[Zolda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Same reason why they want the GotcharDriver, I guess. Their Malgam powers must be lacking something important that the Alchemy Academy possesses. As the GotcharDriver is an invention of alchemy, it makes sense that the Dark Sisters would have the means to create their own version if they can figure out the missing component. Fuga chose Houtarou for his ability to bond with the Chemies emotionally, so maybe the Sisters need someone who can do the same, since Happyclover doesn't look like a willing ally for them.

Perhaps the greatest power of alchemy requires a genuine connection between a human and a Chemy, and the Gotchardriver allows that, if used by the right person like Houtarou. Cooperation with a Chemy will grant greater power to the user. I think The Sisters are alchemically-enhanced humans that have lost (or almost lost) this ability. That's probably the price they must pay for being abominations of nature. They need to resort to coercion to bond with a Chemy. Coercion and malice, like practiced by the Sisters, perhaps provide greater raw power, albeit temporarily, because a Chemy can reject and break the bond formed by this method, for example when Skebows tried to break free from the bond with its human host in episode 2, or when Happyclover was frightened when coerced by Lachesis in this episode. Happyclover should be called Sadclover as it was making a sad face when it bonded with her.

There are still several unanswered questions regarding the Gotchardriver. For example, who were the people Fuga stole the Gotchardriver from? Were they the AA's top brasses or The Sisters' boss? Another question is what's the connection between the Gotchardriver and the Ouroboros? Was it created by the ruler(s) of Ouroboros? What is the Ouroboros, exactly? Or how is the Gotchardriver able to not only open the door to eternal darkness, but also hope? It looks like the Gotchardriver is a versatile tool that can be used both ways.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Yeah, after seeing the X Gotchalibur, the Dark Sisters' creation is clearly something else. That Rinne Rider rumor also said it would be Premium Bandai, which isn't so strange when you remember how most of Tycoon's merchandise was either Premium or a campaign item. Seems like only the Primary Rider is guaranteed DX releases these days. So, assuming the rumor to be true and considering Atropos' personal interest in Rinne, I think this likely to be the corresponding device.

It could be something else, or it could be the X Gotchalibur. It could be a red herring, or a red herring of a red herring, haha.

The Sisters could be making another Driver to copy/mimic the Gotchardriver's ability. Thus, it requires a human user (not the Sisters) and a genuine intention from the user. If Atropos is actually manipulating Rinne, then Rinne should have a genuine intention or dream that she's hoping to come true. And there has to be at least one Chemy that agrees with her. So far, her longing for her very misunderstood dad could be the most genuine intention shown by a character in this story, besides Houtarou's dream of a coexistence between humans and Chemies. So, I think she's a very viable candidate to be the Sisters' puppet.

Another candidate is Spanner, but so far, his characterization and the motive of his intention are still not explored. From several dialogues in this episode, it looks like Lachesis is trying to manipulate him. From the very minimum amount of information the writers have given about him, he could be this season's third Rider, while Rinne could be the second Rider.

And yeah, it looks like only Gotchard's and Valvarad's gears are released as retail DX. This Driver, if it indeed exists, will be very likely released via P-Bandai. Could it be this season's Demons Driver/Vision Driver?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Considering how Gotchard is a mix of 3 lifeforms at minimum and Level 10 forms seem to use SteamHopper as a base under the X Gotchalibur, it could be dramatic if Houtarou's first Gotcha-N-Go with a Level 10 Chemy results in a resistance between them. The form would deplete faster and Houtarou being a mere mortal would take all the damage, until they learn to synchronize or something like that. But yeah, I'll gladly take potentially life-threatening stakes over that lame "oh no Ikki's memories" nonsense again.

It looks like level 10 RCC's can be used with any normal pairs. Level 10 RCC's probably function as accessories, armor or weapon attachment. Or will it modify or even fuse with the base forms? If so, then the base forms could be added with new armor shapes/colors/patterns. It'd be better if level 10 RCC's grant completely new forms. And given that the letter X is a combination of the symbols > and <, it could mean that level 10 forms are twice or even four times as strong as base forms.

I think I've kinda figured out how the X Gotchalibur works. It's attached to Gotchardriver's top slot, and the proper use of level 10 RCC's is by inserting it into the X Gotchalibur slot, not Gotchardriver's slot. That's probably why it has identical rear sides. The X Gotchalibur can be attached to the Gotchardriver and used with or without inserting a level 10 RCC into it, so it's functionally similar to Gaim's Genesis Core. The story will probably have Houtarou wrongly insert the level 10 RCC into Gotchardriver's slot, before eventually realizing that he should insert it into the X Gotchalibur's slot instead.

What I haven't figured out is how the X Gotchalibur announces the sound for level 10 form(s). For example, if I insert Exceedfighter (level 10 RCC of the Vehicle category) and Blank RCC into Gotchardriver's slot, it will announce "Top Vehicle! Exceedfighter!". Will the X Gotchalibur announce a different phrase if I insert Exceedfighter into its slot? The top slot on Gotchardriver only has a small lever that will press anything above it, and that's the only way it will activate the X Gotchalibur. If so, then if used in conjunction with Steamliner and Hopper 1, the Gotchardriver will probably first announce "Steeeaaammm... Hoppeeerrr!!!" and then immediately followed by the X Gotchalibur that will announce a new additional phrase. The complete announcement would be "Steeeaaammm... Hoppeeerrr!!! X!!!" or something in that vein. Or perhaps the Gotchardriver can communicate with the X Gotchalibur via other ways (RFID, NFC, etc)?

Here are the annotated images of my simple analysis of how the X Gotchalibur works.





And here I am writing this comment as the instrumental version of Back-On's CHEMY?STORY playing on repeat in the background.