On a fresh game you have no cards. CesarD's and BOSSCAT's runs use no cards. Meanwhile, FelipeNascimento83's runs on easy and normal use attack up and defense up cards, which is fair to say a huge advantage. Using previous saved game data is normally not allowed in speedruns either.

Basically, the main category should be no cards. Fine to have a separate category that allows them. There is some strategy of which 2 of the 4 cards to apply and cards make the game easier/more accessible.

Check this out @DBcade and @JakatoXtra

I did some screenshot work on Switch. I unlocked (Slash/Blue) Charlotte's cards. Then I tested the before and after with her Jumping Long Press A (B on Switch) Attack followed by her Forward + Long Press A (B on Switch) Attack. Yellow triangle drawn by the sword attacks. Is the easy cheese strat you see in runs.

The POWER UP (Attack) card boosts the Jumping attack damage 40% on Normal and 50% on Easy. That's huge. Card runs need to be separated versus just adding a variable/indicator. I didn't even test the DEFENCE UP card difference.

In the process I realized characters have different HP amounts. Seems your base damage is boosted in Easy by 30%.

If you're not going to separate cards and no cards runs after my research, can you state as such in the rules that cards can be used at our own discretion? I wouldn't care anymore since CesarD and BOSSCAT haven't weighed in. My no cards obsolete run is what it is.

The only card you need is POWER UP and it's only 1 star rarity for Bust. I have 14 out of 15 just from playing to unlock all of Yuga's, Nakoruru's and Charlotte's cards. If a Special Move is meta, you got an extra card slot for it.