Forward Focus

[The Greatest Dog]

I seriously need help with those shot types.

In SA I can't play as Reimu A for my life (Still no 1cc's), whereas I 1cc'd with Suika on my second try (and Reimu C on my fourth).

In UFO it took me some fifteen tries with Marisa A to 1cc Normal but I 1cc'd with Marisa B in some three attempts.

Really, the only time I've been able to use one decently is with Youmu solos in Imperishable Night.

Just how does everybody manage to do so well with them?

[Sodium]

Uh, ReimuB(Suika) is a foward focus shot. It's supposed to be homing, but it homes only after hitting an enemy, it doesn't home very well anyways, and it's as weak as a normal homing shot.

Learn the stages. And which one did you use first for UFO, MarisaA or MarisaB?

[Esoterica]

The only real reason to use a forward focus type is to make bosses easier, assuming you're good at staying under them.  Otherwise, homing/spread types trivialize stages, and spread types come with the benefit of shotgunning.

Basically, if you're doing well with a different shot type, there's no real reason to change just because everyone else prefers a certain other type.

[The Greatest Dog]

Really, I think my issue is that I misdirect things whenever possible and just can't do many stages without bombing.

When you can beat bosses at long range with a spread type while at the bottom most of the time, the strategy is just transferable to forward focus.

Unfortunately, that makes me lazy about the stages. Especially with Marisa B in UFO, where you can kill all the enemies on screen, chain a green UFO and fill it up all for one bomb.

[Drake]

>MarisaB
>Bombing through stages
>Blowing up UFOs

I don't think so, Tim.

[nintendonut888]

IMO, there's virtually no instance where I would not prefer the forward focus shot type in favor of another. Forward focus types have the natural handicap of small range, but once you learn to deal with the stages in spite of this, you find that bosses become much easier, and therefore the game as well.

[The Greatest Dog]

>MarisaB
>Bombing through stages
>Blowing up UFOs

I don't think so, Tim.

Hm?

Either way, UFO gives about the same amount of opportunities to shotgun as it does situations where forward focus is ten times better.

Byakuren's first spellcard hates spread types, but Light Maelstrom seems to be less dense in the center of the screen.

Replay to show case. The only thing worth watching is stage 6, though...

[Esoterica]

Hm?

MarisaB's bomb is hilariously terrible.

Being a MarisaB player myself I'll say that she's underrated, but her bomb in particular is painfully bad.

[The Greatest Dog]

Her bomb does suck. It's just too short. But unless you really suck you should be able to get far enough in most attacks that you can't finish it off.

Maybe I just have a tendency to do better with "unusual" types.

...I'd probably main Suwako if I got UNL.

[Helix ⑨]

Foward focus <3
MarisaA in EoSD and Youmu in IN <3 <3 <3

[Garlyle]

Forward focus makes bossees easier but stages (generally) harder
And spreads/homing make stages easy but bosses harder (except the occasional shotgun-able attack)

All characters are capable of being used to beat a Touhou game; the differences more come into play when trying to go onto Hard/Lunatic, or especially scorerunning (Reimu/Yukari's invincibility without clearing bullets in SA, for example)

[AlexX Unlimited]

While I'm not the best playter around, I prefer forward focus type since I'd rather muscle my way through bosses than take my time with them. Obviously I still need the skill to survive long enough to kill them, which is probably part of why I'm not very good...

Of course, the stage difficulty also plays in, because I have to dodge a lot more and generally focus on priority threats. It generally takes a lot of practice no matter what I do, but once I memorize everything it gets a lot easier, and above all else I'd rather have boss fights not get drawn out, because if they do I know I won't be able to keep up my dodging consistantly...

Also, I usually prefer the laser variety of power types for the pierce ability. This way I can minimize threats of enemies that are in a line, and small fry get in the way of my aforementioned priority targets. As Marisa might say, why let something as trivial as enemies or destructable shots get in your way?

[The Greatest Dog]

I stand correct. Somehow I managed to 1cc SA with Nitori. Though I did eat plenty of bullets with deathbombs.

If I could do that, then in theory I should be able to 1cc with Yukari, right?

Actually, maybe not. I went from full power to zero from four hits on Utsuho's final card.

Does Koishi gain bomb invulnerability while her bomb is active?

[AlexX Unlimited]

Does Koishi gain bomb invulnerability while her bomb is active?

Koishi only gets invulnerability when the shield is broken, if the youtube's I've watched are any indication. She's not invincible while it's covering you (and darkening the background so that the bullets stand out better~).