Part 38

Your friendly guide to Baptism by Fire, Challenge #38 in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. Learn strategies for Bethany, the Urn of Souls, and defeating Isaac.

Alright, let's dive into Challenge #38, Baptism by Fire! This one's a bit of a unique challenge where you play as Bethany, but with a twist: she's blindfolded and starts with the Urn of Souls as her only attack. Your goal is to take down Isaac. Unlocking This Challenge: To even get to this challenge, you'll need to have unlocked Maggy's Faith (by beating The Lamb as Magdalene), then defeat Satan as Bethany, and finally have 11 Mom's Heart kills under your belt. ## Strategy This is where things get interesting. Bethany starts blindfolded, so the Urn of Souls is your only way to deal damage. It begins with no charges, but you have 4 soul charges to get you started. The key here is resource management: you need to kill enemies efficiently to gain charges faster than you use them. The Urn's 20-charge limit isn't enough to beat Isaac on its own, so building up a good stockpile is crucial. * Urn of Souls Management: Try to use controlled bursts that take out at least one enemy each time. This helps maintain or even increase your charges. Don't be afraid to practice; getting the hang of the Urn's controls and grouping enemies for maximum effect takes a few tries. * Guppy's Paw: If you're really struggling and run out of charges, Guppy's Paw can give you 6 extra soul charges by sacrificing a heart container. It's not essential, but it's a nice safety net. If you find a better active item, feel free to swap it out! * Maggy's Faith: You also start with Maggy's Faith, which gives you one free Eternal Heart per floor. Use it to tank a hit or, ideally, to gain an extra heart container if you manage to clear a floor without taking damage. * Environmental Kills: Some enemies and even bosses can defeat themselves! Keep an eye out for opportunities where explosions or environmental hazards can do the work for you. Little Horn and Baby Plum are prime examples; sometimes, just waiting in the boss room is enough. * Bombs for Bosses: When it makes sense, use bombs to damage bosses, especially during Isaac's stationary phases. It saves your precious Urn charges. * Devil Rooms vs. Angel Rooms: Since Bethany doesn't start with Book of Virtues, you won't be guaranteed an Angel Room after the first boss. Expect more Devil Rooms. Most items in the Devil Room aren't super helpful here, but look out for strong familiars like Lil Brimstone or Rotten Baby. If you see Guppy items, they're a great pick-up since you already have one piece, and the transformation spawns blue flies from your Urn, boosting your damage significantly. * Jar of Flies: This item is a great companion to the Urn. Killing enemies with the Urn adds flies to the Jar. When your Urn is low, unleash the flies to restore charges. * Shop Items: Keep an eye out for items like Red Candle or The Candle in shops. They offer an alternative way to deal damage and can help you build up Urn charges safely before a fight. * Libraries are Gold: Finding a Library is a huge win! Books like Book of Virtues (constant wisp generation if you manage charges) or Book of Revelations (generating soul charges every 6 rooms) are incredibly useful. Satanic Bible is a decent alternative. These help you stock up on charges, which is vital for the Isaac fight since he doesn't spawn many enemies. * Farming Rooms: If you find a room with enemies you can farm for charges (like Eggy or The Duke of Flies), don't clear it immediately. Leave it uncleared to have a reliable source of Urn charges. ## Reward (The source text doesn't specify the reward for this challenge, but completing it usually unlocks a new item or trinket! Keep at it!)