Glacial Ra/Advanced Information

Battle Information
Blade Attacking Tips:  Short Blade Recommended Burst Arts:
 * A weapon that's practically easy to use against Glacial Ra due to its quick slashes. This weapon also excels in mobility, as well as having a good selection of Burst Arts to use.
 * Dead End is a great choice for ground Burst Arts due to its armor piercing capabilities to break its Endothermic Klin more easily, as well as having a high damage output. However, you must try exploiting some openings to use this Burst Art since its 'charging period' will leave you wide open.
 * Scwalbe can be a useful pick for closing your distance between Glacial Ra and youself, making it easier for you to land aerial hits right after.
 * If you are playing the game gun-focused, Ashura Slash is a useful pick for collecting OP once you've used it for your gun attacks. Just be aware of your stamina while using it.
 * Licht Kreuz is a great choice due to its high damage output as well as the ability to retreat to give you some time to react to Ra's attacks.
 * Lightning Scourge is an excellent pick for dealing a huge amount of damage on a short period of time, especially when Ra's down and its Endothermic Klin is broken.
 * Step Burst Arts that helps in mobility such as Whirling Death and Stinging Flare can help you close off the distance between Glacial Ra any yourself. However, it isn't really a great damage dealer unless Ra's Endothermic Klin is broken.

 Long Blade Recommended Burst Arts:
 * One of the best options to fight with when battling Glacial Ra. Despite not having a diverse selection of Burst Arts to use, the recommended Burst Arts are powerful picks to use to your advantage.


 * Sacred Edge is a really good option due to its high damage output. It does the job by breaking Ra’s head easily and once broken, this Burst Art can perform excellently. It does really well even if Glacial Ra enters Burst Mode since its core hits are dangerous to Glacial Ra. Note that a Spark Element Long Blade is to be used to make this Burst Art more effective in battle.


 * Void Cutter is a solid pick for breaking Ra’s Endothermic Klin, due to its Armor Piercing capability.


 * Flame of Purgatory’s downed hits can make a short work of Glacial Ra, as it deals huge damage when aimed to its head, or the Core if Glacial Ra is in Burst Mode. For this to work efficiently, Glacial Ra needs to be in a downed position where its head and arms lean forward. Also note that this Burst Art consumes OP, meaning that OP management is necessary.


 * Flashing Blade can be an effective choice when Burst Glacial Ra is down, since you can land some core hits with it that deal great damage.


 * Aspara Wings is a great option to prepare yourself for Aerial Attacks, as well as dealing great damage when its kiln is broken.


 * Soulsplitter can decimate Glacial Ra especially in Burst Mode, mainly because of the combination of Armor Piercing and damage multipliers. This requires you to be a glass canon, equipping weak shields while having your most powerful Long Blade equipped. Note that the Nine Lives plug-in is recommended for this to work perfectly.

 Buster Blade
 * A very powerful option for dealing huge amounts of damage, as well as possessing powerful Burst Arts to do the job quickly.

Recommended Burst Arts:


 * Anathema can deal an incredible amount of damage to Glacial Ra due to its armor piercing, also making quick work of breaking its Endothermic klin. Be aware if you’re using Buckler or Shield since they may drain away some HP when you parry. Tower users must also keep a good eye on their stamina or the parrying will fail.
 * A Stage 3 Overkill can decimate Glacial Ra, dealing a massive amount of damage to it as well as piercing armor. However, this Burst Art is only usable when Glacial Ra is doing its devour attack, in which there is a very huge opening to perform a Stage 3 Charged Overkill.
 * Sky Cleaver is a great choice for aerial combat due to its faster swinging speed as well as dealing a great amount of damage.
 * Nemesis can make destroying Ra’s Endothermic klin an easy job due to its armor piercing, as well as making a short work of Glacial Ra.
 * Dividing Edge’s downed hits deal massive damage to Glacial Ra in total, especially when aimed at its most vulnerable parts.
 * Spinning Break can help in closing the distance between Glacial Ra and yourself, as well as dealing a fairly big damage output when Ra’s klin is broken.

