Bullets Only

Mission Types

Bullets Only

Click on the mission intel icons or the text links in the box for different Invader weaponries to check out strategies on how to deal against them.

Shuriken/MIRV	Unprotected	Armored	Shielded
Ships/Apexes strong against this mission type	Tempest Tillat'Or Aurora Boxer Uhb Lorilou AB8/Klyn Lyova Nimbus Tar'Cah Delta Orion Delta Shogun Sigma Predator Delta Claymore Lambda Jeria Sigma Pandora Tau	Krillou Jericho Juggernaut Sakura Hunter Saber Orion Sonah Trinity Shogun Predator Marauder Disaris Tar'Cah Delta AB8/Klyn Delta	Shinova Veil Phoenix Yigothu Mirage Luna Jeria Tar'Cah Delta Orion Delta Arietis Lambda AB8/Klyn Delta Banshee Phi
Speedrunning Ships/Apexes	Baqlor Uhb Nimbus Shogun Sigma AB8/Klyn Sigma Icarus Sigma Lyova Tau Starless Sigma Jeria Sigma	Krillou Saber Shogun Icarus Juggernaut Lambda Ex04239 Sigma Mistral Tau Disaris Omega	Veil Scuuxun Starless Jeria Proxymar Beta Phoenix Delta Baqlor Phi Luna Tau & Omega Banshee Phi
Fun Ships/Apexes to try on this mission type	Tempest Aurora Boxer Uhb Lorilou AB8/Klyn Lyova Nimbus Tar'Cah Lambda Wrackr Epsilon Shogun Sigma Predator Delta Claymore Lambda Starless Sigma	Krillou Juggernaut Hunter Saber Sonah Shogun Predator Juggernaut Lambda Sakura Epsilon Widget Tau Mistral Tau Disaris Omega	Veil Yigothu Mirage Luna Phoenix Delta Arietis Lambda Banshee Phi

Example of Shuriken/MIRV_A (Marshal S2):

Example of Shuriken/MIRV_B (Marshal S2):

Survival

• Auras & Zens
  • (+) Bullet EMP is the ultimate solution to this mission type. The extreme density of bullets in this mission make the energy to bullets cleared ratio very worthwhile.
  • (+) The Aura that takes it to the next level is Point Defence EMP Laser Apex. You can simply relax amongst the red sea of bullets. Just keep on tapping to breeze through the bullet hell. On heavier waves however, don't tap too often and tap it rhythmically.
  • (+) Reflex EMP is also a great solution. However, due to the time needed to recharge, it can be difficult to rely on, and requires a supporting Aura that can also eliminate bullets.
    • As opposed to the normal way to open up a wave with Reflex EMP , you should instead just prepare yourself by moving into the middle of the field. Wait for the MIRVs to all fire, then release your touch to trigger Reflex EMP and most of the MIRVs will all be gone.
  • (+) Teleport is an effective tool to deal against clusters of MIRVs .
    • Against T3 and T4 shuriken launchers as you can simply Teleport your way upfield after these shuriken launchers have finished their rounds of firing. Just be careful not to Teleport close to a T1 and T2 shuriken launcher as they can shoot you at point blank.
    • However, because of how quickly wavefronts of MIRVs appear, Teleport can be easily overworked which leads to very long charge times. Alone by itself, Teleport simply is not sufficient to deal against dense waves that feature wave after wave of MIRVs.
    • The Extended Clearance Apex for Teleport finally sees some use here as it can delete larger clusters of MIRVs .
  • (+) Vorpal Lance is a good surgical tool to eliminate dangerous MIRV Bloomers and Doomsday Super MIRVs . You can also eliminate shuriken launchers, although they are usually plentiful so it's not usually recommended to eliminate shuriken launchers.
  • (+) This mission is one of the only mission types where Phalanx can really succeed. The shoveling action of Phalanxes turn into something like 6 charges of medium sized Bullet EMPs , especially when used well to clear a lot of the field. A well utilized Phalanx by bravely shoveling in front can eliminate about half the field's length.
    • Phalanxes are also effective against T3 and T4 shuriken launchers since they can shovel past the shurikens.
  • (+) Stun EMP can usually be sustained long enough for it to work. After firing the initial Stun EMP, get to work to kill off all Ravens and Herons on field first. Then go to work and eliminate MIRV Bloomers and Launchers/Spreads. Leave the shuriken turrets for last, these often pose little threat and you can simply avoid them.
  • (=) Point Defence works well against waves that are mostly MIRVs . However, against T3 and T4 shuriken launchers, Point Defence will struggle.
  • (=) Barriers don't work very well but they are usable.
    • It is usually difficult to place barriers upfield due to the many bullets or MIRVs coming your way. Placing barriers upfield are usually only up until the end of Act 3.
    • Barriers can block off the first wave of MIRVs effectively, but be sure to keep enough Aura for more barriers. Where possible, deploy them just before the next wavefront of MIRVs can enter your barrier.
    • Be sure to allow shurikens to be inside your barrier since going through the middle line of the pattern is what will allow you to graze and get Aura for subsequent barrier deployments.
  • (-) This is the only mission type where Chrono Field doesn't work well.
    • Having the invincibility against bullets is nice, but not when bullets are simply everywhere with no way to get rid of them. By itself, Chrono Field fails at getting any useful result.
    • Against T4 shuriken launchers, it doesn't help much to get past the other annoyances around it particularly when you realize that with every small Chrono Field you deploy to Phase Out through the annoyances, the further upfield you have to push, and eventually you'll be point blank with so many turrets you'll die.
    • Against MIRV wavefronts, you can approach a small part of the wavefront and explode them all to leave a gap in the middle. But soon you'll start to realize that you'll be faced with either another wavefront of MIRVs, or the mass flood of shurikens. Simply, you just don't have enough Aura to sustain the many waves of bullets.
    • A small Chrono Field won't help you here as the invincibility time isn't long enough to Phase Out through the pellets released by MIRVs or get past the annoyances in T4 shuriken launcher patterns. You need to kill them fast enough to put a quick end to this madness of waves as the defence provided by Chrono Field alone just isn't sufficient.
    • This does not mean Chrono Field ships are not recommended ships to use. Yigothu and Trinity are still very good options here.
  • (-) Due to the massive number of Ravens harboring so many MIRV Launchers, Ion Cannon is a hopeless Aura here.
  • (-) Due to so many MIRV launchers and so many shuriken launchers, popping off turrets using Laser Storm is ineffective. Laser Storm would seldom focus fire on MIRV Bloomers, Doomsday Super MIRVs and Doomsday Bombs , making it ineffective.
• Least variety of Invader weaponry. Primarily summarized by 2 types of turrets: Shuriken Launchers and MIRV turrets. As boring as it gets, the combination of both quickly floods the field and creates an utter mess.
  • In particular, when you have a whole mess of Ravens on field, prepare to be bombarded with MIRVs less than 2 seconds later after they all appear. The Ravens and Herons will all fire MIRVs synchronously, resulting in a massive wavefront of MIRVs approaching your way.
• Turret Priority Elimination is a must in this mission type, especially if you do not have Bullet EMP or the Point Defence EMP Laser Apex. If you do not eliminate the dangerous turrets quickly, the chances of dying increases exponentially. If you have a forward firing main weapon , be sure to quickly take out MIRV Bloomers and Doomsday Super MIRVs as quickly as possible.
  • Doomsday Bombs are not threatening, unless they cover the whole screen. If so, then, obviously, they are first priority to eliminate.
    • Unless you can eliminate 2 turrets before Doomsday Bombs goes off, if so, then eliminate one turret before a Doomsday Bomb.
    • If you have a ship that is not forward firing, you have to get up close to one of the Doomsday Bombs and pop them off.
    • Otherwise, watch the Vulture movement and go to the opposite side in the very bottom corner and hope for the best. There is a small chance this can work, but this is really down to RNG. Such a Vulture set-up usually makes all ships that aren't forward firing impossible, or at least, extremely difficult.
  • Not even Reflex EMP can save you, as Reflex EMP isn't a very damaging Zen . Unless, you have a capable offence enough to take out turrets quickly.
• (+) Auto aiming ships that can fire backwards actually do very well against these mission types, since you can camp any of the 2 upfield corners of the field and ignore probably 2/3 of MIRVs .
  • The only problem comes when there are Doomsday Bombs or MIRV Bloomers to deal against with. Eliminate these Doomsday Bombs or MIRV Bloomers as soon as possible if you see these appearing.
  • If there are MIRV Bloomers, unfortunately you will likely need to revert to playing downfield again, unless you have an easy means to deal against MIRVs.
• (-) Of course, on the other hand, ships with thin & forward firing main weapons do poorly here since trying to reach Invaders will cause many MIRVs to explode. This can particularly be a problem at the end of the wave.
  • If you are forced to use such a ship (especially in solo specialist missions), the best way is to kill all Invaders on field except one Raven or Heron .
  • Aim to eliminate one side of the field first minimally, so you have breathing space.
  • When you are down to the last Invader, slowly strip off the side of MIRV Launchers of the last surviving Raven or Heron that is opposite to where they are located on field. For example, if the Raven/Heron is on the left side of the field, strip off the right turret.
  • It would of course be best if you can strip off both turrets of a Raven , but this is usually very hard due to how low their health are. On Herons however, this could be possible.
  • Doing this technique of surgically removing turrets on an Eagle is not recommended doe to how deadly the side turrets usually are, and the middle turret is even more dangerous so trying to strip off the middle and 1 side turret is too difficult.
  • Any Invaders bigger than that are too difficult to not kill them so that the next wave does not arrive before you are prepared.
• You need to be an absolute dodging god to get Ogon Is Fine badges on this mission type. It is just extremely, extremely difficult. Often, it is impossible with the appearance of Condors and/or Rocs.

