Mega Man 7/Cloud Man

Items

 * Proto Man, 1st meeting (needed to get Proto Shield later)
 * Rush "U" plate (need Freeze Cracker)
 * Mega Bolt (need Rush Search)

Stage walkthrough
Cloud Man appears on the left of the stage selection screen.

The first section is not too difficult, but does require jumping across platforms. While enemies pop up between the fan-like platforms, they are easily dodged. At the end is a Tel Tel robot, which will create rainy weather when hit, but this won't prevent rain in the next section.

In the second section, you can find a 1-up at the top-left corner, reached by using Rush Coil. To the right is another Tel Tel, and if hit with Freeze Cracker, it will cause snowy weather (which makes a later section much easier.) Continue to the right and climb up the ladder to the third section. If you are low on energy, you can also use Rush Coil to grab the large energy that's visible.

The third part of the level has nothing too special aside from a few cloud platforms.

The fourth part will have invisible floors if you haven't used the Freeze Cracker. At the end of this section, you will climb up a ladder.

Once you enter, the rain will stop. defeat the Sniper Joe and proceed up the right ladder if you are low on health, or left to continue. You will also find a high ladder. If you can jump and reach it with Rush Coil, you will meet Protoman, who will give a hint about another stage.

The final section opens up to a calmer outside. if you are short on weapons or energy, you can move back and forth near this transition to harvest pickups from the DeluPipi as it drops the egg. After the transition, you will jump across platforms, while being pushed or pulled by Boufooh robots. However, the shouldn't be too difficult.

Cloud Man
Cloud Man follows an pattern:
 * 1) Cloud Man floats upward, calls lightning and fires a lightning beam towards Mega Man.  If the beam hits the ground, it creates floor sparks that travel in both directions
 * 2) Cloud Man returns to the ground, calls lightning to cause wind to push Mega Man.  On the first call, the wind is to the left.  It alternates on each rain.
 * 3) During the storm, Cloud Man calls lightning, then creates floor sparks.
 * 4) When the storm subsides, Cloud Man will float left and right across the arena at low altitude. You can slide under him.

Cloud Man is locked down by Danger Wrap from Burst Man. When he recovers, he will restart his pattern. If you are low on ammo for that weapon, you can also use a charged Mega Buster shot.

You will receive the Thunder Bolt once he is defeated.

Detailed analysis
When he is not charging, fire a Danger Wrap towards him (I recommend doing this next to him). If you hit him with a Danger Wrap, you can easily take him down without him doing anything for the rest of the  fight. Just after he recovers, he will do his Lightning Bolt attack; at the point before he is struck he is vulnerable against anything, so get him then. If you wait too long, he becomes invincible.
 * Weakness Strategy

Without the Danger Wrap in your possession to take advantage of his weakness, Cloud Man might give you a hard time if you don't know what's coming. His pattern is to shoot the lightning bolt, summon stormy weather, fire off some ground sparks, then patrol the arena. After that, he'll start back at the lightning bolt again. The battle can drag on because of all the moving you have to do to dodge Cloud Man's attacks, and the fact that he is invincible when charged with the lightning he uses for his electric attacks. Slide often during the stormy weather, because it's faster than walking and will allow you to pass beneath Cloud Man as he moves around. Charge up the Mega Buster as you slide, put a little distance between you and Cloud Man, and open fire. The key in this battle is to keep far away from Cloud Man, because he gets easier to shoot and dodge if he's farther away.
 * Mega Buster Strategy


 * Attacks
 * 1) Lightning Bolt: Summons a bolt of lightning to hit him, thus charging him with energy. He then releases it in your  direction.  If it hits the ground, it sends electricity  along the ground in both directions.
 * 2) *Solution: Interrupt with a D Wrap or jump over the bolt and the electricity on the ground.
 * 3) Weather: Makes the weather stormy, thus it rains and you are pushed in either direction.
 * 4) *Solution: Run into the wind, don't fall off or run into Cloudman.
 * 5) Ground Sparks: After Weather, he summons a bolt of lightning to him, which he then sends along the ground in both directions in pairs of two (basically at the same time).
 * 6) *Solution: Jump just after he charges, it takes about half a second before he releases the energy.
 * 7) Patrol: After Ground Sparks, Cloudman will hover back and forth above you.
 * 8) *Solution: Slide underneath or hit 'em with a D Wrap