1Yearorbless Needwisdom!

[Rouener]

I discovered this game a year ago on my phone and have become hooked to where within a week of getting Civ5 or titanfall I'm back on it (laptop tiled). The farthest I've gone is 2nd floor of Zot with Mi/Fi & Gar/Fi. I've got a couple direct questions and am completely open to any advise. I've been grinding Gar/Fi and two of my biggest questions are - What is my most preferential mace/flail for early - mid (whip, flail, ect)? Am I chasing a pipe dream trying to cultivate the spell controlled blink while building a fighter class? I've been worshiping TSO, and wonder if Okawaru will serve me better in the long run when I loose the heals after killing demons/undead? I've tried all 3 but which ranged option works best overall and how would I best exploit them (missiles, spell, or wands?)

I know that's a lot to ask in one post but I'll be happy with a resolution to one or two of my queries. (current with 1.4)

[Igxfl]

CBlink is good if you have the spare XP and don't have heavy armour, but you don't need it. If you actually started with the fighter background, the low Int and heavy armour might make it tough to get. If you do go for it, also consider Phase Shift, Passage of Golubria, and maybe Dispersal -- those spells can all save your bacon. Non-Trog melee characters should usually learn some buff/utility spells mid to late game regardless.

It's probably better to 3-rune with Oka rather than TSO. TSO isn't that great in the main game.
Missiles are nice with Oka too because free ammo.

Attack wands are not common enough to be a primary ranged option, just use them as soon as you need them and train little to no Evocations for them.

[TheDefiniteArticle]

What is my most preferential mace/flail for early - mid (whip, flail, ect)?

Usually whichever weapon has the highest base damage. A notable exception is electrocution brand, which makes a whip better than any other one-handed mace, and whips of electrocution appear reasonably often. Demon whips are also very good because of fast attack speed, but you are not likely to find one early.

Am I chasing a pipe dream trying to cultivate the spell controlled blink while building a fighter class?

Casting in heavy armour is fine (you'll want to pick Int on stat increases of course, and you will have an easier time in lighter armour). Just remember that you should not rely on finding a specific item, or plan for a specific item before you have it. IF you find Translocation spells, absolutely go for it, but be prepared to go a different direction.

[Rouener]

I gotta admit outside of blink I haven't used other trans spells. I hadn't felt confident to invest the training whenever I get so far in the game not knowing how reliably they worked.

[Kismet]

I gotta admit outside of blink I haven't used other trans spells. I hadn't felt confident to invest the training whenever I get so far in the game not knowing how reliably they worked.

If you aren't ok with researching these questions on the internet, I would suggest turning on wizmode so you feel comfortable experimenting.

I'm curious why you think worshipping TSO in the early game is a good idea. Do you notice lots of opportunities to gain piety/benefit from his abilities?

[Patashu]

I gotta admit outside of blink I haven't used other trans spells. I hadn't felt confident to invest the training whenever I get so far in the game not knowing how reliably they worked.

If you aren't ok with researching these questions on the internet, I would suggest turning on wizmode so you feel comfortable experimenting.

Yes, this ^. There's no shame in using wizmode and savescumming to answer 'what if I did X' questions. In particular, if you're in a hairy situation and want to know 'What is the most reliable way to get out of this situation?' you should consider copying your game over, and on the copy trying strategy A a few times to see how reliable it is, then strategy B, etc etc. then when you feel you have a good understanding of what's going on, go back to the 'main branch' and see if you live or die after all. You will learn faster if you use these powerful tools wisely.

[Rouener]

Fair enough. I have run through on wiz mode to determine some things like stat to success rate on a few higher level spells due to encumberance, but it becomes grueling at a point. I will with the other transl spells but suggestions like yours help me know what to look at and for.

As for TSO I was getting some rough streaks being killed by unseen horrors and difficulty with late level banishments where he seemed like a safe bet for the life regain. Plus the angels are pretty good allies.

[Patashu]

Fair enough. I have run through on wiz mode to determine some things like stat to success rate on a few higher level spells due to encumberance, but it becomes grueling at a point. I will with the other transl spells but suggestions like yours help me know what to look at and for.

As for TSO I was getting some rough streaks being killed by unseen horrors and difficulty with late level banishments where he seemed like a safe bet for the life regain. Plus the angels are pretty good allies.

If you read a scroll of fog with an unseen horror attacking you, the unseen horror will be revealed as a disturbance any turn it spends inside of a cloud.
They also can't open doors and they have movement like a bat, and they (almost always) won't follow you up stairs (because their movement is too erratic to stay near you).
You can also move into a corridor and fire/swing on the side you think they're on.
You can also have other monsters/summons be around and thus restrict where the unseen horror can be to tiles currently unoccupied.
Unseen Horrors also only have damage of 12 and HD of 7, so decent defenses make them basically do nothing to you.

