Armored Core: Verdict Day Armored Core: Verdict Day Official Setting Documents Collection -the AFTER-
Voice actor
David Sobolov (ENG) Jōji Nakata (JAP)
J is the Commander of the Reaper Squad, appearing in Armored Core: Verdict Day. He is a Cultivater, an artificially grown soldier cloned from pilots of notable skill. J rides a Reaper Squad-colored F21C Stork (specifically a SCHWAN A-488 / C type) to transport other Reaper Squad members in and out of battle.
Two years prior to the eve of the Verdict War[2], J fought the up-and-coming mercenary Blue Magnolia and crippled her, putting an abrupt halt to her career. This event led Blue Magnolia to fear the Reaper Squad, which would send her into an uncharacteristic panic when she encountered another Reaper years later. [3]
During the eve of the Verdict War, J and Reaper Squad act in the interests of The Foundation. The Reapers targeted mercenaries of rare skill and potential, and promptly eliminated them, as was the case with Blue Magnolia.
J talks to Magnolia Curtis
J, D, and some Reaper Squad UNACs secretly observe a battle between the infamous Storker Fatman's new AC pilot partner — the "Lone Mercenary" — and a number of rogue Sirius Corporation UNACs at Karmat Base. Reaper Squad gauged the Lone Mercenary's power, and shortly after Erik — a mercenary hired by Signs to aid the Lone Mercenary — is defeated, they enter the combat zone to aid the mercenary because J decides that they have seen enough, ordering D to finish the fight. Once all the rogue UNACs are wiped out, J asks the mercenary's Operator, Magnolia Curtis, whom he identifies as Blue Magnolia, if she has truly gave up on her mercenary career. He comments that it has been two years since he defeated her, and although she was not the one Reaper Squad is looking for, the Lone Mercenary might be. J and Reaper Squad then left the battlefield.[2]
Fatman and the Lone Mercenary later take a job from Signs to combat unidentified weapons at Raziania Base; however, they are instead ambushed by Reaper Squad. K, D, two Reaper Squad UNACs, and M (Magnolia Curtis) fight Fatman's partner but none of them are a match for the mercenary. When J asks M if she has regained her former prowess, she decides that she is not at her best, so she retreats. As J extracts her, he reveals that M was another individual who had the potential to destroy the current order, and that the Lone Mercenary is destined to burn all to ash, while M has an enduring will to fight. J expresses that he wants to know which of the two is real, and once he finds out which of them is "his champion," he will kill that person, because he is the Reaper. Fatman calls J insane, to which J replies, "And what is wrong with that?!," before leaving Raziania Base with M.[4]
M and the the Lone Mercenary have a final clash at ALG742-181, where the Lone Mercenary emerges victorious not only against her, but also a number of unmanned weapons sent by the Foundation Man to eliminate the mercenary. In order to prove whose ideals are right, the Foundation Man challenges the Lone Mercenary to a duel. The Foundation Man chooses J to be his champion for the battle.[5]
The N-WGIX/v arrives at the battlefield
J, given the N-WGIX/v and ordered to defeat the Lone Mercenary, heads to the the Dozur Desert. On his way, J gives a status report to the Foundation Man, who proudly states that J will triumph. As J enters the battlefield, he notes that the Foundation Man wants a world of endless war and destruction, just as J himself does. J states that the world built by the Three Forces was not for him, because the only place he belongs in is the battlefield. Now at the combat zone, J declares that war is part of his existence, before charging at the adversary before him, the Lone Mercenary.[6]
The leader of Reaper Squad is defeated
After some fighting, the N-WGIX/v is knocked back by the mercenary's might. The Foundation Man mockingly feigns shock at J's apparent defeat as the N-WGIX/v's generator output rises and the machine begins transforming. After the Foundation Man goes on about how mankind will destroy itself, J declares that no more words are necessary and the fight between the two champions continue. Ultimately, the Lone Mercenary proves victorious and the N-WGIX/v breaks down, with J perishing when the N-WGIX/v finally explodes.[6]
Quotes
"Mission 06: Blue Magnolia"
Third cutscene:
"We've seen enough, D. End this."