Boost Hammer


 * This weapon is a great damage dealer against Glacial Ra and has a great Burst Art selection for you to use to your advantage.

Recommended Burst Arts:


 * Chaos Impact and Stigmata are really good aerial choices for breaking Ra’s head fairly quickly, due to their high damage output . It can also be very damaging to Ra’s broken klin, which can make a quick work of it.
 * Lost Memory is a powerful option for breaking Ra’s klin due to its armor piercing capabilities while also dealing a big amount of damage.
 * Grand Finale can make a short work of Glacial Ra, mainly when it is downed.
 * Unstoppable is another high damaging and armor piercing option to destroy Ra’s klin quickly, however watch your stamina bar as it consumes a great portion of your stamina.
 * Heat Drive is another great choice at dealing great damage, especially when Ra’s klin is broken.
 * Calamity Nova can destroy Ra’s klin really quickly due to its massive damage while used for a long while as well as its armor piercing. However, in order for the Burst Art to be effective, there must be a large opening for you to maximize this Burst Art’s power without any interruptions. This is mainly effective every time Glacial Ra carries out its devour attack.

 Charge Spear


 * Has the ability to close distance quickly with charge glides and strong aerial burst arts. Ra's teleporting makes fang deployment more suited to short bursts of damage.

Recommended Burst Arts:


 * Berserk Cursh can deal a great amount of damage whenever Glacial Ra is stationary, especially when doing its devour attack. Note that the Endothermic Klin must be broken to make this Burst Art effective in battle.
 * Valkyrie Glide and Akashic breaker are great for closing distance in the air and attacking Ra's head. Following Akashic breaker with a dive allows you to travel great distances very quickly and Valkyrie Glide deals extra damage if aimed at the core of Burst Glacial Ra.
 * Cutting Backflip adds damage to your retreats and sets you up for aerial attacks.
 * Hit and Run allows you to close distance, set up fang deployment and the subsequent backflip sets you up for aerial attacks (good for use in tandem with Akashic Breaker)
 * Mocking the gods and Ground Zero can be used to damage the Kiln thanks to their armour piercing properties. However they can be risky and mocking the gods might miss if used at too close range since the Kiln is still in the air. Works great if the Glacial Ra is downed since the entire Kiln will be on the ground so breaking other bonds allow for easier set up.

 Variant Scythe


 * A strong pick as it has great options for dealing with Glacial Ra both on the ground and in the air.

Recommended Burst Arts:


 * Inferno Rush can hit Glacial Ra reliably from the ground at a considerable distance. Be aware the some of the hits will be hitting the Kiln which will reduce the overall damage unless the Kiln is broken.
 *  Twin Talons will strike at Ra's upper bonds first and the added Stamina restoration of this and the following cleave fang can give you the stamina needed for dives to help with aerial combat.
 * Heaven or Hell is one of the best ways to destroy the Kiln if you can master the timing due to it's incredibly powerful armour piercing. Ra's devour attack gives you more than enough time to use it and it can be used from far enough away that it can be used to counter Solar Dust as well.
 * Fanatic's Scythe can allow for very strong aerial combat, especially of you can land it against Burst Ra's core. It is a risky option and knowing when to defend yourself or dive away is vital.
 * Trinity Spin and Dystopia are also solid aerials options that allow for safe damage against Ra's head and arms.
 * Grim Reaper can help with aerial setup.
 * Life stealing Burst Arts such as Soul Eater and Bloody Claw work well against Glacial Ra since they help increase your survivability.

