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* Bright Lights is mostly used when Cloud is far from Rufus. It can hit Cloud from across the entire screen, but has a slow start-up. This attack cannot be blocked, and must be dodged instead.
 
* Bright Lights is mostly used when Cloud is far from Rufus. It can hit Cloud from across the entire screen, but has a slow start-up. This attack cannot be blocked, and must be dodged instead.
* Guns Akimbo has Rufus shooting at Cloud repeatedly. This attack cannot be dodged, and must be blocked. If Cloud is hit, he'll be [[Interrupt (VII Remake)|flinched]] and Darkstar will use a follow-up attack.
+
* Guns Akimbo has Rufus shooting at Cloud repeatedly. This attack cannot be dodged, and must be blocked (cannot be blocked in Punisher Mode), If Cloud is hit, he will be [[Interrupt (VII Remake)|flinched]] and Darkstar will use a follow-up attack.
 
* Thunderclap is used after Darkstar casts Thunder on Rufus's gun, charging it up. This attack deals {{icon|FFVIIR|element|lightning}} damage and can be blocked or dodged.
 
* Thunderclap is used after Darkstar casts Thunder on Rufus's gun, charging it up. This attack deals {{icon|FFVIIR|element|lightning}} damage and can be blocked or dodged.
 
* Thread Softly has Rufus throwing three coins on the air and commanding Darkstar to pelt them with lightning, laying three orbs of electricity on the floor, which will stun Cloud on contact. This attack cannot be blocked, and must be dodged backwards instead.
 
* Thread Softly has Rufus throwing three coins on the air and commanding Darkstar to pelt them with lightning, laying three orbs of electricity on the floor, which will stun Cloud on contact. This attack cannot be blocked, and must be dodged backwards instead.
* Up in Smoke has Rufus shooting a coin and dispersing a smoke screen. If Cloud is hit, he'll be flinched for some seconds, and Darkstar will follow-up with an attack. Up in Smoke cannot be blocked, and must be dodged backwards instead.
+
* Up in Smoke has Rufus shooting a coin and dispersing a smoke screen. If Cloud is hit, he will be flinched for some seconds, and Darkstar will follow-up with an attack. Up in Smoke cannot be blocked, and must be dodged backwards instead.
*Think Fast has Rufus throwing five coins in the air and shooting them, causing massive explosions. If Cloud is hit, he'll be sent flying, and Darkstar will follow-up with an attack that slams him on the ground. Think Fast cannot be blocked, and must be dodged backwards instead.
+
*Think Fast has Rufus throwing five coins in the air and shooting them, causing massive explosions. If Cloud is hit, he will be sent flying, and Darkstar will follow-up with an attack that slams him on the ground. Think Fast cannot be blocked, and must be dodged backwards instead.
   
 
In the second phase Rufus will still command Darkstar, but is a more active attacker; the hound will instead follow-up any of Rufus abilities that directly hit Cloud. This phase will end when Darkstar is defeated, at which point Rufus will force it to retreat.
 
In the second phase Rufus will still command Darkstar, but is a more active attacker; the hound will instead follow-up any of Rufus abilities that directly hit Cloud. This phase will end when Darkstar is defeated, at which point Rufus will force it to retreat.
   
The third and final phase starts with another cutscene where Rufus reveals his new tactic, propelling himself with his gun for fast ground dashes and even in midair. Rufus will be very aggressive and mobile in this phase, zigzagging through the battlefield and quickly close the gap to attack Cloud. He still employs solid protective measures through evasion and swift counters, making it much harder for the player to land blows. He'll use all his previous abilities save for Thunderclap. Thread Softly will be smaller, and thrown at Rufus feet, to preventing Cloud from approaching him. Rufus will only be vulnerable while reloading his shotgun.
+
The third and final phase starts with another cutscene where Rufus reveals his new tactic, propelling himself with his gun for fast ground dashes and even in midair. Rufus will be very aggressive and mobile in this phase, zigzagging through the battlefield and quickly close the gap to attack Cloud. He still employs solid protective measures through evasion and swift counters, making it much harder for the player to land blows. he will use all his previous abilities save for Thunderclap. Thread Softly will be smaller, and thrown at Rufus feet, to preventing Cloud from approaching him. Rufus will only be vulnerable while reloading his shotgun.
   
