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Impossible Spell Card/Gameplay/Strategy

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Choosing The Right Item for The Job

Every spell card has at least one bullet pattern that is seemingly impossible to dodge normally, and the cheat items are there to help you survive these patterns. However, not every item fares equally well against every spell card. Thus it becomes critical to pick the right one and use it at the right moment.

In General

  • Spell cards that summon the unavoidable patterns often, and in quick succession, usually require items that have a lot of usages. Otherwise you run out and get shot down.
  • If you just barely fail to capture a spell card with a specific item, try to go back and beat some easier ones with the same item. This will level said item up, which makes it more powerful in some fashion.
  • Capturing a spell card without using any items, after you have unlocked them all, counts as capturing this card with any and every item. This is represented by a green circle in the middle of the item star and is technically faster than capturing the card with every item individually, especially since some items are useless against specific spell cards.

Specific Items

Bloodthirsty Yin-Yang Orb
  • As a main: This item is great for teleporting across walls, expecially if the boss spreads them outwards in distinct waves. Conversely, it is terrible when the boss shoots out bullets all the time, or any other situation when you want to stay as far as possible. High usage count.
  • As a sub: The smaller hitbox is always a decent choice, as it helps you not get hit by bullets. Use this if you don't need anything else. Using this won't disqualify you for a No Item Clear.
Tengu's Toy Camera
  • As a main: Think of this as a weaker, more spammable Four-Foot Magic Bomb. Use this if you need to get a quick opening. High usage count.
  • As a sub: The speed increase is rather situational, but useful if you need to get away from somewhere quickly. Be cautious of the loss of controlability. Using this won't disqualify you for a No Item Clear.
Gap Folding Umbrella
  • As a main: Use this to get away quickly, either from a bullet-filled corner of the screen to a safer one, or to evade an approaching wall. High usage count.
  • As a sub: Pretty much the same, except with fewer uses and no invincibility frames. Look out that you don't crash into a bullet after teleporting.
Miracle Mallet Replica
  • As a main: Powerful, but risky. You're almost always guaranteed to get a hit in before the boss starts shooting, but by the time the cooldown's gone, you'll most likely be surrounded by bullets. Be warned that you're unable to move while charging the mallet. Use this if you're certain that you can down the boss before the spell card gets dangerous. Don't use it if the boss moves around a lot (as they'll almost certainly move into you), or spread bullets outwards. Middling usage count.
  • As a sub: This can be a good choice if you run out of charges on your main item. It will give you one or two more charges depending on the item. However, for the bomb and camera, it increases the range and for the lantern, it increases your ghost time.
Substitute Jizo
  • As a main: Basically an extra life. If you think dodging a spell card without items is doable, if tricky, you can use this for extra insurance. Middling usage count.
  • As a sub: Same as main, but with fewer uses and invincibility frames. If you think other subs don't give you an advantage, and the yin-yang orb does you no good, this one might be a good substitute (pun not intended).
Cursed Decoy Doll
  • As a main: Against most aimed patterns, this is a godsend. Against everything else, this is useless. You can't place another doll until the first one runs out, and the period in between leaves you vulnerable, so prepare accordingly. Poor usage count, but long duration.
  • As a sub: If either you or the boss moves a lot horizontally, the extra spread helps getting in some more hits. Also useful for the odd spell card with multiple targets. Using this won't disqualify you for a No Item Clear.
Four-foot Magic Bomb
  • As a main: This will clear out most bullets on screen for a decent duration. Very powerful if you can anticipate when to use it. Middling usage count.
  • As a sub:
Ghastly Send-off Lantern
  • As a main: The invulnerability is incredibly good and lasts long, but is hampered by only being available once. At least it indirectly increases your damage by letting you stand in front of the boss without getting hit. Use this if the spell card gets progressively harder and you think you can attrition the boss down to low health before using this.
  • As a sub:
Nimble Fabric
  • As a main: For patterns that move over you quickly, such as walls, this is useful. Longer lasting patterns mean that the invulnerability stops while you're in the middle of a barrage, which is a bad thing. High usage count.
  • As a sub:

No Item Clears

While the spell cards were designed to be impossible to avoid (hence the name of the game), they usually don't live up to that standard. Many require insane luck or reflexes, but others have openings that make it possible, if still hard, to capture them without using a cheat item.

Doing a No Item Clear counts as clearing a scene with every item, which makes this a tempting method to level up items, or to collect all the nicknames.

Using the Bloodthirsty Yin-Yang Orb, Tengu's Toy Camera, or Cursed Decoy Doll as a sub item still allows you to do a No Item Clear despite benefitting from their effects, because they are entirely passive and aren't triggered. The same goes for the Miracle Mallet Replica, which does absolutely nothing if the main item isn't used.

Spell Card Strategy

The list is cross-referenced with Spell Cards.