 Biting Edge

Recommended Burst Arts:
 * Has limited options on the ground due to it's short range but has many ways to set up and maintain strong aerial combat. Being able to dive effectively will aid greatly against Glacial Ra when in glaive mode.
 * Halo Assault Provides OP absorption and makes it easier for standing glaive attacks to hit the kiln thanks to the increased range. It can also make a short work of Glacial Ra once the klin is destroyed.
 * Cosmic Bolt is a strong pick for damaging the Kiln thanks to it's armour piercing, as well as dealing high damage per hit.
 * Soaring Sky allows for aerial setup directly from glaive mode, making it easier to follow up to your aerial attacks, which are necessary to breaking Ra’s head and arms.
 * Northern Cross with a Spark weapon can deal good damage and can also catch Glacial Ra if it staggers back.
 * Petal Frenzy is a strong option as it is quite easy to maintain air time against Glacial Ra. Works well with the Raw Courage BCU.
 * Phantom Pain is a great Burst Art to use due to its great damage output. However, note that Ra’s klin must be broken first to make sure this Burst Art works at its top effectiveness.
 * Biting Thrust is a great option for closing in as well as dealing great damage when Ra’s klin is broken.
 * Seraphim Edge helps in both closing in and setting up for aerial attacks after a step.

 Heavy Moon

Recommended Burst Arts: Gun Attacking Tips:
 * Has solid Aerial options across all of it's aerial burst arts and can punish a downed Glacial Ra very well.
 * Fatal Upper can be a great set up for aerial combat if you are are careful with it.
 * Moon Tempest is a solid attack option on downed Glacial Ra and helps with damaging the Kiln on the ground. Be ready to block out of the attack if Glacial Ra is preparing to strike.
 * Roaring Axe Combo is a good way to safely punish Ra's devour attack if you can get close to it.
 * Apocalypse Axe is an all around solid option and will deal great damage to a downed Glacial Ra.
 * Lunar Feast is a great Burst Art to use, having really good damage when positioned right. It is mainly effective when Glacial Ra is carrying out its devour attack. However, one drawback to consider for this Burst Art is the usage of 100 OP, which makes the MPW Burst Control Units not an effective choice.
 * Lunar Orbit and Lunatic Force are great option for attacking Ra's head an arms. Lunar orbit will deal even more damage with a Spark weapon and Lunatic force can maintain aerial assaults for longer.
 * Falling Moon can be used as a strong follow up if you break one of Ra's bonds with aerial attacks and can aim it properly.
 * Twilight Moon has armour piercing, greatly helping in breaking the Kiln if used from shorter jumps.
 * Blade Waltz with a Spark weapon, Supermoon and Tempest Step can help close distance while dealing extra damage and setting up for Moon axe attacks or Raging moon/ Apocalypse Axe on larger openings.

General


 * Piercing Bullets are the preferred option against Glacial Ra.
 * Clinging orbs will disappear whenever Glacial Ra teleports so keep that in mind when using certain custom bullets or the X-laser and sniper sticky standard bullets as you may miss out on some of the damage is you fire too late.
 * Aim at foe orbs will aim for Ra's head.
 * Gunning for the Kiln could be an option if you have the Grim Reaper Acceleration trigger and a strong reserve of OP or custom Bullets to take advantage of it.
 * Ra's teleports can both close distance and distance itself very quickly so stay alert as to not get ambushed or whiff shots

Assault


 * A solid option with no major drawbacks. Can hit all of Ra's bonds relatively easily and drawback shot works well to avoid many of Ra's attacks.
 * Aim for the head/arms with your bullet of choice. If you want to target the Kiln, bring Chain Blast.
 * Homing Bullets will aim for Ra's Head.

Sniper


 * Can dish out strong pierce shots at a very safe distance.
 * Aim shots at it's head first and once it's broken, either go for the arms or keep shooting the head.
 * Ra's only weak-point is it's core when in burst mode so Sniper criticals will be unavailable most of the time. As such, unless specifically fighting Burst Glacial Ra, The Concentration BCU is not recommended

Shotgun


 * Has a tough time against Glacial Ra since The Kiln by far the most protected part of Glacial Ra and is also the only part hit-able from the ground.
 * Rush fire is a great option to chase teleports for no stamina.
 * Watch for openings and jump up to shoot the head and arms or work on damaging the Kiln.
 * Poison Slugs are a good option to bring as Glacial Ra has low poison resistance and Large slugs will poison it very quickly.

