Wind Crowrang

"I wanted to see... See if the Reploid that fascinated him so was really all that great... So, let's see what you're worth!"

- Wind Crowrang

Wind Crowrang, known as Wind Karasting (ウィンド・カラスティング) in Japan, is a crow-based Reploid who is a member of the Red Alert vigilante syndicate and one of the Mavericks encountered in Mega Man X7.

Characteristics
Wind Crowrang was designed after a crow, possessing predominantly black armor along with a large beak and a pair of wings. He also had feather-like structures along his forearms and the segmented toes of a bird rather than typical Reploid feet. He wielded two curved beam sabers in combat. The blue crystal on Crowrang's forehead resembles a tokin, which is a cap often worn by tengu in Japanese mythology. This might be because tengu are wind spirits that are often associated with crows.

Wind Crowrang was a refined yet fierce individual. He held little respect for anyone but himself, showing that he was quite prideful. He disregarded X's desire for peace and believed that fighting was the only way. During battle, it was customary for Crowrang to charge at his opponents through the air with his full power, as Axl attested to. However, there are also several things about Crowrang that suggest he was more than a simple-minded warrior. He once stated that he wanted to know why "he" was so fascinated by Zero, implying that he was aware of Sigma and his interest in Zero. He also appeared to hold back against Axl, and even double-checked if Axl was set in his decision to leave Red Alert before fighting him. In the Japanese version he has a deep and calm voice, while in the English version he has a shrill bird-like voice.

Strategy
The player faces Crowrang on a plane after fighting their way through his air force. He will launch long-range attacks from a distance in the background and fight face-to-face in the foreground.

Crowrang can perform the following attacks:


 * Tanken: Crowrang uses two short energy blades to perform a series of dashing slash attacks, finishing with a spinning slash. Dash or double-jump away to avoid him.


 * Tanken Boomerang: Crowrang flies off into the background and throws his blades at the player. Staying grounded and dashing to avoid at the right moment can cause most blades to harmlessly strike the deck rather than stop in mid-air and home in.


 * Feather Missiles: Crowrang may fire two homing missiles while airborne. Their speed makes them difficult to shoot down, so it may be best to either dash and jump to avoid them, use Zero to strike them down with his saber, or use Axl to roll through their explosions.


 * Taitari Kougeki: When Crowrang ascends out of sight, he will come down on the player seconds later in a spinning dive-bomb attack. Dash to evade. Crowrang may pause briefly after this attack, leaving himself vulnerable to attack. But, beware as he may follow this attack up immediately with a Tanken dash attack and/or Cyclone maneuver.


 * Cyclone: When Crowrang crouches, he will launch himself into the air, unleashing two walls of six energy blades that each fly to opposite ends of the screen. Zero can double jump over them, and a well-timed roll from Axl can also get by. Another way is to drop off the edge of the ship and cling to its side, allowing the wall of blades to pass overhead.

His weakness is Sniper Missile and Hieijin; these can even hit him in the background. However, these weapons can target Crowrangs projectiles instead, making X's charged buster shots a much better choice when attacking him from the foreground.

In-battle quotes

 * "Slice" (firing Tanken Boomerangs)
 * "Caw" (firing missiles)
 * "Dance!" (firing missiles)
 * "Grrrrr." (US) / "Gyahaa" (JP) (when hit with his weakness)
 * "Cawcawcawcawcaw!" (when he loses a considerable amount of health)

Dialogues
X= X: Where are you? Come out and face me!

Wind Crowrang: Hmph...I can see it in your eyes... You would prefer to avoid a fight...

X: Yes, of course. I don't want any more people getting hurt.

Wind Crowrang: You really are a soft fool, X. Well then, just stand there peacefully while I erase both you and your silly ideals! Zero= Zero: Before I destroy you, let me ask you a question. What is your real purpose? It can't just be getting Axl back.

Wind Crowrang: I wanted to see...

Zero: ?

Wind Crowrang: See if the Reploid that fascinated him so was really all that great... So, let's see what you're worth! Axl= Axl: This isn't like you. Cooped up in a place like this. I thought you'd fly straight at me, full force?

Wind Crowrang: So you're never coming back?

Axl: You know my answer to that.

Wind Crowrang: Heh, you never change, do you?

Other Media
Wind Crowrang appeared in Rockman X7 4Koma Manga Kingdom.

Archie Comics
Wind Crowrang appears in the Worlds Unite crossover event as one of Sigma-2's Mavericks. He is sent to invade Morning Land, the world of Billy Hatcher, but is defeated by Billy and his companions. Before being finished off, Crowrang expresses disbelief that he had been defeated by an egg, with Billy explaining he's had prior experience with his kind.

Trivia

 * Wind Crowrang has a brief cameo appearance in the last issue from Dreamwave Productions' Mega Man comic.
 * Crowrang's invasion of Morning Land and his defeat are inspired by the fact that the primary antagonists of the Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg game are crows.
 * His Japanese name "Karasting" is derived from "karasu", Japanese for crow. Moreover, sound of this word is similar to "Karasu-Tengu (烏天狗)".