Spell Card Help Topic VI: How do I used Bomb?

[chirpy13]

I would be really grateful if someone told me how to approach midboss Nue in stage 4. I have the feeling it's static and while I usually would just reaction-dodge, bomb when necessary and call it a day, I pretty much need a perfect approach for it if I want a 1cc Hard, because there's so much at stake. Thanks.

Tap to the side and let the bullets dodge themselves.  Right for the blue waves and left for the red ones (or right left right left if that's easier to remember).  It's not too hard when you move with the bullets.  Some people do it the other way around and cap it pretty consistently but I find that really awkward myself.

[Chuckolator]

How should I capture Eirin's Curse of the Heavens "Apollo 13" without using safespot? How does the pattern works?

oh, I'm a master at this one.

basically, if you hug the bottom or close to it, you die. the trick is to always be looking to enter the pattern as soon as possible. if you're in there quickly and you have a lot of leeway, it's easy to fall back a little and seek out a path through. I practiced that card for about 20 minutes a few weeks ago, after I hadn't played that card in a year. when I went back to it I kept that in mind and kept a 50%+ cap rate.

aside from that just practice, it honestly does get a lot easier once you've done it a few times

[Critz]

Thanks a ton for the help. Still, I somehow can't seem to pass it by anything but a fluke  :ohdear:. Any further, detailed help on where to go in the pattern would be welcome as well, because it's ricidulous arrangement hampers my ability to read and react before I get walled, and I need those 2 lives to stand a chance of 1cc'ing Hard, yet both saving the UFO to help me and pause buffering seem like a crapshot.

[Zil]

It's not actually static, but apparently it's the same pattern, just at a random angle

It is effectively static, actually. The whole pattern can be offset or rotated very slightly, but it's pretty much the same every time. The greatest variation comes from how many fairies you manage to kill.

Critz: Do your best to memorize it, pretty much. Find a method that works and practice it, and keep in mind the possible spots bullets can be fired, since sometimes you might not kill as many fairies as usual.

-

About Apollo 13 - Note that it is actually 2 static patterns moving on top of each other. It can't be truly memorized because their orientation is random, but it's akin to VoWG in that the more you play it, the more situations you'll be prepared for.

[Mr Jovial]

Not  a "Help me do X attack" question, but I feel this is the most suitable place to ask. In PCB, IN and TD, the game mentions Reimu having  a smaller hitbox. Are there any other games where this is true but not stated?

[Zil]

It's true in all of them but EoSD.

[Karisa]

To be more precise, Reimu's smaller hitbox is in PCB onward (including PoFV, where if I recall correctly it's also directly stated). I don't think the PC-98 games have it.

[Critz]

Alright  :matsuriscowl:. Guess there is no way around this one except the hard way. I really  hate how the boss rush patch skips Nue and goes straight to Murasa despite leaving Stage 5 and EX midbosses intact. It would be too awesome if I could freely practice the one attack that is extremely crucial for the successful run. Not as awesome as a Spell Practice patch though.

Well, while I'm at it, anyone got a survival-optimized UFO route through the game that they're willing to share? :V

[Mr Jovial]

It's true in all of them but EoSD.

To be more precise, Reimu's smaller hitbox is in PCB onward (including PoFV, where if I recall correctly it's also directly stated). I don't think the PC-98 games have it.

Thought this would be the case :< Wish it wasn't true, would mean less incentive to always use Reimu (probably).

Well, while I'm at it, anyone got a survival-optimized UFO route through the game that they're willing to share? :V]

Be careful with planned routes as they inhibit your flexibility/improvisation ability. Missing 1 UFO token means you either skip a full UFO or your entire route becomes a waste. I don't have a route but here's a list of what UFOs appear when since it might help.

[kitslol]

Need some help with Shou's first and second nonspell(second especially). Is there a trick to reading these or do I just have to read and react as its coming down?

