Part 25: Episode 25: CFW Trick

Episode 25: CFW Trick

Goodness, I’m glad that’s all over. Last time on Neptune, Rom was brainwashed! Now, on Neptune…

Feinne’s Notes:
Let’s start with quests!













Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

That jerk lady was making Rom blow up buildings, she’s so uncool.



Crush, kill, destroy.
Heh. What a glorious view. A goddess destroying her own nation. This is better than viral YourTube videos!
I found them!
Oh great, here comes the bossy princess. Don’t you have anything better to do than interrupt my fun? Meddlesome brats.
This rampant destruction… This is definitely not fun!
Let Rom go! If you don’t…
Oh, you’ll do what? Resort to violence? Fine, come at me with all you’ve got.
Just know that when you do, I’ve got an awesome meat shield to take all the hits for me!
You cowardly villain! Play fair or don’t play at all!
Don’t waste your breath. Shall we, Gear?
Yes. Hiyaaah!
Gah! That’s some bright shit! Huh? What, just a flare? That’s all?
…
Please, come back to us, Rom!
Hehehehe. Was that a bluff or a dud? Our brainwashing isn’t so crappy that you can undo it so-

True. Anyway, we were so close to being done but just weren’t quite able to finish things there.



Huh? Y-Yo, can the waterworks, will ya? No way, don’t tell me the brainwashing is wearing off…that’s so annoying.
It’s working! One more step!
Please go and talk to her, Ram.
Rom, it’s me. You know your favorite twin sister, don’t you? Rom!?
Uhhh…Ram?
No way! If they fix the little twerp, I’ll get a demotion. He was really looking forward to playing with her…
Y-Yo, brainwashed chick! We’re withdrawing, let’s go!
Ugh… O-Okay.
No! Wait, Rom!
We’re gonna stay right on their damn heels this time. Come on!

Also, I think at this point we really have to accept that we aren’t great at thinking things through.

Video- “We Really Suck At This”

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W-Wahhh…
Don’t you dare recover from this so easily! You…good-for-nothing toddler!
Oh yeah, that’s right. I was given something just in case this happened.
I got carried away and it slipped my mind. It should be here somewhere…
Enough!
Daw, crap! They’re already here!
Rom, please be okay!
I’ll make you better.
Wahhh…Ram…Miss Nepgear…
Hmph. Not gonna happen, candy-cane legs. I’ll just brainwash her again! Yo kid, lookit me, I got candy!
W-Waaaaah!
Rom!
Uh-oh, what’s wrong? She’s making loud noises again!
No, you can’t do this!
Check it, those dumb broads are your enemies, see? They gave you swirlies, remember? You wanna kill ‘em, right?
Um…
No, stop confusing Rom!
Waaaah!
Tch, hot-headed little… Don’t get in my way!
Hey, that’s far enough!
Ram, Rom!

I mean, Rom just got brainwashed because her shares were low, and I mean Ram’s shares were low too…
Ugh, shut up, this is so embarrassing.



…
…
Huh? Heh…you serious? Yo, do what I tell you to. Call me ‘Master Chief Superior.’
Master Chief Superior…
What should we do, Master Chief Superior?
Both of them were brainwashed!?
Worst-case scenario…
Hahahaha, stupid idiots! All of you! They basically brainwashed themselves! Who’s an underling now, bitches!?
What could be a better situation? Go and beat them to hell and back!
Yes, Master Chief Superior.
What should we do!?
I’m sure it’s illegal, but we have to beat up these kids first. We’ll find a way to get them back to normal later.
O-Okay… Rom, Ram, please bear with it a little while longer!

We ended up having to fight Rom and Ram again.

Video- “Rom and Ram Redux”

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Boss Battle: Rom and Ram
Rom and Ram have beefed up significantly since we last saw them, and honestly I think they’re the harder of the two boss fights in this update. That there’s two of them means they can output surprising amounts of damage pretty quickly. One good piece of advice is to give Nepgear the Frost processor set, which comes from the treasure things in dungeons. This will make her very resistant to Ice attacks, which both of them like to use. They both have tons of health, so this is a great time to roll out some of those big expensive ultimate attacks if you’ve got that DLC. If you don’t, just get down their Guard meters and drag them down bit by bit. You’ll take them out eventually.

I-I’m sorry, Miss Nepgear, I didn’t mean to be so much trouble.

