Ranking of devices

[mibert]

Hi all,

I'm a relatively new player to vanilla and I struggle with keeping/dropping staves/rods/wands as a warrior.

So if you could give me some sort of ranking of devices you're looking to carry when playing a warrior, that would really be appreciated.

Thanks!

Here's my current inventory:

  [Angband 4.2.2-245-gf6ebce962 Character Dump]

 Name   Frostel      Age             12          Self  RB  CB  EB   Best
 Race   Half-Orc     Height        5'6"   Str:     17  +2  +3  +0  18/40  18/20
 Class  Warrior      Weight    11st 8lb   INT:     10  -1  -2  +5     12
 Title  Veteran      Turns used:          WIS:     10  +0  -2  +0      8
 HP     300/300      Game        400890   DEX:     16  +0  +2  +6  18/60
 SP     0/0          Standard     38791   CON:     16  +1  +2  +0  18/10
                     Resting       1812

 Level                 24    Armor      [61,+53]    Saving Throw     40%
 Cur Exp            14911                           Stealth          Bad
 Max Exp            14911    Melee       2d5,+12    Disarm - phys.   62%
 Adv Exp            15000    To-hit        63,+9    Disarm - magic   40%
                             Blows      2.0/turn    Magic Devices     32
 Gold               31127                           Searching        35%
 Burden          163.7 lb    Shoot to-dam     +6    Infravision    30 ft
 Overweight       19.8 lb    To-hit        52,+9    Speed      0.9x (-1)
 Max Depth     900' (L18)    Shots      1.0/turn

  [Character Inventory]

a) a Sip of Miruvor
b) 19 Green Potions of Cure Serious Wounds
c) 5 Metallic Purple Potions of Cure Critical Wounds
d) 7 Grey Potions of Neutralize Poison
e) 8 Smoky Potions of Speed
f) 40 Scrolls titled "pero per solo" of Phase Door
g) 2 Scrolls titled "vitego mense" of Identify Rune
h) 19 Scrolls titled "sequidue" of Remove Hunger
i) 7 Scrolls titled "avinqui no" of Word of Recall
j) 2 Bronze Rods of Treasure Location
k) a Platinum Rod of Acid Bolts
l) a Silver Rod of Curing
m) an Ivory Rod of Illumination
n) 3 Copper Wands of Stinking Cloud (36 charges)
o) a Zirconium Wand of Cold Balls (4 charges)
p) 2 Copper-Plated Wands of Slow Monster (10 charges)
q) 2 Pewter Wands of Confuse Monster (5 charges)
r) a Magnesium Wand of Stone to Mud (6 charges)
s) a Walnut Staff of Slow Monsters (5 charges)
t) an Ironwood Staff of Detect Invisible (14 charges)
u) an Elm Staff of Mapping (6 charges)
v) 2 Balsa Staves of Curing (9 charges)

[Selkie]

Detection is most important, so staffs of detect evil or rods of detection etc. Then you'll want mapping, scrolls, staffs and rods. Treasure detection is useful, scrolls and rods.

You will need loads of phase door, then later staffs of teleportation.

You should prioritise the wand of TO and look out for one in the BM.

[archolewa]

My most useful devices as a warrior:

1. Detection
2. Rod of Teleport Other
3. Wand of Teleport Other
4. Rod/Staff of Magic Mapping
5. Rod of Treasure Detection (though this can be tossed once you have Detection)
6. Staff of Teleportation
7. Staff of Detect Evil (can be tossed once you have Detection)

Personally, I dont get much use out of Detect Evil. Its nice, but there really aren't that many evil enemies in the early game, and even fewer that are a big threat to a warrior. When you can mow down kobolds without breaking a sweat, you dont really care if they are there or not. By the time you start running into the really nasty evil guys, you will probably have a rod of detection.

If you are new then a Rod of Probing is also *very* useful. Zapping a monster with it will fully fill put your monster memory. Great way to find out that sleeping Ancient Red Dragon can one shot you *before* it breaths on you.

Rod of Teleport Other is nicer than the wand, because its renewable, and most of the time as a warrior you will be zapping that lone beholder between you and the stairs or loot. Raiding vaults as a warrior isnt generally wise until the endgame.

