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Mega Man X Guide > Walkthrough > Armored Armadillo

Mega Man X screenshot - Armored Armadillo

Armored Armadillo's stage is the upper stage on the left side of the stage select screen. This stage is a mine, and you know what that means! Mine carts! Well, kind of. More like mine spiked platforms but the principle is the same. In fact, there's one right in front of you, so hop on it if you want. It'll plow through any enemy in its path, and bounce off any wall it runs into and head in the opposite direction. Be careful, since inertia means that when you jump off of the platform, you'll be sent flying in whatever direction it was moving at the time. Ride the platform or don't. It's up to you.

The opening area is full of familiar enemies and one special guest.

Batton M-501


Mega Man X screenshot - Armored Armadillo

This enemy behaves exactly like the other Battons, but looks a bit different. Recognize him from the old Mega Man games? The key difference is that if Batton M-501 drops anything, it will be a 1up. There's only one in the whole game, but it will respawn if you move off screen for a moment and come back, meaning this is a great place to max out your lives, which is good, because you're going to want to do that late for super special secret reasons.

Continue right until you drop down a hole and are faced with a scary tank.

Mole Borer


Mega Man X screenshot - Armored Armadillo

There are two ways to deal with this. Either drop down in front of it and run, or hang on the wall while it passes under you and then follow it from behind. If you're behind it, you can either immediately pick up the Sub Tank behind it (see details below) or shoot the Mole Borer a lot to destroy it. This thing does a lot of damage and has a lot of HP (70, in fact) and you can't harm him from the front. It'll chase you (or you'll chase it) through a hallway full of familiar enemies.

Metall C-15


Mega Man X screenshot - Armored Armadillo

Metalls! Or Mettaurs! Or Metools! Or whatever! These guys have been recurring Mega Man enemies forever, but there's no time to stop and catch up with that Mole Borer hot on your trail. They're invincible until they peek out from under their helmets, at which point you can shoot them in their ugly tramp faces and kill them. If the Mole Borer gets too close, just jump over them and don't worry too much if you take a bit of damage.

As you progress through this tunnel, you'll see two energy pickups in the ceiling, but you won't be able to get to them without the helmet upgrade to smash through, and if you're behind the Mole Borer and you don't take it out fast enough, it will destroy the platform you'll need to reach them. Make it to the other side of the pit of spikes, stand back a bit and stand your ground. The Mole Borer will fall in and that will be the end of him.

Sub Tank


Mega Man X screenshot - Armored Armadillo

Backtrack alllllll the way back to where the Mole Borer appeared to find his secret Sub Tank. Easy as pie. Note that the Battons in this stage, especially at the beginning, are a great way to farm for health for your Sub Tanks. Now head back to the right again.

You'll deal with more Battons and Metalls and Spikeys as you head right. Hop on the spiked platform to speed forward and right through a new enemy that will not survive the clash.

Dig Labour


Mega Man X screenshot - Armored Armadillo

These rugged miners will throw their pickaxes at you and laugh like jerks when they hit you. They don't have much health but their pickaxed travel in an arc so watch out for that. Or just blast through them on your platform for now. Whatever.

When your platform is about to smash into the wall, jump off and land on the wall and climb up. Don't fall on the spikes. Obviously. Continue right and down to another Mole Borer.

Heart Tank


Mega Man X screenshot - Armored Armadillo

You'll land directly behind this Mole Borer, meaning it's harmless to you unless you run into it on purpose, but you'll still want to shoot it and kill it as fast as you possibly can. Use the Fire Wave if you have it. If you're not fast enough, it will destroy the wall you need to climb to reach the Heart Tank and you don't want that because then you'll have to die or beat the level and return later to get it. Seriously, mash that attack button like you've never mashed anything before.

Keep going right (sense a theme in this game?) through the Battons and over the spikes until you get to another spiked platform. Hop on and meet the last new enemy of the stage.

Metal Wing


Mega Man X screenshot - Armored Armadillo

These things fly really fast, but not as fast as a spiked platform, meaning you'll catch up with them and run into them if you don't shoot them down. Thankfully, they don't have much health. Be careful. You can only have three shots on the screen at a time and they don't travel much faster than you do, so you won't be able to fire that rapidly.

Once you make it outside, you can climb above the door to pick up a bit of health, then head through for the next boss.

Armored Armadillo



Mega Man X screenshot - Armored Armadillo

This guy is pretty much what you'd expect from a boss named Armored Armadillo. He's not as much of a pushover as Spark Mandrill was with the Shotgun Ice, but he's not that tough if you have the Electric Spark.

The Hard Way

Your window of opportunity to actually hurt him is pretty small so make it count. You can't hurt him while he's rolled up into a ball so don't try. If you shoot his armour, he'll absorb it and fire it back at you in six directions. He has a sad little energy weapon that moves slowly and is easy to avoid. His signature move is to roll up into a ball and bounce around the stage at predictable 45 degree angles. He's not super tough but he won't go down without a fight.

The Easy Way

Shoot him with the Electric Spark to make his armour fly off completely. Now he's vulnerable whenever you hit him. Keep laying into him with Electric Sparks to do more damage, even when he's rolling around. This also removes his ability to absorb your shots, so just go nuts until he dies.

Enjoy your new weapon for beating him.

Rolling Shield

The Rolling Shield is a pretty big ball that rolls along in front of X and stops shots that hit it. It's not a bad weapon, and it becomes a great one when you have the arm upgrade. This will let you charge it to create a forcefield around you, automatically defeating any enemy that it's strong enough to kill in one hit, like bats. There are a few spots where this is incredibly useful, including the beginning of the Armored Armadillo stage to grind for lives and health.

What's Next



As useful as it is, the Rolling Shield doesn't grant you access to any new areas or upgrades, and beating this level didn't affect any other level, so let's just get on with it.

NEXT: Launch Octopus