Sil: Favourite Song

[taptap]

The song tree is probably one of the most unique and most Tolkien-esque mechanics of Sil. So... what are the songs you sing (other than sharpness)?

Personally, after losing several strong chars to entrancement in the endgame I fell in love with Song of Freedom recently. Free action is always good to have and I am wondering whether I can do without a digger altogether w/ this song. I also love the door opener, web and trap find and remove effects. I want to kill Morgoth w/ freedom and slaying and a light weapon one day.

[HallucinationMushroom]

Song of the trees is my favorite, but the one I actually sing is slaying.

[Starhawk]

My only winner had no Song at all... that said, my favorite when I've used them has been Song of the Trees, for those be-buggered Shadow Molds and Shadow Spiders, and the balrogs later on.

[bron]

I admit I haven't really investigated the softer side of Sil. My characters have all been of the "shoot and/or melee everything in sight" variety. While I like the *idea* of Song of Slaying, I find that in practice I never actually use it except in the throne room and at the Gates. Something I *have* been finding my recent characters using is Song of Elbereth coupled with Opportunist and Sprinting. In particular, it seems to be the best way I've found to deal with a large group of Troll Guards.

[HugoVirtuoso]

Assuming favorite song besides the Song of Sharpness, I would put my vote on Song of Mastery, despite me *never ever* using it. Why vote on this when everyone knows how Hugo usually plays? With have very high Song + very high Will it can freeze most non-Morgothian foes in their tracks, making it very powerful and very fun in the end. I've seen Psi make it work against high-level Raukar, maybe even Balrogs, if I'm not mistaken.

[debo]

I just did a mastery build a few days ago, and by endgame with reasonable song (30ish) it worked easily against everything except Morgoth with his crown off (including gorthaur, dragons, balrogs). Elbereth is better in a very few cases at that score, but otherwise it's super fun.

All the songs are pretty awesome in general, though. I really do like Trees, but even the ones I get a rare chance to use like Staying, Freedom, and Este are quite fun. Using Elbereth on hordes of monsters near the stairs feels like playing biliards, sort of

[taptap]

I want to kill Morgoth w/ freedom and slaying and a light weapon one day.

I really love Song of Freedom, but had to realize that this plan might not be realistic. I guess difficulty of rubble, pits etc. is related to depth too, if so you need seriously high song to be able to remove obstacles instantly with freedom as a minor theme (>>20). Never had such a high song w/o smithing special equipment and while otherwise fighting. With really high song mastery is arguably even better and when it starts working against Morgoth you don't have to worry about removing pits and rubble.

Song of Trees is probably lovely once it gains you more than one light level (requires 8 or 10 song, correct?). But I am more the Inner Light kind of player (weaker but permanent) and recently I started to carry feanorian floorlamps to drop at suitable positions.

[taptap]

I take back everything. Favourite song is obviously Song of Lorien.

[Patashu]

and recently I started to carry feanorian floorlamps to drop at suitable positions.

That's a really cool idea, if you for example have a feanorian lamp at your feet and one equipped does that give a total 'light' bonus of 5-6 for countering unlight, or does it not stack like that?

[taptap]

That's a really cool idea, if you for example have a feanorian lamp at your feet and one equipped does that give a total 'light' bonus of 5-6 for countering unlight, or does it not stack like that?

Yes, it stacks as soon as you take them out of your backpack. Lesser jewels work as well (at least in lower depth). (Idea is courtesy to half or scatha who commented in a ladder profile.)

[Psi]

With have very high Song + very high Will it can freeze most non-Morgothian foes in their tracks, making it very powerful and very fun in the end. I've seen Psi make it work against high-level Raukar, maybe even Balrogs, if I'm not mistaken.

I've frozen Morgoth too. You need song of 40 to guarantee he can't act when adjacent IIRC.

[Scatha]

I've frozen Morgoth too. You need song of 40 to guarantee he can't act when adjacent IIRC.

That's right. Your Will doesn't enter into it. The highest Song I've seen is Psi's 46: http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=13440
(although I could have got to 50 if I'd allocated the experience I had at the end with http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=14647 ).

I don't know if these examples suggest that it's too easy for Mastery to overwhelm everything. We haven't seen a flood of characters using it, so maybe that's just the payoff for the difficulty of getting there.

[half]

Also, it is probably easier to get Lorien to overwhelm everything, if that is what you're after. Mastery lets you kill them as well, but this doesn't strike me as all that much of an advantage once nothing in the game can hurt you.

[taptap]

I've frozen Morgoth too. You need song of 40 to guarantee he can't act when adjacent IIRC.

I never had any skill at 40 in this game.

[Psi]

Also, it is probably easier to get Lorien to overwhelm everything, if that is what you're after. Mastery lets you kill them as well, but this doesn't strike me as all that much of an advantage once nothing in the game can hurt you.

Lorien can't overwhelm everything though. I nearly lost my Lorien character to a deathblade...