Touhou Gameplay Help Thread #7 - Not just for spell card help after all

[Mikuru]

I'm assuming from the name that you're referring to the Normal (or Easy) version of the Prismrivers' second-to-last spellcard.

Generally speaking, your best bet is to stay in one of the bottom corners, right at the edge of the "cone" in which the sisters can redirect the bullets straight down. This will keep you fairly safe during the first part of each cycle, but be on your guard during the second part, since the bullets will approach you both vertically and horizontally. Usually, if you can survive one cycle, you'll be able to capture the card before having to deal with the hard part a second time.

Thank you! I finally captured this card!

[Uruwi]

Mamizou's 7th spell?

I managed it with Sanae after 114 tries, but I'm looking for a more reliable method to capture it.

[Nolegs the Cat]

My next lunatic aim is PCB and EOSD lunatics. I have a question - I'm using ReimuB at the moment and I'm used to it's style of play but I'm wondering if I should learn to use SakuyaB. I know she's the best shot type for scoring, how about survival?

Also.... PCB stage 4 and stage 5. I intend to make a route for massive point-items. :toot:
But is it worth it for any of the other stages?

And also, what's the best shot type for survival in EOSD? currently use ReimuB.

[Mero]

SakuyaB is okay for survival I think, even if they don't deal much damage, she still has 4 bombs per life (useful for collecting items too), her main shot has decent power and cherry building, and it can hit two places at the same time (this is very useful in the stage 6's spam). It's more a thing of how comfortable you are with Sakuya's odd movement speeds and Merlin's opening nonspells.

For EoSD, a lot of people go with ReimuA because she has arguably the easiest Patchouli fight (the hardest being MarisaA's), but ReimuB is a very solid shottype, at shotgun range, she deals the most damage out of all shots, though she has the (on average) weakest bomb of the four.

[Uruwi]

As GMK says, SakuyaB is okay, but in my opinion SakuyaA is an even better shot type for survival because of the quasi-homing shots that are still powerful enough.

My first normal EoSD 1cc was also with ReimuA. The Patchouli fight is easy, but the shots are lacking in power. (ReimuB, like MarisaA, has a difficult Patchouli fight.)

[MrL1193]

Sakuya B is at least more forgiving than either of Marisa's shot types, but I wouldn't really say she's better than Reimu B for survival. They're pretty close in power, but it takes significantly more effort to use Sakuya B well, and her weird movement speeds can make precision dodging tough.

Honestly, I would recommend Sakuya A for the easiest clear, but not so much for the homing (though it does make Merlin's opener more manageable). Rather, Sakuya A's greatest strength is her bombing power. Her focused bomb deals quite a lot of damage to bosses, and with 4 bombs per life, you'll have plenty of them to work with.

[Karisa]

A note about PCB SakuyaA-- she does have the downside of a very low cherry+ rate (from her low unfocused damage), which could be relevant if you're the sort of player who border breaks for survival, or even with collecting stage portion point items for extends.

[LunaWillow]

SakuyaA is the best. A lil' bit of homing, decent damage, four bombs per life just speak for themselves. Even so, she has some minuses, like high focus speed (that's a trait of both Sakuya's actually) Merlin fight (depending on your personal taste she may or may not be hardest Prismriver) and - as mentioned before - low cherry+ rate. Still, she's my main in this game I really recommend her for survival.

[Koog]

Still can't beat Den Den Daiko with MarisaB. I reach that spell with 2 lives and almost always have to bomb...

Also, Three Strikes at Midnight... Tried 30 times no capture...

[Uruwi]

Also, Three Strikes at Midnight... Tried 30 times no capture...

Try using the gaps between the drums and the glowy bullets right after the former set fires.

[Nolegs the Cat]

Alice Margatroid. Oh dear oh dear, Alice Margatroid. Where do I begin?

... First and foremost, her midboss nonspells. I cannot do them, at all.
The first one I can usually do the first 2 waves and then it's just bomb spam.
The second one is so dense and so fast....

Short of just memorising them is there some way to do them consistently?

And then the boss fight. Her nonspells aren't that bad. The first one is somewhat luck based but not too bad, the second one might as well not exist, and the third one is more clippy then anything.... except, that is, the red arrow/ball waves in it. Should I go through the small bullets and Crystal Walls or move with them?

As for her spellcards...

Orleans Dolls is static but ultimately pure dodging. Nothing here to say beyond 'get gud' really.

Any way to make her 'charming siege from all sides (hurr durr)', that is, Chalk-White Russian Dolls, easier?

I have a weird relationship with Kyoto Dolls but it's much easier then the other spellcards. Except Maiden's Bunraku I guess but that still screws me over due to RNG occasionally even if it is easy...

As for Hanged Hourai Dolls, should I misdirect or just dodge inside the shitstorm?

Alice is the main reason I cannot 1cc PCB lunatic and the current bane of my existence.

[shockdude]

I haven't properly attempted to 1CC PCB Lunatic yet, though I have played through Lunatic a few times in the past.
I just did Stage 3 practice with SakuyaB, and for me Alice doesn't seem terrible in that she doesn't seem to need any specific tricks or strats to beat, just dodging skill. While I do need to practice the boss fight, I was able to pass the midboss nonspells.

1st midboss nonspell: dodge up and down for the red & blue waves, dodge up & down for the green wave, and dodge back to the middle of the screen during the yellow wave.
2nd midboss nonspell: This attack basically tells players "don't move towards where other bullets are moving." Move as little as possible, and focus on getting past the nonspell before the bullet density ramps up.

Chalk White Russian Dolls: The dolls are placed to push you to one side of the screen so that you get wrecked when they spawn on the other side. What I do is simply get pushed to one side and then somehow get back to the middle asap.
Hanged Hourai Dolls: I haven't had enough experience with this spellcard, though imo I think it'd be possible to do it without misdirection.

