Pathing

[Plaguelight]

Can you go Basement 1 - 2 - Downpour 1 - 2, Caves, etc. etc., making a winding path through both floors of each path until you hit the Mom's Foot fight? I always thought dropping into the other side on the 2nd floor would lead to the 2nd of that other path, but I just ended up in Dross 1 from Basement 2...

[K1]

interesting, 'cause i remember getting to downpour 2 from basement 2

[Plaguelight]

Originally posted by K1:

interesting, 'cause i remember getting to downpour 2 from basement 2

Same! That was what happened in the run before this one, which is why I had to bring it up. Maybe it's a bug, or maybe it's random chance...

[Jevmen]

It happens if basement is XL, i always go to downpour 2

[orian34]

I calculated the pathing, and there is an optimal path to obtain the most items, depending on your goal. Note: this is on hard, because alt floors are 100% to appear.

First, is that unless you aim for boss rush/hush, always go get the mom's knife parts, because it's a guaranteed free familiar to deal damage with.

Then, if you go for the beast, you should go:
-Basement 1 > Basement 2 > Downpour 2*+ > Caves 2 > Mines 2* > Depths 2 > Mausoleum 2(through dad's door)>Home.
This path has 7 floors and shops/treasure rooms.
For all the non timed ones:
-Basement 1 > Basement 2 > Downpour 2*+ > Caves 2 > Mines 2* > Mausoleum 1 > Mausoleum 2 > Womb 2.
This path has 7 floors and shops/treasure rooms. And it skips one womb floor, meaning one less floor with 1 heart damage.

*Those floors absolutely need to be taken to get the knife parts.
+You have to defeat the boss in the mirror floor to gain an additional boss item. Also use the lost transformation to enter freely the curse room.

Any other path is less optimal and will either lose items or increase danger.

Additional help for planetarium: Skipping the very first item room is affordable, and gives a 21% chance to get a planetarium in the following floors. Meaning with this path, you get 6 times 21% chance to get it. Low cost for fair odds to replace it with a hugely stronger item.

I always take this path and skip the first item room.