FOWOT 2: Ick Swamp Tricks

[Blovski]

Feast On Walls Of Text 2: Ick Tricks

So, in my kingdom unlocks I've got to the point where Ick Swamp is standing resolutely between me and the next Vicious guide I'm thinking of writing, so, while I'm blasting through it with the necessary characters, I thought I'd put together a basic guide to the swamp. This one isn't really intended as a demi-comprehensive guide in the way the Vicious guides are sort of meant to be but rather a guide to some of the more unique tricks you can pull off as a result of the Swamp's special features (if you want to just cut to the tips they're at the bottom).

Like all of the hard directional dungeons, the swamp has unique gameplay features which may seem like an obstacle but which a good player can harness to their own ends. Like most of the hard dungeons, it has one fixed boss and one random one, and as always, the better your general technique and knowledge of the game is the easier the dungeon will be.

Classes/preps: Monk can be fairly tough. If you're going with a warlord and you're a little less experienced, a soul orb will make the level much easier. Soul Orb and Viper Ward are both good items to prep. I wouldn't recommend prepping either Binlor (not many walls) or Tikki Tooki (plants strike you, so your piety will flatline if you have to clear space with him punishing you every time you get hit) for this level. In general, high damage classes tend to excel, low damage classes will struggle a bit more. If you have either Vampire or Crusader unlocked, they have a very easy time with this dungeon.

The Mooks: Nagas, Medusas, Warlocks, Wraiths, Meat Men and Vampires. Essentially a very good selection for glass cannon (high damage, lowish health) type characters and fireballers. Nothing much to really watch out for.

The Bosses: Itttsammna (Naga, 50% phys res, 50% magic res, weakening strike) – kind of a wussy boss with very low damage and mediocre health. However, he will grind your damage down and the resistances make him harder to insta-spike, so unless you can take him on without taking many hits I'd usually engage him second. Resistance-lowering items will help a bit against him but shouldn't really be necessary.

It's the random boss which will lend flavour to your run. Usual rules of boss preparation and engagement apply.

The Dungeon: the main thing about the dungeon is that it is basically covered in plants (and every variety of them, corrosion, curse, basic, mana burn and poison). This can make navigating tricky. The chief thing to remember is that just before level up you can cut down all of the poison and mana burn plants to clear yourself some operating space for after you ding. Good gardening will make the level so much easier for you.

The second smaller thing about the dungeon that some of the plants drop spoons, which you've probably encountered before (a second reward for gardening, so even if you don't need to kill a particular plant during your clearances it's usually worthwhile), while the Warlocks drop pendants (small slot, +5% bonus damage). This means that prioritizing a Warlock kill if you have a choice between two (Warlock/Gorgon is quite a frequent dichotomy) or need to take a bit of your popcorn will have more of a benefit for your character. These items make life easier for high-damage characters and monks, mostly.

Tips and tricks:

Advanced Gardening:

- Earthmother is a very bad early game deity on this level because killing plants does not go down well with her but prepping or finding her and then only using her altar in the late game for Clearance can work. Obviously if you're doing this keep more plants around.

- Jehora Jeheyu and (unprepped) Tikki Tooki both offer piety for dodging. This means you can actually piety farm off the plants (except curse plants, which don't technically hit you – all of the others do) if you have a character with dodge and either of those gods, you will be rolling in piety. (I think credit goes to Sidestepper for cluing me up on this one, IIRC).

- Jehora Jeheyu and Golden Guardian both offer piety for item conversion. With all of the spoons and warlock pendants around this lets those gods get a ton of piety if you need it in the late game.

- Golden Guardian offers piety for being poisoned and mana burned. Take every opportunity.

- a burn salve or the JJ boon Chaos Avatar will clear all of your corrosion. If you're using either of those you may as well flatten every corrosive plant in sight. An antidote or whatever the weakening/poison cure potion is cured can help against Itsssamna if you're going to take him with a low damage character like a monk.

- If you've never tried Jehora Jeheyu or you haven't really learned how to use him yet, I'd really recommend giving Ick Swamp a whirl with a JJ Rogue... from plant-dodging and trinket conversions you'll have the piety to get petition, two or three boosts, Chaos Avatar and Last Chance and in general JJ is a very powerful god with pretty much any class on this map.

Cheers, Blovski

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Curiosity for new players: how are you finding Ick Swamp compared to the other hard dungeons?
For vets: have you got any tricksy OP or hilarious strategies for this one? Are we all agreed that Monk of Binlor could just be the hardest class on this one for a change?

[The Avatar]

Wow, nice write up. Overall, I can't really dispute any of those points and there isn't much to add, except probably a recommendation that players beat complicated tasks pt 1 and pt 2 beforehand (as these make the shop sell salves+tonics), and I usually take Itsssama first and then tonic. He is the easier target after all (excluding medusa, tomithy, and occasionally Jörmungadnr).

[JayPlaysIndieGames]

I remember when I first encounter ed ick swamp it was one of the hardest dungeons for me. Plant management is certainly key here.

[FDru]

Don't forget you can safely kill a curse plant right before leveling up as well. I always forget that, though.

[The Avatar]

On the topic of curse, it is probably always worth mentioning that is does absolutely nothing if you don't have DR or Resists.

[Sidestepper]

[Nandrew]

[Lujo]

[Dreamdancer]

[Lujo]

Err, do explain the catch, since it's brilliant, I'm not pro with the strat.