Speedrunning

• Auras & Zens
  • (+) Reflex EMP is the best offensive Zen out there, as it is a double edged sword that allows bullet clearing, yet deals 20 AoE damage. With the High Damage Reflex EMP Apex, Reflex EMP becomes almost as potent as Mega Bomb, just lacking the Fusion Core damage, a necessary sacrifice to deal against the bullet hell.
  • (+) Vorpal Lance to quickly kill Ravens that fire MIRVs so quickly. Vorpal Lances can also be used to destroy Eagles before they can pump in shurikens on the field as well.
  • (+) Mega Laser has bullet clearing capabilities, and allows you to ride upwards to increase effective damage. As bullets are very slow moving in this mission, you can abuse Mega Laser more than once in many waves. Talk about Moses† parting the Red Sea≅.
  • (+) Missile Swarm , with its Fire and Forget nature, has the capability to deal against the remaining Invaders of the wave, allowing you to set up for the next wave.
    • It can also be used for barreling to eliminate dangerous turrets on a Condor or Roc , or simply destroy the Vulture entirely before it has the chance to pump in MIRVs or shurikens.
  • (-) No bullet clearing with Mega Bomb . Mega Bomb ships that don't have a supporting Aura which offers defense don't frequently work well in this mission type.
• Only Safer-FO ships are able to clinch the Best of Best badge here, due to the massive amount of bullets in this mission. Any Full Offence ships are bound to suffer from severe maneuverability issues, wasting time to navigate around pellets released from MIRVs .
• The main technique in speedrunning is similar to survival in some sense that turret prioritization is important.
  • Where possible, one should prioritize to simply destroy the Vulture on field before it gets to fire its MIRV Bloomers. This usually involves precise positioning.
    • Another possibility is to also set up your positioning in the next wave for a Condor with deadly turrets, so you could barrel on the Condor in a way that eliminates two of its turrets.
    • To do this, your ship core should be in between 2 turrets, then fire away. Depending on how fast you do this, you can even have enough energy to do a second Missile Swarm barreling on the other side of a Condor or Roc .
  • To achieve this, plan what Invaders you want to kill last in the previous wave. Usually, this would mean a very upfield Invader, but if the Vulture is upfield in the next wave, you want to consider using an offensive Aura to finish off a downfield Invader so you can set up to mass unload all firepower on the Vulture in the next wave.
• The presence of so many MIRVs in this mission means it is a good place to do MIRV grazing. Do take note that this is only for advanced speedrunners. You can go right up to the MIRV, and just as it explodes, retreat from it to gain lots of Aura. This technique is very useful for offensive Auras .
  • This technique is especially relevant when dealing against T3 or T4 MIRV Bloomers. Mastering this technique can earn you lots of Aura . This technique is usually accompanied by releasing an Reflex EMP at the right time for maximum bullet clearing and damage.