 
=== Strategy ===
 
=== Strategy ===
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It is possible to make Rufus fall asleep with the {{icon|FFVIIR|spell|sleep}} spell, rendering him unable to attack. Using [[Braver (VII Remake)|Braver]] on Rufus instantly staggers him, potentially trivializing the battle; though normally it is tough (albeit possible with the right timing) to hit Rufus with Braver, the task becomes easy when he is sleeping. The player can then cast {{icon|FFVIIR|spell|Stop}} on the staggered Rufus, fill Clouds [[Final Fantasy VII Remake battle system|ATB]] to full and use [[Infinity's End (ability)|Infinity's End]]. This way, the player can defeat him easily even in [[Final Fantasy VII Remake difficulty levels|hard mode]].
 
It is possible to make Rufus fall asleep with the {{icon|FFVIIR|spell|sleep}} spell, rendering him unable to attack. Using [[Braver (VII Remake)|Braver]] on Rufus instantly staggers him, potentially trivializing the battle; though normally it is tough (albeit possible with the right timing) to hit Rufus with Braver, the task becomes easy when he is sleeping. The player can then cast {{icon|FFVIIR|spell|Stop}} on the staggered Rufus, fill Clouds [[Final Fantasy VII Remake battle system|ATB]] to full and use [[Infinity's End (ability)|Infinity's End]]. This way, the player can defeat him easily even in [[Final Fantasy VII Remake difficulty levels|hard mode]].
   
At first, Rufus fights with common shots and commands Darkstar. When Darkstar can no longer be targeted, the player should engage Rufus. Once Darkstar is defeated, Rufus becomes easier, but still should not be underestimated. The key is to pay close attention to Rufus's moves, and thus it is best to keep the target lock on. Charging head-on in any phase will result in Cloud being punished by Rufus counter-attacks, who will constantly move around before attacking in the third phase. The player should keep their guard up and wait for Rufus to reload his weapon, where he'll be vulnerable; taking too long to attack while he is reloading will result in Rufus countering Cloud. [[Magic (VII Remake)|Magic attacks]] can be used at any time, but Rufus resists damage from magic.
+
At first, Rufus fights with common shots and commands Darkstar. When Darkstar can no longer be targeted, the player should engage Rufus. Once Darkstar is defeated, Rufus becomes easier, but still should not be underestimated. The key is to pay close attention to Rufus's moves, and thus it is best to keep the target lock on. Charging head-on in any phase will result in Cloud being punished by Rufus counter-attacks, who will constantly move around before attacking in the third phase. The player should keep their guard up and wait for Rufus to reload his weapon, where he will be vulnerable; taking too long to attack while he is reloading will result in Rufus countering Cloud. [[Magic (VII Remake)|Magic attacks]] can be used at any time, but Rufus resists damage from magic.
   
 
The player can equip {{icon|FFVIIR|materia|steadfast block}} on Cloud to [[Final Fantasy VII Remake battle system|build his ATB]] faster and protect him from some of Rufus attacks that require blocking, such as Guns Akimbo. As the player may need to be on guard and watch out for Rufus's attacks a lot, rather than engage head on, and there is only one party member, using {{icon|FFVIIR|spell|haste}} on Cloud may also be useful for him to execute attacks faster. Equipping {{icon|FFVIIR|materia|chakra}} lets Cloud heal without using up MP, useful especially in hard mode.
 
The player can equip {{icon|FFVIIR|materia|steadfast block}} on Cloud to [[Final Fantasy VII Remake battle system|build his ATB]] faster and protect him from some of Rufus attacks that require blocking, such as Guns Akimbo. As the player may need to be on guard and watch out for Rufus's attacks a lot, rather than engage head on, and there is only one party member, using {{icon|FFVIIR|spell|haste}} on Cloud may also be useful for him to execute attacks faster. Equipping {{icon|FFVIIR|materia|chakra}} lets Cloud heal without using up MP, useful especially in hard mode.

Revision as of 19:20, 11 August 2022

Shinra's vice president and the son of the president. He carries a custom-made shotgun and is protected by Darkstar, a military canine.

Enemy Intel

Rufus is a boss in Final Fantasy VII Remake. He is fought during Chapter 17, "Deliverance from Chaos", by Cloud alone, during the quest "The Showdown". Rufus is accompanied by Darkstar, a canine monster. Rufus is fast and hard to pin down, but is susceptible to Sleep Sleep.