[Pete Mack]

For a warrior, nearly all offensive devices are junk. Once you have a good shooter, it will do adequate ranged damage without cluttering your pack.
In particular:
Confusion isnt much use at depth 20--the wand power is very low.
Rod of acid bolt is very low value unless you have several.
Staffs for offensive purposes are terrible: they wake everything up, they weigh a lot, and have few charges. And there isnt much point, because you can only fight one monster at a time.
Wand of stinking cloud should be replaced by staff of teleport. The wand is good against runaway breeders, but teleport is good against just about everything short of dl 45.
Wand of teleport other is pure gold. Buy one if you see it, and spend charges wisely until you have plenty, or find a rod.

[Selkie]

Staffs for offensive purposes are terrible: they wake everything up, they weigh a lot, and have few charges. And there isnt much point, because you can only fight one monster at a time.
.

I once found an OoD staff of holiness at about dlvl5 and used it quite successfully for a long time. But this is about the only exception I've ever had

[Pete Mack]

To this list i add staffs of Banishment, *Destruction*, and speed. The first two can be useful in controlling the batylefield. The latter's use is obvious.

My most useful devices as a warrior:

1. Detection
2. Rod of Teleport Other
3. Wand of Teleport Other
4. Rod/Staff of Magic Mapping
5. Rod of Treasure Detection (though this can be tossed once you have Detection)
6. Staff of Teleportation
7. Staff of Detect Evil (can be tossed once you have Detection)

[Sphara]

As a warrior, I do carry Wands/Rods of Slow Monster, Wands of Stun Monster and usually Wands of Stone-to-Mud to the deep end of the game. Slow and Stun have rather low duration against endgame baddies, though. Both are also less appealing, if your primary damage comes from a launcher. Wands and staves shouldn't be carried against Sauron and Morgoth anyway, if you're going melee. Unless you keep em empty, phase out from melee and recharge+use until empty.

Some early attack wands are definitely a keeper for some time. Frost vs. hydrae, fire vs. huorns.

Otherwise, previous post (archo+pete) sums it up for me. Detect Evil I discard immediately after finding any source of ESP.

[archolewa]

To this list i add staffs of Banishment, *Destruction*, and speed. The first two can be useful in controlling the batylefield. The latter's use is obvious.

Forgot about these, yes they are very valuable. *Destruction* tends to replace Teleport as my "Crap crap crap" escape once you get deep. It clears the area and doesnt send you someplace just as bad or worse.

Banishment is so rare that it rarely figures into my calculations, though when I find one I will use it (mostly to clear Q and s from vaults). Speed is of course obvious, though my warriors tend to ditch it late, since enemies like to drain them, they tale up a slot, and I usually have plenty of speed (permanent and potions) by then. Very valuable in the midgame though.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

The only "device" a warrior needs is a bog standard store bought shovel. Just ask MattB.

Or no "device" at all, just ask Ronda, the half-troll warrior that used "fists only".

[sffp]

I'm also fond of rods/wands of slow monster (as opposed of staves of slow mosters)
Right now, my blackguard is carrying a staff of *Destruction* (unusual to have been found so shallow), a staff of Teleportation, a staff of Mapping (no rod yet), a rod of Treasure Location (no Detection yet), two wands of Teleport Other and two wands of Slow Monster

Early game I'll also carry around Rods/Wands of light

[Selkie]

Am I the only person who hates staffs/scrolls/spells of *destruction*? I feel like it.

[Nick]

Am I the only person who hates staffs/scrolls/spells of *destruction*? I feel like it.

I don't like how they mess up the dungeon, but I do like how they stop me dying

[archolewa]

Am I the only person who hates staffs/scrolls/spells of *destruction*? I feel like it.

*Destruction* is my favorite effect. A very powerful effect at a (potentially) steep cost, and the mess it makes of the dungeon gives lots of opportunities to keep nasties out of line of sight.

Really nice when fighting summoners as a Rogue or Ranger and want to stay out of melee (and thus doesnt want to be in an anti-summoning corridor).

[Sky]

i never cary staves, unless it's really early on.

1. Rod(s) of TO - THE most important gear for a warrior.
2. scrolls of teleport
3. rods of detection more for treasures than anything else - ESP covers mob detection
4. Rod of Mapping, altough tunnelling is just fine.
5. scrolls of *Destr*, not staves. Staves can be drained. Scrolls can be burned but *Fire is a must at lower depths.
Tbh i practically never carry *Destr*, i would rather not put myself into that situation. However, as a priest, or occasionally as a mage, i use word of destruction to kite undeads (or BIG uniques, like Ancalong) out of their pits to wipe them out and get to the loot.

not really in the list but both rods of Speed and Restoration are really nice to have.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Am I the only person who hates staffs/scrolls/spells of *destruction*? I feel like it.

I rarely use them on the descent, but do save them for the final battle with Morgoth.