Flame Stag

Flame Stag, known in Japan as Flame Stagger (フレイム・スタッガー), is a Reploid in the Mega Man X series based off a deer. Once serving as a member of the Maverick Hunters 17th Elite Unit, he defected along with his colleague Boomer Kuwanger to join Sigma's first Maverick rebellion. Afterwards, his whereabouts became unknown, but later he resurfaced occupying an active volcano with the intent of triggering an eruption that would block out the sun with volcanic ash, starting a new ice age.

Mega Man X2
Flame Stag is one of the eight bosses. In battle, he leaps about in his chamber (which, together with Morph Moth's post-metamorphosis boss room, is perhaps the first boss room that is larger vertically than horizontally), trying to charge into X and throwing fireballs from his Speed Burner. Being a fire Reploid, he's naturally weak against water, so use Bubble Splash if it's available. In fact, with proper use and timing, the player can trap him in a sort of pattern. He is also vulnerable to Sonic Slicer.

Other appearances

 * Flame Stag appeared in Mega Man Xtreme as reproduced boss data from the past protecting the core of the Mother Computer in the Hunter Base. He uses the same attacks from Mega Man X2. His weakness is Storm Tornado.
 * In Mega Man Xtreme 2, he appears in the Boss Attack mode, which has no relation to the main story. His attacks are the same from Mega Man Xtreme. He is weak to Marine Tornado and Fish Fang.
 * Flame Stag appears in Battle Memory from Rockman ×over.
 * Flame Stag appears in Street Fighter × All Capcom.
 * Flame Stag is an unit card in TEPPEN.

Abilities

 * Triangular Kick (三角蹴り) - Flame Stag jumps diagonally between walls.
 * Rushing Burner (Projectile) (ラッシングバーナー(飛び道具)) Rushing Burner is Speed Burner's Japanese name. Flame Stag releases two small fireballs, the first going downward and the second upward. The second flame also crawls up in walls.
 * Rushing Burner (Body Blow) (ラッシングバーナー(体当たり)) - A dash attack that leaves a trail of flames. Flame Stag may attack with an uppercut afterwards, especially when near walls.
 * Super Mode (スーパーモード) - After losing half of his health, Flame Stag's flames will become blue and his attack speed will increase. He will also now perform an uppercut more often when he collides with X during his dash attack. If that dash attack connects with X on the ground, not only will Flame Stag uppercut X, but also grab him, and slam him down on the ground with great force. Flame Stag starts in this mode in the final stages rematch.

Mega Man X2 stats

 * Height: 240 cm (7'11")
 * Weight: 216 kg (476 lbs)
 * Power: 3600rp
 * Speed: 7000rp

Rockman X2
Flame Stag was a Special A-Class Hunter of the 17th Elite Unit that often bullied rookies of lower ranks of him, including B-Ranks. One time, before Sigma launched his rebellion against the human government and became the leader of the Mavericks, the dispute between the B-Ranks and A-Ranks got so bad that Zero decided to have Stag go up against X in a duel to teach him a lesson. X and Stag charge at each other, with X dodging Stag's punch and placing his buster directly under Stag's chin, effectively ending the fight. Zero declares X the winner, but being a sore loser Flame Stag doesn't admit defeat and gets hostile toward X.

Some time later he disappeared and defects from the Maverick Hunters, becoming Sigma's servant and placing his insignia on his armor. In return, Stag received upgrades from Sigma that increased his abilities and made him a tougher opponent. In order to lure X to him for revenge and a rematch, Stag then erects a giant mountain tower with a volcanic power source that threatens to trigger a volcanic eruption and destroy the nation of Japan, which would kill millions. X arrives and fights Stag, but he proves to be much stronger and faster than X this time around thanks to his power-ups from Sigma, and thrashes him in battle, wounding him badly.

In a repeat of their last match, they charge at each other, and Stag manages to cause X to collapse in pain. However, X reveals that he fired a point-blank Buster shot at Stag's chest, destroying his energy controller system, which causes his powers to go out of control wildly. Stag is then engulfed in flames and collapses on the floor, and Agile then cuts his corpse with a beam slash from his saber.

Rockman X Mega Mission
In Rockman X Mega Mission and its manga adaptation in Rockman Remix, he is revived by Dr. Doppler as "Flame Stagger L" as a test subject for the Limited. Although he became more powerful, he is easily defeated by X.

Archie Comics
In Mega Man #35 Flame Stag was one of the Maverick Hunters who made a cameo with other members from the 17th Elite Unit. He would later appear in Worlds Unite as part of Sigma's cloned Maverick Army, who attacked the heroes aboard the Sky Patrol before most of them scattered to various worlds using the Genesis Portals.

Trivia

 * In the official artworks, Flame Stag's flames (including those forming his antlers) are red. In Mega Man X2, however, his flames are blue in both his intro pose and when fighting against him the second time. The only instance where they are red is in both his mugshot in the stage select screen and the majority of the battle in his boss room before his health gets low.
 * In his official art, Stag's armor is also a deep blue. With the exception of his mugshot, however, it's black in his in-game sprites.


 * Coincidentally, both of Flame Stag's weaknesses, the Bubble Splash and the Storm Tornado, come from Mavericks who are weak to the Spin Wheel.


 * The way Flame Stag fights is similar to Sigma's from the first Mega Man X game.
 * Flame Stag is the only Maverick from Mega Man X2 that does not bear Sigma's mark on their forehead, instead displaying it on his chest piece. An arguable exclusion might be Morph Moth, who does not have Sigma's mark at all while in larva form, but does, however, bear the mark on his forehead when in moth form.
 * Flame Stag is one of the three Mavericks who share a common first half of their names, along with Flame Mammoth and Flame Hyenard.