Video- “The Very Worst Scene”

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Okay. Wake up, you two!
Gah! Ow… Um, Miss Nepgear?
Yes, it’s me, Rom. Do you understand?
Jeez, that smarts. You didn’t have to hit me so hard.
What a relief. I think they’re back with us.
Most excellent. All that remains is…
Whoa, hey, hey, hey. If I run, I’ll get demoted… If I say, I’ll get pummeled…
What’re you mumbling about? Today is the day we’ll clean your clock!
???: Don’t panic. Hmph, pathetic.

It’s not us who need to apologize, it’s that pervert!



Oh, CFW Trick, sir!
One of the bigwigs, I see. But, this one’s…
Yes, he resembles the enemy I fought at the Gamindustri Graveyard.
W-Well, this is…uh, y’know. Y’know!? I-I-I didn’t mess this up, I was, uh…
I’ll hear your delicious excuses later. Before that, there’s something even more succulent to deal with.
Th-That’s true. You’ll kill ‘em all, right?
Hey there, you haggard cretins! How dare you strike a beautiful maiden! You are worth less than dirt to me!
Beautiful maiden? These children?
Our hands were forced because you stooped to cowardly brainwashing them.
Maaaaaan…
It hurts, Ram…
Oh, my poor little darlings. Come, let me lick your wounds…
Geh, yuuuuuuuuuuuuck!
Yucky. Stop!
Wh-What the hell do you think you’re doing!?

Even Underling thought he was creepy, if she didn’t work for the bad guys I’d really feel bad for her.



Mmmm, the height of ecstasy, licking a nubile maiden’s wounds!
No, hey, stop…I said stoppit!
Wahhh, no. I can’t take this…
Stop! If you keep harassing them, Gust will never let you live!
Hm? Another gorgeous maiden! So many! Two’s company, but three’s a meal… Let’s see how you all taste…
Stop talking borderline illegal rubbish and just…fight them!
I can’t help it…slurp! I can’t just leave a wounded little angel alone when they’re right there.
I-I’m not wounded anymore, yuck! This is way worse than any boo-boo…
His saliva is really sticky and stinky. It ruined my clothes.
What’s worse, your stupid drool is healing them! What’s your plan, sir!?
Plan? Who cares. Even if they’re at full health, there’s no way such pure little maidens can defeat me.
I think you’ve lost your privilege to act like a cool villain.
Your perversion overrules your fake show of pride.
P-Please keep your guards up. He may not know how to use ‘nubile’ properly, but I sense he’s very strong!
Very well, like the old hag said, playtime’s over. I’ll be a very serious opponent now!

Ugh, feel sorry for us, we’re the ones that creep slobbered on!

Video- “CFW Trick”

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Boss Battle: CFW Trick
Trick is a bit easier than Ram and Rom for a few reasons. He’s not really got that much health for a single boss, and he doesn’t evade attacks very well. He drops out all kinds of status effects with his attacks, so watch out for that. You probably won’t be able to keep Nepgear transformed unless you give her an item that makes her immune to Virus. I blow him up with Black Label before this happens, but Trick gets a super move at low health where he uses his horrible tongue and inflicts every status while also doing a bunch of damage. Save your good stuff for the second half of his health bar to minimize how much he gets to do crap like that.

It was really terrible, Miss Nepgear.
You should buy us ice cream!

Video- “GO AWAY”

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N-No way, CFW Trick, sir!?
Blech! My big sister would ask if you’re ready to get neutered, scumbag!
No mercy.
Gwaaah, I get weak in the knees when pure maidens are out of breath. Enough. I’ll see you for more fun another day!
Whoa, don’t leave me behind, sir!
Hey, no running, dummies!
They’re gone. That robot was pretty tough.
He was a force to be reckoned with, in more ways than one.
Rom, how are you feeling? Can you move?
Um, yeah. I can move.
That’s so wonderful. The Sharicite must’ve worked.
Sorry. I bothered everyone…
Jeez, it’s not your fault, Rom. It’s all because of that perv!
The little one is correct. You’ve no need to worry.
Come on, let’s go to the Basilicom. I bet Mina is worried about you girls.
‘Kay.

What the goodness…? U-Um, we can get ice cream when we’re all done here.



