Air Buster

Air Buster is the boss of Reactor 5.

Stats

Level	HP	MP	ATK	Magic Atk	Defence	Magic Def	Dex	Def %	Luck	Exp	AP	Gil
15	1200	0	24	12	80	320	75	3	2	180	16	150

Weaknesses

Lightning (2X)

Back attack (5X)

Resistances

Fire (1/2)

Drops

Titan Bangle

Strategies

https://samurai-gamers.com/final-fantasy-7-ffvii/air-buster-boss-guide/

The strategy to quickly defeat Air Buster is to abuse its high back-attack damage and the fact that this fight is a side attack formation to juggle the boss's facing direction and deal massive damage quickly. This is done by using two limit breaks on Barret and Cloud, so the strategy to kill Guard Scorpion that ends with limit breaks on both Barret and Cloud should be used in routes that defeat Air Buster.

It is best to equip Barret with the Assault Gun and to remove Cloud's Ice materia in the train while waiting for the countdown in the second train car to deal enough damage to kill Air Buster in three attacks.

Hold Circle

The default turn order goes Barret, Cloud, Tifa, and Air Buster starts facing Cloud by default. The fight can be won by holding circle to cue Barret's Big Shot, then Cloud's Braver, then a regular attack with Tifa. Air Buster takes back-attack damage from Big Shot, turns around to face Barret and counterattacks, then takes back-attack damage from Cloud, turns towards him and counterattacks, then takes back-attack damage from Tifa's attack and dies.

Tifa Cloud Barret

A fast strategy for Aps requires Tifa to fill her Limit Gauge in the middle of that fight. At this point in the run, she has next-to-no limit gauge, and it would be beneficial for her to go into that fight with some limit. To get some of her limit bar before that fight, you can instead make Air Buster counterattack Tifa instead of Barret by attacking in the order Tifa, then Cloud, then Barret.

75% Barret Limit Meter

You can kill Air Buster quickly with Barret starting the fight having only about 75% of his limit meter by using a counterattack on Barret to fill the rest of his limit. To do this, attack with Barret, then limit with Cloud, then limit with Barret.

AI Script

Start of battle

Declare BackToTarget
Declare Ammo = 4
Declare Program = 0
Declare SelectedTarget
Declare TurnBroken = 0
Declare Counter = 0
Declare FacingTarget = 0

Turn

BackToTarget = 0

If (Ammo > 0) Then:
    If (Program == 0) Then:
        Display Message "Program 1 Operation"
        Program = 1

    SelectedTarget = random opponent

    If (Self is not facing SelectedTarget) Then:
        If (TurnBroken == 0) Then:
            If (Self is facing Cloud) Then:
                Use Turn to face Barret & Tifa

            Else:
                Use Turn to face Cloud

        Else:
            BackToTarget = 1
            If (Self is facing Cloud AND Cloud is defeated OR Self is facing Barret and Tifa AND Barret is defeated AND Tifa is defeated) Then:
                Ammo = 0

    If (BackToTarget == 0) Then:
        Use Big Bomber on SelectedTarget
        Ammo = Ammo - 1
        If (Ammo == 0) Then:
            Display Message "Big Bomber's out of ammo."

Else:
    If (Program == 1) Then:
        Display Message "Program 2 Operation"
        Program = 2

    SelectedTarget = random opponent
    If (SelectedTarget == Barret OR SelectedTarget == Tifa) Then:
        If (Self is facing Cloud) Then:
            Use Rear Gun on SelectedTarget

        Else:
            Use Energy Ball on SelectedTarget

    Else:
        If (Self is facing Cloud) Then:
            Use Energy Ball on SelectedTarget

        Else:
            Use Rear Gun on Selected Target

Counter (Attacked)

If (Self HP < 1/5 * Self Max HP) Then:
    If (TurnBroken == 0) Then:
        Display Message "Turn Function non-operational"
        TurnBroken = 1

SelectedTarget = last attacker
If (Self is facing Barret and Tifa AND SelectedTarget == Cloud OR Self is facing Cloud AND (SelectedTarget == Barret OR SelectedTarget == Tifa)) Then:
    Counter = 1

If (Counter == 1) Then:
    FacingTarget = 0
    Counter = 0
    Display Message "Counter Attack"

    If (TurnBroken == 0 AND 2/3 Chance) Then:
        If (Self is facing Cloud) Then:
            Use Turn to face Barret & Tifa
            Use Bodyblow* on SelectedTarget

        Else:
            Use Turn to face Cloud
            Use Bodyblow* on SelectedTarget

        FacingTarget = 1

    If (FacingTarget == 0) Then:
        Use Rear Gun on SelectedTarget

Counter (Death)

Turn off Death Handling for Self
Use Destroyed