Part 61: Instant Vortex - Medusa - Part 1

Instant Vortex - Medusa





And so we ride with the second of Tamamo's lieutenants, Medusa. As the only Anti-Hero in this game, she's more famed for infamy and monstrous qualities than her status as a Heroic Spirit. While the original Fate/stay night does not go into her backstory much, she and her sisters, Euryale and Stheno, were born from men's desires, as the "perfect idols" (as a fun aside, in the sequel, hollow ataraxia, Euryale and Stheno were supposed to idol idols, as in, pop stars. Technical limitations limited this epithet to a more metaphorical idol) meant to embody the wishes of men. However, due to an aberration in their birthing processes, only Euryale and Stheno were born "correctly". Medusa was the only one of the three to grow into the figure of an adult woman, as well as developing monstrous strength and her infamous eyes of petrification (which is why she wears a blindfold at most times. She can see perfectly well even with it on, but she prefers to have it on to seal her Mystic Eyes from doing any harm to the people around her).

Initially, the three of them were revered by human society, but out of jealousy of Medusa's beauty, the goddess Athena cursed her into becoming a monster and she and her sisters left to the Shapeless Island to be together, away from human society. As Medusa's power grew more and more unstable, she began to transform into the great monster Gorgon, who turned to stone and killed any humans damn fool enough to sail to the Shapeless Island to kill the monster. Eventually, however, the hero Perseus sailed to the island with five Noble Phantasms, including his shield, to kill the monster. Euryale and Stheno were gone by this point, and Perseus used his shield at just the right time to reflect Breaker Gorgon, her eyes of petrification, back at Medusa and turned her to stone instead. He proceeded to promptly decapitate her, freeing the winged horse Pegasus from her headless body.

So, this iteration of Medusa is from her middle age. Different iterations of her are summonable as a Lancer and an Avenger in Fate/Grand Order, and she also appears as an older Lancer in the animated adaptation of Grand Order's first chapter, but I'll have more on those forms next time. She still maintains something of her divine nature, but it's of a very low rank (E-).

Oh yeah, and this is one of her DLC outfits. She has two others: in a bunny costume, and a design based on her third artwork in Grand Order. It's basically her normal outfit but with the blindfold off, and more of her hips, waist, and arms visible. Medusa's first stage is, like Karna's, based on Orchid Words stage 1.


Medusa stage 1

A gang of marauders has crept into our Millennium Capital. We have to punish these bandits. Which brave Hero will step forward to crush them? I mean, I suppose there's not really a choice. Mr. Karna's our ace in the hole, so this time I'll have him stay back and assist. Lu Bu would destroy the bandits for sure, but he'd destroy our city too, and I don't really think we want that, sooo...

...I'll go. Elizabeth and I are the most familiar with the Capital's surroundings.

Or you COULD just let me handle it, right? I know every nook and cranny of the whole empire. You had me clean them all. And maybe it's something left over from the last Holy Grail War, but I've been cleaning the Attack Programs too. Not by choice, really, but...

According to the throne's investigative program, the main invader is an Assassin who's also an expert duelist. That's no ordinary attack program. I have some experience fighting single Servants. All in all, I'm your most logical choice.

I suppose you're right. I'll punish that squeaky little newt later.

Huh-wha-why?! I haven't been complaining at all!

Ms. Rider, could i ask you to eliminate those bandits?

...And would that be all right with you, Master? Seeing as how Ms. Rider's volunteering and all.

...

As you wish, my Master. The King has spoken. Ms. Rider, the cast is yours. Eradicate those bandits and bring us victory. After your triumphant return, we'll parade the enemy general's head all around SE.RA.PH as a message to our enemies. ...Ms. Rider, I expect great things of you.

Hm, this raises an interesting thought. I can't recall anyone directly responding to anything Hakuno has said. Gilgamesh, the closest to reacting, mostly just speechified at her and judged her based on her facial expressions. Maybe Hakuno can communicate with her host Servants but not with anyone else.

Understood. I will bring victory to the Empire of the Queen. Elizabeth, I'll trust in your support.

Okay, but that means I don't get punished, right? No electric shocks, right?

What do you say, Caster?

Oh, fine. I'll let you decide to use the house maid. Now off to battle with you!



Man Liz is fast. This screenshot was from like 20 seconds after the stage started.





So Medusa, unlike Karna, is nice and straightforward to use. A big part of her utility is she is *really* fast. One of the fastest units in the game, actually. She has a variety of melee and special moves to handle groups easier, and she's just all-around a really fun unit to use.

The second screenshot has one of my favorite special attacks in the game. The only problem is that if it misses, you'll be idle for a bit while Medusa drags her chain back (it's called the Nameless Dagger. She uses it more like a whip she can dig into targets, not as something she stabs people with). The way it's supposed to work is she'll latch her chains into a target, then slam them on the ground a couple times before jumping into the air and slamming the target down a third time. It looks really stylish, and it works on anything less than the heaviest Aggressors (and shit like Sephyr, but that goes without saying, I think).