Um…sorry…
There was a lot of drama and a little too much tongue, but Lowee’s been saved from another catastrophe.
Yes, I can scarcely think of how I could possibly try to repay you.
That won’t be a problem. You do remember the deal we made, right?
You’ll let Rom and Ram travel with us?
I’m a little worried about that. They’re still just children.
Just look at all the trouble they caused you already. Kids are a handful.
Nobody can deny that.
Meh, it wasn’t our fault! Our shares were too low!
Plus, we’ve made up our own minds. Right, Rom?
Uh-huh.
What did you decide?
We’re gonna tear that icky pervert limb from limb, duh!
He brainwashed Rom, and then he even ruined her clothes with his drool… There’s no way we can forgive him!
His…drool?
Just drop it. It’s for the best.
Miss Nepgear helped me again. I wanna help her now.
Rom…
I guess…I can’t say I don’t share my sister’s feelings. Just a tiny bit. Hear me? Eensy-weensy, teeny-tiny.
You’ve both… Very well. This is your own educated decision, am I right?
Yeah!
Yes.
Then there’s no reason for me to keep them here. Nepgear, please care for these children in my stead.
I promise, although sometimes I wonder who’s taking care of who in this party.
You can count on us. There’s nothing we can’t do as a team, right, Rom?
I’ll do my best.

Oh, Miss Mina didn’t do anything… weird to either of you, did she?
Huh?



I haven’t been able to forget what those two mentioned earlier.
Okay. What were they saying, again?
Talking about…drool…ruining their clothes or some such?
Ah, that’s…
I can’ t get over it. Please tell me what happened!
O-Okay.
He licked them with his enormous tongue? What a lascivious villain!
Yeah, that’s why they’re upset.
Of course they are. That is crossing the line!
This is an oversight on my part. I had never imagined such a way of expressing your love existed.
Pardon me?
Oh, no, nothing. Please forget I said anything.
Mina, we’re back!
We’re home.
Welcome home, dears. Oh my, you’re both so muddy…
Hehehe, we made a big mountain in the sandbox.
I made a moat.
Girls will be girls, I suppose. Why don’t we all go and take a nice bath together?
‘Kay. Baths are nice.
Meh. When you scrub my back, you do it really hard and it hurts, Mina. I don’t wanna.
Don’t worry about that. I’ll be so gentle you’ll think that I’m licking your body…
She’ll…what? I hope she’s being figurative…

Feinne’s Notes:
Now Ram and Rom are on the team! Let’s look at their stats real quick.



Rom is the more defensive and support oriented of the pair. She starts with a powerful group heal, a skill that cures all ailments, and two buffs. She’s also got some really nice EX attacks that cause status, including the all-powerful Paralysis. Once she’s got some AP she can really do some scary stuff up close, don’t underestimate her. It does take her a while to really get to her full potential, though. Her support effect reduces SP costs and shortens her partner’s wait time, so even if you don’t want to use her up front she’s great in support.



Ram is more offensively oriented. She starts with Ram Restore, which is just like Nepgear’s Heal, and Ice Coffin. Ice Coffin is pretty great, it’s a powerful attack with a high chance of causing Paralysis. Her EX attacks aren’t quite as good as Rom’s, but she’s still pretty great and especially so once she gets some AP to work with. Her support effect reduces AP costs and improves the rate of SP generation, it’s one of the best in the game. It really has to be, because long term I’d consider her easily among the best characters we’ll get.



Ram and Rom both share this De-ess Slight processor set by default. Above and beyond the shared candidate sets they also get their own set we can purchase, Music.



Music is generally just an overall improvement on De-ess Slight. Keep in mind that it’s expensive, though, and you’d need two full sets if you wanted both to use it. I’d suggest it for Ram, personally (though I show it on Rom here).

So, Ram and Rom are interesting. They’re caster CPUs, which means they spend SP quite a bit. You generally don’t transform them, to be honest, because it’s a lot of SP cost. I think using items to charge them up is probably the best bet for times when you really want them at full power. They work a lot like kids in rpgs tend to, where they start out kind of weak compared to where they’ll end up. Ram and Rom actually share a lot of their skills, they’re just different as to when they get them. They even share some skills with their older sister, as we’ll see when Blanc joins. I’ll be using them for the next section, because they utterly trivialize any fight where the enemy can be paralyzed (most non-bosses, even powerful enemies are vulnerable for the most part).

Anyway, are we done now?
Ice cream.
Ice cream!
G-Goodness! N-Next time on Hyperdimension Neptunia, Mark Two: Kei’s Worry. Oh dear, are we still in trouble?