How to Use Vile Clutch?


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Tartarus Sorceror

Posts: 1822

Joined: Thursday, 31st May 2012, 15:45

Post Monday, 22nd January 2018, 16:30

How to Use Vile Clutch?

I used Vile Clutch recently for the first time on a SpEE^Ash passwall/petrify stabber in 0.21 stable. I found it difficult to use, partly through inexperience and partly through what might be interface issues. My goal had been a quieter AoE for Earth magic than LRD, and also a way to pin monsters down while I tried to land a petrify on them or to keep them in range of metal or crystal LRD fodder.

I'd love to hear other situations to use this spell in. I'm gathering that it is quite effective used purely for damage, since recent commits have nerfed that. Allies are not affected, does the constriction increase your allies' effectiveness or is that just so the spell isn't a PITA for necromancers to use?

I wish there was an icon that indicated whether a monster is constricted by it or free to move. Does this sort of constricted even prevent movement at all? I would see messages that a monster had broken free, but which of the five ugly things did it was not readily apparent. I am thinking now, would Ctrl-X tell me this (alas the character is gone--it was a meat-space casualty when the flash drive it was on got damaged beyond my soldering skills).
Won (52). Remaining (15): 5 species: Ba, Fe, Mu, Na, Op; 5 Backgrounds: AM, Wr, Su, AE, Ar; 5 gods: Jiyv, newNem, WJC, newSif, newFedh

Slime Squisher

Posts: 386

Joined: Thursday, 26th March 2015, 01:22

Post Monday, 22nd January 2018, 16:55

Re: How to Use Vile Clutch?

There is a green hand icon on the monsters that are constricted. I used it one game during the tournament; idk if the power was nerfed prior to or post that. I found that it did pretty good damage even at low spellpower (although compared to clouds/allies it wasn't particularly busted in this regard), and being ful-los smite targeted is definitely a point in its favor. It is excellent at killing boggarts/elf summon spammers because they have bad defenses and hide behind allies. Good at killing spriggans in depths. I liked to use it when fighting at chokepoints with other monsters in los (such as at a doorway in vaults) because you can damage a whole pack of monsters passively and prevent them from filing into the room and surrounding you.

For this message the author amaril has received thanks:
MainiacJoe

Tartarus Sorceror

Posts: 1822

Joined: Thursday, 31st May 2012, 15:45

Post Monday, 22nd January 2018, 17:32

Re: How to Use Vile Clutch?

I just pulled up wizmode for 0.21, and there is definitely not a green hand icon on the monster even as the messages continue to talk about it struggling to escape, and even as it does not follow me. This is 0.21.0 Windows Tiles stable, (20180105).

NoGreenHand.jpg
NoGreenHand.jpg (64.18 KiB) Viewed 1860 times

Should I report this on Mantis?
Won (52). Remaining (15): 5 species: Ba, Fe, Mu, Na, Op; 5 Backgrounds: AM, Wr, Su, AE, Ar; 5 gods: Jiyv, newNem, WJC, newSif, newFedh

Crypt Cleanser

Posts: 689

Joined: Saturday, 12th December 2015, 23:54

Post Monday, 22nd January 2018, 18:03

Re: How to Use Vile Clutch?

Allies are good for blocking stuff that's constricted. For many monsters, the only way they can attempt to escape is by trying to move. If the monster can't attempt to escape constriction then you will on-average get more damage from zombie hands. Naturally it's safer to have allies do this for you than to do it yourself. Monsters that can blink can escape by casting blink though. Trampling will also break the effect, but not if your ally can't be trampled (for example if it's a lightning spire, or if there's another monster or a wall behind it).

One other thing about zombie hands is that constricted monsters take a huge EV penalty. Their EV is divided by body size + 2 (so 2 for tiny monsters, 3 for little, etc up to 8 for giant monsters). If you're using anything that checks EV to kill monsters, you'll get a pretty noticeable increase to your effective damage against high EV targets if they are constricted by zombie hands.

For this message the author Hellmonk has received thanks: 4
MainiacJoe, nago, stoneychips, VeryAngryFelid

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