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Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 16:54
by d3k0
BEWARE new players: this post is full of SPOILERS

First of all, let me say that I survived, thanks to makhleb and a bit of Luck with greater daemons, a great shield of protection and the power of Unarmed... and yes, also being a Ghoul helped a lot.
The hydra itself is very difficult, but can be "managed" in some way. Summons are obviously a good starting point.
But the point here is that the vault in which there is the hydra is way too difficult. First of all, it's full of water and it has a very restricted LOS. And that's ok, I suppose that's the way it should be ("Arrggh, the lernean hydra! Tele tele tele!"). But the area in which the hydra is, is full of demons of various types, that like to attack you while you are fighting this 27-headed thing, including things that trample you, poison you, shock you, and so on.
Here the tactic of Lure, split, divide and Rule, does not work very well, since there is so much water everywhere.

I am saying this because the Swamp should be the easiest of all rune vaults.

What do you think?

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 16:59
by Cheibrodos
d3k0 wrote:I am saying this because the Swamp should be the easiest of all rune vaults.


Why should this be the case?

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 17:04
by bel
It's not too difficult. You might need to teleport once or twice. Plenty of characters can simply kill Lerny easily. A small army of ice beasts can take it down, for example.

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 17:10
by d3k0
bel wrote:It's not too difficult. You might need to teleport once or twice. Plenty of characters can simply kill Lerny easily. A small army of ice beasts can take it down, for example.


My point is that is *not* Lerny itself, it's the vault in which Lerny is that is too difficult.

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 17:12
by d3k0
Cheibrodos wrote:
d3k0 wrote:I am saying this because the Swamp should be the easiest of all rune vaults.


Why should this be the case?


Because the other ones are more difficult :)
Snake is the easier of the other ones, but if you do not have high AC it becomes quite difficult, because you are easily surrounded.

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 18:08
by Nekoatl
There's nothing about it that can't be managed with the right equipment. Granted, some characters have fewer options than others, and it can take a while to find the needed equipment, but there's nothing forcing players to tackle Swamp first.

Btw, in my experience, the easiest rune branch varies from game to game depending on my character build and the drops I encounter.

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 18:18
by cerealjynx
Phantom Mirror. Even at 0 skill, you've got a good chance of getting an ally who can clear the entire vault and Learny in a few turns!

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 18:30
by Lavandula
bel wrote:A small army of ice beasts can take it down, for example.

Lerny has cleaving.

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 18:45
by Shard1697
public PSA: lerny cannot see invis

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 19:08
by bel
Lavandula wrote:
bel wrote:A small army of ice beasts can take it down, for example.

Lerny has cleaving.

No, it doesn't. It can, however redirect the rest of its attacks after one monster dies. It will still go down to enough ice beasts, especially because they can slow it.

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 21:28
by Airwolf
Shard1697 wrote:public PSA: lerny cannot see invis

Public PSA announcement: Lerny has bad MR.

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Sunday, 16th July 2017, 22:37
by nago
And bad Ev and no AC... Because it is a big bad hydra but still just a hydra

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Monday, 17th July 2017, 04:52
by kuniqs
Found a wand of scattershot? Time to push Evocations to 6-8 and Lerny becomes free XP.

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Monday, 17th July 2017, 05:19
by Sphara
Airwolf wrote:Public PSA announcement: Lerny has bad MR.


I subjectively disagree with this. It has higher MR than Thorn Hunter or Spriggan Druid.

Re: Lernean hydra vault too difficult

PostPosted: Tuesday, 18th July 2017, 16:48
by stoneychips
It all really depends on your character, drops, and what else you get in the vault (including particular layout and meeting locations, as well as mobs).

Here's a Lernaean hydra having a bad day against a Scroll of Summoning - which was incidentally found in the same branch (and some dragon skeletons). I met it awfully close and it took some fleeing and blinks to get out of the way, but it didn't even get to attack me in a few paces of backing away. Still have level 6 conjurations to hammer it with, if the summons don't do quite as well as they appear to be doing already. 8-)

Before meeting this one, I didn't encounter a lot in the vault with it. Some bog bodies and swamp drakes, a ghost crab... I think some of the dragons/hydrae had probably already come out from there, to check out all the noise I've been making around the rest of the level with so many bolt spells.

... In the event: It somehow beat all the summons in 2-3 turns after this, but one bolt of fire (6 power) from 6 squares away, and it's finished. (It was also fighting in water, probably some steam damage.)

Lhydra going going.jpg
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