Also, any tips for LFS besides letting go of the shot key until the second purple waves come out?(Like positioning, since it aims at you) Or do I just need to keep practicing this more until I get used to the pattern, because right now it's just an unreadable mess for me once those red waves come out.

[Szayelaporro Granz]

I know this might sound too much to ask, but can anyone tell me how to capture Youmu's and Yuyuko's spellcards on Hard difficulty (and above)?

[Chuckolator]

Also, any tips for LFS besides letting go of the shot key until the second purple waves come out?(Like positioning, since it aims at you) Or do I just need to keep practicing this more until I get used to the pattern, because right now it's just an unreadable mess for me once those red waves come out.

Honestly, if you're already aware that the rings are "aimed" the best thing to do is just keep practicing and stay in the same spots. Back when I got my ndnb byakuren I practiced that a lot and after a while I started recognizing each individual wave and learned how to dodge them one by one, and it worked for me.

[CyberAngel]

Any tips on Reimu's "Fantasy Seal -Blink-"? I'm tired of this spellcard being the only one I can't find a trick for (and it looks like it may have one), with my strategy still being "do my best and hope Reimu isn't an asshole today".

EDIT: Forget it, I got it myself! YAY!

The strategy is this. Stay unfocused, when you need to move, you need to move FAST. Dodging amulets is best in the direction opposite of how Reimu moved when spawning them. When she starts shooting fast bullets, her dash is aimed straight at you. Stay on the move, don't let yourself get cornered. Since Reimu wraps around, bullets WILL switch direction they come from. And if you didn't manipulate her dash properly, it will be multiple times. Make sure to manipulate amulets properly as well, second wave especially, to have enough space to run around. When timer is half gone, try to predict where Reimu will stop spawning amulet waves and hammer her with all you can. Even with strategy, Reimu still moves randomly between waves, she's not like Marisa who can be manipulated completely and made static, so stay aware of her or you can get screwed horribly. Easier said than done with her speed and wrap-around, though.

[Chuckolator]

yeah I found her last spell pretty easily as long as you always tried to direct her in one direction rather than diagonally, so you had an easy way to stream the purples instead of her jumping around everywhere

[Rei]

Any tips on Reimu's "Fantasy Seal -Blink-"? I'm tired of this spellcard being the only one I can't find a trick for (and it looks like it may have one), with my strategy still being "do my best and hope Reimu isn't an asshole today".

EDIT: Forget it, I got it myself! YAY!

The strategy is this. Stay unfocused, when you need to move, you need to move FAST. Dodging amulets is best in the direction opposite of how Reimu moved when spawning them. When she starts shooting fast bullets, her dash is aimed straight at you. Stay on the move, don't let yourself get cornered. Since Reimu wraps around, bullets WILL switch direction they come from. And if you didn't manipulate her dash properly, it will be multiple times. Make sure to manipulate amulets properly as well, second wave especially, to have enough space to run around. When timer is half gone, try to predict where Reimu will stop spawning amulet waves and hammer her with all you can. Even with strategy, Reimu still moves randomly between waves, she's not like Marisa who can be manipulated completely and made static, so stay aware of her or you can get screwed horribly. Easier said than done with her speed and wrap-around, though.

Or do this.
The very last wave is kinda hard, though. The rest can be dodged the same way every time.

[CyberAngel]

Or do this.

Um...

"Fantasy Seal -Blink-"

[dunaway5]

Question about MoF: Which of Reimu's shot types is the most powerful?  I assume the sealing needles, but the youkai buster spread shot thing works pretty well at close range too.

[chirpy13]

Alright  :matsuriscowl:. Guess there is no way around this one except the hard way. I really  hate how the boss rush patch skips Nue and goes straight to Murasa despite leaving Stage 5 and EX midbosses intact. It would be too awesome if I could freely practice the one attack that is extremely crucial for the successful run. Not as awesome as a Spell Practice patch though.

Well, while I'm at it, anyone got a survival-optimized UFO route through the game that they're willing to share? :V

Well here's my route.

