Cv3/Stage 7 Alucard US

General Advice

Stage 7 is one of the toughest parts of the whole run, requiring a lot of practice, especially on the bat fight in 7-04. Because of how Alucard's fireballs disappear upon hitting something, this gives you very little room to work with up the fight, less so than the bat fight on stage 4 you do with Trevor. Try to get to the bosses at 7-07 with at least 5 health left so you can attempt the quick kill on the Cyclops (he'll hit you for at least 4).

Full level playthrough

• A very good run of stage 7 done in 2018 that used every most optimal strategy known about the stage. Attempt the 7-04 bat kill at your own risk!

Strategies

7-04

Get the big heart

Jump from the first block off the stairs you take (point A) to enter this room, then walk right so that Alucard is a few pixels right of the center of the block near the next staircase (point B). This is to manipulate the blob to let you jump forward and damage boost forward on the ledge above. After climbing up the next set of stairs, jump forward and let the blob boost you forward. Continue walking then jump from where the skeleton is in this diagram and attack right after jumping to hit the candle with the money in it with Alucard's bottom fireball. After landing from that jump, jump again but shoot the fireballs only on your way down from the jump, because the candle you need to hit is at almost the same height as the candle with money in it. If you can hit that candle, then climb down the stairs and get the big heart, then jump over the skeleton and start flying to where the bat boss is. If you have to slow down while the third skeleton is on screen, then he'll move left and not right, slowing you down and hitting you in the process.

Bat fight

Simple: (most commonly used setup): Starts at 0:00, and is the simplest strategy of the three best ones. By staying at the top platform and waiting for the bat to fly up towards you, you only have to time fireball attacks but you could lose time if the bat stays asleep for an extra 1-2 seconds, before flying within reach.

More technical / World Record Chaser (Baize86 setup): Starts at 3:34, and uses the bottom middle platform while staying to the left of the bat. Now you have to time both jumps and attacks.

Extremely precise (levelengine setup): Starts at 7:20, and uses the bottom-right platform at the start of the fight, then for the second hit, jumps to the middle with a well timed attack.

7-06, fly under the bridge

You need at least 9 hearts going up the flight of stairs into the bridge room or else you'll run short and fall to your death! If you play the bridge a bit slower then 10 would be just enough.