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Mega Man 5 Guide > Robot Masters > Charge Man

Charge Man's domain can be conquered in a hurry, and that's especially true relative to Stone Man's slow-paced stage, which you may well just have cleared before coming here. The toughest part of the stage is the boss himself, who for whatever reason gives me more trouble than any of his cohorts.

Mega Man 5 screenshot - Charge ManMega Man 5 screenshot - Charge Man


The stage begins along some train tracks. Star toward the right, past the purple locomotive, and you'll come across some airborne enemies. They fly along one level, and they drop three bits of debris in a trail. You can easily take them out with a single charged shot, but keep their habits in mind for later, since you'll encounter them in more challenging circumstances later.

When you reach the far right side of that area, climb a ladder and ascend to the top of a train, then start toward the right. Here, you'll find a hardhat enemy, now riding a miniature train. He can't be damaged at first, so let him get near. He'll send a three way shot, then charge toward you. In this state, he is easily dispatched with a charged shot.

Mega Man 5 screenshot - Charge ManMega Man 5 screenshot - Charge Man


Proceed to the right from there, taking out additional train enemies, and some of the floating robots that look like metallic hard candies. Once you advance far enough, you'll come to the far right side of the area, where you can go no further until you drop intentionally into the blackness at the screen's right side.

Now you're inside the train, and it's time to head right again. As you do, you'll meet another new type of enemy. This one looks a bit like a robotic rooster, with a red plume and an opening along its base from which miniature enemies pour. You can shoot them easily to produce items such as energy capsules and the occasional extra life. When you're ready to take care of their source, a few charged shots to the head will do the trick.

Mega Man 5 screenshot - Charge ManMega Man 5 screenshot - Charge Man


As you advance right, you'll find more of those enemies positioned along ledges, with robotic rats wandering various platforms along the way. It's easy to keep your life up as you go, since none of the enemies should give you much trouble.

Soon, you should come to an area where flying bat-like enemies descend from the ceiling. Remember that you can only damage them when they are exposed, but that's the only time they're within range of your shots, anyway. As you advance through this area, watch the open windows near the ceiling, as a letter A rests in one of them. You can clear out the nearby enemies, then use the Rush Coil ability to spring up to the letter and easily collect it.

If this is your first time using the Rush Coil in Mega Man 5, note that it works a bit differently than before. You hop on it and it automatically springs upward, and then from the peak of that leap, you can jump yourself to get some nice altitude (in past games, you had to spring from the base, so the new normal requires some adaptation but is actually more efficient).

Mega Man 5 screenshot - Charge ManMega Man 5 screenshot - Charge Man


Continue past where you collected the letter and ascend the ladder. You'll see a bed of spikes to your left, which is just plain unpleasant, so head right instead. Now you're following another series of ledges, this one guarded by more of the hardhat enemies riding miniature trains, along with some enemies that like to lob explosive balls toward you. Just keep advancing and their shots will most likely pass harmlessly overhead, and then you can take them out with charged shots.

When you reach the far side of this area, drop down through the opening and you'll find yourself in the last room ahead of the boss chamber. Here, there's a red machine that fires homing missiles. Stay on the far left side of the screen so you have the best shot of hitting the homing missiles before they can reach you, and aim also for the red guy's head. A few charged shots or a barrage of normal ones will tend to him, and then you can head for the challenging battle that waits beyond the gates he was guarding.

Charge Man


It's difficult to avoid taking damage for long while battling Charge Man, particularly when you first encounter him, because he's so good at moving around the screen on your level.

Mega Man 5 screenshot - Charge Man

When you first enter the chamber, have a charged shot ready, but don't unleash it at once. Charge Man will head toward you, spending most of the time in an impervious state. Leap over his initial charge, then slide away to the right and turn back left to unleash your shot.

Besides charging, which is his favorite move but usually doesn't carry him all the way across the screen, Charge Man likes to pause sometimes and fire shots into the air. They will rain down from above shortly, so watch for them and make sure you're not beneath any shell. They're fairly easy to avoid, but make sure that you pay attention to Charge Man.

If you're at the right distance, you can use your Stone move to do a lot of damage, but it tends to pass harmlessly around your foe if you're too close. Charged buster shots are more reliable, even if they take longer. Don't be afraid to use an E-Tank if you have one and need the boost, though you shouldn't go that route until you at least have your enemy's life meter down to the halfway mark or better.

Password: B-1 (red), B-5 (red), C-3 (blue), D-5 (blue), F-1 (blue), F-3 (red)

NEXT: Wave Man