CARDS & DSS

What is DSS?
The DSS (Dual Set-up System) combo feature is a new and innovative system exlcusive to Circle of the Moon. Basically, throughout the game you can collect different cards dropped by enemies. To use them, go to the pause menu and select DSS. The top row of cards are action cards, and the bottom row of cards are attribute cards. Simply choose a card from each row by highlighting it, then exit the pause menu. Your DSS combo will now be ready. To activate DSS mode, press the L button. Nathan will do a power-up animation, showing you that he is in DSS mode. By linking certain cards you can get many different effects, such as: making new weapons, increasing defense, strength, luck, etc. Using this unique system you can create over 100 different effects.

Click here for a DSS Quick Table
or
Click on the picture of each card to view the DSS details page for it

Action Cards

Mercury Mercury will most likely be one of your first cards. They are dropped by the Bone Heads in the Catacomb. Linking any cards with Mercury changes your normal whip from anything to a flame whip to a whip that throws clouds of poison at enemies.

Venus The second action card was hard for me to get. Maybe because it is a status enhancer. You can get this card from the Slimes (they're purple and drop down from ceilings to try and attack you, cause poison.) Don't expect to get this card until you fight Necromancer. Unless you try to get the card right away. This card effects your status. Depending on what you link it with you can increase strength, defense, luck and various other effects.

Jupiter I usually get this card after fighting the Golem. It's dropped by Fire Witches. They are the enemies in the Machine Tower who throw fire balls at you that home in on you. Linking this card to an attribute card has shields that hover around you. Depending on the attribute the sheilds have different effects such as fire and ice.

Mars One of my favorite cards. Getting an enemy to drop it though can be tough. The only place to get Mars is from the Flying Swords in the Chapel Tower. You might have to spend some time trying to get this one (I know I did), but it's well worth it. Linking this card to an attribute card changes Nathan's weapon. From fire swords, claws, and a hammer. No matter what, this card is one of the coolest.

Diana The Diana card is dropped by Maneaters. They are in the Underground Gallery. When you are in the area make sure you get it then. Otherwise it can be a real nuisance to have to go back and find a Maneater later in the game. This card causes your whip to throw different projectiles at enemies. Such as poison clouds.

Apollo Another cool card, you can get this when you obtain the push ability at the earliest. The Arc Demon drops this card and is in the Underground Warehouse. But if you have the push ability you can have an advantage earlier in the game by going to the Catacomb and where you go to the Abyss Stairway is a path that takes you to a room with a block. Push it and there's an Arc Demon. Getting the card can take some time since each time you need to push a box out of the way but the card is worth it. Some of the effects of this card range from forms of bombs to spears being thrown all over the place. It really is a must have.

Neptune Neptune is dropped by Ice Knights in the Underground Waterway. I've heard that they had a lot of trouble getting this card but I got it very easily actually. Remember, the trick is use a DSS that increases luck when card hunting or when trying to get new items, and equipment. Neptune is basically a defense card. If you like it with a fire attribute card you are healed by fire. Link with other cards for similar effects.

Saturn You can get Saturn from Fallen Angels. They are near the entrance to the Battle Arena. The card can be tough to get since there is only one enemy to the screen, but be persistent and you will be rewarded with Saturn. The effects from Saturn let you use familiars. Such as a bat and a ghost.

Uranus Uranus is dropped by Scary Candles, the enemy in the Golem boss room. Like the Trick Candle, you can only fight Scary Candles after fighting Carmilla Uranus is a summoner card. Just about whatever attribute card you pair it with summons that monster. Meaning pairing it with Thunderbird summons a Thunderbird.

Pluto Pluto wins the award for the best card in the entire game. You can get Pluto from Trick Candles, the Trick Candle is found in the Cerberus boss room. The Pluto card is first available after the Carmilla fight. There are many effects. CV veterans will be happy to know that with this card you can use the good old Item Crashes. Other effects are super speed and invincibility. Item Crash page

Attribute Cards

Salamander This is the first card you will get. It would be like impossible to not get it unless you don't kill anyone. The Bomb Skeletons drop Salamander. Don't be surprised if you get the card after killing just two of them. It's just that easy to get. This is a fire card. So if you link it to Mars you get a Fire Sword. For other cards the effects will all be fire related. Like immunity to fire attacks. The only exception to that is when linked to Venus you increase strength.

Serpent Usually I come and get Salamander after fighting Cerberus. The Earth Demons drop this card. Earth Demons are the guys who fly around and cause spikes to go towards Nathan. You could get it right away I suppose. And as an added benefit to that you gain more experience. Serpent is ice elemental and can raise defense when linked to Venus. One of the cool parts is being able to freeze enemies with the ice whip and then using them as temporary platforms.

Mandragora Dropped by Axe Knights. Try to get it right away. Usually can get it after fighting Necromancer but still try and get it right away. Mandragora is a plant card. Meaning you can have a plant whip and so forth. Can also increase luck. Try to always use Mandragora+Venus so you can get items and other cards easily.

Golem The Lightning Skeletons drop Golem. They can be found in the Audience Room. The best place to try and get it is in the room before Necromancer there is a save room, right by that room is a Lightning Skeleton. That way you can go back and forth through screens. Earth elemental card. One of the coolest uses would be that you can have a shadow Nathan. Only comparison I can think of are the ninja shadows from Ninja Gaiden II.

Cockatrice Dropped by the Stone Knights who throw three boulders at you, I usually get it from the ones in the Catacomb. All you need is the rock break ability and there are two in one of the rooms. Cockatrice is a stone card so you can get a rock whip. Also you can turn enemies into stone before they die.

Manticore The Manticore card is dropped by the Lightning Demons in the Machine Tower and Chapel Tower. They are the demons who summon three balls that shoot lightning down. I found it easier to get the card in the Chapel because there are two of them in the same room. Manticore has poison effects. In my opinion Manticore doesn't overall have any attacks that make it real useful or make it stand out from other cards. Except for possibly immunity to poison, but that would only really needed in an area before you can even have the right card combination.

Griffon You can get the Griffon card in the Audience Room. There is an area where there is no walls in the castle and take a path up to a long hallway. In the hallway there are Skeleton Athletes, keep going in and out of the room for it. Be warned though it took me a long time for them to drop it. By the way I might not have described the area very well. Later on I'll post a picture of where it is on a map. Being a wind elemental card you can have a super fast whip or one of the most useful uses, having charging your whip up to ten times its normal strength.

Thunderbird The Panther Men in the Chapel Tower drop the card. I suggest hunting for it right away, it has a very useful purpose. The only good spot I can think of for trying to get the card is in the room before the Goat boss. Lightning elemental but don't worry about that. One of the main reasons you would use the card for would be that you can decrease the damage you take by half. And one other useful purpose is you can increase your strength based on play time.

Unicorn Unicorn is dropped by the White Armors in the Battle Arena. I got Unicorn card on my fourth trip through the Arena. A Holy power card, this can give you complete invincibility but you can't attack at that time. One of the best uses is the Holy Sword which does a lot of damage.

Black Dog A Battle Arena card exlcusive, it is dropped by the Dark armors. The Battle Arena can be tough and with all enemies it makes it harder. You'll need a lot of patience to get this card. And since you can't use a luck increase with DSS in the Battle Arena it makes things worse. Keep at it though and it will be yours. I got it my first trip into the Arena however. Black Dog uses dark powers. A lot of the attacks are powerful such as a gun that Nathan can use, or some of the strange uses such as turning Nathan into a skeleton or a bear.