A mini version of Blood Fort Andromeda is her S S S S T attack. As you might guess, it's a pretty typical AoE attack, but those are always helpful. The speed of Medusa's attacks mean she can throw this out pretty quickly. And unlike her S T attack, melee hits will mean you've pushed a potential target far enough away they won't be able to interrupt in the brief gap between the animation starting and the damage beginning.



This is Breaker Gorgon. This is actually a pretty special special attack, but here it was just used as damaging to that Plant. We'll revisit this. It does have a pretty short range, though.



Her S S T attack is more of a mixed bag. Basically, she'll stop for a bit, then charge forward. The problem is Medusa is very much vulnerable while she's prone and about to charge forward, so it's not something you'll want to use in the middle of a pitched fight (but she has plenty of other stuff to deal with close-range fighting, so whatever). S S T is basically Medusa's projectile attack, but it's not very powerful. Well, use it in non-Servant fighting, and it's fine.



This is the special property of Breaker. It can turn targets heavier than the average mooks to stone for a bit. It's something only Medusa can do, and it's basically a few free hits. Always nice.



So I needed to get some Yakisoba Bread drops for one of the Side Missions, so I needed to let Cu hit me a bit. I took it a bit too far. Then again, with the number of Cu's hits and their speed, if you take one hit you'll take at least a half dozen.



But it could always be worse...



Man, that was close for the both of us.











Simple enough Noble Phantasm. Medusa was gifted with the horse Pegasus from Poseidon himself, and she had it in her body the entire team (as in, she never actually rode it, at least from what I understand of Nasu Medusa). After Perseus slew Medusa, as I mentioned, the horse sprung from her body and became the hero's mount.

Now, the True Name of Medusa's Noble Phantasm is, as she yells, Bellerophon. Bellerophon is not the horse's name, but the name of the figure initially identified as the master of Pegasus. The confusion comes then that the more obscure Bellerophon was gradually replaced in the popular imagination by Perseus as the slayer of Greek monsters, including Medusa. However, props to Bell for the slaying of the chimera. It's sort of the opposite how Gilgamesh in this series shouts the name "Gate of Babylon" when he starts shooting his swords around. He was the king of Uruk, not Babylon, but later generations gradually thought of the lands of ancient Sumer as the more contemporary, but still ancient, Babylon. It's hard to keep up, sometimes.



It should be noted that Medusa's aerial mastery is pretty much unmatched in this game. She has very quick aerial attacks, and her ground stomp move is one of the best in the game. Very quick, and does tons of damage. It's very much a change from Iskandar or Karna. Moving on to our final Sector, with the Emperor of Roses...

Rider. Your beauty is wasted on that Caster.

The Emperor of Roses, through and through. I'll make this nice and slow.

Hah, I suppose you're a worthy opponent! Now I am on fire as well!



And that's Nero down, but...



Definitely got careless. Had to use a Command Spell for the first time in a long time.



Stylish finish.



That was *fast*. As you might expect, I was pretty massively overleveled again.



...Magnificent. Many powerful women here. I had heard that a female had mastered Wing Chun, but that shattering strength must be that of a female monster!

The monster here is you. You surprise me, honestly. If we were in your territories I would have been the one to lose. You could say I had the home advantage here. However... Legendary as you are, you're only human. I assumed the gods or spirits had blessed you with weapons or magecraft, but... Your legend comes from your own body. No sword, no magic, no protections or blessings. It seems like there are many like you in the Assassin class.

As Medusa mentions, there's something of a home field advantage in terrestrial Grail Wars. For example. Vlad III, if summoned in Romania, would be able to stand against Karna's spear (once he leaves Romanian soil, his advantage dissipates). Heracles would basically be unkillable in a Greek Grail War, etc. etc. This also applies somewhat to continents. A European Servant would be stronger in Europe, an African one stronger in Africa, you get the drill. As far as I'm aware the Moon Cell has no home field advantage for anyone.

Oh, you overestimate me. Any legends of mine surely mentioned the Six Harmony Great Spear, and there were plenty with skills like mine while I was alive.

I see. Perhaps we should consider reassessing the prowess of Chinese martial arts. ...I've changed my mind. Assassin. Li Shuwen.

Yes, if you want my head, take it. It looks as though the women of the Moon were fated to defeat me.

...







I am thinking of having you lead the charge next time as well. So yes, please, rest until then.

So amazing... You beat up that Assassin all by yourself... What kind of Servant are you? He could have fought the Three Knight classes with his bare hands. I've never heard of a Rider beating someone like that. And he had, like, so many lackeys around him! Like a move star's entourage!

I've done nothing of consequence. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to rest before the next fight.

...There she goes. Not too talkative, is she?

What are you standing around for, maid? If you have time to chat, you have time to clean the battlefield!

I-I know! I'm going right now! Damn that Caster... If it wasn't for those damn thunder shocks...

Being a vampire idol is tough, but is sure helps being an unstoppable vampire idol who never says die.