Taking on MattB's Fists Only Challenge

[Ingwe Ingweron]

My second attempt at taking up MattB's challenge - @ uses only fists. No archery, no throwing, no weapons, no attack rods except TO, no staves that affect monsters, no wands that affect monsters except TO, no dragon breath potions and no aggressive activations whatsoever. Just fisticuffs, in honor of Ronda Rousey. Hmmm, I wonder, can I armbar Morgoth?

Almost halfway down now. Taking a pause to get a ruling on the use of ?Banishment, ?*Mass Banishment* and ?Destruction*.

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=17057

[MattB]

My second attempt at taking up MattB's challenge - @ uses only fists. No archery, no throwing, no weapons, no attack rods except TO, no staves that affect monsters, no wands that affect monsters except TO, no dragon breath potions and no aggressive activations whatsoever. Just fisticuffs, in honor of Ronda Rousey. Hmmm, I wonder, can I armbar Morgoth?

Almost halfway down now. Taking a pause to get a ruling on the use of ?Banishment, ?*Mass Banishment* and ?Destruction*.

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=17057

Oh absolutely! The banish spells don't actually harm the monsters (in my mind, anyway). And destruction is the ceiling and floor doing the damage. Or something.

[MattB]

Come to think of it, does destruction actually damage monsters, or just banish them? I've never really noticed.

[PowerWyrm]

Come to think of it, does destruction actually damage monsters, or just banish them? I've never really noticed.

Destruction is just a big earthquake.

[Derakon]

Come to think of it, does destruction actually damage monsters, or just banish them? I've never really noticed.

It banishes them -- they're removed from the level. Destruction just also banishes uniques (and is the only way to do so short of precision earthquakes that leave them no open tiles to "dodge" into), as well as turning the dungeon into cheese.

[MattB]

It banishes them -- they're removed from the level. Destruction just also banishes uniques (and is the only way to do so short of precision earthquakes that leave them no open tiles to "dodge" into), as well as turning the dungeon into cheese.

That's alright, then. No harm done (as it were).

[Ingwe Ingweron]

DL 62 was big! After a long phase and teleport battle, Ar-Pharazon dropped Cubragol. @ may not be able to shoot with it, but the speed bump is mighty welcome!

[Ingwe Ingweron]

DL 67 Kavlax drops both Thranduil and Dor-Lomin! Still worried about rNexus and rPoison though...

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Well, I've taken the plunge to DL 98. Trying to level up to increase HP and make what other improvements I can. Still don't have rNexus, which is worrisome.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

And the challenger has won a chance at the Title Bout! http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=17057

Killed Khamul and Vargo then made the mistake of taking on Ungoliant. In the end she went down, but it cost Ronda a lot of consumables. Nonetheless, our trusty Olympic Juduko turned Ultiimate Fighter mixed martial artist went on to challenge Sauron for a chance at the title bout with the Big Boss.

Sauron went down to a final shot to the kidney in the 3rd round. Here is a recap of the action:

Round 1:

Ronda quaffs !Enlightenment and prepares a small anti-summoning closet to fight in, so it will only be the two fighters in the Octagon.

TO Witch-King and Sauron closes with Ronda for battle.
!Speed and !rHeat and the fight commences.
Round 1 Compubox punch statistics: 92 landed, 125 thrown - 74% with 51 damage per punch. !Healing 5, !*Healing* 1.
Sauron teleports away.

Round 2:

TO Gothmog (twice), Pazuzu, and Dwar (twice)
!CCW x3, !Speed and !rHeat and round 2 begins.
Round 2 Compubox punch statistics: 102 landed, 148 thrown - 69& with 51 damage per punch. !Healing 3, !*Healing* 1, as well as !Healing 2, !CCW, an !Enlightenment lost to ice bolts.
Sauron teleports away.

Round 3:

kill Stone Giant, Gallant and Barbazu. TO Dwar
!rHeat and round 3 is joined.
Round 3 Compubox punch statistics: 42 landed, 56 thrown - 75% with 51 damage per punch. !Healing.
Sauron fell to one last punch to his kidneys, but only dropped a worthless ego Great Hammer and the Cloak of Thingol.
TO Horned Reaper.

