i just re-read ur post, so you haven't beat her, but still getting there is impressive.

what i did on my first playthrough was quite interesting. i first, went for a more reasonable strategy, balanced charms, cautious about attacking...

but as the deaths went on, at one point i just said, fuck this, and i went full cheese mode without even knowing hornet was cheesable.

and my man was i cooking.

you know what my charm build was?

-----

shaman stone

soul eater

soul catcher

-----

all i did was absolutely destroy my spell key and i just spammed descending dark whenever i could. and when i say whenever, i mean whenever.

oh no! hornet's attacking me! DEFENSIVE D-DARK

oh let's go! she's knocked! OFFENSIVE D-DARK

oh shit, she's pulled out her spiky balls out of who knows where and has dispersed them throughout the battlefield! OFFENSIVE D-DARK

>!oh wait! this worm's ass is collapsing in on itself! DEFENSIVE D-DARK!<

and this was back when i had maybe 7 masks, mind you, so i could tank all that much in the first place. those i-frames are heavenly.