Thunder dome!

[Tiktacy]

Seriously, how does one complete this sprint? I've done every other sprint easily, but this one is so... Difficult.... Is also my favorite dungeon sprint.

Anyways, here is probably the strongest strategy I've found by a lot: FeMo of TSO. Use angels on boss battle, get haste, haste angels, get controlled blink, buy bottled wisdom later in the game, get some other support magic(deflect missile, phase shift, ect.)

Please, how does one complete this sprint without dumb luck?

[Mankeli]

I haven't played this much at all, it seems that I've played Thunderdome only 5 times at least with this version of Crawl but I do have one win with GrFi ^Trog. GrFi has better equipment than GrBe and Trog is, well, Trog. I found this sprint to be really easy actually with this combination.

[Bloax]

Buy a stack of might potions in the very first round, then a stack of healing potions once you can. Don't be afraid to chug some potions if you feel you might need them.

[Mankeli]

Buy a stack of might potions...chug some potions if you feel you might need them.

Pun intented?

[dck]

How is your strongest strategy for anything a cat?
HuGl is good there and nets generally beat the crap out of lots of things, then just buying stuff in the shops keeps you going.

[Rapigel]

Play a He. Buy food. Wear heavy armour. Pacify everything.

[I want to believe]

Play a He. Buy food. Wear heavy armour. Pacify everything.

That's how I managed to keep almost winning the pits. But then I starve to death. I don't think the food shops could keep you going with elyvilon's hungry hungry magic.

[Tiktacy]

How is your strongest strategy for anything a cat?
HuGl is good there and nets generally beat the crap out of lots of things, then just buying stuff in the shops keeps you going.

Because hasted angels and extra lives, that's why.

[dck]

That's a shitty plan if I ever saw one.

[Mankeli]

How is your strongest strategy for anything a cat?
HuGl is good there and nets generally beat the crap out of lots of things, then just buying stuff in the shops keeps you going.

Because hasted angels and extra lives, that's why.

Then why are you asking for advice if you have already found out the "ultimate cat strategy" and seem to have no intention to learn anything from others' experiences?

[Styro]

Buy a stack of might potions in the very first round, then a stack of healing potions once you can. Don't be afraid to chug some potions if you feel you might need them.

This advice helped me to eventually win Thunderdome. I played a Troll Berserker focusing on maces. Troll helped me regen quickly between fights and also limited the danger of poison before getting rPois.

I spent early money on Might and Healing Potions, then saved up until I could buy the Gold Dragon Armor for the three resists. Bought Enchant Armour scrolls until max enchant. Then bought up all rings, amulets, and wearable armour (caps, etc) and ID scrolls. Wore the best stuff and swapped rings/amulets for resists as necessary.

I sacced everything I did not need to eat and was eventually loaded with excellent artifact Great Spiked Clubs to beat things with. I also regularly used BiA when facing tough enemies.

[duvessa]

How is your strongest strategy for anything a cat?
HuGl is good there and nets generally beat the crap out of lots of things, then just buying stuff in the shops keeps you going.

Because hasted angels and extra lives, that's why.

Then why are you asking for advice if you have already found out the "ultimate cat strategy" and seem to have no intention to learn anything from others' experiences?

you haven't gotten used to tiktacy yet have you

[Tiktacy]

Buy a stack of might potions in the very first round, then a stack of healing potions once you can. Don't be afraid to chug some potions if you feel you might need them.

This advice helped me to eventually win Thunderdome. I played a Troll Berserker focusing on maces. Troll helped me regen quickly between fights and also limited the danger of poison before getting rPois.

I spent early money on Might and Healing Potions, then saved up until I could buy the Gold Dragon Armor for the three resists. Bought Enchant Armour scrolls until max enchant. Then bought up all rings, amulets, and wearable armour (caps, etc) and ID scrolls. Wore the best stuff and swapped rings/amulets for resists as necessary.

I sacced everything I did not need to eat and was eventually loaded with excellent artifact Great Spiked Clubs to beat things with. I also regularly used BiA when facing tough enemies.

Thank you for the second opinion, it's nice to know there are people interested in helping and not hating.

I'll definitely try this out.

[cerebovssquire]

MiBe of Trog -> TSO is pretty strong too. I managed to win that character quickly, no special strategy, just hitting things, using the structures in the middle tactically, and quad damage in the last fight. BiA kills all the early bosses with ease. I used CPA or GDA. I have an idea that I haven't tried out yet, DDxx of Trog -> TSO that gets Shatter in pearl dragon armour later in the game, but I don't know how viable that is.

[Bloax]

I have an idea that I haven't tried out yet, DDxx of Trog -> TSO that gets Shatter in pearl dragon armour later in the game, but I don't know how viable that is.

Far, far more than enough experience for that if you pick up the orb when it spawns to kill all those extra spawns.

[cerebovssquire]

I have an idea that I haven't tried out yet, DDxx of Trog -> TSO that gets Shatter in pearl dragon armour later in the game, but I don't know how viable that is.

Far, far more than enough experience for that if you pick up the orb when it spawns to kill all those extra spawns.

I was referring to the strength of the character, not the experience available (I see no reason why it wouldn't be a lot better than a "pure melee" character, but I don't want to claim that I know something I've never tried out for sure).

