Favourite non- Tier 1 combinations?

[TheSchachter]

[Lujo]

[MTaur]

[Lujo]

[Tinker]

[Tinker]

Back to the original topic, I'd like to share a new pet I have: the Gnome Tinker. I play her with Mystera, usually with a prepared Mage Plate & extra Mana boosters prepared. What I really like about this setup, is that you get a steady increase of max Mana throughout the game, just by doing the stuff you are normally doing anyway; you get up to 5 max mana increase from exploration via the boosters; another up to 5 max mana increase from leveling (as granted by Mage Plate); and another up to 5 mana increase from picking up Mystera's boons, which is fueled by spellcasting, again something you plan to do anyway.

Very soon the build reaches 20 Mana, and going all the way to 23-25 is fairly guaranteed. Where being a Tinker comes into the picture is that you can pick up caster items from the shops, if you find at least 1-2 items you're already close to where a high-level sorcerer will end up, however you have more shop junk (more potions), and you have the possibility to branch into something more versatile should the need come up by picking up other items. It's less stable than the Gnome Sorcerer but more versatile. Gnome of course offers a steady supply of Mana Potions, which basically guarantees boss spikes, and even spares a few for spiking a few high-level kills along the way, or just as a way to counter an unfortunate Mana Burn.

[Tinker]

Ok, two things. Not related but both slightly related to this topic so I might as well avoid creating more threads.

1. Is there any consensus - or idea or whatever - on how do we define "Tier 1"? I think we all have a feeling about it, but I don't think it's the same with everyone. I could suggest an "objective" metric, which is, any combination that can reliably (i.e. no scumming / absurd luck) defeat any of the six Vicious Dungeons with the VT should be considered Tier 1, but I'm not sure if that's really the best approach. I could say that a normal dungeon +VT or a Vicious dungeon without VT is the criteria, but those can be defeated by pretty much any combination if played right... Or we use some form of judgement but then it's utterly subjective. Thoughts?

2. I just did a bit of experimentation with the Dwarf Wizard of Dracul, and I think I just (re-)invented the Bloodmage. I'll post pics later. Anyway, the build looks solid, probably not Tier 1 (there you go again!), but I had some fun (and success) with it, of course it plays very differently if you chance upon a BLUDTUPOWA, than if you don't. I confess that I actually like the version without B2P better, because with B2P it really just plays like a Bloodmage that has more mana and more health and more glyphs and more Sanguine, but misses the mana restoration bonuses. Fun trivia: Dracul's desecration health penalty works a bit differently than Blood Tithe's health penalty. You cannot take Blood Tithe if you do not have at least 6 max Health; however you can desecrate Dracul's altar if you have less than 21 max Health. Which is why I often start my Rogue runs by running around and scouting the other altars without picking up Health Boosts, just to get a quick 30 Piety off Dracul for a measly 4 Health cost...

EDIT: Added pics:
In-game: http://i.imgur.com/chyT7nf.png
Victory: http://i.imgur.com/rdeND0v.png