Favorite Gimmicky Shottype

[HistoryoftheMoon]

You know them: those shottypes that have an interesting premise, or are just very different or complicated, that seem very cool but not very practical. Things like Sakuya B from PCB with her aimable knives, or Youmu's focus sword-slash from TD. I personally think that Cold Inferno (Marisa C from MoF) is really cool (pun somewhat intended,) but not as good as the Scarlet Team from IN, which had a similar premise that was a bit better in execution.

[ふねん1]

I'd say SA MarisaB, just because of how versatile she is. It's a lot of fun playing around with different shot formations in different sections.

[Zigzagwolf]

I'd say my favourite ends up being MarisaB in SA though I had some other contenders (ReimuC in MoF is kind of fun but I haven't played a whole lot with her; I also really like shots like ReimuA and MarisaB in DDC.)

Why did I end up with MarisaB? Because the idea you can change your shot's option at any time and figure out silly strategies on patterns you would not've thought were possible before, it is quite a fun experience to sit on Orin during her first nonspell and second nonspell for example with the backshot, it is very interesting how multiple shot options can be used at various moments in several patterns; it adds the additional fun of not per se having to do one particular approach.

I also really find ReimuC in MoF fun, specifically because she's a kind of weak shot if you cannot shotgun with her; it adds the additional risk of attempting to shotgun because of that.

I like both ReimuA and MarisaB in DDC, for ReimuA it is because the Gohei allows some really silly strategies and interesting routes, there's also the thing that the gohei moves off an enemy after a while so you still have to be concentrated and make sure to recenter it from time to time so it does also add some necessary concentration. For MarisaB it is really just because of the bomb, it is very amusing to put it on patterns that produce a lot of bullets which in return are converted to both power items and point item value, collecting those power items also gives bonuses; That is why a category like DDC Extra is so much fun to do with MarisaB, there is plenty of opportunity to use the bomb and reel in a lot of power items.

Though I'm honestly the most fond of MarisaB in SA over the other shots mentioned here, I'd like it if I could've said more about pc-98 shottypes but I don't find any that hard to play with or really gimmicky, so I couldn't really elaborate on that as much as I would've wanted.

[Tengukami]

Marisa C in MoF, even though I can never implement it correctly.

[ZoomyTsugumi]

Reimu C in SA stands out still as one of my favourites.
Marisa A in SA as well.

[Shizzo]

I really like Marisa A in MoF.  In fact she was the shottype I cleared lunatic with.   It helps a ton in stages, and deals a ton of damage in bossfights.  Marisa C is similar, but surprisingly I never was much a fan of it. 

[Kaiserlucas]

I really like Marisa C in MoF as well. I was kind of forced to use her since I am not really good with slow characters such as Reimu and there was that Marisa B glitch thing so I didn't want to use that shot either. Since That only left me with Marisa A and C I tried both and to my own surprise the Cold Inferno shot was actually kind of useful so I stuck with it.

[Mikuru]

I'm a big fan of PCB SakuyaB. Comfortable to aim wherever you want, and you can easily sweep enemies coming from all over the screen (as in Stage 3). Also, she gets to face Merlin, which is pretty fun.

[Mero]

DDC ReimuA is the best thing to happen to Touhou. MarisaA and B in SA are pretty cool, too.

[TresserT]

I like the Netherworld team. The way your power shot is unfocused and your spread shot is focused, as well as the way Youmu's spirit half works out. Though idk if that's really a gimmick.

DDC Reimu A and SA Marisa B are also tons of fun. MoF Reimu C is my favorite shot in that game, though I hardly even consider that a gimmick.

[yeashie]

MarisaB in UFO
tbh I don't really know why I like this shot so much, maybe because no one uses it Covers a good amount of the screen and also shoots from behind making PoC safer.
I do like ReimuC in SA, hard to use but fun at the same time

[Tengukami]

MarisaB in UFO
tbh I don't really know why I like this shot so much, maybe because no one uses it Covers a good amount of the screen and also shoots from behind making PoC safer.

I remember many people saying the Marisa B ending is the canon ending for UFO. Not sure about the veracity of that assertion.

I do like ReimuC in SA, hard to use but fun at the same time

absolute madman

[dark36]

i like TD Youmu's just because i find the charged attacks to be cool. i also love the mechanism of Reimu C in MoF for incentivating you to shot gun the boss and Marisa B in SA for making you to chose the most appropriate shot type for each occasion with metal being the high risk high reward one.

also for Marisa B being called the cannon one from UFO might be because the ending ties nicely with the Extra stage backstory.

[WishMakers]

I dunno if we're just considering the main shmups buuuuut Tewi from PoFV is certainly interesting.
You basically can't die if you maintain a charge of at least 2 (if memory serves me right)
But all of her stats and her Ex attack are really strange, so it's a mixed bag.

In main shmups, does Reisen in LoLK count?  Otherwise MarisaB from SA and ReimuC from MoF are good choices.