[Kismet]

Fair enough. I have run through on wiz mode to determine some things like stat to success rate on a few higher level spells due to encumberance, but it becomes grueling at a point. I will with the other transl spells but suggestions like yours help me know what to look at and for.

As for TSO I was getting some rough streaks being killed by unseen horrors and difficulty with late level banishments where he seemed like a safe bet for the life regain. Plus the angels are pretty good allies.

I personally don't think your strategy for dealing with banishment is sound. I think you will be more successful if you understand how banishment works (it needs a clear line of sight, it checks MR), who can banish you (Erolcha, wizards, monsters wielding disto weapons, ogre-mages, deep elves), and think about tactics and strategies to avoid getting banished (don't ever stand in LOS of a banisher, exclude banishers when you notice them, consider getting some MR). Instead, you are essentially going godless in exchange for a very questionable boost to survivability in the abyss.
Hm, I saw that you said "late level." If you are having trouble surviving in the abyss past level 20, I would bet you are fighting things you don't need to fight (things that are your speed or slower and not in base contact with you).

[Patashu]

(In particular, the deep elves that know the spell banishment are sorcerors and demonologists)

[Rouener]

I scrolled through the text today after a regular orc priest banished me, that caught me off guard. Last time I was caught off guard by it was by Erolcha. I think of the most beneficial late game TSO perks was being able to try to scour the abyss for upgrades of cash for them. I respect you guys since you're enthusiasts and would like your advise over criticism, I need that orb!

[Kismet]

An orc priest can only banish you with a distortion weapon.
If you are really intent on winning you ought to try worshiping Trog.

[Nordon]

Some strategy and tactics tips for a 3 rune win with GrFi:

Starter advice and lessons from my own pitfalls when I started crawling:
Weapons and fighting: Always break down packs of monsters. Move packs to corridors and fight one on one whenever possible. Move out of line of sight of things that can smite you, double back through another corridor and hit the pack in the back where the smiter is. If you feel strong enough, carve your way through easy mobs and deal with the smiter first. You can skip monsters. Plenty of Exp to go on the next floors, promise.

Consumables: Identify and USE them. Do not hoard, I've done this and it will kill you. Especially scrolls of teleportation - those are usually abundant and you are most probably prone to finding the wand. Use pots. Crawl is about not dying - you must NOT die at any cost. If you learn not to die, you will eventually win.

Evocables: Use them. Identify them. Possible uses you may have not though of: Polymorph Ogres, Hill giants and the like - they may turn into something completely incapable of using that giant club. Definitely blast hydras with all you've got if you can't run away. Do not poly, dragons may appear. Get those phials and lamps of fire, try out the rods. I personally train Evo to ~10 for midgame (identifying wand charges, enhancing wands and others).

Invocations: I am addicted to Makhleb, so this will be very specific and opinionated, ignore if you think it's bad or if you take other gods: I get ~10 invo the second I step in Lair 2 or 3. I then use major destruction to harm packs of D. Yaks and Elephants to great effect (I then pull them to places I can take them 1:1 though ). If you can squeeze about 15 invo you're pretty set for greater demons. If one appears hostile, get another one to deal with it.

Spellcasting: I have had characters with none that were still successful. I guess it depends on the heaviness of the armour you are wearing. You can completely ignore this and still win.

For your case: Try Makhleb, you seem to enjoy healing on kills, he has easy piety and still has summons. And he has no good-guy conduct. Anything is fair, anything is allowed.
As for weapon choices - for maces - early whips are useful if they come with the elec brand. Other brands for a whip do not really have high impact on the damage you are causing. IF you get an elec whip, get 12 M&F and ignore the skill through Lair. If you don't get one of those, take the most damage heavy weapon you find, preferably branded and train for that.
I usually like to have a shield on my GrFi and my M&F choices usually go Early: Whip (Elec) or Morningstar, Mid: Stay with Elec whip or that Morningstar. Cross fingers for demon whip (those are very findable) - enchant and brand as needed. Late: Stay with DWhip and pray for Eveningstar for high AC enemies.
In truth, you can win with a Demon Whip. I like Eveningstars for the burst.
If you go twohanders, someone else will have to provide advice.

As for Invisible Horrors, try luring them in a corridor and then moving back and forth in it to hit them. Alternatively, if you know what side of you they are on, just stay in one place and swing to the side (with CTRL+direction). Since you are a Gr and I assume you have high AC, there is a low chance you'll lose the fight this way. If it's too early though, just bail and forget about it.