Stage 1 all reds.  You should have 1-2 red pieces going into stage 2 depending on whether you held the blinker during midboss Naz or not.  If it's two then I try to keep the first blinking UFO from stage 2 onscreen until the exploding yin-yangs come out, then blow up the red to clear all the bullets when the fairies start coming.  If it's one you can use the blue UFO to make a rainbow with a blue and green and explode it with the same timing.  Depending on if it was rainbow or red you'll get another red either during or after the second yin-yangs.  In either case you will even out on midboss Kogasa with 2 reds (don't grab the third if it's floating or it will just leave).  Try to time the blinking UFO so that it turns red as her non finishes so you can grab it during the period between non and spell.  There's a bunch of blinking UFOs after the midboss and you can potentially make another 3 reds before boss Kogasa, but just do it as best you can and see what you end up with.  Stage 3 it doesn't really matter if you go in with 1 or 2 reds.  There's 2 blinking UFOs before the first spam section, and you want your first red to activate there, so either way you'll even out.  Popping the UFO here makes the survival significantly easier.  You should have 2 reds going into midboss Ichirin, and depending on the timing you might be able to grab a  third to autopop during the dialogue between non and spell.  There's 2 more blinking UFOs after that, which you should use to make another red during the second spam section, and then just do what you can for reds during the circling part before the boss.  On stage 4, I'll activate a red at the start if I have 2, or just wait if I only have one.  Since the yin-yang spam has static color UFOs I make a rainbow from them when the big fairies come out with a green last (the last color used is the first to come out of the rainbow) since the timing makes grabbing the two reds from it really easy compared to if I used a blue or something.  There's a red right after, and a second red that I summon during the Nueball for bullet clears (one when it appears, one when it explodes).  Next red is during the streaming red yin-yangs and then I just do my best to grab all the reds flying around everywhere until the end of the stage.  Stage 5 I open up a red the moment the third big fairy is about to shoot to make it... not shoot.  And then popping it will clear out the crap from the next one.  For the set of 3 big fairies, the left one has the red, so I pop that fairy first and then the others after.  Rainbow if I have one red, red if I have 2.  Another red before Nazrin.  You can make another 2 reds after Nazrin.  You should only make the second if it will put you at 3 or 0 pieces entering Shou (otherwise the pieces are worthless and you should make a green or rainbow instead).  Stage 6 just make greens.  There's some static blues that you can use to make blues for more blinking pieces to make greens with too.  I think you can get 2 extra pieces this way if memory serves me correctly.  Now bomb the shit out of Byakuren.

Question about MoF: Which of Reimu's shot types is the most powerful?  I assume the sealing needles, but the youkai buster spread shot thing works pretty well at close range too.

Here or here

[Oh]

Question about MoF: Which of Reimu's shot types is the most powerful?  I assume the sealing needles, but the youkai buster spread shot thing works pretty well at close range too.

ReimuB has the highest scoring potential out of the Reimu shots due to her consistent damage. Although ReimuC does more damage close up, it's very hard to get a situation in which this is done. The only advantage would be using only 1 bomb on biorhythm to gain measly 500 or so faith from small star items, and maybe faster speedkill on Saruta Cross and Yamato Torus. I have found ReimuC extremely irritating to use, therefore I recommend ReimuB.

[Rei]

Um...

Oops. Ha ha, I always get these 2 mixed up.

[Sahgren]

Is there any trick to making Satori's "Double Black Death Butterfly" on Hard easier?

[commandercool]

This isn't a question about a specific pattern, but I could use some help. I've been playing a ton of PoFV splitscreen recently, and I want to unlock all of the characters so that I have them available for that. I've been spending a lot of time trying to clear extra and it hasn't been going that well. At best I can get to stage 6-7, but for the most part I'm struggling to consistently clear stage 4. Does anybody have any tips that'll make this easier?