Fourth cutscene:
"Mission complete. Heading back."
"Have you given up your blue AC for good, Magnolia Curtis?"
"You can no longer fight, yet you stay on the battlefield. Does that deserve praise or pity?"
"It must be two years since I shot you down."
"You were not chosen. But that mercenary? I wonder..."
"Mission 08: Vendetta"
Fifth cutscene:
"Knocked the rust off yet, Magnolia?"
"She was another who had potential. The power to destroy the current order. She was defeated, yet she survived to fight once more. One destined to burn all to ash.The other with an enduring will to fight. I want to know which is real. And when I have my champion, I will kill them. I am the Reaper after all."
"And what is wrong with that?!"
"Mission 10: Mechanized Memories"
First cutscene:
"All good."
"You seek a world of endless war and destruction. On that we can agree. The world of order built by the Three Forces is not one I can live in."
"There is no place for me other than the battlefield. To live as I please, and die a senseless death. That is who I am. Not a mere man of flesh. War is part of my existence."
"Enough words. They are meaningless now. Show me what you can do."
N-WGIX/v
The N-WGIX/v ready for battle
The N-WGIX/v is a black bipedal humanoid machine given to J by the Foundation. It functions similarly to a NEXT, as it is not only of similar size, but also uses Kojima Technology, Assault Armor, and Over Boost. The craft is also equipped with KE missiles and rifles, and dual laser blades. Its Assault Armor is slow to expand, but damages anything caught in its radius; however, using it immediately leaves the N-WGIX/v unable to either move or attack for a number of seconds.
The craft can also be fitted with a modified Vanguard Overed Boost (VOB) unit to quickly traverse terrains. The VOB is armed with missiles and laser weaponry, and it can be used for ramming attacks.
Story Mode
Scan Mode data for the Story Mode encounter
Armaments
Assault Armor
KE High-Speed Missiles, ATK 500
KE Rifles, ATK 1400
Stats
AP: 100000
KE Defense: 700
CE Defense: 3000
TE Defense: 1200
World Mode
Scan Mode data for the second phase of the Special Sortie battle
Armaments
Laser Blades (incorrectly identified in-game as "Physical Blades"), ATK 5000
Stats
AP: 400000
KE Defense: 700
CE Defense: 3000
TE Defense: 1200
Gameplay
J appears in Armored Core: Verdict Day as an NPC. In Story Mode, he first appears in the cutscenes of "Mission 06: Blue Magnolia" and "Mission 08: Vendetta", piloting his F21C Stork in both missions to transport other Reaper Squad members. His last appearance is in "Mission 10: Mechanized Memories", where he pilots the N-WGIX/v, and he serves as the final boss of the game. Defeating him will make all Ultimate Weapons available for purchase in the shop.
J is also one of the Unidentified Weapons bosses in the Special Sorties of the game's World Mode, where his territory is the Dozur Desert, the same place he is fought in Story Mode. He starts the battle in a VOB unit and will circle around the map and attack the player until he receives enough damage that the N-WGIX/v crash lands. In the second phase of the fight, he will use dual laser blades rather than the KE rifles and missiles used in Story Mode. Defeating J will earn the player the Desert King achievement/trophy.
"Mechanized Memories" is J's boss theme. It is used in both "Mission 10: Mechanized Memories" and in the Special Sortie boss battle. The track is a remix of "Remember", a track from Armored Core: For Answer that is used in "Defend Line Ark". If the ACVD Alternate Music Set DLC is used, then "Mission 10: Mechanized Memories" will instead play a new rendition of "Cosmos", another track from Armored Core: For Answer.
Strategy
The following information is "gray area" content — it may not be completely factual, and/or falls under YMMV territory.
