Talk:Testament of the Archangel/@comment-219.74.3.96-20180519141723/@comment-16894369-20180519150038

The ultimate was released in 2014 with emphasis on tedious active skill strategies - the intended way of passing the puzzle shield was to use PR Verdandi back then, and the Tumbler requires two bursts.

The Nightmare was released in 2015 with multiple Neutralize EX to dissuade witches (and Anti-enchanted shield for Greek), and not many restrictions on shields - just damage (which we have plenty of today).

Overall Madhead probably figured out that "shields" are more effective than "status manipulation", and judging by the stage info, the puzzle shield with high defense is surprisingly effective, requiring a bit of strategy to get past.