CIP: MiFi, help me not die please.

[jetnerd]

Okay, so I am a Minotaur Faighter worshipping Okawaru and he's given me a decent number of cool things, helped me out with a sweet +8 weapon, and I've been doing a bit better than I usually end up. I am just finishing with my first rune grabbed ever and now want to know how to avoid ruining this whole game and ending up making a YASD post. Any advice?

This is my character file.

Spoiler: show

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.18-a0-1178-gd21d1ad (webtiles) character file.

jetnerd the Severer (Minotaur Fighter) Turns: 28742, Time: 03:11:57

Health: 105/151 AC: 30 Str: 29 XL: 16 Next: 90%
Magic: 20/21 EV: 16 Int: 11 (13) God: Okawaru [******]
Gold: 664 SH: 19 Dex: 16 Spells: 3 memorised, 16 levels left

rFire . . . SeeInvis . m - +6 hand axe of Supply {venom, rPois Stlth+}
rCold + . . Gourm + E - +4 chain mail {rN+}
rNeg + . . Faith . L - +3 shield
rPois + Spirit . M - +3 hat of Feycsul {rElec rPois}
rElec + Dismiss . y - +2 cloak
rCorr . Reflect . T - +1 pair of gloves "Vuoplu" {+Fly rC+ MR+++}
SustAt . Harm . h - +3 pair of boots of Liedit {*Contam MR++ Str+4 Int+8}
MR +++++ i - amulet of the gourmand
Stlth .......... D - +5 ring of strength
O - +3 ring of evasion

@: almost entirely resistant to hostile enchantments, extremely unstealthy
A: retaliatory headbutt, horns 2, blurry vision 1, slow regeneration 1, weak 1,
subdued magic 1, MP-powered wands
a: Heroism, Finesse, Renounce Religion, Evoke Flight
}: 1/15 runes: gossamer


You are on level 4 of the Spider Nest.
You worship Okawaru.
Okawaru is exalted by your worship.
You are very full.

You have visited 5 branches of the dungeon, and seen 28 of its levels.
You have visited 1 bazaar.
You have also visited: Labyrinth, Sewer and Ossuary.

You have collected 3239 gold pieces.
You have spent 2575 gold pieces at shops.

Inventory:

Hand Weapons
m - the +6 hand axe of Supply (weapon) {venom, rPois Stlth+}
(You found it on level 3 of the Lair of Beasts)

It poisons the flesh of those it strikes.

It protects you from poison.
It makes you more stealthy.
n - a +3 hand axe of electrocution
u - a +4 broad axe of flaming
Missiles
b - 8 javelins of returning (quivered)
Armour
h - the +3 pair of boots of Liedit (worn) {*Contam MR++ Str+4 Int+8}
(You bought it in a shop in a bazaar)

It affects your strength (+4).
It affects your intelligence (+8).
It affects your resistance to hostile enchantments.
It causes magical contamination when unequipped.
o - the +2 hat of the Republic {rCorr}
(Okawaru gifted it to you on level 4 of the Spider Nest)

It protects you from acid and corrosion.
y - a +2 cloak (worn)
E - a +4 chain mail of positive energy (worn)
L - a +3 shield (worn)
M - the +3 hat of Feycsul (worn) {rElec rPois}
(Okawaru gifted it to you on level 13 of the Dungeon)

It insulates you from electricity.
It protects you from poison.
T - the +1 pair of gloves "Vuoplu" (worn) {+Fly rC+ MR+++}
(You bought it in a shop in a bazaar)

