Bootlegs in Cassette Beasts are the game’s unique take on shinies, but unlike traditional shiny hunting in other monster-taming games, the mechanics here are distinct and offer multiple strategies. Whether you’re pre- or post-game, here’s how to hunt them efficiently and what systems you need to understand.

What Are Bootlegs?

Bootlegs are rare variants of monsters with alternate colors, typings, and a static visual effect. Their name appears in red lettering during battle, and in the overworld, you can spot them by their distinct appearance and static animation flicker.

Bootleg Spawn Rates

• Overworld odds: 1 in 1,000 chance of finding a bootleg in the wild.

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Phase 1: Overworld Bootleg Hunting (Early Game)

1. Dash and Flee Method

• Obtain the Dash ability (through traversal upgrades).
• Target an area with frequent spawns (e.g., Traffic Crabs in the starter zone).
• Dash into an encounter > Check for bootleg > Flee if not > Repeat.
• This avoids long spawn reset times and improves efficiency.

2. Swarm Method

• Swarms have a higher encounter rate and can increase your bootleg odds.
• The downside: Swarms are not always predictable or easy to find early on.

Tip: Check for red lettering in multi-monster encounters—sometimes only the second monster is a bootleg.

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Phase 2: Post-Game Bootleg Farming (Ritual Candle Method)

After defeating all captains and the Captain Leader:

1. Get Ritual Candles

• Buy at the Fusion Materials shop for 50 fused materials.

2. How the Candle Works

• Turn autosave OFF.
• Manual save before starting.
• Use a Ritual Candle and sacrifice (recycle) a monster at a café or campfire.
• The next Fusion battle will contain a guaranteed bootleg.

3. What Determines the Bootleg

• ~50% chance of the bootleg having the same species or same typing as the sacrificed monster.
• Can be used to target specific types or species.

4. Optimize Your Results

• Combine the candle method with Fusion Swarms for specific bootlegs.
• Example: Find a Traffic Crab fusion in a swarm, then sacrifice an Astral type to increase chances of an Astral-type Traffic Crab.
• If the outcome isn’t favorable, reload your manual save to try again after a rest, which resets the Fusion seed.

Warning: Soft resets alone will NOT change the outcome. You must rest between attempts.

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Summary of Methods

Method	Best For	Notes
Dash and Flee	Early game	Fast resets, great in zones with common spawns
Swarms	Mid to late game	Better odds, but harder to locate consistently
Ritual Candle	Post-game	Best for targeted bootleg hunting
Candle + Fusion Swarm	Advanced	Max control over bootleg type and species

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Final Notes

Cassette Beasts has a rich and evolving shiny/bootleg hunting system. As the community uncovers new tech, even more efficient methods may emerge. Be sure to turn off autosave, plan your hunts, and make use of community tools like the Cassette Beasts Discord for shared discoveries.

If this guide helped you, be sure to check out more guides from the community and don’t forget to support fellow creators like Barry Bandit, who’s been instrumental in researching these methods. Happy hunting!