Sil: Proper Starts? (Builds that aren't Artistry)

[taptap]

I always lose when I have a too easy time early on - as I get sloppy when I find a cool artefact at 150 ft. There is also no build that solves all problems right out. There usually remain weaknesses, enemies you want to avoid etc. if you build more flexible (and carry swap equipment) you will have more problems with inventory management and may lack a bit of power in certain situations but you are able to survive in others were more one-sided characters get into trouble.

When your character falls apart around 500 ft. it might be a lack of special abilities more than raw power. You typically would want as soon as possible at least 2 light radius (better 3 or 4 or 5), at least 1 fire resistance, keen senses or a source of true sight and a minimum of perception, a source of free action (they are plentiful but being entranced once can kill you with bad luck) and resistance to fear or a way to remove fear (Herb of Rage or Orcish Liquor will do) and a minimum of will. Most of these abilities can be omitted with care, very high perception (true sight) or will (fear resist, free action), still for me lack of these is very often my downfall (shadow spiders / bats -> light, sulrauko when invisibly blocking your escape -> keen senses / true sight, entrancement (horrors, dragons) -> free action, being roasted -> fire resist)

I like 2/5/4/3 Feanor with 5 melee, 5 evasion, dodge, finesse w/ the remaining points in smithing and jeweller or armoursmith (decision can wait until forge). It makes for a fairly flexible start. I like to take flanking and subtlety next and go with a light good quality longsword or even better a 1 lb shortsword. It can turn out more or less smith as you like. You could do the exact same thing without smithing at all, but when I take a Feanor (for the dexterity) I end up taking some smithing as well. It works with other balanced stat distributions as well. Keep a heavier weapon, armour and shield for swaps.

You always can take one of the flexible stat distributions 2/5/4/3, 2/4/4/4 or 2/4/5/3 and go without abilities only with melee and evasion until about 500 and maybe decide on abilities as soon as you find a cool item to build around, though often you don't find an item worth the effort until this depth. In fact this doesn't necessarily plays very different to artistry as long as you find some armour - you just have more points in skills instead of in armour modifiers.

Another build is 0/4/2/5 Doriath with Disguise and Song of Silence at start with already 8 points in song and taking Song of Lorien after you gathered the remaining 200 xp (this only works with House of Doriath). Very much sets you up for a singing descent to the throne room. After Lorien, increase stealth (maybe get vanish), get Keen Senses and Listen. Later you can continue as pacifist or add Song of Mastery (Lorien is one path to it) and shoot the crap out of many units (especially all kinds of cats and trolls). Very fast, very cool, but you will have less xp (so likely no Morgoth killing). The same build is possible with Haleth centered around stealth first or Finarfin with early Listen but working to the same set of stealth / perception / song abilities. Playing a pacifist with lore-master is a good way to see more of Angband and learn about it without being forced to engage with everything.

[mrrstark]

Thanks, definitely wasn't just referring to the initial stats distribution. Very much referring to the minor-smithing vs. no-smithing or full-smithing options. As in the disadvantage with the artistry start seems to be that you get beginner gear guaranteed, but you aren't really using that investment long-term due to the low grace score making future heavy smithing costly, and so it becomes a concession to the early game rather than a starting point for a long-term build.

One thing I'm still not clear on is what an appropriate split between raw skill upgrades vs. abilities is. I saw some talk about how the increasing intra-tree point costs suggest spreading out, but then saw half mention that a generalist is sub-optimal.

[debo]

Also, "easy time" is a very relative term in Sil, I wouldn't expect to just pick a good starting stat/skills distribution and make it to the end. I would prepare yourself to die a _lot_

[debo]

Actually you could totally use that artistry start but with less ridiculous stats -- 2/4/5/3 or 2/5/4/3 would be examples. That was all I meant by the build being gimmicky, the ability + skills progression is actually pretty normal (although momentum with 2 str will only be a go if you decide to use light weapons or you find a lot of +Str equipment.)

Otherwise, Fingolfin 2/4/5/3 or 3/3/5/3 are quite good starts too, if you just want to be a fighter-type. You can go without any abilities at all for quite a while, buffing melee, evasion, and will. Depending on what equipment you find, taking Power and/or Finesse, maybe Dodging+flanking+crowd fighting, and hardiness+crit resist is a pretty standard way to play.

The extra Con really starts to help as you find more sources / buy Con from will tree when the going really gets tough -- you can pretty easily get 71HP by the mid-late game and that helps a LOT when you're new to the game IMO.

[mrrstark]

I'm still pretty new to Sil, and trying to soak up info.

I just finished watching Debo's LP series on the Beefcake / Artistry start, and made my own character following that build and got pleasantly far for myself, around 500' or so.

However, Debo commented a few times that 'this build isn't the kind of build you'd want if you wanted an easy time of things'

Well I do want an easy time, I think I have a better handle on the early game than before, so I want to ask:

What are strong newbie friendly builds that should take you to the end of the game?

i.e. not challenge builds, or oddity builds, im looking for solid builds that people usually use to get them all the way through.


I'd like to start learning and understanding solid build options instead of gimmick builds. Artistry is cool for getting to mid-game, but seems like it usually falls apart after that.

Thanks!