Difference between revisions of "The Metal Age"

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[[File:Thief_Silver.PNG|right|450px]]
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'''''The Metal Age''''' is a special dungeon that serves as the {{c|Thief}} silver [[Class Challenges|challenge]].
 
'''''The Metal Age''''' is a special dungeon that serves as the {{c|Thief}} silver [[Class Challenges|challenge]].
  
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== Special Rules ==
 
== Special Rules ==
# The map contrains "trapped chests".  These chests deal damage and always strike first, so you need to find a way to survive them.  Each chest contains a different glyph:
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The map contrains "trapped chests".  These chests deal damage and always strike first, so you need to find a way to survive them.  Each chest contains a different glyph:
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*'''Level 1''': {{s|LEMMISI}} glyph (always starts right next to your position)
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*'''Level 1''': {{s|GETINDARE}} glyph
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*'''Level 3''': {{s|IMAWAL}} glyph
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*'''Level 5''': {{s|ENDISWAL}} glyph
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*'''Level 7''': {{i|Pendant of Health}} item
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*'''Level 9''': {{s|BURNDAYRAZ}} glyph
  
(todo list)
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Another unique feature of the map is that the monster distribution and placement is reversed: you have a huge amount of level 9 monsters, but barely any low level guys. As opposed to regular placement the highest level monsters will be closest.
  
# You start out in one of the corners of the map, and are surrounded by high level guards (all orange levels). The map is made up of a lot of narrow corridors, with very few areas more than one square wide. The only low level guards will appear on the map as the red monster symbols, and they will usually be on the opposite side of the map from you. As you will initially be surrounded by guards that kill you in one hit, you will need to be very careful in where you teleport guards; you can easily trap yourself if you aren't paying attention. A good piece of advice is to use the fact that {{s|WEYTWUT}} has unlimited range to teleport guards into any corner or alcove that you uncover. No matter how far away the guard is, you can use WEYTWUT to switch places with him.
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The map has no shops or altars.
  
 
== The Boss ==
 
== The Boss ==
 
The boss is a level 9 Guard Captain (ATK 75/HP 480). It's identical to several other Level 9 guards around, so be careful.
 
The boss is a level 9 Guard Captain (ATK 75/HP 480). It's identical to several other Level 9 guards around, so be careful.
This is good, though, because if he had pumped up boss stats, this would be impossible. This captain is the only guard with dialogue, so make sure that you are always keeping track of where he is. He's easy to lose in the crowd.
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This captain is the only guard with dialogue, so make sure that you are always keeping track of where he is. He's easy to lose in the crowd, so maybe keeping him on the gore is a good idea.
  
 
== Strategy ==
 
== Strategy ==
Get ready to do this level over, and over, and over. The basic strategy is:
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The basic strategy is:
  
 
* Get [[LEMMISI]] and [[WEYTWUT]];
 
* Get [[LEMMISI]] and [[WEYTWUT]];
* Accumulate enough attack bonuses that you can kill two level 2 guards without using more than two or three potions;
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* Accumulate enough attack and health bonuses that you can kill a level 2 guard with a single health potion, and level up on him with [[WEYTWUT]]
* Carefully work your way up levels with the help of [[WEYTWUT]] and [[IMAWAL]]'s experience bonuses;
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* Carefully work your way up levels with the help of [[WEYTWUT]]'s and [[IMAWAL]]'s experience bonuses;
 
* Deal with the Guard Captain.
 
* Deal with the Guard Captain.
 
   
 
   
LEMMISI is nearly useless, as you'll have to do a fair deal of exploring to acquire powerups initially. WEYTWUT, on the other hand, is precious.
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You often start out in one of the corners of the map, and are surrounded by high level guards (all orange levels, but mostly 9). The map is made up of a lot of narrow corridors, with few areas more than one square wide. The only low level guards will appear on the map as the red monster symbols, and they will usually be on the opposite side of the map from you.
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Open the level 1 chest and take LEMMISI. Casting it a few times will reveal important points on the map (boosters, chests, monsters, or one of the level 2 guys you want to kill), when you want to reach one of those, swap places with a nearby guard using WEYTWUT. It saves a lot of blackspace compared to going one direction and reveling all the tiles in your path. When you teleport to a new location make sure you place the guard where it doesn't block your path anymore. You don't have to worry about getting trapped, since with your LEMMISI you can always restore some mana to cast another WEYTWUT and escape.
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 +
As you move and teleport around the map pick up attack and health boosters. Mana boosters are unimportant yet, no need to explore tiles for recovering them, same goes for trapped chests. Get to a level 2 guard, place him where you won't heal him accidentally by a finishing WEYTWUT and kill him using up a health potion. It's important to slow him with WEYTWUT so you level up and don't have to spend more potions.
 +
 