Raygun


 * Beams can inflict a lot of damage and Ra's ranged options are easy enough to react to that you should be able to cancel out of beams safely. Focus beams on the head first as it's the weakest area while also being a fairly easy target.
 * However, teleports can disrupt continuous fire, especially if Ra's new location requires you to turn around completely. In this situation, it's better to cancel the current beam to save OP and prepare for attacks.

Elemental


 * Glacial Ra is only weak to Spark, with the exception of the core which is weak to everything like every Ashborn core.

Status Resistances:

Enraged Effects

Rage Indicator

Unbounding Tips:
 * Like the other Ashborns, Glacial Ra will be surrounded by tiny particles of ash when enraged.
 * When enraged, Glacial Ra deals more damage and teleports more frequently. It will also carry out devour attacks.

It is every players best interest to break every possible bond in order to guarantee as many bond break rewards as possible. Even if the mission ends due to a timeout, these rewards will still be earned. As such building to break as many bonds as possible helps greatly in doing this.

Head


 * This is Ra’s most fragile part out of all the breakable body parts Glacial Ra has. Use that to your advantage an attack it as much as possible as it was facing towards you. If Glacial Ra is facing sideways or backwards, it will be harder to land hits on its head.

Arms


 * This is also another breakable bond to be focused on after Ra’s head is broken. Since aerial hits with melee weapons may hit its arms sometimes when Glacial Ra is facing forward, its arms are also getting more fragile at the same time the head’s damaged. Also, when Glacial Ra isn’t facing you, you can try using that moment to make its arms more vulnerable by attacking them whenever it is open for attacks.

Endothermic Kiln


 * Use any Armor Piercing Burst Arts to destroy its Endothermic Kiln much more quickly. If your setup doesn’t have any, it is best to ignore the part and focus on the other breakable parts. Destroying this part will make it the best place to attack reliably.

Attacks: Normal Attacks
 * Frigid Mines Glacial Ra Creates Numerous Ice clumps and scatters them to the ground, damaging anyone who makes contact with them. This attack can still cause damage in it's startup.
 * Cold Sunswipe: Glacial Ra swipes its nearby targets with one of its Frozen Ice Clumps from left to right.
 * Cold Solar Dash: Glacial Ra moves slightly backwards before charging right towards its targets.
 * Glacial Dust: Glacial Ra spins around before slamming towards the ground with its klin, releasing solar heat surrounding the ground around it.
 * Cold Solar Rays: Glacial Ra releases its stream of homing light rays from its Ice Clumps towards its targets.
 * Twin Ice Clumps: Glacial Ra releases both its Ice Clumps at the same time. The Ice Clumps move slowly but they home towards its targets.
 * Frozen Flames: Glacial Ra retreats while creating 2 Icy walls with its Ice Clumps.
 * Frozen Solar Bomb: Glacial Ra rises up to the air, creating a bigger sun out of its two Ice Clumps and throws it down towards its target, exploding into flames as it hits its target or any solid object.
 * Frozen Solar Beam: A low health attack. Glacial Ra combines its two Ice Clumps to unleash a stream of solar beam towards the direction of where the target stands when activating it.
 * Teleportation: Glacial Ra has the ability to teleport near or far away from its target depending on which attack it uses.

Devour Attack


 * Monster Ice Clumps: Glacial Ra turns its Ice Clumps into monstrous looking mouths before throwing them one by one towards its target. It will usually teleport before doing this attack.