Fun

• (+) Having a Bullet EMP ship usually makes this mission very satisfying due to how many bullets can be cleared by a full size Bullet EMP.
• (+) Similarly, using Phalanx can be very rewarding when it is played well, due to how much shoveling can be done.
• (-) Speedrunning in this mission type can be very stressful, as small mistakes can quickly lead to death due to how missing a shot can be the difference to whether the next burst of MIRVs fires or not, or when Doomsday Super MIRVs or Doomsday Bombs fire or not. The margin of error is small.

Dart/MIRV

Mission Intel:

Other Bullets: Darts, Pellets

Laser Density: None

General Difficulty: Hard to Extremely Hard

Brief Description: A fast moving bullet hell mission. Slotting in MIRVs in between darts make it really difficult to deal against MIRVs properly. In some cases, when pellet spinners join in the action, the bullet hell becomes quite unbearable at times.

Invader Weaponry Notes:

• Both Pellet Spinners (Lane) & Pellet Spinners (Spiral) can appear.
• Caged MIRVs can only appear at Marshal rank.

Other Notes:

• This mission type isn't available on Lieutenant , Ace , and the Bronze ranks.
• Only Shielded Invaders are Sinister.

Dart/MIRV	Unprotected	Armored	Shielded
Ships/Apexes strong against this mission type	Tar'Cah Tempest Aurora Boxer AB8/Klyn Lyova Orion Delta Shogun Sigma Claymore Lambda Jeria Sigma Pandora Tau	Jericho Juggernaut Zephyr Saber Orion Sonah Trinity Shogun Disaris Tar'Cah Delta Orion Delta AB8/Klyn Delta	Shinova Veil Phoenix Vuxine Yigothu Luna Jeria Tar'Cah Delta Arietis Lambda Orion Delta AB8/Klyn Delta Banshee Phi
Speedrunning Ships/Apexes	Baqlor Uhb Nimbus Shogun Sigma AB8/Klyn Sigma Icarus Sigma Lyova Tau Starless Sigma Jeria Sigma	Krillou Saber Shogun Icarus Juggernaut Lambda Ex04239 Sigma Mistral Tau	Veil Scuuxun Starless Jeria Phoenix Delta Baqlor Phi Luna Tau & Omega Banshee Phi
Fun Ships/Apexes to try on this mission type	Tempest Aurora Uhb AB8/Klyn Lyova Nimbus Tar'Cah Lambda Wrackr Epsilon Shogun Sigma Claymore Lambda Starless Sigma	Juggernaut Saber Sonah Shogun Sakura Epsilon Widget Tau	Veil Jn'Dur Yigothu Luna Phoenix Delta Arietis Lambda Banshee Phi

Example of a Dart/MIRV mission type (Marshal S2):

Survival

• Auras & Zens
  • (+) Bullet EMP is the best solution to this mission type, much like its other bullet hell mission type.
    • To survive well in this mission, move slowly in order to graze off dart lanes, so that you could gain enough Aura to fire off Bullet EMPs to get rid of MIRVs .
    • Bullet EMP also does well to deal against tight pellet lanes released by pellet spinners (lane). It also does well against pellet spinners (spiral).
  • (+) Vorpal Lance is a good surgical tool to eliminate dangerous MIRV Bloomers, MIRV Launchers and Doomsday Super MIRVs .
  • (+) Reflex EMP is also a great solution. However, due to the time needed to recharge, it can be difficult to rely on, and requires a supporting Aura that can also eliminate bullets.
    
    • Be careful in setting up Reflex EMPs upfield since darts can easily kill you while you are in the middle of the field since darts can easily turn in opposite direction, trapping you easily.
  • (+) Against such missions with no or little fast firing MIRV Bloomers, Chrono Field is a very viable defense here, unlike its other bullet hell mission. It is easy to gain enough Aura for a full size Chrono Field. Deploy the Chrono Field and use the chance to set up an offensive Zen , which can be mid-wave (if the wave is heavy enough) or set it up for the next wave.
    • However, if you do not intend to use Chrono Field for setting up offensive Zens , then be careful not to simply Chrono Hop around the field as fast movements, as already mentioned, can quickly spell disaster.
    • Use this chance to slow down your movement. At the end of the Chrono Field , you should be at the edge of the Chrono Field where you have more horizontal space in the direction you are moving.
    • Deploy Chrono Field to counter pellets from MIRVs . Note that this is the part where it gets tricky - deploying Chrono Field too early means the pellets will continue to linger in the Chrono Field and Chrono Field may expire before the pellets have the chance to move away from your core. Thus, try to deploy Chrono Field as late as possible, best if it is after the MIRVs have exploded.
  • (=) Point Defence EMP Laser Apex works ok in this mission type, but it really only shines in the hardest missions of this mission type, where MIRV Bloomers make their appearance. Otherwise, using Bullet EMP is usually the much better option.
  • (=) Stun EMP needs to be sustained in order for it to work. In the presence of heavy waves or even Condors and Rocs , Stun EMP ships can become difficult due to how Invaders can recover and back you into a corner. Be careful with your energy management here.
  • (-) Teleport is good against clusters of MIRVs , but is not great against dealing against high dart volumes.
    
