The Tavern

Playing 0.20.

L19 MiBe using exec axe at Axes 25. Observe Mennas about 6 squares away.
1. Summoned bro
2. Berserked
3. Advanced one step to mennas
4. Swung exactly twice. I think he blocked both with his shield.
5. Berserk timed out. Now I'm slow vs a fast and deadly enemy.
6. ??? quaffing haste, might etc, got Mennas down to nearly dead.
7. Died like an idiot.

Ok, so I probably shouldn't have berserked against such a strong enemy, but I can't figure out why it was so short. Any advice?

Taking actions other than attacking makes berserk expire very quickly, and you in fact took two steps before actually reaching Mennas and starting to attack (and then made something like 4 attacks before berserk expired, so not a particularly unusual result).

Hmm thanks for the advice. So for Mennas in particular the berserker has a big gotcha because you can't invoke Trog when in silence range and if you invoke to berserk while out of range of his silence aura, and spend turns moving to engage, then the berserk runs out early and you're even more screwed.

General rule of thumb should be never berserk before you're going to definitely engage in the next round. I've always done this reflexively but never really had a situation to test it where I had a reason to berserk from 3 squares out. Now I know.

Mennas is much more powerful than a large amount of characters when they first encounter him, especially in vaults. He has one of the most powerful kits in the game.

A better rule of thumb is don't fight mennas. Still, that is lacking, as he isn't indestructable or anything. Not fighting him doesn't let you get a good understanding of exactly how strong he is.

So the final idea i will offer is don't fight mennas unless you are confident you can facetank through a silence duration (some walking away may be required) and you have reliable escape mechanisms (?blink and ?tele immediately come to mind.)

Mennas is one of those enemies that I avoid, if I can avoid. Reading teleport immediately for example.

If it's an area I need to pass through, because the stairs are in bad places or something, then I throw everything at him. With this particular character I would quaff haste, then summon brothers until silenced. Then evoke box of beasts. (Were there not more evokers? What about scrolls of summoning?)

Quaff agility, quaff might, dance around my summone if I can, to get some free damage in. (Why was your troll attacking you? Mass confusion I guess.) I would probably swap to the anti-magic axe and finally, depending on how the fight is going, I might quaff berserk, instead of invoking it, when Mennas is next to me. Wand of clouds might have been an idea too.

Also, this character could have done with more dodging/evo, a better amulet, a better armour (+2 plate of anything), put on the +4 AC ring (or MR+), instead of rC+.

Good suggestions all, thanks.

I really should have read ?tele as soon as I saw him. I was way overconfident.