Story Mode
The battle is divided into two parts. In both parts he is weak to KE weaponry. It's recommended to use a high-output tank with dual maximum damage autocannons, due to his mobility. also, it's recommended to have a partner with the same loadout. It IS possible to destroy it with dual Gatling guns on a lightweight AC, although it's significantly harder.
J activating his craft's Assault Armor
During the first part he will go into a mid-range duel with the player, using a pair of KE weapons, one similar to a standard rifle, and the other similar to a sniper rifle. He also uses a KE missile system that is MUCH more dangerous then the rifles, and the system fires a small swarm of missiles (approximately 20-30 missiles). He is also protected by primal armor, which your weapons can't even penetrate, so don't bother wasting your ammo during this phase. This half of the battle is made possible by his tendency to try and boost-charge the player, and then activate his version of assault armor. The assault armor attack is ludicrously powerful, usually dealing a one-hit-kill on anything less armored then a heavy bipedal. However, this attack is also his weakness; it disables his primal armor and his recovery animation leaves him vulnerable for several seconds, leaving you free to shred his AP with autocannons, HEAT piles, physical blades, or a simple boost charge. Afterwards, he'll boost back and attempt to wear you down with his rifles and missiles until his primal armor reactivates. After taking a considerable amount of punishment, he recoils away, and then proceeds to boost his generator output to insane levels before resuming his attack.
In the second half, he stops trying to ram the player and using assault armor, and regains all of his health. He is no longer protected by primal armor, but this is countered by him being MUCH more aggressive, firing missiles near-constantly and dishing out a barrage of gunfire. Not to mention, the sheer amount of Kojima particles being generated around him slowly whittles down your AP. He will also constantly run away from you, making it difficult to hit him with close-range weapons like autocannons and shotguns. For this phase, it's recommended that you use dual rifles along with KE missiles.
World Mode
The battle is once again divided into two parts, but his fighting style is completely different from the story mission version. This time, N-WGIX/v will retain its VOB unit as it enters the combat field, rushing at you at insane speeds before flying up and bombarding you with a highly damaging laser attack. Because of how fast it's moving, it's impossible to get a lock on it. However, because it can only move in a straight line, its trajectory is predictable. Use a sniper cannon to attack him as he approaches; a few direct hits will destroy his VOB unit and the N-WGIX/v will crash to the ground, beginning the second phase and the real battle.
In its second phase, the N-WGIX/v is armed with dual laser blades and it will spread Kojima particles everywhere to inflict constant damage around itself. Its attack pattern is very aggressive, usually picking one player and relentlessly chasing them down while slashing at them with its blades, eliminating the team one at a time. Attempting to outrun the N-WGIX/v is nearly impossible, as it is much faster than you are, and the blades it swings can fire off waves similar to the blade beams seen in AC1-3. At this point it's simply a damage race; your team should converge on the N-WGIX/v and hit it with everything they've got. Having a full team of tanks specced out for TE defense will make this part of the battle much less painful — even better if they're all armed with dual autocannons. Compared to the other special sortie bosses, N-WGIX/v's defenses and AP are rather low, and a focused attack on it with high DPS KE weapons should be able to take it out before the entire team is eliminated.
Sniper Tank w/ Grind Blade
One strategy is using a high AP tank w/ good defenses. Equip dual max power sniper cannons (the ones with around 17k atk) and have a high crticial power generator. Do the mission solo so that black glint focuses only on you. Get in his line of fire and shoot at him with the sniper cannons. 4 shots should be enough for him to land. once he's in second stage, immediately charge up the grind blade and wait for him to get close. release the UW when he's close and enough and bingo, you just beat black grlint solo.
Gallery
Armored Core: Verdict Day
Story Mode
Fatman spots Reaper Squad approaching Karmat Base
Reaper Squad Storks transporting their troops to the battlefield
"We've seen enough, D. End this."