Burst Mode Attacks All of Ra's attacks are faster and deadlier in burst mode. Solar Dust, Sunswipe and Solar Bomb now inflict defense down. More flames erupt from it's body and its Ice Clumps look more intense. Glacial Ra will also teleport a lot more frequently. Along with these enhancements, Glacial Ra gains access to several new attacks:


 * Frigid Minefield Glacial Glacial Ra Creates significantly more Ice clumps and scatters them to the ground, damaging anyone who makes contact with them. This attack can still cause damage in it's startup.
 * Rotating Frozen Solar Beam: A deadlier variant of the Solar Beam that deals more damage, lasts longer and rotates to the direction of its target at a 360 degree angle.
 * Cold Sunswipe Barrage: Glacial Ra prepares itself for a swipe attack, then proceeds to lunge forward while swiping its targets. It will swipe its enemies 2-4 times.
 * Glacial Nova: Glacial Ra's most powerful attack. Glacial Ra combines its two Ice Clumps, charging up its attack for a massive explosion. This attack can instantly incapacitate its targets within the attack's proximity without the support of the "Nine Lives" Burst Control Unit so extreme caution is advised. Surviving targets are inflicted with defense down when hit by this attack.

Handling Attacks:  Cold Sunswipe 
 * Sunswipe has a blind spot where it will not hit you. Step behind Glacial Ra to your left and the swipe will miss. This is especially useful for Biting edge users as it can help in maintaining glaive mode. This is also useful for Scythe users since they can use this moment to their advantage, having enough time to perform Heaven or Hell.
 * This attack can be countered by parries from Anathema and Soulsplitter as they pierce armor.

 Cold Solar Dash 

 Glacial Dust 
 * Stepping to the side and jumping, diving backwards when Glacial Ra uses the dash or proper distancing can open up a devour window in this attack
 * If your in the air when Glacial Ra is using this attack, it's best to either try and dive away or attempt to block it depending on your shield type and distance from Glacial Ra.
 * If you don't have time to escape, resort to guarding the attack, either through normal guards or dives. If you are used to perfect guarding, this method shouldn't be too much of a problem to be used.
 * Simply jumping or staying away from the ground does the trick.
 * You can also try guarding this attack, mainly when you landed on the ground by mistake by the time Glacial Ra is about to perform the attack.
 * Another useful way to counter this attack is to use Anathema or Soulsplitter to parry it due to them piercing armor. For Soulsplitter users, be wary when parrying this attack when Glacial Ra is at Burst Mode since it inflicts defense down.

 Cold Solar Rays   Twin Ice Clumps 
 * You can completely avoid this attack by just staying really close to it while you attack.
 * Dive perfect guards towards Glacial Ra are by far the best option for god eaters at a distance once you get the timing down. Doing so will allow you to close distance and continue your assault quickly with no damage taken.
 * Guarding both Ice Clumps is the best way to deal with this attack since the attack will be dissipated through guarding, making you worry less about it lingering around while you’re dealing damage.

 Frozen Flames 
 * Diving across the walls is a good way to get yourself to Glacial Ra without wasting time, however don’t get too close to the walls or this will not work.

 Frozen Solar Bomb 
 * Diving towards Glacial Ra and going behind it is the solid way to deal with this attack, mainly because Glacial Ra can be open for a period of time, in which you can take advantage by devouring or punishing it with attacks.
 * Perfect Guarding the attack is also another option for the daring. Look at the distance between the approaching projectile and the target object and time your guard based on what shield you use. Also, Dive Perfect Guards are the recommended way to do it since it can close off the distance between you and Glacial Ra albeit more risky.

 Frozen Solar Beam 
 * Simply stepping to the side will avoid this attack as long as you can see it coming.

 Teleportation 
 * Whenever Glacial Ra attempts to teleport, you can try staggering it to interrupt its teleportation.
 * In Burst Mode, being able to anticipate what attacks Glacial Ra will do after teleporting will make protecting yourself much easier. Close ranged teleports will cause it to either carry out Cold Sunswipe attack or Glacial Nova when in burst. Medium ranged teleports show that it will carry out its Cold Solar Dash. Long ranged teleports indicate that it will release its Twin Ice Clumps or Cold Solar Rays. (Extra Note: Whenever Amy warns of a long range fire when Glacial Ra is about to teleport, it is obvious that Glacial Ra will perform Cold Sunswipe right after it teleports).

