1.09.4:Nimbus Ruins Zone

Single Player levels
Secret levels
Special Stages
Circuit stages
Capture the Flag stages
MAP86: Nimbus Ruins Zone
Match stages

MAP86, Nimbus Ruins Zone, is the seventh Capture the Flag level in Sonic Robo Blast 2 v1.09.4. It is made up of small floating platforms over a death pit, which makes it notoriously hard to stay alive. Therefore, it takes quick reflexes on the jump button to get across the stage with any speed. This makes it a very slow-scoring map, and causes many players to choose Tails for this stage.

Power-ups

Weapon rings

There are four Automatic Rings and one Infinity Ring in the map. The Automatic Rings are located on stepping stones leading to the bases, amongst some other rings, and the Infinity Ring is located in the center of the stage, inside the tower on the center platform.

Random Monitor

The random monitor is located on top of the tower in the center of the map. To reach it as Sonic, take one of the springs up to the upper platform, and jump from one of the upper platforms to the top.

Techniques

Grabbing the enemy flag

Center temple: Thok shortcut

Generally, you have to jump gracefully onto each platform as Sonic, or else you'll fall out of the sky and start your journey over. His powerful and quick thokking ability, however, makes it easier to cut across the first half of the stage when you come onto the second platform away from your base. As for the rest of the level, time your jumps carefully, and pray that the game doesn't lag.

Dominance by flight

As Tails or Knuckles, getting to the enemy flag is so much easier (and quicker) due to the fact that they can defy gravity and Sonic can't. As Knuckles, you can simply glide over to the middle, climb back up on one of the pillars, and then keeping gliding over to the other end instead of taking the platforms. Tails can be even quicker; spindash and fly at the beginning of the course, and you'll make it to the enemy base in four seconds flat.

Bringing the enemy flag back to base

Center temple: Spindash-jump shortcut

The main difficulty of the level is making sure not to fall, and it's even more inconvenient if you have the flag - especially since you can't use your special abilities on your way back. To make things easier, though, you can still use a variation of the thok shortcut above by charging a spindash near the beginning of your journey back and jumping. If you charged it long enough, you should make it in one piece; otherwise, it's a risky leap of faith.

Need air support?

An even more useful technique is using sayteam to get a Tails user on your team to fly you back over to your base. While this may leave you vulnerable to enemy attacks, Tails still has the option to take a brisk break on the center tower, pop the random monitor, and head back the rest of the way by flight or take use of the old-fashioned skill of jumping platforms.

Hiding with the enemy flag

Safe at home

Pretty much the only way to keep safe is by staying at your own base, usually hiding behind the pedestal your flag lies on so no one sees you from a distance. An alternative is to have someone fly you up to the columns by your base so that non-flying users can't get to you. Of course, that isn't to say there won't be enemy Tails or Knuckles users around, and besides that, even if either of these options taken, your chances of having to get in a fight aren't particularly slim....

There's really no such thing as hiding in Nimbus Ruins. However, as the flag carrier, if you are Tails or Knuckles or otherwise gifted with the increased control that these two have, then maybe this technique is for you. If you know the level well, then you can simply run and occasionally fire rings at pursuers. Few players can navigate the tricky platforms of the stage without being shot at; fewer can manage it with it. Sonic can do this as well, but due to his higher speed and lower control, it may be harder to pull off without plummeting into the abyss.

Hiding under the tower

Another safe, but rather tricky hiding space is in the tower in the center of the stage. Where you hide is the area where spectators who fall can run in and use the spring to get back up. To do this, you must jump down; and next to the tower, toss the flag. You will fall to your death, but the flag should be there. Now this part is easier with Knuckles or Sonic: jump down and try to get into the small hole that is there. The sector there has no death pit over it, so it is safe to stand on. There is great risk in trying this, so whether you do this is up to you.

Defending the flag

Using death pits to your advantage

Remember that your enemies are commonly threatened with the bottomless pit below when traveling to your base. If you hit them with a ring while they travel across it, there's a chance that they'll fall off the platform they're traversing on (or just fall, if they're in midair), with nothing but the pit to cushion them.

Technical data

Things
Player starts	Easy	Normal	Hard (and above)
Player 1 Start	1	1	1
Match Start	32	32	32
CTF Red Team Start	32	32	32
CTF Blue Team Start	32	32	32
Rings	Easy	Normal	Hard (and above)
Ring	398	398	398
Infinity Ring	1	1	1
Automatic Ring	4	4	4
Super Ring Monitor (10 Rings)	6	6	6
Silver Ring Monitor (25 Rings)	1	1	1
Total rings	488	488	488
Other collectibles	Easy	Normal	Hard (and above)
CTF Red Flag	1	1	1
CTF Blue Flag	1	1	1
Springs and fans	Easy	Normal	Hard (and above)
Yellow Spring	4	4	4
Red Spring	1	1	1