Just do a bunch of stage practice for the midboss nonspells.

[MrL1193]

My usual strategy for Chalk-White Russian Dolls is to stay relatively high up for most of it, since the bullet clumps are easier to dodge when they first form. The dolls will tend to push you back and forth between the sides, but as long as you don't sit still for too long, you should be fine. I find this to be Alice's easiest attack by far (not counting the "nonspell" that precedes it).

For Hanged Hourai Dolls, misdirection can work for homing shots, but since you're using Reimu B, you probably would be better off just shooting Alice and dodging as best you can.

I can't say much about the rest because I feel pretty much the same way you do about Alice. :V I do seem to remember that one of Marisa's shot types (probably the Christmas trees one) can trivialize Maiden's Bunraku by destroying some of the dolls before they fire, but I guess that's not too helpful for your purposes.

[Mero]

Here's a replay of stage 3 if you want
Alice's first midboss non can be dodged similarly every time, the orientation of the waves can change but it's always the same pattern. For the first stage portion you want to move in big U-shapes to misdirect the fairies' shots, and maybe PoC some items (there aren't many point items here so it's not a big deal to miss item drops). The second midboss non is static relative to Alice's position, it is memorization so it can be done exactly the same every time.

For Maiden's Bunraku (and all of Alice's spells really) you want to dodge as high as possible, to give you more room to dodge and so the red bullets don't wall you, the Marisa tactic MrL1193 mentioned also works with ReimuB. It 's not necessary, but planning a border for the end of the spell helps with collecting items on the next section, and so you don't have to bomb to not get hit, since it is a pretty messy section. For her boss fight, keep in mind her dolls drop items when you clear an attack with them on the screen (that's how I got a border for the first spell), and again, being higher up the screen can help with your dodging

[Nolegs the Cat]

Here's a replay of stage 3 if you want
the Marisa tactic MrL1193 mentioned also works with ReimuB.

Given it's the tactic I use, yes I know that :V

1st midboss nonspell: dodge up and down for the red & blue waves, dodge up & down for the green wave, and dodge back to the middle of the screen during the yellow wave.

Holy shit that helps a lot... I can consistently capture it.
Thanks!

[Failure McFailFace]

What are the minimum requirements for unlocking Mystical Power Plant's Extra?

I've cleared it with ReimuB on Normal, but I want to know if I could do it on Easy.

[Koog]

What are the minimum requirements for unlocking Mystical Power Plant's Extra?

I've cleared it with ReimuB on Normal, but I want to know if I could do it on Easy.

Yes. Cleared it on Easy with ReimuA and got the Extra unlocked.

[Failure McFailFace]

Yes. Cleared it on Easy with ReimuA and got the Extra unlocked.

All right, thanks!

[Ozzter]

Is there some kind of trick to capturing Kogasa's Guerrilla Typhoon, or is it supposed to be really fast reactionary dodging? I usually either end up bomb spamming that card or dying, and I'd like to be able to save as many resources for fighting Nue as possible.

[Failure McFailFace]

Is there some kind of trick to capturing Kogasa's Guerrilla Typhoon, or is it supposed to be really fast reactionary dodging? I usually either end up bomb spamming that card or dying, and I'd like to be able to save as many resources for fighting Nue as possible.

As far as I know, stay as far down as possible to get the larger gaps. Kogasa also spams them from top to bottom, so you could take advantage of that.

[Karisa]

If you can't make it through a gap right away, you can retreat to the right to extend your reaction time, while actively moving left between waves so you don't get cornered against the right wall. For the same reason, I'd recommend against what bigyihsuan said (if you're at the bottom of the screen you can't retreat downward).

It's one of the more difficult spellcards in the stage though, in terms of dodging ability required, so I wouldn't be surprised if you have to spend a bomb on it in a first clear.

[Agent17]

Do you guys have any tips for capturing Sun Sign "Royal Flare" ? Trying to clear EoSD Extra.

[Sakurei]

Yeah, watch a replay. There are probably 100 on gensokyo. It's a static pattern

[Nolegs the Cat]

Not really asking for help since I almost never fail it, and this is simple curiosity...
But how random is Letty's final spellcard on lunatic, "Table Turning", and her final spellcard on hard "Undulation Ray"?
I'm fairly sure Undulation Ray is completely static like Flower Wither Away, but... I think Table Turning's lasers change from run to run.

[Sakurei]

It's static.

[Aeteas]

There's one point in Letty's spellcard where she moves left or right depending on your position, so there are two possible static patterns. That might be change you're seeing.

[WodofGar]

Anybody got any tips for the extra boss of SoEW? Rika has been pummeling me in the butt with her stupid bouncy balls and random bullet patterns.

[Pakken11]

Do you guys have any tips for capturing Sun Sign "Royal Flare" ? Trying to clear EoSD Extra.

Either bomb, or there is a temporary safe spot at the very bottom very slightly left from the center - if you use Marisa-A at full power, you can finish before it disappears. Or you could do what the elitists say - watch replays and bash your head against a brick wall. Pick your preference.

[Koog]

Any tip for Doremy's non-spells and her final spell??

I'm having lots of trouble with them...

[Sakurei]

Either bomb, or there is a temporary safe spot at the very bottom very slightly left from the center - if you use Marisa-A at full power, you can finish before it disappears. Or you could do what the elitists say - watch replays and bash your head against a brick wall. Pick your preference.

There is nothing elitist about the smartest way of handling the attack, especially since it is the same every time. it certainly would be a brick wall if there weren't any replays. Figuring out a path on your own can be tough. But watching 2 or 3 for reference shows how simple the attack actually is. Stop giving bad advice please