AoS/Creaking Skull manip

The Creaking Skull manip is a manip performed in the Any% No 0HP, Glitchless and Debug categories to obtain the Creaking Skull soul early in the game. Creaking Skull is a versatile soul for combat, movement and manips throughout runs due to its long reach, high damage and low mp cost.

5-backdash version

Timestamped video with input display

This version has fewer inputs, but can fail if the player takes too long to perform the first backdash, as looking at the Axe Armor for a while will cause its AI to call RNG more often.

4-backdash version

Timestamped tutorial video with input display by Chewy4u

This version avoids the risk of failure from taking too long to do the first backdash, but requires an extra whiffed slash in each room.

Soulverlap ending

Timestamped video of a soulverlap on the 5-backdash version

Both versions of the manip can optionally finish with a soulverlap to save roughly 1 second, at the cost of 59 HP. Before the killing blow, walk to the right far enough to that when you are knocked to the right when you jump. The instant you land after the knockback, jump and slash to the left. The final slash must connect before Creaking Skull's bone slam attack hits the floor and creates stone particles, which advance RNG.