    • In fact, charging up Teleport is very difficult in this mission type due to how fast darts move. In addition, finding a spot to Teleport to is very difficult. Not only the whole field is a mess of darts, but Teleport-ing to the other side can cause dart launchers to de-synchronize, which makes dodging between dart lanes impossible.
  • (=) Point Defence can work reasonably well here since the quantity of darts is lesser compared to say, shurikens or pellets. However, to continuously use Point Defence is also not a solution. Instead, Point Defence can be used when you get trapped after you've found yourself slowly backed to one side of the field.
    • Use Point Defence to help you clear out enough space to reverse horizontal direction.
    • Point Defence can also be used against pellets released by exploded MIRVs , since such pellets often don't follow how you move and can kill you easily.
  • (=) Personal Shield can work reasonably ok since it can be used against MIRVs that explode, or when you are trapped after moving slowly to one side of the field. Personal Shield can be used to allow yourself to reverse direction. Just make sure to move as slowly horizontally as possible so Personal Shield can recharge.
  • (=) Barriers don't work very well since darts will break them quickly. Having darts everywhere also means putting very huge barriers all the time to deal against darts, which just isn't practical.
    • Small barriers around yourself can still be placed however, although this is not optimal use of barriers.
    • Since there are many darts, it is quite easy to have generate enough Aura for reasonably sized barriers to be placed, such that it blocks out MIRVs and prevents them from being close enough to explode.
    • This also means barrier ships will often have sub-optimal setups for offensive Zens .
  • (-) Phalanxes work poorly here due to the how little bullets it would clear, and running the risk of exploding MIRVs and leaving an even worse bullet mess.
  • (-) Mega Bomb ships do poorly here due to Mega Bomb's long charge time. Being confined in charging Mega Bomb at the bottom of the screen means some Invaders don't get hit by Mega Bomb, making waves drag on longer and hindering survivability.
• The best advice for this mission is to move horizontally as slowly as possible.
  • Moving fast will cause de-synchronization of dart spreads, and cause interlocking lanes of darts that are very difficult to navigate around, quickly leading to being trapped and dying.
• Make sure all the dart spreads are synchronized, as this will make reversing the horizontal direction easier. Beware of dart launchers, especially darts fired by T2 dart launchers that can take up a lot of space.
• To find the delicate balance to dodge between dart lanes of dart spreads, and to narrowly avoid T2 dart launchers is the key to surviving this mission type.
• The worse kind of waves are front-heavy, with the Eagles also bearing MIRV Bloomers. These often fire rapidly and almost in your face, causing a bullet mess very quickly.
  • The only way to counter this is to try and destroy one of them first, then destroy the other. Use smaller Bullet EMPs to counter the pellets released from MIRVs from MIRV Bloomers
• The bigger threat in this mission is almost always, the chunky Eagles more than anything else. Ravens don't have T4 dart spreads so they don't squeeze you that tightly. Vultures can be deadly if they have full-on T4 dart spreads or have T3 or T4 dart spinners, but if they are upfield, they are not too threatening.
• There really is no other technique to this mission type.
• Even though this mission is very dart heavy, pellet spinners can also appear, making the situation even worse when combined with dart spreads.
  • While pellet spinners (lane) are quite similar to darts, the gap is usually tighter. compared to dart spreads. However, given the massive amount of dart spreads, it is likely the gap would be about the same.
  • The biggest problem comes when dealing against pellet spinners (spiral). These block off the very tiny lane you are already forced to be confined in. In such situations, it is necessary to use some sort of bullet clearance to clear off these pellet walls.
• Getting Ogon is Fine badges on this mission type is very difficult due to how tightly squeezed you already are with any ship. However, on some days, it can be less MIRV heavy and more dart heavy, which invites an opportunity to get these badges. Still, not for the faint hearted, and prepare to dodge between very tight gaps.

Speedrunning

• Auras & Zens
  • (+) Reflex EMP charges fast, and is the most viable means of circular AoE damage.
    • Push right up as a wave starts, then retreat back down vertically. This movement can temporarily confuse dart launchers and spreads to fire sideways, so the downfield won't be too crowded with bullets. This buys you a bit of time for your main weapon to go to work, or any Aura .
  • (+) Vorpal Lance is the other great offensive Aura since it can be fired at the bottom of the field without much issue (other than a bit of RNG)
    • Vorpal Lance is also the fastest way to get rid of 2 chunky Eagles at the front blocking all other Invaders, since 3 Vorpal Lances can be thrown between them to get rid of them immediately.
    • Be sure to conserve your Vorpal Lances for these front heavy waves. This is key to speedrunning to allow more maneuverability to destroy the other Invaders behind these chunky Eagles .
  • (-) Mega Bomb takes too long to charge so it is impossible to charge Mega Bomb at the center of the screen. Thus you can only charge downfield, which is sub-optimal.
    • You can't charge all the way upfield either, as you won't be able to get back downfield due to darts coming from both directions
    • The exception is of course, when you have Chrono Field as you can generate a full charge of Chrono Field easily from dart lane grazing, which allows you to land Fusion Core very easily.
    • Even barriers may not work well, since they will not hold before darts leak through, forcing you to setup Mega Bomb slightly lower, making Fusion Core hard to land properly.
  • (-) Goliath Missiles don't work well since they travel very slowly, making it difficult to land at the areas you want them to explode.
    
    • The slow moving nature of Goliath Missiles mean that they have to be fired at point blank range. This means going upfield. As discussed earlier under Mega Bomb , going upfield means getting trapped up there from darts coming from both directions, making your death quite certain.
• Due to the fact that Exarch works as a laid-back ship in which both offensive means (Vorpal Lance & Mega Laser ) can be fired from downfield with little consequences (other than suffering from some Invader movement RNG in the case of Vorpal Lance), it is often able to compete against Safer-FO ships like Jeria for the Best of Best badge.

Fun

• (-) This mission is generally not a fun mission type to play on. The fast moving darts give you the impression of a very fast paced mission. But this is far from the truth, as you need to inch slowly around the field.
• (-) For survival ships, this means a lot of tight squeezing around dart lanes. This is incredibly stressful, and definitely not fun on a small screen.
• (=) For speedrunning, the strategy is usually quite consistent. The key always lie in how you full-on charge at the start of the wave and eliminate the threats.

