Proper Yred use

[jackalKnight]

I've tried using Yred with several different character types, but end up getting frustrated most of the time. Yred seems like he'd be useful on paper, but the zombies are often too slow and weak to fight off living opponents effectively, you don't get good pets until you've gained lots of piety, and his higher-level powers are less intuitive than the gifts of other gods. I see Yred as sort of an inferior Mahkleb in that he seems designed to give less magic-oriented characters summoning powers, but his powers are less flexible than Mahkleb's demons and destruction abilities.

Even the classes that seem designed for Yred are questionable.
Deep Dwarves LOOK like they'd benefit from Yred's "steal life force from enemies" ability...but Mahkleb grants the regain health for enemy kills much earlier. And Kiku gifts all the Necromancy books if you want to go the caster route (even providing corpses)!

Mummies would seem to be naturals...but mummies can scum for more spells with Sif (and use channeling without penalty!) rather than go the Yred route.

It may just be power creep, but as a "commander" god, Beogh seems like a superior choice, since Beogh minions will follow you between floors (giving you an initial advantage) unlike Yred zombies.

The question, to Yred users, is how do you make him work in a way that offers a viable alterantive to the other deities/methods listed here?

[tormodpwns]

First of all, your point about Beogh is not a strong one, because only one race is a viable species.

Yred is not as bad as you put him out to be. True, his zombies are slow and weak, but that is easily overcome. First of all, the spell itself doesn't cost any piety, so you're essentially getting a permanent summon for free while simultaneously training Invocations. While you autoexplore, the zombies will get left behind, but when a fight approaches you can just Recall them (again, no piety cost). And zombies aren't as weak as you think. A single Ogre zombie wielding a GSC can help you defeat orc warriors before XL 7 or so without using emergency potions and wands.

As for pets, Yred gifts them relatively early, at just *** of piety. Some of the early gifts are actually extremely overpowered for that point in the game, such as Freezing Wraiths. And most characters can get a Bone Dragon by mid-Lair, which makes for an extremely powerful secret weapon lest an OOD or unique arrives upon the scene.

Yred also offers some of the best emergency buttons in the game, such as the Mirror Damage and Drain Life abilities. Both can help you defeat packs of enemies that would have otherwise easily overpowered you, although the piety cost is quite high. But you probably won't even need these abilities because you've got pets and zombies following you everywhere.

Yred's final ability is essentially the level 9 Necromancy spell Death Channel in a single-target form. This allows you to raise a single undead ally more powerful than your zombies that will follow you through levels. It can even convert uniques, so it has great potential.

[Bim]

Yred from my own experience is great for if you want a god to 'forget about' in away. The summons are good, although arguably not as good as makleb's, but as tor said, the panic buttons are great. I tend to go for him if I don't really care about going into the god game (but want abit of help), or I'm playing a slow class which is easily flanked. This way the zombies keep moderate pace, and I can always retreat back to them/recall if I get stuck.
The only problem is, as you've said, there are probably better Gods for this play style. Also, I had a few good successes with a summoner +Yred, as I could just get loads, and loads, of summons going about ripping stuff to shreds.