[Zil]

- Play for score in the easier rounds. (i.e. spam level 2 spells, keep the chain going.) You get an extend every 5m, up to 45m I believe.

- If you stop shooting for a long enough time, the AI's timer stops counting down; however, if you just snipe lone fairies or spirits and pacify 90% of the time, the timer keeps counting down and you keep the chaos to a minimum. You likely can't keep that going for the whole match, since eventually you'll have to shoot for your own safety, but you can take out a good chunk of the timer at almost no risk that way.

[commandercool]

- Play for score in the easier rounds. (i.e. spam level 2 spells, keep the chain going.) You get an extend every 5m, up to 45m I believe.

I was aware of this. Kind of easier said than done if you're me, but it is something I'm trying to do.

- If you stop shooting for a long enough time, the AI's timer stops counting down; however, if you just snipe lone fairies or spirits and pacify 90% of the time, the timer keeps counting down and you keep the chaos to a minimum. You likely can't keep that going for the whole match, since eventually you'll have to shoot for your own safety, but you can take out a good chunk of the timer at almost no risk that way.

I did not know/think of this. Seems like it could be handy. Thanks for the tip.

[Mr Jovial]

(Again, not a question on dodging but this seems like the best place.)

In PoFV, which characters are generally seen as "higher tier" (similar to Reimu, Rikako and Yumemi from PoDD) and equally, which character is the most difficult to 1cc with (similar to Chiyuri)?

[CyberAngel]

Aya outright breaks AI. Eiki and Medicine can do that as well to an extent. On the other hand, Youmu seems to have the most trouble. If you unlocked everything, Merlin probably as well.

If masters will say otherwise, trust them, I haven't played this one in a lifetime

[Zil]

I don't think there's any total agreement on it, and to a degree it depends on your familiarity with the characters, since some of them can be very hard to use at first but are actually very powerful when learned. Youmu is probably the best example of that. But anyway, my opinion on it:

Top tier: Medicine, Aya
High tier: Marisa, Eiki, Cirno, Reimu, Youmu
Mid tier: Komachi, Lyrica, Reisen, Mystia,
Low tier: Yuuka, Tewi
Bottom tier: Sakuya

Merlin and Lunasa aren't playable in story mode, but just for fighting the AI in match mode, Lunasa is pretty strong and Merlin is probably the absolute worst.

Also, for Extra mode things would be rather different, so don't assume it's the same. Aya is terrible in Extra, for instance.

[Sakurei]

Aya, Medicine and Reimu pretty much win the game for you. Aya and Medicine are gamebreaking, Reimu is "just" really really strong against the AI.

As for hardest, it's harder to tell than in PoDD. Sakuya and Tei are really bad characters to play as, but they have bearable opponents. Yeah, my money is probably on either of those.

[Critz]

http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php?topic=1132.0

Komachi, Lyrica, Reisen and Mystia are all crap against AI because they rely on micrododging. Marisa is likely barely better thanks to her EX-lasers being capable of messing up AI calculations. Tewi is decent AI slayer because of her amulets, though still suffers from her shitty scope, and the same propably goes for Sakuya thanks to her EXes having mucked up hitboxes. She murders Yuuka in minutes in Lunatic AI vs AI mode.

[MarioFanGamer659]

On my SA 1cc normal run with Reimu A I've got some problems with the spell cards. I don't know how to dodge them or I can dodge them but they're sometimes impossible. Here are they (I'll also add on some spells a comment):
Grandpa Hanasaka "Jealousy of the Kind and Lovely" (sometimes I'm trapped so I'll often time out or bomb this spell)
Oni Sign "Anomalies, Strength, Disorder, and Spirits" (mostly impossible to dodge but somtimes I'll somehow survive it)
Big Four Arcanum "Knock Out In Three Steps" (on easy I can dodge it but on normal the blue bullets can trap me. )
Recollection "Double Black Death Butterfly"
Recollection "Border of Wave and Particle"
Atonement "Needle Mountain of a Former Hell"