General-Purpose bragging topic!

[The Tapir]

More mid-level stuff: got Hoarder Halfing Warlord on Shifting Passages as a PQI, and flattened it thanks to Mystera and Elven Boots. Picked up Feeling Parched while I was at it, and could've gone for specialist too had I not decided to fireball the phys resist phase. On top of having all of my piety resources available for TT potions had I needed them, the Wand of Splosion subdungeon provided many more health and mana potions. Felt like the VT might have been possible to knock out with the resources given if I had been able to convert glyphs for refreshment.

[Tinker]

[The Tapir]

Didn't save a screenshot, unfortunately... don't know why, but I have no way of commemorating this run/showing it to you all. More or less I got lucky with a low health Medusa as the second boss and the combination of Schadenfreude + level up on an 18 mana mystic balance warlord is brutal against standard bosses. Also, despite not having played shifting passages in ages I seemed to remember exactly how to place enemies to prevent the maze from screwing me over.

Though my next PQI seemed like Lujo's dream: playing as an unstoppable Goblin Sorceror, I found Pisorf right next to Frank and the two golems, who were nearly perfectly lined up for unstoppable pisorf spam - which was supplemented by the addition of a crystal ball and GG for plenty of refills from leveling (balanced dagger made extra golems even better). Didn't get too many badges other than Ding! Max and Unstoppable, but the brute force of unending pisorfs laid waste to all in that sorceror's path. I did convert some to get from 7 to 8, which could have been avoided by protections from GG for killing enemies.

It's funny how Hoarder seems like one of the most intimidating badges until you realize that you haven't converted anything and the boss is nearly dead.

EDIT:
And managed to pull off two more Parched Hoarder wins. Goblin Monk of Mystera in Creeplight Ruins (B2P too good), and Gnome Berserker in Cursed Oasis (Namtar's Ward + EM xp shenanigans allowed for insane leveling.) No Whupaz or schadenfreude use in either.

EDIT #2:
Got Hoarder + Miser + Faithless in Magma Mines... but on a Dwarf Assassin who found Wonnafyt. Needless to say, it was a very easy romp because of that last half.

Did fail a Purist Hoarder run as an Elf Crusader in Hexx Ruins, mainly because SMM with less than 10 tiles left.

[Tinker]

So here's a run:



I know, I know, totally predictable... You gotta admire that kill-chain, though. I did have 38 max mana, which explains most of the damage output, and I have to conclude that Spirit Pact is just plain br00ken for this build, I mean it's basically 25 piety for +1 mana, as of the second shot of Magic it's actually more piety-efficient to convert stuff than to save up for Mystera's boons... Which I nevertheless also picked up...

[The Tapir]

Thanks somewhat in part to Tinker's Purist Vicious thread, I've been encouraged to finally rainbow Grimm's Grotto and Havendale Bridge after having them sit as gold for so long.

The runs:
http://imgur.com/xQCzDPu

http://imgur.com/MgXIqkd

Goblin Warlord of Binlor had just enough steam to take down VT Medusa on Purist, finishing her with his final berserked + mana potion strike. I had been building resists in anticipation of a standard boss where resists actually matter, which got thrown out of the window when Ms. 100% Deathgaze showed up. The Bysseps effect from breaking the walls with stoneskins did provide the extra damage I needed to fully defeat her, though.

Gnome Thief was the spellcaster's fantasy of a MA -> EM conversion chain for insane spellcasting, and more or less allowed him to tackle both Medusa and Zin with fireballs alone. Survivor helped immensely in allowing me to level with health while fighting the bosses, and also made the spare health potions I had at the end useful in providing that last bit of mana I needed.

Of course, after all my attempts at beating both maps with preps alongside the VT, it's the Purist run that clears it. Gives me some hope in trying to get the VT on the rest of the maps that I'm missing (nearly all of them).

[~'(^ + ^)'~]

Why am I so unlucky all the time?

http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.c ... F9A689A5F/

So, I was out of food, only realized while on the way to Horatio (the path around the border of the small map he is in) that my HP and mana were dropping. There were only 2 mobs left at the top. The phys. resists in the screenshot, that was after I converted off Taurog's Armour so I had only up to 54%. I still have some items on me but they wouldn't be enough at all.

So, what's the problem this time? I didn't get Dracul at all. I think even 5% Sanguine could have helped me win this seeing I pretty much used only CP (with the help of Halpmeh, Fire Heart, Spirit Pact and 1 last Sensation Stone, and Whupaz) to get H's health down to this level. Hitting 65% resists would also have made a difference.

I am starting to think that this requires lots of good luck, I always get hit by something unexpected, like having nothing for mana burn or poison (mind you, I have tried several times where I only had protection against 1 of them, but still was unable to win), or it would be a "god issue" (like this, or taking Spirit Pact too early because I have no other choice and getting punished later when with a god that will make me lose piety easily). Or I have no advantage against H like no Bysseps, Vampiric Blade, Platemail, Piercing Wand or Martyr Wrap. Or some of the tower afflictions hit me at the wrong time.

Guess I have to keep trying ...

[Tinker]

You are really impressive, to keep trying despite some bad luck!

I must say that I didn't find Goat so difficult, but I think you are spot on that it is more luck-prone than other runs. Not only do you have to contend with the usual RNG-screwy nature of VGT's random punishments and the order of the exotic monsters, you have the additional RNG-screwy altar sequence.

That said, I would say that you should not need to be specifically *lucky* to Goat VGT; but rather, you should not be too *unlucky*, and you should have a decent shot at winning.

Not getting Dracul at all is a game ender, I mean it's really impressive that you got as far as you have!

That said, I don't think you need any special "help" against H., on my winning run I had items like Fine Sword, Pendant of Health, Mage Plate, Keg of Health and a Gloves of Midas (which afforded me the other items). Not the usual VGT-y stuff like the Platemail, Vampirict Blade, etc. I did find HALPMEH, though, which was very useful.

I'm cheering for you to get it done soon, you deserve your hard work to finally pay off!

[~'(^ + ^)'~]

Thanks for the encouragement! I hope to get this done soon before I try the hardest one - Rat.

[eastless]

Rat is much easier than Goat, trust me.
I'm trying Goat now in my Brave New Kingdom, no luck at all, even haven't seen Horatio yet.

[zayyeh]