[MrPlanck]

For me, there is no point in playing this sprint. I like all the others. This one, you can get, say, Lernaean hydra at XL 7. There is no sense in this. What a $%&$!# waste of time.

[Sar]

Well it's not like Lerny is unkillable at XL7, it's only speed 10 and you have !speed.

[dck]

And tons of ?blink and !might.

[MrPlanck]

Well it's not like Lerny is unkillable at XL7, it's only speed 10 and you have !speed.

What would you give the odds of killing it, at XL7 with a hand axe? Better than 1 in 50?

[Sar]

Hand axe, probably not much. I've seen dck doing it two or three times with a demon whip, though. I'm sure he can explain it better than me.

[dck]

Well it's not like Lerny is unkillable at XL7, it's only speed 10 and you have !speed.

What would you give the odds of killing it, at XL7 with a hand axe? Better than 1 in 50?

With any ranged weapon you can kill lerny hasteless using 2-3 ?blink, depending on how fast you spot it and how much other things around you decide to bother you.
With a melee weapon (why you'd chose to use a hand axe with all that's available in the thunderdome I don't understand) you do need a certain movespeed bonus and to be safe to a relative extent you'd do well to have attacks that are at least 0.6 or faster (as Sar said dwhips are immensely good).
Also you probably want to use a !might even if you have a good weapon like a vorpal dwhip because of simply making the battle last less time and giving other enemies less of a chance to interfere.

[Bloax]

Worst case, you have enough scrolls of blinking to take it down with your wands if you buy a stack of ?recharging.

And yes, I've done this before. It's pretty disheartening to see all your blinking scrolls go poof, but at least you're not dead seven times over.

[MrPlanck]

why you'd chose to use a hand axe with all that's available in the thunderdome I don't understand

At XL7 in Thunderdome you have either your starting weapon or can buy one in a shop. I spent my 320 or so gold on healing and might potions, so there was nothing remotely close for a good weapon. Unless I am missing something. Where can you find a demon whip so early?

[MrPlanck]

why you'd chose to use a hand axe with all that's available in the thunderdome I don't understand

At XL7 in Thunderdome you have either your starting weapon or can buy one in a shop. I spent my 320 or so gold on healing and might potions, so there was nothing remotely close for a good weapon. Unless I am missing something. Where can you find a demon whip so early?

Again, all of this costs gold, which is in mighty short supply by XL7. I had spent perhaps a total of 300-350 gold by the time it arrive on basic necessities, and had 20 left. What am I missing here? It sounds so easy on the board.

[MrPlanck]

Hardy worth playing anyway at the moment because Sigmund has been renamed, and apparently he cannot be found in many starting levels so you just get a repeated error message and no spawns.

[dck]

Um, in the shop dude. To ensure survival against your first bosses you normally want to be able to have a good weapon. The dwhip is really cheap and really good.
Haven't played it in a while but I think I could afford some !might, vorpal and the whip itself alongside some !curing before the first boss.

EDIT: Oh, of course all of this assumes you've been playing properly and not losing your multiplier. Not that hard to keep it early on anyway, since you start with a lot of wand shots.

[MrPlanck]

Um, in the shop dude. To ensure survival against your first bosses you normally want to be able to have a good weapon. The dwhip is really cheap and really good.
Haven't played it in a while but I think I could afford some !might, vorpal and the whip itself alongside some !curing before the first boss.

EDIT: Oh, of course all of this assumes you've been playing properly and not losing your multiplier. Not that hard to keep it early on anyway, since you start with a lot of wand shots.

Indeed.

[evilmike]

Your starting equipment is enough to kill the first bosses.. the wands are useful against powerful melee threats and it can be a good idea to recharge them if you run out. The hardest fights tend to be against ranged enemies. The L-hydra tends to just be a big bag of xp and is a lucky encounter. If you use correct tactics.

[MrPlanck]

If you use correct tactics.

That would be the source of my problem.

[dck]

The naga warlord with random guardian serpents spawning and blinking him straight on top of you is quite a problem sometimes though.

[duvessa]

http://dobrazupa.org/morgue/sexyelmdrea ... 185059.txt

  Code:

   362 | D        | Noticed a dark black mamba
   368 | D        | XOM: snakes to sticks
   368 | D        | Arena points: 356

[Styro]

When I encounter Lerny early I tend to use Speed + wands and that kills it quite nicely but uses all your charges. With my TrBe I used Might, Speed, BiA (2 or 3), and a couple wand blasts. I did that to conserve my wands although I did not end up needing them much after that anyway.

[MrPlanck]

Thanks for the tips, I'll give them a try. Perhaps my will to play was gone after the brain worms encounter.

[The Great Cleaver]

I just beat v.14 as a DDFi of TSO. Start with axe. Abuse the wands early on. There are cheap potions of heal wounds for in-between rounds and recharge scrolls for later if mana gets tight. Save up for gold dragon armor as it provides rF+, rC+, rpois. With TSO proving see invis you are set with a couple of the unique rings. Buy the unique large shield and use it at around skill 15 shields. Upgrade to broad axe and brand with scroll, use one stack of enchant 3. Also later on purchase the executioners axe and have TSO brand it (for final boss round 42). You won't need the shield and an executioners axe of holy wrath plus quad destroys blaster master. Good Luck!