Stats

  1. The ability that instantly staggers Rufus is Braver.

Attacks

Rufus's attacks depend on battle phase.

  • Phase 1: Darkstar has ≥50% HP
  • Phase 2: Darkstar has ≤49% HP
  • Phase 3: Darkstar is defeated
Physical damage = Physical damage
Magic damage = Magical damage
Attack Pic Phase Description Block KB(Knockback)
Physical damageShotgun Rufus boss shotgun attack from FFVII Remake All Fires 5–6 bullets (counterattack is 5). When firing 6 times, one bullet will knock Cloud back. Y N
Reload & Combat Load All Loads 4 or 6 bullets. 6 is during Combat Load and hard mode. - -
Physical damageFollow Up 1–2 Rufus moves to Darkstar's position and fires his gun. Y N
Physical damageAssist 1–2 Fires his gun point-blank in front of Cloud. Y N
Magic damageThunderclap Thunderclap from FFVII Remake 1–2 When Darkstar casts Thunder Thunder, Rufus will charge a Lightning Lightning bolt. Y Y
Heel 1–2 Summons Darkstar to his side. - -
Physical damageGuns Akimbo Guns Akimbo from FFVII Remake 2–3 Fires 10 shots and needs to reloads.
Hard Mode: Fires 13 shots and needs to reloads.
Y N
Magic damageUp in Smoke Up in Smoke from FFVII Remake 2 Throws a coin and shoots it, dispersing a cloud of smoke. Target will flinch. N N
Magic damageBright Lights Bright Lights from FFVII Remake 2 Throws and shoots at 2 coins, causing red lasers to fire. This can use be used as a counterattack. N Y
Magic damageTread Softly 2 Throws 3 coins on the floor that emit electricity for 8 seconds. If Cloud is hit, he is stunned for 5 seconds. N N
Magic damageThink Fast Think Fast from FFVII Remake 2 Tosses and fires at 5 coins, detonating them. N Y

Battle

Rufus boss shotgun attack from FFVII Remake

Shotgun.

Rufus is fought alongside his hound, Darkstar, against Cloud, alone. He fights with his shotgun and by commanding his dog. Direct attacks on Rufus are ineffective, since he always counters them. If the player attacks Rufus directly at the start of the fight, a short cutscene will play to signal the player to not focus on him. There are three phases to this battle with Rufus gaining more attacks each time.

During the first phase Rufus and Darkstar engage in combo tactics, both "linked" through Rufus' Heel ability, which will show a small thread connecting the two. The bulk of the offensive is done by Darkstar on Rufus's command, leaping and pouncing on Cloud for repeated damage, and must be brushed off. If Darkstar is too far away, Rufus will whistle to call him back to his side. Attacking Rufus is largely useless, and to proceed, Darkstar must be damaged around half its HP. Attacking Darkstar non-stop will result in Rufus intervening, retaliating with shotgun blasts. If any of Darkstar abilities hit Cloud directly, Rufus will use follow-ups to complement the damage.

Bright Lights from FFVII Remake

Bright Lights.

The second phase starts when Darkstar loses half of its HP. A cutscene will play showing Rufus's helicopter leaving. Rufus demonstrates his new ability, Bright Lights, in which he tosses coins in the air as railgun projectiles for large damage. Rufus's arsenal will be greatly expanded in this phase:

  • Bright Lights is mostly used when Cloud is far from Rufus. It can hit Cloud from across the entire screen, but has a slow start-up. This attack cannot be blocked, and must be dodged instead.
  • Guns Akimbo has Rufus shooting at Cloud repeatedly. This attack cannot be dodged, and must be blocked (cannot be blocked in Punisher Mode), If Cloud is hit, he will be flinched and Darkstar will use a follow-up attack.
  • Thunderclap is used after Darkstar casts Thunder on Rufus's gun, charging it up. This attack deals Lightning Lightning damage and can be blocked or dodged.
  • Thread Softly has Rufus throwing three coins on the air and commanding Darkstar to pelt them with lightning, laying three orbs of electricity on the floor, which will stun Cloud on contact. This attack cannot be blocked, and must be dodged backwards instead.
  • Up in Smoke has Rufus shooting a coin and dispersing a smoke screen. If Cloud is hit, he will be flinched for some seconds, and Darkstar will follow-up with an attack. Up in Smoke cannot be blocked, and must be dodged backwards instead.
  • Think Fast has Rufus throwing five coins in the air and shooting them, causing massive explosions. If Cloud is hit, he will be sent flying, and Darkstar will follow-up with an attack that slams him on the ground. Think Fast cannot be blocked, and must be dodged backwards instead.

