09-09-2003, 11:57 PM
Have been playing Bloodslayer quite a bit recently (hit Hell diff already some time ago - no stupid shield and cc required) and a few notes:
- Bloodslayer is perfectly playable in h/h, BUT: without that zen. With that zen setup you simply wont reach the required th for h/h, which is ~170+ (not for dogs, but they are almost always paired with some tougher armored monsters)
- Zen usefulnes is doubtful against fast attackers (maws and maelstorms, namely, even in lower difficulties), especially if that means giving up better prefixes for th (gold, namely) ;
- Talking h/h: against maws (dogs) and maelstorms (lightning demons), some symbolic ac (around 190-200 if possible) is *critically* recommendable (still, you dont want to have 2 of them close up to you at once - thats a fringe situation you would not survive without that symbolic ac)
- Against drakes, a setup with no ac is perfectly playable providing application of a special tactic. Zen might help. Still: the h/h th issue.
- Otherwise, no ac required (knights, balrogs - again, tactics), the rest as with previous point. Without enough th, you will have a VERY hard life (or rather, death) in h/h, compared to that zen is pointless.
- At times, you will want to take off that hos for a helm giving some more resistances (particularly: 16, levels where both ac and resistances are required - "devilish 3-combination" - maws-maelstorms-witches)
- Also, if you have even only one resistance item, thats sufficient to survive (except 16), especially with lifesteal, though requires an utmost careful approach (ehm, bloodslayer always requires that). Best setup depending on monster combination.
- Bloodslayer is perfectly playable in h/h, BUT: without that zen. With that zen setup you simply wont reach the required th for h/h, which is ~170+ (not for dogs, but they are almost always paired with some tougher armored monsters)
- Zen usefulnes is doubtful against fast attackers (maws and maelstorms, namely, even in lower difficulties), especially if that means giving up better prefixes for th (gold, namely) ;
- Talking h/h: against maws (dogs) and maelstorms (lightning demons), some symbolic ac (around 190-200 if possible) is *critically* recommendable (still, you dont want to have 2 of them close up to you at once - thats a fringe situation you would not survive without that symbolic ac)
- Against drakes, a setup with no ac is perfectly playable providing application of a special tactic. Zen might help. Still: the h/h th issue.
- Otherwise, no ac required (knights, balrogs - again, tactics), the rest as with previous point. Without enough th, you will have a VERY hard life (or rather, death) in h/h, compared to that zen is pointless.
- At times, you will want to take off that hos for a helm giving some more resistances (particularly: 16, levels where both ac and resistances are required - "devilish 3-combination" - maws-maelstorms-witches)
- Also, if you have even only one resistance item, thats sufficient to survive (except 16), especially with lifesteal, though requires an utmost careful approach (ehm, bloodslayer always requires that). Best setup depending on monster combination.