Shuriken/Boomerang/MIRV

Mission Intel:

Other Bullets: Pellets, Shurikens

Laser Density: None

General Difficulty: Hard to Very Hard

Brief Description: In the right combinations, this can be one of the hardest mission types. Boomerangs can be far reaching and reach downfield, while shurikens and MIRVs cover boomerangs' weakness of being ineffective up close.

Invader Weaponry Notes:

• Both Pellet Spinners (Lane) & Pellet Spinners (Spiral) can appear.
• Only Shuriken Launchers can appear. Shuriken Wave Launchers do NOT appear.
• Caged MIRVs can only appear at Major & Commander ranks.

Other Notes:

• In Bronze ranks, the easier variant, Shuriken/Pellet appears instead.

Shuriken/Boomerang/MIRV	Unprotected	Armored	Shielded
Ships/Apexes strong against this mission type	Tar'Cah Tempest Wrackr Vani-Vith Baqlor Barret Torrent Boxer Lorilou AB8/Klyn Lyova Qhelqod Nimbus Shogun Sigma Icarus Sigma Jeria Sigma	Krillou Jericho Photurius Zephyr Hime Hunter Saber Proteus Orion Sonah Trinity Shogun Icarus Marauder Disaris	Shinova NC-150 Razor VI Phoenix Vuxine Arietis 502-Q8 Valkyrie Yigothu Njörun Luna Zimitr Jeria Esperon Veil Sigma Banshee Phi
Speedrunning Ships/Apexes	Fujin Buhloo Elyon Baqlor Corsair Uhb Wraith Nimbus Kibarrax Naya Shogun Sigma AB8/Klyn Sigma Icarus Sigma Lyova Tau Starless Sigma Jeria Sigma	Krillou Havoc Photurius Ex04239 Von Braun Saber Shogun Icarus Neni Mistral Juggernaut Lambda	Proxymar Exarch Scuuxun Starless Banshee Jeria Monsoon Warden Veil Sigma Phoenix Delta Luna Tau & Omega
Fun Ships/Apexes to try on this mission type	Fujin Cinnri Buhloo Vani-Vith Baqlor Barret Torrent Boxer Corsair Uhb Wraith Lorilou AB8/Klyn Lyova Qhelqod Nimbus Reaper Claymore Kibarrax Naya Tar'Cah Lambda Wrackr Epsilon Xaniea Lambda Shogun Sigma Predator Delta Icarus Sigma Starless Sigma	Krillou Photurius Ex04239 Von Braun Hime Hunter Saber Sonah Shogun Predator Icarus Juggernaut Lambda Proteus Gamma Xaniea Lambda Sakura Epsilon Zephyr Epsilon Widget Tau	NC-150 Razor VI Gladius Valkyrie Yigothu Exarch Luna Warden Veil Sigma Phoenix Delta Czar Lambda Elyon Lambda Xaniea Tau Arietis Lambda Banshee Phi

Example of a Shuriken/Boomerang/MIRV mission type (Marshal S2):

Survival

• Auras & Zens
  • (+) Barriers can do well here against onslaughts of boomerangs . Simply deploy them upfield or around yourself to block them off.
    • However, the issue comes when there are shurikens, which can deplete barriers .
    • You can deploy barriers around yourself to surgically block off one burst of boomerangs . At the same time, use the barrier to cut up the shuriken cloud so you can pass through it.
    • Surgically placing barriers can also save you from MIRVs . If the MIRVs are all coming in as one singular wavefront, you can deploy your barrier downfield just as the MIRVs enter the Aura radius of Barrier , provided your barrier is big enough so the MIRVs won't explode first.
      • If your barrier is too small. head upfield to trigger the MIRVs . Then head back downfield. Since you have exploded the MIRVs in unison, then the pellets will also be released as a wavefront, allowing you to block off these pellets using the smaller barrier you could only afford.
  • (+) In waves with less boomerang turrets, you can use Stun EMP to eliminate them all (after eliminating all MIRV turrets), and then bait all the shuriken launchers to one side. Then as that side is filled with shurikens, the other side becomes clearer of bullets and you can strafe to the other side.
    • Similarly, you can do the same with eliminating all shuriken launchers (and MIRV turrets beforehand, of course) and then letting all the boomerangs fire around you.
  • (+) Bullet EMPs work well against shurikens but is not an ideal solution against boomerang turrets since resetting them will cause them to fire almost instantly.
    • However, thankfully, a clear field of shurikens mean you have a lot of dodging space for boomerangs . Simply go to one side of the field and then strafe to the other side once all the boomerangs fire.
    • The absence of any other fast moving bullets also mean that dodging boomerangs is not an issue, since shurikens take time to re-populate the field.
  • (+) Teleport works to avoid both shurikens and boomerangs effectively. Simply Teleport between the left and right sides of the field where necessary. No matter if there is a thick shuriken cloud crowding the middle section, Teleport bypasses that. Teleport also works well against MIRVs .
  • (+) Try to use Reflex EMP against shurikens and MIRVs , instead of against boomerangs .
  • (+) Mega Laser is able to tear a hole for you to ride up and avoid the boomerangs , while also eliminating any shuriken turrets that might be directly blocking in front.
    • However, Mega Laser can usually only be used at the start of the wave, since boomerangs recharge quickly.
  • (=) Kappa Drive can be useful in this mission as you would be able to weave your way around boomerangs much more easily.
    • However, it's no use against shurikens which are forward scattering.
    • Kappa Drive can somewhat help to dodge through pellets released by MIRVs , but it's not very helpful since you can simply mass activate MIRVs which creates predictable patterns that are easier to dodge through. You don't exactly need the help of Kappa Drive against MIRVs.
  • (=) Point Defence is effective against boomerangs . If you have Point Defence, you can stand further away from the Invaders so that shurikens will not be eliminated by Point Defence. Use Point Defence surgically to cut across shuriken clouds.
    • In the absence of shurikens, you can even stay at the center of the screen and use Point Defence to switch between Invaders quickly.
    • Without the presence of shurikens, MIRVs are very easy to get rid of.
  • (=) Phalanx works quite well since shoveling eliminates shurikens, and shoveling upwards also avoid the boomerangs .
    • However, you will need to be careful not to get hit by shurikens at point blank range when you shovel upwards.
    • At the same time, if you need to retreat, be careful of boomerangs coming from the sides, since Phalanx will not protect you from that.
  • (-) Personal Shield can work well against boomerangs , but lasts only one time and needs a long time to recharge. It also works poorly against shurikens. It can work against MIRVs , since you can use Fade Out to get through the pellets released by the MIRVs, but this bullet clearing capability is very limited.
• A mission type with unusually large quantities of boomerangs compared to many other mission types.
• The strategy to this mission type is to try and eliminate all shuriken turrets first if practical. However, always eliminate all MIRV turrets first, especially MIRV Bloomers.
  • If you cannot eliminate MIRV Launchers/Spreads before they fire, be careful when retreating as you could easily retreat into boomerangs or sometimes even shurikens from shuriken turrets downfield.
  • If you succeed in eliminating all MIRV turrets and shuriken launchers, the wave becomes trivial. You can now camp in the center of the screen, which causes boomerangs to be ineffective as they will all go around you.
• Otherwise, the shuriken launchers will likely block you from eliminating the boomerang turrets.
• Pellets in this mission are more annoying than difficult, and are generally the last of your concerns.
• Although easier said than done, trying to accurately predict how boomerangs will move will help a lot on this mission type.
  • Otherwise, if there are too many shuriken launchers, just simply stay downfield. It becomes easier to predict boomerangs the more downfield you are.
  • Try to be on one side rather than being in the centerline, as it is harder to dodge boomerangs at the center.
  • Remember that T2 boomerangs , if you stay downfield while the T2 Boomerang turrets themselves are at least 2/3 upfield, they won't be able to reach you.
    
