A modified version of the slug-ray. Larger than the original model, but unable to fly. Equipped with rapid-fire grenade launchers that can eliminate multiple targets at once.
Enemy Intel
Blast-Ray is an enemy in Final Fantasy VII Remake and "Episode INTERmission". It is a war drone deployed by the Shinra Electric Power Company, fought on the Collapsed Sector 7 Plate in Chapter 15, "The Day Midgar Stood Still", and within the Drum during Chapter 17, "Deliverance from Chaos". It is also faced in the Shinra Combat Simulator during "Three-Person Team vs. Team Ragbag". In "Episode INTERmission", two Blast-Rays are fought in B20 - Advanced Weaponry: Testing in the segment where the player chooses the way to advance. Blast-Ray is this a missable enemy in INTERmission.
Blast-Ray (Defense) is also a grounded unit in the Fort Condor minigame in "Episode INTERmission".
Stats[]
Abilities[]
Abilities in italics lack names in-game and, hence, have unofficial names.
= Physical damage- = Magic damage
| Ability | Range | Description | Block | KBKnockback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Concentrated Fire
|
Ranged | Fires 7 grenades that explode on contact. | ||
| Grenade Launcher
|
Ranged | Fires 3 grenades that explode on contact. | ||
| Rocket Launcher
|
Ranged | Fires 7 missiles from its rear. | ||
| Stomp
|
Melee | Jumps and lands its heavy body on target. | ||
 Electrical Discharge
|
Ranged | Discharges  Lightning within radius around self.
|
||
| Electromagnetic Waves
|
Ranged | Discharges electricity within radius around self. EM waves remain for a short time, hindering party members from getting close. |
Battle[]
The Blast-Ray's grenades and missiles can stun characters that are not blocking, and also cover a large radius. Once staggered, the Blast-Ray will be surrounded by an electromagnetic field that pushes characters away, resulting in that melee attacks cannot reach it, meaning that, counterintuitively, the player may be doing less damage to it when it is staggered than other times. Eventually, the Blast-Ray will unleash Electrical Discharge, dealing massive damage to any character caught in range, but also dissipating the barrier, allowing melee fighters to hit it once again.
Much like the vast majority of mechanical enemies, the Blast-Ray is weak against Lightning.
Hard Mode[]
On the hard difficulty, the Blast-Ray will use its abilities more often. Since MP is a scarce resource, the player may not want to expend it to healing, and rather equip 
Prayer Materias on everyone, since they'll have to conserve MP for fighting The Valkyrie at the end of the chapter. Cloud can be built towards magic with his 
Mythril Saber that has MP-regenerative properties. The set-up with the 
Synergy Materia in Intergrade is especially useful, because the spells cast with it are free.
Strategy[]
Equipping characters Elemental Materia paired 
Lightning Materia is particularly useful on Barret, since he can effectively attack the Blast-Ray once it raises its electromagnetic wave barrier. Thunder magic also hits while it is in this state, as does Cloud's Blade Burst and Tifa's Chi Trap. Aerith's Ray of Judgment with Fleeting Familiar hits during the barrier phase, but she can only fight the Blast-Ray in the Shinra Combat Simulator. Inflicting the staggered Blast-Ray with 
Stop nulls the barrier. Cloud can actually hits the Blast-Ray in melee range while the barrier is up by using 
Deadly Dodge Materia, rolling towards it and using its spin attack.
Fighting two of them at once at the Drum can be a challenge. Pairing Lightning Materia with Elemental Materia on Tifa or Barret (or both) and another Lightning with Magnify Materia on Cloud can give an edge, and then lay into them with Tifa's combos, Barret's ranged firepower, and Cloud's spells. It is best to bring Time Materia on someone as well. When one staggers, the player can cast 
Stop on it, and Cloud can use Infinity's End, Barret can use Maximum Fury, while Tifa continues to use combos or uses Thundaga. Haste from the Time materia can also help out. If not using Stop, Barret can be the main attacker during stagger periods while Tifa and Cloud use thunder spells, Blade Burst, and Chi Trap, however, the latter two will struggle to build ATB without being able to physically attack. With Steadfast Block Materia, they can build ATB by blocking, and when AI-controlled, they will usually do just that.
In Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, the Synergy Materia allows the equipper to cast spells without ATB- or MP-cost, and so would be very useful in this battle on the character with the highest 
Magic, paired with Lightning. If another Lightning was paired with HP Absorption Materia or HP Absorption Materia, they would build HP and MP as well.
Episode INTERmission[]
Yuffie can effectively pelt the Blast-Ray while its barrier is up by using Throw. Using a mix of Synergized Art of War and Thunderous Banishments while guarding against their missiles is an effective way to dispose of them. Sonon can have Synergy paired with Lightning materia.
Gallery[]
_Fort_Condor_unit_from_FFVIIR_INTERmission.png "Blast-Ray (Defense) Fort Condor unit from FFVIIR INTERmission.png (446 KB)")