suit, is one such character. While she can move when she needs to, someone playing as her will most likely stay in one place.
Mechanica, like Master Mummy, is one of the heavier and more formidable ARMS characters. She has the same dashes and jumps as everyone else, but she always feels weighed down. (Something that is natural, considering the suit she’s wearing!) Even her special abilities show she’s someone who’s meant to do what she can from a rather stationary position, relying on a brief dodge or block. One of her abilities allows her to hover in the air when the jump button is held. This can also translate to a brief air hover dash, which allows her an opportunity to cover some ground. I also noticed that both she and Master Mummy do not flinch from punches while attacking or moving, something other characters suffer from.
It feels like her initial loadout takes her rather stationary nature and low speed into account. She isn’t as agile, so the Homie, Revolver, and Whammer compensate for that. The Homie is a homing weapon with a fire-element that causes a huge explosion when charged. Since it seeks out an enemy, you don’t have to worry about getting as close. The Revolver has three smaller projectiles, which extends her range a bit. Since she probably won’t be moving around as fast or as much as other characters, that improves her reach. The Whammer is good for giving a quick knockback. Its attack is something of a heavy wallop that might put someone off-guard and knock back their attacks. She’s really rather well-rounded at the outset.
Best of all, the charged attacks from each of Mechanica’s initial ARMS give you an opportunity to inch closer to a foe. Revolver is an electric-type, which means an opponent hit by it will be briefly stunned. Using her hover and dash to get close when someone is briefly incapacitated is a great thing. The Homie and Whammer’s charged attacks both put someone off guard, causing them to flinch and deal with quite a bit of damage. Again, Mechanica can take advantage of that to move closer. It is also a good time to use her grab to catch people when their characters are standing back up and recovering, as it helps Mechanica reposition herself and do damage.
Her stage, the Scrapyard, compliments her nature too. This is a location where it feels like you should find a good spot and stick with it. The two pillars in the center are rather formidable and offer a bit of protection. Should you have the Homie ARM equipped here, it will dart nicely around that obstruction to hit an opponent. The Revolver, with its projectiles, is also good for getting around that. Likewise, staking a out a spot on the high ground here is great when it comes to making sure an opponent is in your sights. Having Mechanica hover while she’s already on one of these upper areas is a good way to reduce an opponent’s range.
ARMS will come to the Nintendo Switch on June 16, 2017.