    • For T3 Boomerangs , if they are all the way upfield, they will just nice miss you if you stay extremely downfield.
    • Always assume that T4 Boomerangs can reach you, unless you are very close to T4 Boomerang turrets.
• Alternating between downfield of left side and downfield of right side is a common survival technique in this mission type, to avoid boomerangs .
• Condors and Rocs in this mission type can become very difficult, especially when equipped with boomerangs together with either lots of shuriken launchers and/or MIRV Bloomers and Spreads.
  • MIRV turrets are usually the first to go, but after that, eliminate the lesser of the two remaining. So eliminate all boomerang turrets if there are less of them compared to shuriken launchers, and vice versa.
  • If the MIRV turrets are of low tier, it may be better to eliminate the boomerangs first, since the bullet mess created by the MIRVs are not a huge threat.
  • If you have chose to eliminate all MIRV and shuriken turrets, then with only boomerang turrets left, go to the center of the Roc or Condor to survive the rest of the wave.
    • Note that this means starting the next wave upfield. This can be disadvantageous for long charging Zens . From here, you can simply head left or right to slowly eliminate the remaining essential boomerang turrets. Remember the advice above about how far reaching the different tiers of boomerang turrets are.
• In the presence of Caged MIRVs , this mission becomes an utter mess of bullets everywhere.
• It is possible but difficult to get Ogon Is Fine badges on this mission type. Usually, you have to find ways to avoid the shurikens. Staying upfield might be a good idea, but watch out for shuriken spinners.

Speedrunning

• Auras & Zens
  • (+) Mega Laser is able to tear a hole for you to ride up and avoid the boomerangs , while also eliminating any shuriken turrets that might be directly blocking in front.
    • However, Mega Laser can usually only be used at the start of the wave, since boomerangs recharge quickly.
    • You can eliminate all boomerang turrets on the field, so that all remaining bullets will be slow bullets. At this point, you can now charge Mega Laser more than once on some heavier waves, especially on Condors and Rocs .
  • (+) In waves where the shuriken launchers are all upfield, or where they are almost none, Goliath Missile can become very easy to set up.
  • (=) Mega Bomb can be easy or difficult to set up. If the Eagles or Herons have shuriken launchers at the side, then it becomes very difficult. Otherwise, it is quite easy.
• You can deploy offensive means such as Vorpal Lance and Missile Swarm once the boomerangs all start firing, and then quickly strafe over to the other side to either throw more Vorpal Lances and just avoid the boomerang carnage.
• Take out Doomsday Bombs quickly to stay close to Invaders, especially when there are no shurikens around.

Fun

• (+) In cases where the waves have no shuriken turrets, staying at the center of the field and watching all the boomerangs go around you is a sight to behold, and something to laugh at.
• (+) Playing the left right game with boomerangs can be fun, akin to something like playing hide-and-seek.
• (-) With all of heavy shuriken fire, MIRVs and boomerangs , this mission is very deadly and it is not fun to try and dodge boomerangs whose paths are very difficult to predict.

Dart/Boomerang/Pellet

Mission Intel:

Other Bullets: Darts, Pellets

Laser Density: None

General Difficulty: Medium to Hard

Brief Description: A very fast paced mission with fast moving darts and boomerangs, coupled with a bunch of lasers. Expect lots of boomerangs in higher ranks.

Invader Weaponry Notes:

• Pellet Spinners (Spiral) appear much much more frequently than Pellet Spinners (Lane).
• Caged MIRVs can only appear at Major and Commander ranks.

Other Notes:

• Since boomerangs don't appear in Bronze ranks, this mission type is not available on Bronze ranks.
• Instead, this mission type is replaced by the easier Dart/Pellet.

