Part 23

Discover the effects and strategies for powerful items like The Black Bean, Lucky Foot, Magneto, PHD, and Skatole in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. Master your runs!

Alright, let's break down some of the awesome items you might find in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. Knowing what these do can seriously change how you approach a run, so pay attention!

The Black Bean

This one's pretty sweet. When you pick up The Black Bean, you and any familiars you have can suddenly fly over obstacles. No more getting stuck on rocks or spikes!

Visuals: Your character turns black and gets these cool, feathery black wings.

Why it's great: Flying is a game-changer. It opens up so many possibilities for positioning yourself away from melee enemies, letting you pick them off safely. Honestly, if it means you can't be hurt by half the enemies out there, it's gotta be good. Plus, you look pretty hardcore with those wings.

Lucky Foot

Lucky Foot is all about boosting your luck stat. Now, luck in Isaac isn't quite like other games. What it does here is pretty neat: you'll only consume pills that have positive effects, and your odds improve when you play the skull mini-game in the Arcade.

Comments: While the skull mini-game might not be for everyone (especially if you're impatient like me!), the pill effect is amazing. If you pair this with Mom's Bottle of Pills, you'll be swimming in stat upgrades. It's a solid way to ensure you're getting the most out of every pill you find.

Magneto

Magneto is a lifesaver when it comes to grabbing loot. It draws items towards you, and these items can even move through rocks and terrain, making it super valuable. Just a heads-up, the attractive force gets weaker the further away you are, and at a large range, it won't pull anything at all.

Warning: Be super careful of troll bombs! Magneto will draw them to you too, so stay well away whenever they appear. If you're not careful, items like Anarchist's Cookbook or the 'XVI - The Tower' Tarot Card could spell disaster.

Why it's great: Despite the troll bomb risk, this item is fantastic. You'll be able to grab all that money and other stuff you normally couldn't reach. If you're careful and move away from troll bombs immediately, you'll find yourself getting a huge amount of extra items, and they'll rarely, if ever, damage you.

PhD

PhD is another fantastic item, especially if you rely on pills. It makes any pills that would normally have negative effects turn into their positive counterparts (so, Health Down becomes Health Up, for example). Explosive Diarrhea can still be found and used normally, though.

Visuals: Your character gets a face mask.

Heal: When you pick it up, you'll also heal up to three hearts, which is a nice bonus if you're low on health.

Why it's great: The main draw here is definitely the pill effect. It means tons of stat-ups, and just like Lucky Foot, if you combine it with Mom's Bottle of Pills, you'll be rolling in stat boosts. It makes finding pills so much more rewarding.

Skatole

Skatole is all about dealing with those annoying flies. When you have it, flies of all types (except Boom Flies) will no longer attack you, whether it's through touch damage or projectiles. Boom Flies can still deal touch damage, but they won't actively move towards you.

Comments: This item can make certain rooms and enemy types a lot less threatening. Dealing with swarms of flies can be a real pain, so having them ignore you is a massive relief. It really simplifies some encounters and lets you focus on the bigger threats.