It protects you from cold.
It affects your resistance to hostile enchantments.
It lets you fly.
Jewellery
a - an uncursed amulet of regeneration
c - an uncursed ring of ice
i - an amulet of the gourmand (around neck)
l - an uncursed ring of positive energy
D - a +5 ring of strength (right hand)
O - a +3 ring of evasion (left hand)
Wands
j - a wand of heal wounds (5/9)
t - a wand of paralysis (14/24)
Q - a wand of disintegration (10/24)
W - a wand of digging (7/24)
X - a wand of slowing (37/48)
Scrolls
r - 23 scrolls of remove curse
z - 4 scrolls of enchant armour
I - 6 scrolls of teleportation
J - 5 scrolls of magic mapping
K - 3 scrolls of blinking
P - 15 scrolls of identify
S - a scroll of silence
V - 4 scrolls of recharging
Potions
k - 5 potions of heal wounds
q - 3 potions of haste
v - 4 potions of flight
w - a potion of invisibility
x - 10 potions of curing
A - a potion of resistance
C - 6 potions of magic
U - a potion of agility
Y - a potion of brilliance
Z - 2 potions of cancellation
Books
e - a book of Dreams

Spells Type Level
a - Ensorcelled Hibernation Hexes/Ice 2
b - Phase Shift Translocation 5
c - Silence Hexes/Air 5
d - Darkness Hexes 6
e - Mass Confusion Hexes 6
f - Shadow Creatures Summoning 6
F - a book of Beasts

Spells Type Level
a - Summon Butterflies Summoning 1
b - Call Canine Familiar Summoning 3
c - Summon Ice Beast Ice/Summoning 4
d - Summon Mana Viper Hexes/Summoning 5
e - Summon Hydra Summoning 7
Miscellaneous
s - a box of beasts
B - a lamp of fire
R - a phial of floods
Comestibles
f - 13 bread rations
g - 9 meat rations
p - 10 fruits
G - 12 royal jellies
H - a beef jerky
N - 2 slices of pizza


Skills:
* Level 16.3 Fighting
Level 6.5 Short Blades
+ Level 19.3(19.4) Axes
Level 3.5(13.5) Maces & Flails
+ Level 13.8 Armour
+ Level 7.3 Dodging
+ Level 16.6 Shields
* Level 4.5 Spellcasting
+ Level 0.7 Hexes
+ Level 0.5 Summonings
+ Level 1.6 Ice Magic
+ Level 1.3 Evocations


You have 16 spell levels left.
You know the following spells:

Your Spells Type Power Failure Level Hunger
a - Phase Shift Tloc #......... 100% 5 ######.
b - Ensorcelled Hibernat Hex/Ice #..... 69% 2 ##.....
c - Summon Butterflies Summ #....... 56% 1 #......


Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations

Branches:
Dungeon (13/15) Temple (1/1) D:5 Lair (8/8) D:10
Swamp (0/4) Lair:5 Spider (4/4) Lair:6 Slime (0/6) Lair:6
Orc (2/2) D:9 Elf (0/3) Orc:2 Vaults (0/5) D:13

Altars:
Ashenzari
Cheibriados
Dithmenos
Elyvilon
Fedhas
Gozag
Kikubaaqudgha
Makhleb
Nemelex Xobeh
Okawaru
Pakellas
Qazlal
Ru
Sif Muna
Trog
Vehumet
Xom
Yredelemnul
Zin
The Shining One
Jiyva

Shops:
D:8 = D:11 ! Orc:1 *( Orc:2 *=*%


Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations

You reflexively headbutt those who attack you in melee.
You have a pair of horns on your head.
Scrolls take you a little longer to read.
You regenerate slowly when monsters are visible.
You are weak. (Str -2)
Your spells are a little easier to cast, but a little less powerful.
You expend magic power (3 MP) to strengthen your wands.


#^.##..#.# ##
#.......## #.
....^##...## #.
# .#..#.......# ##
#. .. #......## #
..### ...##...# #
#^...####.^.^### ##
#..##..##.#...# #.
#..††@##.###..# #.
#.#..†^####..^### ##
#.^...#..#....#. #
..#..#.###.^.#.......# #
...^..#......###..#.# ##
.....##....##.# ..### #.
###...##[(..#.### ..# ##≈
##..<..#.#..###.##########≈.
#.#.#...###^.......# #....≈


There are no monsters in sight!