Dart/Boomerang/Pellet	Unprotected	Armored	Shielded
Ships/Apexes strong against this mission type	Tar'Cah Gorthaur Heechi Vani-Vith Baqlor Torrent Boxer Lorilou AB8/Klyn Lyova Qhelqod Nimbus Claymore Pandora	Jericho Photurius Xaniea Prime X Zephyr Hime Hunter Saber Proteus Orion Sonah Antioch Trinity Shogun Icarus Widget Disaris	Shinova NC-150 Yoth-Hola Razor VI Phoenix Vuxine Arietis Yigothu Njörun Luna Jeria Veil Sigma
Speedrunning Ships/Apexes	Fujin Buhloo Elyon Baqlor Corsair Uhb Wraith Nimbus Kibarrax Naya AB8/Klyn Sigma Lyova Tau Starless Sigma Jeria Sigma	Krillou Havoc Photurius Ex04239 Von Braun Saber Shogun Icarus Neni Mistral Juggernaut Lambda Kibarrax Lambda Centurion Tau	Proxymar NC-150 Exarch Scuuxun Starless Banshee Jeria Monsoon Warden Veil Sigma Phoenix Delta Luna Tau & Omega
Fun Ships/Apexes to try on this mission type	Fujin Cinnri Buhloo Vani-Vith Baqlor Torrent Corsair Uhb Wraith Lorilou AB8/Klyn Lyova Qhelqod Nimbus Reaper Claymore Kibarrax Naya Tar'Cah Lambda Wrackr Epsilon Xaniea Lambda Starless Sigma	Photurius Ex04239 Von Braun Prime X Hime Hunter Saber Sonah Antioch Shogun Predator Icarus Cinnri Lambda Juggernaut Lambda Proteus Gamma Xaniea Lambda Sakura Epsilon Zephyr Epsilon Widget Tau Kibarrax Lambda Centurion Tau	NC-150 Jn'Dur Razor VI Gladius Yigothu Exarch Luna Banshee Warden Veil Sigma Phoenix Delta Czar Lambda Elyon Lambda Xaniea Tau Arietis Lambda

Example of a Dart/Boomerang/Pellet mission type (Marshal S2):

Survival

• Auras & Zens
  • (+) Point Defence works very well here due to the fast pace of the mission. Point Defence is also an excellent defense against boomerangs , especially when there aren't a lot of other bullets around.
    • However, working through pellets might be a bit of a problem.
    • Thankfully, Point Defence can actually work quite well against pellet spinners (spiral), because you only need to break the wall in front of you to escape, in the case you are desperate and walled off between dart lanes.
  • (+) Kappa Drive helps to dodge boomerangs , and sometimes darts or between pellet lanes.
  • (=) There's generally no important turrets to eliminate in this mission type, as the dart and boomerang turrets all come in roughly equal proportions. This makes Auras that target turrets pretty neutral.
  • (=) Teleport works fine here, but don't rely on Teleport to switch sides of the field. However, Teleport is a good way to get past pellet spreads.
  • (=) Phalanx , breaks down huge messes of pellet spreads, which can help somewhat.
    • However, Phalanx's usage of shoveling makes it difficult to strafe to the other side of the field, something that is frequently required for this mission to avoid boomerangs .
    • While shoveling upwards work to avoid boomerangs , this puts you at risk of being shot point blank by darts.
    • If you retreat after shoveling, this puts you at risk of crashing into boomerangs .
  • (-) Not much use for Personal Shield here, since no lasers to reflect.
    • Personal Shield can work against boomerang onslaughts, although this cannot be relied upon and is considered last resort.
    • Personal Shield Fade Out also allows you to break through dart and pellet lanes.
  • (-) It's difficult to charge Mega Bomb here since the pace of the mission is so fast, and it's easy to get shot point blank by darts.
• The general strategy for this mission is to keep on switching sides of the field. As the boomerangs fire, go over to the other side of the field, and repeat.
  • Start the wave at one side of the field. Before you switch sides, try to ensure ALL the boomerang turrets are firing at you.
  • You basically want to synchronize them to fire all at the same time as one burst. De-synchronization of boomerang turrets can cause a lot of problems.
  • It's ok if some boomerang turrets fire slightly earlier than others. Just make sure they all fire such that you have just enough time to be as downfield as possible to dodge the first of the boomerangs that fire.
• Sometimes, going upfield a little bit, around the centerline (or slightly above) helps, especially when the darts in the wave are light. This allows you to re-direct boomerangs away from downfield.
  • This allows you to set up offensive Zens for the next wave more easily.
• Get rid of pellet spinners (spiral) on one side as quickly as possible, since pellet spinners (spiral) on both sides can create many blockades.
• Get rid of especially T4 dart spinners as soon as possible, as these make dodging boomerangs and other darts really tight.
• T1 Boomerangs can be treated as darts, but just be careful of the slight curve path that they take, as well as their tendency to speed up the longer they are on field.
  
  • Also be careful for hidden boomerangs that can be hard to see among the mess of darts on field.
• Getting an Ogon Is Fine badge for this mission type is manageable. You can sometimes camp upfield, and move slowly upfield to avoid darts. Beware of pellet spinners (spiral).

Speedrunning

• Auras & Zens
  • (+) Goliath Missiles can work very well here, since using Goliath Missiles require you to be upfield to fire them accurately to hit. This is because it's quite easy to confuse the dart turrets, so you usually have enough time to fire your Goliath Missiles, then quickly come back down before the dart spread turrets lock on to you. Just be careful not to crash into random darts fired from T1 and T2 dart launchers.
    • It generally helps to start from one side of the upfield, then go to the other side. Then head downfield from that side.
    • Do this before pellet spreads can fire. Also, be careful of pellet launchers as you head downfield.
  • (=) Mega Bomb may be difficult to charge here, since bullets come in so fast. However, this does not mean Mega Bomb is not usable. In some waves, it might be possible to charge Mega Bomb all the way upfield. This is to buy you some time as dart turrets need time to turn around a 180° to fire at you. Also, the slightly lesser amount of dart turrets also mean that it can be possible that there are a few safe spots to charge Mega Bomb.
    • You can also play a gamble against boomerangs for Mega Bomb , so long you charge Mega Bomb closer to the center of the field. T1 Boomerangs can often be slightly inaccurate in firing at short range (but not point blank), allowing you to perhaps survive. Meanwhile, other boomerang turrets will likely simply just fire boomerangs around you and become useless.
    • Be careful of pellets on your way down if you need to charge upfield.
    • If you charge more downfield, closer to the center, beware of your positioning as pellet spreads can often be at very close range, making Mega Bomb setups very difficult.
  • (+) Point Defence is a very good positioning tool since the bullet density isn't very high, thus it is easier to use Point Defence to get up close to Invaders.
  • (=) For Mega Laser , it might be a good idea to end off a wave by offsetting yourself to one side of the field, and be very upfield. This distracts boomerangs to fire around you, keeping downfield clean of boomerangs. Therefore, after the boomerangs has fired and the last Invader(s) has/have been downed, you can safely retreat downfield to charge Mega Laser without fear of being hit by boomerangs unexpectedly.