Final Compubox numbers: 236 landed, 329 thrown - 72% with 51 damage per punch. !Healing 9, plus 2 destroyed; !*Healing* 2, !CCW 3, plus 1 destroyed.

Not too bad! I really wish punches at least had some chance at a critical hit, then Compubox would have had some power-punches to report. Didn't calculate Sauron's stats.

Now I must consider whether I've got enough for the Championship Title Bout. If I could only figure out a way to wear Dor-Lormin and also see if a second =Damage could be better than =Vilya.

[MattB]

May your armour hold true and your fists be firm!
Good luck, enjoy!

[Ingwe Ingweron]

The dangers of thinking so loudly the RNG hears you... I told myself that I wouldn't take on Morgoth until I either covered rNether or had an off-head rStunning (so I didn't lose Dor-Lomin). What followed was endless grinding on DL 99, 98, 97. Turncount is worst ever, well, except when I started out playing mages and rested constantly. Still, I've collected massive consumables, increased damage output, and killed lot's of the uniques. Finally have rNether - in the form of the One Ring! Only my second time ever finding it. Wish I'd found that off-head rStunning cloak so I could wear Morgoth's crown and still have perfect immunity. I'm bored waiting though. Time for the world championship title bout.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Victory! Given my over preparation, that's not surprising, though overall I'm surprised a win could be had by punching alone.

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=17057

Here is the recap:
World Championship Title Bout
Ronda vs Morgoth

Round 1

Ronda prepares ground with ?*Destruction* and ?Rune of Protection, and buffs up with !Berserk Strength, !Speed, and ?Holy Prayer before Morgoth closes for battle.

Compubox stats:

Round 1:

Ronda:
Punches Landed 202, Punches Thrown 255, 79% [Damage per punch is 67]
?*Destruction* 2, ?Rune of Protection 6,
?Mass Banishment 1, ?Phase Door 1, ?Holy Prayer 1,
Healing Rod 1, !Healing 2, !*Healing* 2, !CCW 1,
!Speed 1
TO Morgoth and destruct

Morgoth:
Blows Landed 26 (crushing 2, touches 5), Blows Thrown 36, 72%
Psionic energy 3, Raw magic bolt 2, Nether 1,
Ringwraiths 2, Summons servants (Vecna, Kronos)

Round 2:

Ronda:
Punches Landed 81, Punches Thrown 100, 81%
?*Destruction* 1, ?Banishment 3, ?Phase Door 3, ?Holy Prayer 1,
Healing Rod 1, !Healing 2, !*Healing* 3, !CCW 1, !Speed 1
TO Morgoth and destruct

Morgoth:
Blows Landed 29 (crushing 4, touches 7), Blows Thrown 46, 63%
Psionic energy 1, Raw magic bolt 2, Raw magic storm 1,
Summon major demons 2, Summon fiends of darkness 1
Summons servants (Vecna, Kronos)

Round 3:

Ronda:
Punches Landed 53, Punches Thrown 70, 76%
?Mass Banishment 1, ?Phase Door 1
!Healing 1, !*Healing* 2, !CCW 6, !Speed 1


Morgoth:
Blows Landed 32 (crushing 1, touches 10), Blows Thrown 51, 63%
Nether 1, Summon friends 1

Final Total:

Ronda:
Punches Landed 334, Punches Thrown 425, 79%
?*Destruction* 3, ?Rune of Protection 6, ?Mass Banishment 2, ?Banishment 3,
?Phase Door 5, ?Holy Prayer 2, Healing Rod 2, !Healing 5, !*Healing* 7,
!CCW 8, !Speed 3
TO Morgoth and destruct 2

Morgoth:
Blows Landed 87 (crushing 7, touches 22), Blows Thrown 133, 65%
Psionic energy 4, Raw magic bolt 4, Raw magic storm 1, Nether 2,
Ringwraiths 2, Summon major demons 2, Summon fiends of darkness 1,
Summon friends 1, Summons servants (Vecna, Kronos) 2

Morgoth submits to armbar and gives up his crown in the 3rd round.

[Magnate]

Congrats - a great story.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Many thanks to MattB for putting the idea in my head, his advice during Ronda's training camp, and his many Slappers from whom I learned some of the pitfalls before falling in. Though I fell in many more pits of my own making.

The challenge was a great experience, but not one I wish to repeat soon!