 +
Continue by killing 1 level higher foes and make sure to get a lot of bonus experience with WEYTWUT, and after you get it IMAWAL too.
 +
Petrify level 9 guards, you have plenty of them and you don't want to kill more than 1 or 2. The kills will be easy and rewarding, so you will level without problems and won't have to use potions. After a few levels you can ditch WEYTWUT in favor of GETINDARE, you will benefit enough from IMAWAL to not need +1 xp for the cost of 8 mana. But make sure to break the level 5 chest before you convert it, to avoid getting cornered. You are safe to convert LEMMISI by this point too for extra damage.
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At level 6 you will be able to crack the chest containing BURNDAYRAZ. This will let you effortlessly gain 2 level higher kills with a hit-fireball-fireball-explore 1 tile-gettindare scheme. If you fireball first you miss out on the {{a|STABBER}} bonus. In regular dungeons it would be a bad idea to kill too many monsters and reaching high levels before the boss fight, but not here. There are only a few monsters who can be turned into popcorn anyways, and reaching level 9 with a a level catapult set up is fairly easy here.
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Before the bossfight try opening all the chests, and don't forget to convert unneeded glyphs. If you will reach level 10 don't bother stacking up stone skins, you will be stronger than your boss and will be even able to regenfight it with your remaining blackspace. Between the levelup and regenfighting it's very likely you'll win without needing to drink a potion. If you don't want to regenfight, you will still easily win with only a few potions thanks to your high stats.

Revision as of 09:43, 5 May 2016

Thief Silver.PNG

The Metal Age is a special dungeon that serves as the Class: Thief Thief silver challenge.

Preparations

No preparations are allowed in this challenge.

Special Rules

The map contrains "trapped chests". These chests deal damage and always strike first, so you need to find a way to survive them. Each chest contains a different glyph:

Another unique feature of the map is that the monster distribution and placement is reversed: you have a huge amount of level 9 monsters, but barely any low level guys. As opposed to regular placement the highest level monsters will be closest.

The map has no shops or altars.

The Boss

The boss is a level 9 Guard Captain (ATK 75/HP 480). It's identical to several other Level 9 guards around, so be careful. This captain is the only guard with dialogue, so make sure that you are always keeping track of where he is. He's easy to lose in the crowd, so maybe keeping him on the gore is a good idea.

Strategy

The basic strategy is:

  • Get LEMMISI and WEYTWUT;
  • Accumulate enough attack and health bonuses that you can kill a level 2 guard with a single health potion, and level up on him with WEYTWUT
  • Carefully work your way up levels with the help of WEYTWUT's and IMAWAL's experience bonuses;
  • Deal with the Guard Captain.


You often start out in one of the corners of the map, and are surrounded by high level guards (all orange levels, but mostly 9). The map is made up of a lot of narrow corridors, with few areas more than one square wide. The only low level guards will appear on the map as the red monster symbols, and they will usually be on the opposite side of the map from you.

Open the level 1 chest and take LEMMISI. Casting it a few times will reveal important points on the map (boosters, chests, monsters, or one of the level 2 guys you want to kill), when you want to reach one of those, swap places with a nearby guard using WEYTWUT. It saves a lot of blackspace compared to going one direction and reveling all the tiles in your path. When you teleport to a new location make sure you place the guard where it doesn't block your path anymore. You don't have to worry about getting trapped, since with your LEMMISI you can always restore some mana to cast another WEYTWUT and escape.

As you move and teleport around the map pick up attack and health boosters. Mana boosters are unimportant yet, no need to explore tiles for recovering them, same goes for trapped chests. Get to a level 2 guard, place him where you won't heal him accidentally by a finishing WEYTWUT and kill him using up a health potion. It's important to slow him with WEYTWUT so you level up and don't have to spend more potions.

Continue by killing 1 level higher foes and make sure to get a lot of bonus experience with WEYTWUT, and after you get it IMAWAL too. Petrify level 9 guards, you have plenty of them and you don't want to kill more than 1 or 2. The kills will be easy and rewarding, so you will level without problems and won't have to use potions. After a few levels you can ditch WEYTWUT in favor of GETINDARE, you will benefit enough from IMAWAL to not need +1 xp for the cost of 8 mana. But make sure to break the level 5 chest before you convert it, to avoid getting cornered. You are safe to convert LEMMISI by this point too for extra damage.

At level 6 you will be able to crack the chest containing BURNDAYRAZ. This will let you effortlessly gain 2 level higher kills with a hit-fireball-fireball-explore 1 tile-gettindare scheme. If you fireball first you miss out on the Class trait: STABBER STABBER bonus. In regular dungeons it would be a bad idea to kill too many monsters and reaching high levels before the boss fight, but not here. There are only a few monsters who can be turned into popcorn anyways, and reaching level 9 with a a level catapult set up is fairly easy here.

Before the bossfight try opening all the chests, and don't forget to convert unneeded glyphs. If you will reach level 10 don't bother stacking up stone skins, you will be stronger than your boss and will be even able to regenfight it with your remaining blackspace. Between the levelup and regenfighting it's very likely you'll win without needing to drink a potion. If you don't want to regenfight, you will still easily win with only a few potions thanks to your high stats.