Help me understand how to play Formicids (Gods/Backgrounds)


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Halls Hopper

Posts: 55

Joined: Monday, 9th July 2012, 22:24

Post Friday, 15th July 2016, 23:53

Help me understand how to play Formicids (Gods/Backgrounds)

So, I've recently been going on a binge trying to beat the game with the more "Challenging" races, and I got bored with my OpTm 15-rune run (God Hell is tedious), so I decided to try out Formicid.

Thus far, I've been pretty disappointed. Just playing a straight fighting bruiser worshipping Oka is dull, and if I'm gonna do that I don't know why I don't just go load an old patch from when we still had Mountain Dwarves. So, I'd really rather play something a little more interesting.

For starters, I was considered going a Skald or a poison elementalist (quickly hybriding into medium armor and weapons), worshipping Chei; the aptitudes are solid, and since I can't make use of haste anyways Chei's slowness doesn't hurt too much, and of course the stat boosts are phenomenal for any hybrid character. (Of course, this also means I'm losing one of Chei's most vital assets, teleport scrolls) However, I'm really just feeling like it's rather weak, and aimless; I'm sure it'll be a blast once I'm wielding a large shield in the off hand and an executioner's axe in the other, but until then I'm really just not sure what I should be doing with these guys.

My other consideration was Fighter into Pakellas, but I realized being unable to spam wands of Haste and infinite teleports doesn't really do much for these guys, which is a massive reason why Pakellas is good in the late game.

tl;dr: Any general tips or tricks for Formicid, particularly in the realm of background/god choice?
DEFE, KoBe, SEEE, DEEE, DsWn (15), OpTm, MuWz, GrEE, DsFE, NaTm, VSTm, DrFE

Slime Squisher

Posts: 332

Joined: Wednesday, 19th December 2012, 13:23

Post Saturday, 16th July 2016, 00:12

Re: Help me understand how to play Formicids (Gods/Backgroun

From my limited experience, straight up bruiser with Fo is the way to go but instead of Okawaru you should lean towards a god like Lugonu or Zin because you'll need an escape mechanism. Chei wouldn't cut it because you're literally sacrificing all escape options available to you this way. With other normally viable deities your games would seem quite easy until you encounter a very dangerous situation and just straight up die because you can't haste, blink or teleport. I'd say Fo is a very hard race to win even with Okawaru. Harder than OpTm. Some crazy people manage to do it with Qazlal, of all gods. No idea how is that even possible.
Last edited by ZoFy on Saturday, 16th July 2016, 00:17, edited 1 time in total.
Offline greaterplayer (who cares). I don't always play online, but when i do, i streak felids.
Zot:5 on easy mode video
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Ziggurat Zagger

Posts: 4478

Joined: Wednesday, 23rd October 2013, 07:56

Post Saturday, 16th July 2016, 00:14

Re: Help me understand how to play Formicids (Gods/Backgroun

My formicid winrate is still 2/3 and the winners were FoVM of Dith and FoGl of Gozag.
DCSS: 97:...MfCj}SpNeBaEEGrFE{HaAKTrCK}DsFESpHu{FoArNaBe}
FeEE{HOIEMiAE}GrGlHuWrGnWrNaAKBaFi{MiDeMfDe}{DrAKTrAMGhEnGnWz}
{PaBeDjFi}OgAKPaCAGnCjOgCKMfAEAtCKSpCjDEEE{HOSu
Bloat: 17: RaRoPrPh{GuStGnCa}{ArEtZoNb}KiPaAnDrBXDBQOApDaMeAGBiOCNKAsFnFlUs{RoBoNeWi
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Blades Runner

Posts: 568

Joined: Wednesday, 5th March 2014, 03:52

Post Saturday, 16th July 2016, 00:18

Re: Help me understand how to play Formicids (Gods/Backgroun

You want a two hander and a shield eventually, because why the hell not. I kinda dig (Ha!) abyssal knights because you can blink.

But my only win was fighter of gozag.

Spider Stomper

Posts: 214

Joined: Thursday, 5th January 2012, 22:20

Post Saturday, 16th July 2016, 01:02

Re: Help me understand how to play Formicids (Gods/Backgroun

Formicides are quite reliable. Heavy twohanders with a shield is a solig option, and Ru is crazy good providing both a bit of escape, and hefty chunk of extra survivability in blinds and other effects. And massive AoE never hurts too.
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Blades Runner

Posts: 624

Joined: Saturday, 18th December 2010, 04:50

Post Saturday, 16th July 2016, 01:47

Re: Help me understand how to play Formicids (Gods/Backgroun

I find a polearm Fo of Hepliaklqana feels very strong with the Formicid's ability to create killholes anywhere and everywhere. It acts as a huge pool of extra health, and you can heal it with Idealise for a low piety cost. The best part, perhaps, is that you can swap spaces with your ancestor using Transference. This gives you a psuedo-controlled blink, and the ability to reposition yourself (and your enemies).

Hep is kinda broken on everyone but it's especially obvious on Formicid, who otherwise lack many of the options other races have.

Shoals Surfer

Posts: 325

Joined: Tuesday, 13th October 2015, 06:02

Post Saturday, 16th July 2016, 07:14

Re: Help me understand how to play Formicids (Gods/Backgroun

Chei is nice if you're after very high ac/ev/sh.

I just random background/first god I find a lot. Keeps it interesting.

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