A self-piloting antipersonnel weapon manufactured by Shinra's Advanced Weaponry Division. This consummate killing machine is armed with a drill on its head, claws on its arms, and rotating blades on its torso.
Enemy Intel
M.O.T.H. Unit is a mechanical enemy in Final Fantasy VII Remake and "Episode INTERmission".
In the base game, it is fought in the Shinra Building in Chapter 17, "Deliverance from Chaos", with Cloud and Barret, and on the Midgar Expressway in Chapter 18, "Destiny's Crossroads", as part of the bike minigame. It can also be fought in the Shinra Combat Simulator as part of the "vs. 3-C SOLDIER Candidates" challenge.
In "Episode INTERmission", a M.O.T.H. Unit is fought in the segment preceding the boss battle against The Crimson Mare where the player is choosing their path through the testing facility, meaning it is a missable enemy.
M.O.T.H. Unit (Defense) is also a grounded unit in the Fort Condor minigame in "Episode INTERmission", bought from the Junk Shop whose wares keep changing depending on quest and Fort Condor progression.
Stats[]
Normal battle[]
Attacks[]
= Physical damage- = Magical damage
| Attack | Description | Block | KBKnockback |
|---|---|---|---|
 Double Claw
|
Charges at a party member while slicing with its claws. | ||
| Speed Rush
|
Moves in a figure eight pattern while spinning the blades on the ball it stands on. | ||
| Drillstrike
|
High speed charge at a party member. | ||
| Chainsaw
|
Spins the blades on the ball it stands on. | ||
| Chainstorm
|
Shoots eight small blades toward a party member that move around the battlefield. | ||
| Voltaic Charge | Detracts its spinning blades and charges itself with electricity, enabling the use of  Lightning-based attacks.
|
||
 Shock
|
Shocks a party member with Lightning damage.
|
||
| High Voltage
|
Used after charging up with electricity once. Shoots an electric charge dealing Lightning damage to one party member.
|
||
| Ultra High Voltage
|
Used after using High Voltage and charging up again. It charges up and fires Lightning energy at a party member. Often follows up with High Voltage and Shock. After using this attack its spinning blades appear again.
|
Battle[]
M.O.T.H. Unit is a powerful and high mobile mechanical enemy with a dangerous arsenal of physical and magical attacks, being a threat from virtually any range. However, despite its high power, all its attacks can be blocked. This enemy is sturdy, taking minimal stagger damage unless under a very specific circumstance.
As soon the fight starts, spinning blades will appear from its lower body, dealing damage on contact, meaning that any direct melee approach can be retaliating. The M.O.T.H. Unit's speed allows it to quickly close the gap against the player and unleash powerful attacks, such as Drillstrike, where it charges at the player. If the player keeps a distance, it also uses Chainstorm, where the M.O.T.H. Unit shoots blades that spin around itself, expanding towards the player.
As the fight progresses, the M.O.T.H. Unit will charge up electricity, noted by the electric currents emitting from it. Once charged, it will detract the spinning blades in its body, allowing the player to hit it with melee attacks without taking damage. However, this also gives the M.O.T.H. Unit access to devastating Lightning-based attacks; High Voltage and Ultra High Voltage in particular are devastating. After using Ultra High Voltage, the M.O.T.H. Unit briefly becomes highly susceptible to staggering before reverting to its initial battle phase with the spinning blades.
Like all mechanical enemies, the M.O.T.H. Unit is weak to Lightning. Despite not being a flying-type, it is also weak to 
Wind, since it hovers. However, hitting the M.O.T.H. Unit with lightning attacks actually charges its energy faster.
Strategy[]
Since the M.O.T.H. Unit always starts with using its physical spinning saw attacks and repels melee attacks with its spinning blades, Barret can attack more easily with ranged weapons. However, Cloud is the best one to deal with it, as he can use Punisher Mode's counter and Counterstance directly into the spinning blades on its body to deal massive damage in succession. As the enemy only uses physical attacks initially, the player can use 
Barrier on the party. Chainstorm can actually be avoided entirely by holding block and slowly moving to the side, tilting slightly towards the M.O.T.H. Unit.
Once the M.O.T.H. Unit charges its energy and the blades retract, the player can attack it more offensively while paying attention to its lightning attacks, which are best off guarded since they're difficult to dodge. The player can also link the 
Elemental Materia with 
Lightning Materia in a party member's armor to mitigate damage from the M.O.T.H Unit's electric attacks, and use Manaward.
The player can also link the elemental materia with a lightning materia or a Wind Materia to a party member's weapon to exploit the M.O.T.H. Unit's weakness, or cast them directly. Synergy Materia paired with lightning can be equipped on Barret to pelt it with spells when Cloud acts.
Hard Mode[]
On the hard difficulty, the M.O.T.H. Unit is even more aggressive, moving around faster and using its abilities more often. Its energy will charge faster, and High Voltage and Ultra High Voltage are even more dangerous, able to hit for over 6000 damage if the player is not blocking, which can one-shot any character other than Barret if they're don't have a maxed 
HP Up Materia equipped.
Playing defensively while building ATB is ideal, especially after the M.O.T.H. Unit powers up; the player can hold on their ATB charges until the enemy uses Ultra High Voltage while blocking, and proceed to unleash moves with high stagger rate.
Shinra Combat Simulator[]
The M.O.T.H. Unit is far more dangerous when fought in the Shinra Combat Simulator, specially due to its Ultra High Voltage attack. Cloud can use Counterstance to simply bypass the attack and retaliate, while Barret can use Steelskin and block, and Aerith can use Lustrous Shield. Tifa is limited to her guard as a defensive maneuver, but can use Parry Materia to dodge it, although it requires precise timing.
Tifa and Cloud may struggle to attack when the M.O.T.H. Unit is in its spinning blades phase. She can use Chi Trap (as long the M.O.T.H. Unit is not moving around) while Cloud can use Blade Burst, guard in Punisher Mode, and Counterstance. Both can also use magic without worrying about MP, since it is the last fight in the gauntlet.
All characters greatly benefit from pairing Elemental Materia with Lightning Materia on their armor; if Elemental is maxed, the fight can be trivialized as they will absorb Lightning.
Episode INTERmission[]
The M.O.T.H. Unit mostly attacks in melee range, meaning Throw and Lightning Ninjutsu is best. Synergized Art of War is effective. As the M.O.T.H. Unit is also weak to wind, the ranged Windstorm is potent. If Sonon has Synergy Materia paired with Lightning Materia, he will cast a free Thunder whenever Yuffie uses Windstorm as well.
Bike minigame[]
When fought in the bike minigame during "Flying Through the Night", the player should guard against its ranged spinning discs. When it closes in on Cloud, he should guard against its spinning disc to disable it, then attack it.
Other appearances[]
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius[]
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