 Monster Ice Clumps (Devour Attack): 
 * The most preferred method to deal with Ra’s devour attack is to dive to a location close to it. This way, you can deal as much damage as possible when Ra’s still stuck in performing its devour attack animation. The opening is also huge enough for you to charge up a big attack.
 * Sidestepping the devour attacks can also work when timed correctly. The orbs need to be close enough for it to work but not too close.
 * Standing behind a wall may also neutralize Ra’s devour attack but take note that Ra’s devour may penetrate and get you if you are too close to the wall.
 * Just Guarding the devour attack is also a great option in dealing with the attack since Ra’s other orb will disappear once you managed to Just Guard its first orb. Take note of what shield you are using since the timings are different for each shield type. Additionally, Dive Just Guards can also neutralize the devour attack while closing the range between Glacial Ra and yourself to deal extra damage since Glacial Ra is still wide open.
 * If you are in a team, Be aware who the devour attack is aiming for and don't bring it closer to allies. It is entirely possible for teammates to get caught by stray shots if caught unaware. Perfect guarding the first orb is the best way to minimize the risk if the target is not under Glacial Ra.

 Rotating Frozen Solar Beam 
 * Generally it's best to jump high to Glacial Ra and attack it in the air well above the beam until it finishes it's rotation. However there is a gap right in front of Glacial Ra that will be behind the beam. (just be careful that you attacks don't move you backwards)
 * This attack can also leave a wide opening when you are extremely close to Glacial Ra. Burst Arts that take a long time to charge such as Overkill and Moonlit Dawn, as well as Variant Scythe's Heaven or Hell can take advantage of this.
 * Perfect Guarding the beam will lock both you and Glacial Ra in place for the beams duration, possibly making it safer for your team. This is not recommended as you will more than likely get killed if you miss-time the perfect guard but is an option if you are feeling particularly daring. Note that sometimes in Multiplayer (mainly when the internet connection is bad), Ra's beam will still rotate even if you guard the beam.

 Cold Sunswipe Barrage 
 * One of the safest ways to deal with this attack is to dive to either the left or the right side once Glacial Ra readies itself for the attack.
 * Perfect Guarding the first Sunswipe is also a good way to deal with the attack since this attack may cover a long range. If you are cornered to a wall, Perfect Guarding may be your only option in dealing with the Sunswipes. Note that this is easier to do with Bucklers or Normal Shields due to their fast enough deployment time.

 Glacial Nova 
 * The safest way to deal with this move is to simply move out of it's blast range (indicated by an orange circle on the ground) and wait it out or shoot Glacial Ra with bullets while it's vulnerable.
 * If you can consistently time it correctly, Perfect guarding the blast is the best option as the move gives ample time for god eaters to attack Glacial Ra while the it's charging (possibly staggering it out of the attack). It's recommended that you have a teammate ready to heal you if you mess up as the move is incredibly powerful and will likely one shot you without the nine lives BCU.
 * An alternate method for Buster Blade users would be to time a parry attack, in which Anathema and Tower Shields are recommended. As Glacial Ra is about to unleash its big attack (shown by the shrinking circle on the ground), perform a parry.
 * For the incredibly daring, the long Blade Burst Art Soulsplitter will do incredible damage by countering the blast and since it's armour piercing it will greatly aid in breaking the Kiln. Just be aware that it will only work if it doesn't kill you so the Nine Lives BCU is essential.

Other Useful Tips:
 * WIP

Aragami Materials
The following is a list of all the materials that are available on the first of Glacial Ra's two assault missions. "Operation Fallen Sun". "Operation Ice Blight" Shortens the drop list to only the Rank 6-7 Drops, making it more effective if you can reliably complete it for the higher rank versions of the Adaptive Gear