Vanquished Creatures
Louise (Spider:4)
Harold (Lair:4)
The ghost of Templorum the Bludgeoner, a novice MiFi of Okawaru (D:9)
Prince Ribbit (D:7)
Blork the orc (D:5)
Dowan (D:7)
Jessica (D:2)
Ijyb (D:3)
Terence (D:2)
(Cleaned to include uniques)
1174 creatures vanquished.

Vanquished Creatures (collateral kills)
A spiny frog (Lair:8)
A komodo dragon (Lair:8)
A mottled dragon (D:12)
3 creatures vanquished.

Vanquished Creatures (others)
2 orb spiders
8 fungi
5 plants
15 creatures vanquished.

Grand Total: 1192 creatures vanquished

Action | 1- 3 | 4- 6 | 7- 9 | 10-12 | 13-15 | 16-18 || total
-------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------++-------
Melee: War axe | 82 | 60 | | | 12 | || 154
Hand axe | | 95 | 409 | 677 | 1487 | 609 || 3277
Whip | | | 45 | | | || 45
Rapier | | | | 263 | | || 263
Flail | | | | | 208 | || 208
Broad axe | | | | | 63 | || 63
Throw: Javelin | | | | | 3 | || 3
Cast: Summon Butterflie | | | | | | 8 || 8
Evoke: Wand | | | | 9 | 3 | 1 || 13
Phial of floods | | | | | 1 | || 1
Use: Potion | | 6 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 9 || 39
Scroll | | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 3 || 37
Stab: Held in net/web | | | | | 1 | 2 || 3
Eat: Chunk | | 7 | 3 | 2 | 33 | 9 || 54
Meat ration | | | 2 | | | || 2
Bread ration | | | | 3 | 1 | 2 || 6
Fruit | | | | 6 | 2 | || 8
Beef jerky | | | | 1 | 3 | || 4
Pizza | | | | | 2 | || 2

[Airwolf]

Wield the broad axe, drop the hand axes, stop training axes & shields, stop focusing spellcasting.

[jetnerd]

Should I work toward a 2 handed axe or stick with shields and 1h?

[Tranquil Suit]

You may wanna quaff a CureMut.

As far as Axe weapons, 2h Axes are generally preferred over 1hAxe+Shield, since you're all about that cleaving.

But you've already invested quite a lot into Shields.

It depends on the loot, if you get a nice Broad Axe and Shield, pick that (you already got the skills), but if you get a nice Battle Axe or Executioner Axe, you go with that.

Meanwhile your Armor skill and Armor could see some improvement.

I'd personally stop training Shields and focus on Armor (and some Dodging), if you get a really nice Shield later, you can always resume training.

[nago]

As far as Axe weapons, 2h Axes are generally preferred over 1hAxe+Shield, since you're all about that cleaving.

No, 2h axes are preferred over 1h because common 1h axes suck, and 2h axes are more common (at least battleaxe) and suck less. Cleaving isn't good or matter on this consideration at all.
Considering you have a broad axe, which actually is a good 1h and you've invested already heavily in shield you should just use it. If you find another one you want to try to brand it, because flame is okay but not the best brand around.

[Tranquil Suit]

Cleaving isn't good or matter on this consideration at all.

I respectfully disagree. Cleaving is da bomb. Well worth the base stat trade off (in comparison with Long Blades). Given how a melee fighter already has high AC, you'd benefit more from higher damage output than extra SH. This is especially true when fighting mobs (again, cleaving) with all types of nasty abilities.

[WingedEspeon]

Pick dex on level ups.

[Hurkyl]

If the weapon class you want to use is at minimum delay and you have other significantly useful things you could train for (e.g. whatever spells you seem to be looking to get), you really should stop training the skill; further training only increases damage by a little bit.

---

IIRC, at least in some comparisons Battleaxes only become slightly better than Broad Axes a little before the latter reaches min delay.

That said, the OP is nearly at the min delay for Battleaxes, and should probably be using one if there are any decent ones. I'm not sure if a comparable executioner's axe would outperform a battleaxe at that point.