• Try to eliminate all T1, T3 & T4 dart turrets. Doing so allows you to go point blank with Invaders easily. Remember that boomerangs are ineffective at close range, so after you eliminate these dart turrets, boomerangs can become quite useless.
  • It's likely necessary to eliminate T4 dart spinners as well due to how dense it can get. However, where possible, leaving dart spinners alive means getting a lot of free grazing energy.
  • Beware of pellet spreads that can sometimes reload quite quickly.
• You can play a gamble against T2 dart launchers, since you can stand still and they will pass by your ship core perfectly. Just remember. Don't. Move. A. Muscle. If you intend to do this of course.
  • This is a very good strategy for ships with Mega Bomb , since the fast pace of the mission often make it difficult to set up Mega Bomb. However, this can also apply for charging Mega Laser if need be.
  • In particular, try to offset your ship to the side of Ravens that do not have the T2 dart launcher. For example, in a wave, if the Ravens have the T2 dart launcher on the right side, then charge Mega Bomb more towards the left side of the field. Doing so is less prone to dying by RNG as Raven movements can sometimes misalign the T2 darts and kill you. Allowing a larger angle for T2 launchers to spin around alleviates this problem quite significantly.

Fun

• (+) This is a very fast paced mission that is very fun to play, especially when you are speedrunning.
• (+) Playing the left right game with boomerangs can be fun, like playing cat-and-mouse game with the boomerangs.

General (−Lasers)

Mission Intel:

Other Bullets: Darts, Pellets, Shurikens

Laser Density: None

General Difficulty: Hard to Very Hard

Brief Description: A fast paced mission with quite a lot of darts. Expect lots of shurikens in the mix as well, making this mission very annoying. The only relief is that no Doomsday weapons can appear here.

Invader Weaponry Notes:

• Both Pellet Spinners (Lane) and Pellet Spinners (Spiral) can appear.
• Both Shuriken Launchers & Shuriken Wave Launchers can appear.

Other Notes:

• This mission type is only available on Gold ranks and Marshal rank.

General (−Lasers)	Unprotected	Armored	Shielded
Ships/Apexes strong against this mission type	Tar'Cah Heechi Baqlor Torrent Boxer AB8/Klyn Lyova Qhelqod Nimbus Shogun Sigma Jeria Sigma	Jericho Zephyr Hime Saber Orion Trinity Shogun Disaris	Shinova Razor VI Phoenix Vuxine Yigothu Njörun Luna Jeria Veil Sigma Baqlor Phi
Speedrunning Ships/Apexes	Fujin Buhloo Baqlor Corsair Uhb Wraith Nimbus Naya Shogun Sigma AB8/Klyn Sigma Icarus Sigma Lyova Tau Starless Sigma Jeria Sigma	Krillou Havoc Ex04239 Von Braun Saber Shogun Icarus Neni Juggernaut Lambda Prime X Epsilon Centurion Tau	Proxymar Exarch Scuuxun Starless Banshee Jeria Monsoon Warden Veil Sigma Phoenix Delta Baqlor Phi Luna Tau & Omega Naya Phi
Fun Ships/Apexes to try on this mission type	Fujin Cinnri Buhloo Vani-Vith Baqlor Torrent Corsair Uhb AB8/Klyn Lyova Qhelqod Nimbus Claymore Naya Tar'Cah Lambda Wrackr Epsilon Xaniea Lambda Shogun Sigma Icarus Sigma Starless Sigma	Ex04239 Hime Saber Shogun Icarus Cinnri Lambda Juggernaut Lambda Xaniea Lambda Prime X Epsilon Sakura Epsilon Zephyr Epsilon Widget Tau	Jn'Dur Razor VI Gladius Yigothu Exarch Luna Warden Veil Sigma Phoenix Delta Czar Lambda Xaniea Tau Arietis Lambda Baqlor Phi Zimitr Delta Naya Phi

Example of a General (−Lasers) mission type (Marshal S2):

Survival

• Auras & Zens
  • (+) Bullet EMP can be quite useful to clear off shurikens.
  • (=) The fast pace of the mission, having quite a lot of darts, mean that Teleport can be hard to use. It is also slightly hard to find good spots to Teleport to, especially when dart spreads flood the field. However, Teleport helps to get past shuriken clouds.
  • (=) There's generally no important turrets to eliminate in this mission type, as all turrets all come in roughly equal proportions. This makes Auras that target turrets pretty neutral.
  • (-) It's difficult to charge Mega Bomb here since the pace of the mission is so fast, and it's easy to get shot point blank by darts.
• Click on the various Invader weaponry mission intel icons above to go to the relevant sections to know how to deal with different types of bullets. Since this mission doesn't have lasers or Doomsday weapons, you can skip those sub-sections for the sake of this mission type.
• Getting an Ogon Is Fine badge on this mission type is very difficult. However, if the mission becomes easier to get such badges the less T4 Shuriken Wave Launchers there are.

Speedrunning

• Auras & Zens
  • (+) Reflex EMP usually works much better for speedrunning since it is fast charging.
  • (-) It's difficult to charge Mega Bomb here since the pace of the mission is so fast, and it's easy to get shot point blank by darts.
    
    • Charging all the way upfield is not recommended since the darts around can make it extremely difficult to head back downfield.
• Click on the various Invader weaponry mission intel icons above to go to the relevant sections to know how to deal with different types of bullets.

Fun

• (+) This is a fast paced mission, especially when you are speedrunning.
• (-) This mission is generally quite a pain to deal with, due to all kinds of bullets, fast and slow. It's hard to find a balance when to move fast and when to move slow.