4+ Tactics for Classic Diablo Ironman

[weakwarrior]

Hope you found at least one original tactic in the group. Please feel free to add your own.

Here goes my attempt at adding an IM pointer.

In the cave-in ironman variant parking Diablo is a resource expensive endeavor. He moves faster than you as you try and get to the parking spot and so you take apocalypse and direct hits as you get there and then after you’ve escaped from the parking spot (however you plan on doing that) there is the risk that he will sense you or your teammates and become active again. On the other hand, you can’t kill him first since after that the game ends and you can no longer finish the 4th cage. Moreover, even in relaxed-fit if you don’t have someone to hold the game for you then you still need to park Diablo (though at least you can use tp to bail once in the maze).

Here is a way to clear Diablo’s room without activating him. All you need is someone who can use a bow you have and who has not worn a light radius extending item on dlvl 16 (since if it was worn at any point even if you take off the item monsters will sense you at the same radius – and in cave-in you can’t go off level to reset the distance at which they sense you). If you are wearing a light radius reducing item now is the time to take it off. Since the rogue is best suited for this job it is worth considering taking all light radius enhancing items off him before entering 16. Also, if at some point you decide to id an item you’ve been carrying around with you for some time then make sure it’s not on the bowing character when id’d – just in case it screws with your light radius.

Setting up: before throwing the levers it is a good idea to mark a number of things. First off you want to set markers right outside the walls of the 4th cage. In the diagram below I have put a pile of 1 gold at the corner, skipped a tile and put down 3 gold, skipped a tile and put down 5 gold, and so on with 7 then with piles of 9, 9, 7, 5, 3, and 1. If you haven’t miscounted the final pile of 1 gold should be at the next corner. Then go around the 4th cage and mark all 4 walls this way (there is a hidden jut of a wall on the back wall so just offset the pile you would put there and put it 2 tiles away from the wall in that spot). I typically mark the tile between two piles of 9 with a pile of 66 gold offset one tile from the wall.



This gives us a coordinate system to work with (the number of gold in the pile = the coordinate). Diablo is always at 10,10, which is why I mark the 10th tiles, and there are always advocates at 8,8 and 10,8 (which makes 8 advocates at least).

Next, mark the row that is 5 tiles offset from diablo’s room – I usually put 3 markers on each wall: 2 across from the 1 gold piles and 1 across from the tile between the 2 tiles marked 9. See below. Often times the 5 tile line will be right up against the wall on some sides.



Now open the levers. The line 5 tiles off of where the wall was is at a distance where knights (blood knights and the black knight) can see you but advocates can’t. By walking along this line you can activate all the knights (slowly) without activating any advocates. Kill all the knights by leading them far away from the room before shooting them (so there is no risk of stray arrows waking anyone up). I believe that if Gorash is in the room he may or may not become active until you start clearing the advocates since his position can be anywhere in the room except places with previously set monsters).

Once you have killed all the knights it is time to move on to the advocates. You have markers to help you shoot straight (either the gold or the empty tiles between the gold) so standing at the 5 tile line you can shoot row by row column by column (never at a diagonal), skipping the 10th row and column, thus activating one advocate at a time (occasionally you will miss and you may hit an advocate behind the one you activated, but still that’s only 2 active advocates). If they start shooting back at you and you want to try and dodge make sure not to move forward at any time and make sure not to shoot at a diagonal. Keep killing them this way but never cross the 5 tile line. Occasionally they will phase out of the room and then you can target them better. Occasionally they may phase into a corner in which case you may want to leave them for now. Remember to check down the 8th rows and columns since you are guaranteed at least 8 advocates along those. After you’ve killed as many as you can this way take 1 step in and walk the 4 tile perimeter and if nothing goes active then walk the 3 tile perimeter. If you have infravision cast, then when you walk the 3 tile perimeter you should be able to just see Diablo while keeping him inactive. Every other creature in his room that is alive should become active when you walk the 3 tile perimeter. If they start shooting at you walk to their exact row (unless it’s the 10th row or column) and using the markers shoot straight at them. If they are on the 10th row then they won’t be on the 10th column and vice-versa so go to the adjacent wall and shoot from there. If you are worried that something is in the corners then feel free to shoot there while holding the shift key - Diablo is nowhere near the corners so you need not worry about activating him. At any point if you are taking too much heat you can always hide somewhere out of view for a few seconds while the advocates become inactive and then try again. If done correctly at this point only Diablo should be in his room so you can charge into the room and put your back in one of the corners (of what used to be the walls of the 4th cage) and take him out. He will possibly apocalypse you once before reaching you but it will be fewer apocalypse blasts than you would get if you tried to lead him to a parking spot or to another point to fight him.

I recommend having a backup parking plan ready in case you miss the shift key and awake Diablo by accident before you are ready.