"You can no longer fight, yet you stay on the battlefield. Does that deserve praise or pity?"
Reaper Squad leaves the combat area
J retrieves M after her fight with the Lone Mercenary
"And when I have my champion, I will kill them. I am the Reaper after all."
Reaper Squad leaves Raziania Base
J approaches the Dozur Desert with the N-WGIX/v
The N-WGIX/v equipped with a VOB unit
"This craft will ensure your victory."
J getting closer to the combat zone
"You seek a world of endless war and destruction."
The N-WGIX/v passes the wreckage of a Spirit Class Moving Fortress
J begins purging the VOB unit
The VOB unit separates from the N-WGIX/v
The N-WGIX/v begins its descent
Close-up of the N-WGIX/v as it descends
The craft descending
J enters the battlefield
"War is part of my existence."
The N-WGIX/v activates its Over Boost
J begins the battle
The N-WGIX/v is pushed back by the Lone Mercenary as the first phase of the boss battle ends
Concept art of the various weapons used by the N-WGIX/v
Weapon concept art
Concept art of the VOB unit
Special Sortie profile
N-WGIX/v concept art
N-WGIX/v concept art
Render of the N-WGIX/v DLC pilot skin
Trivia
J follows the naming scheme of the Reaper Squad, where each member's name consists only of a single letter presumably taken from the first letter of their given names. J's initial is a reference to Joshua O'Brien, a Lynx appearing in Armored Core 4.
The AC J used when he defeated Blue Magnolia
J's entry in Armored Core: Verdict Day Official Setting Documents Collection -the AFTER- reveals that he piloted a Reaper Squad-colored AC when he defeated Blue Magnolia.
Armored Core: Verdict Day has DLC that adds additional CPU voices — each based on Story Mode characters — to the game. J is included in DLCs CPU Voice 3 and CPU Voice Complete Set 1.
Armored Core: Verdict Day DLCs Pilot 10 and Pilot Complete Set 2 add a super deformed-style N-WGIX/v pilot skin to the game.
Siliconera's description of J in a pre-release article:
Death God Unit Commander
Details: Unknown
The leader of the Death God Unit. Aside from the fact that he is a male in his 40s, not much is known about the man.[7]
The N-WGIX/v is a reference to the second White Glint, a NEXT plioted by Anatolia's Mercenary in Armored Core: For Answer.
The aesthetics of the N-WGIX/v is modeled after the second White Glint, and it even uses similar weapon loadouts. Like that White Glint, it is also armed with Kojima Technology and Assault Armor, but is not nearly as agile. Its combat style also mimics the White Glint's: Firing continuous attacks while boosting heavily to dodge attacks, and attacking with Assault Armor occasionally. However, its individual parts are based on pre-existing NEXT parts — its core is taken from the TYPE-LAHIRE while its forearms and legs are based on the 063AN.
At the start of "Mission 10: Mechanized Memories", the approach of the N-WGIX/v towards the battlefield on its VOB unit is a reference to the cinematography used in the intro movie of Armored Core: For Answer, where White Glint uses a VOB to approach the Spirit of Motherwill. Likewise, after J is defeated in the first phase of mission, the movements and stances the N-WGIX/v does is similar to when White Glint loses its left rifle in the aforementioned intro movie.
The N-WGIX/v reviving itself after its defeat in the first phase of "Mission 10: Mechanized Memories" is similar to White Glint reviving with full AP after being defeated once in the Hard mode version of the mission "Defeat White Glint".
J's voice actor in the original Japanese-language version of Armored Core: Verdict Day, Jōji Nakata, also voices Joshua O'Brien in the original Japanese-language version of Armored Core 4.
ALG742-181 • Andyr City • Brew City • Dozur Desert • Eduna Yard • Fat Rocks • Maldan City • Old Uriae • Pask Field • Pierm Snowfield • Route R1024 • Samir Canyon • Victoria City • Vorka City • Windy City