In the second phase Rufus will still command Darkstar, but is a more active attacker; the hound will instead follow-up any of Rufus abilities that directly hit Cloud. This phase will end when Darkstar is defeated, at which point Rufus will force it to retreat.

The third and final phase starts with another cutscene where Rufus reveals his new tactic, propelling himself with his gun for fast ground dashes and even in midair. Rufus will be very aggressive and mobile in this phase, zigzagging through the battlefield and quickly close the gap to attack Cloud. He still employs solid protective measures through evasion and swift counters, making it much harder for the player to land blows. he will use all his previous abilities save for Thunderclap. Thread Softly will be smaller, and thrown at Rufus feet, to preventing Cloud from approaching him. Rufus will only be vulnerable while reloading his shotgun.

Strategy

Cloud guarding against Rufus from FFVII Remake

Cloud guarding in Operator Mode.

Only Cloud is used in this battle. Since Rufus fights from range, Punisher Mode is not recommended against him, as it'll not trigger counter attacks; his gunfire is best guarded against in Operator Mode. On the other hand, Punisher Mode and Counterstance are very effective against Darkstar. The player should get rid of Darkstar first to focus on Rufus alone. The fastest way to dispose of Darkstar is by using Triple Slash; this will instantly by sever the link between Darkstar and Rufus, and put the hound on a pressured state. The player can then simply use Focused Thrust in succession to stagger Darkstar. If Rufus tries to intervene, the player can block his attacks and use Triple Slash again to push him away.

It is possible to make Rufus fall asleep with the Sleep Sleep spell, rendering him unable to attack. Using Braver on Rufus instantly staggers him, potentially trivializing the battle; though normally it is tough (albeit possible with the right timing) to hit Rufus with Braver, the task becomes easy when he is sleeping. The player can then cast Stop Stop on the staggered Rufus, fill Clouds ATB to full and use Infinity's End. This way, the player can defeat him easily even in hard mode.

At first, Rufus fights with common shots and commands Darkstar. When Darkstar can no longer be targeted, the player should engage Rufus. Once Darkstar is defeated, Rufus becomes easier, but still should not be underestimated. The key is to pay close attention to Rufus's moves, and thus it is best to keep the target lock on. Charging head-on in any phase will result in Cloud being punished by Rufus counter-attacks, who will constantly move around before attacking in the third phase. The player should keep their guard up and wait for Rufus to reload his weapon, where he will be vulnerable; taking too long to attack while he is reloading will result in Rufus countering Cloud. Magic attacks can be used at any time, but Rufus resists damage from magic.

The player can equip Steadfast Block Materia Steadfast Block Materia on Cloud to build his ATB faster and protect him from some of Rufus attacks that require blocking, such as Guns Akimbo. As the player may need to be on guard and watch out for Rufus's attacks a lot, rather than engage head on, and there is only one party member, using Haste Haste on Cloud may also be useful for him to execute attacks faster. Equipping Chakra Materia Chakra Materia lets Cloud heal without using up MP, useful especially in hard mode.

Hard Mode

On the hard difficulty, while neither Rufus or Darkstar will employ any new abilities, Rufus will intervene faster when Darkstar is focused, and will also use his abilities more often on the second and third phase, being more aggressive and giving the player less time to react.

Behind the scenes

Rufus's coin artwork for Final Fantasy VII Remake

Artwork of Rufus's coin.

Rufus employs personalized coins for special attacks during his fight with Cloud. Each side has a meaning that reflects Rufus's personality and his plans to rule the Shinra Corporation and Midgar. One side shows an emblem with a sword, a shield, and a pair of wings, with the words "Shinra Inc., A New Era. Ever Forward. Reign Supreme.", which symbolizes the Shinra ideals and Rufus's lust for power. The other side shows Darkstar and mandragora flowers, with the words "Fierce Pride", which symbolize both "enchantment" and "fear".[1]

Gallery

References