Advice on trying ironman?

[NiJabbieJabba]

I've played Angband on and off for years, including a fair amount of Zangband once upon a time. After putting it down for maybe 5 years, I recently returned to the game and won it once with each class (I had never been able to win before, and I'm not sure what changed). My play style has been moderately cautious; I haven't paid attention to turncount at all.

Ironman seems like a neat new challenge, but I have no idea where to begin. Concerns like running out of food or light sources loom large, and my early attempts (hobbit rogues, I figured the stealth and rapid leveling would be well-suited to ironman) haven't done very well.

For those experienced playing ironman, do you have any advice on getting started? What's a powerful race/class/stat choice combination to start with? And what should be early priorities or initial shopping grabs? I feel like I'm a fairly strong and experienced Angband player overall, but the ironman experience is pretty foreign to me.

I have sort of a philosophical preference for randarts, just because I'm slightly bored with the same old list and a similar endgame kit every time. Do they make ironman too hard because of the scarcity of identifies?

[Nick]

No answers, but a brief pointer - the current competition is an ironman character.

[fizzix]

I was thinking of trying this competition as my first ironman character (and my first paladin....for some reason I've never played that class) I wonder if this is a good idea, or if I'm in for some major head into wall encounters.

[Bill Peterson]

The first documented ironman winner was a dwarf priest, and that's a good combination to start with. Call light and food are fairly early prayers, R_BLIND is good for casters, and Remove Curse is good for ironman play. The recent changes to ID make ironman a lot easier and more fun that it was.

[NiJabbieJabba]

No answers, but a brief pointer - the current competition is an ironman character.

Hmm, that's interesting. I'm leery of competitions just because my available video game time varies dramatically, and I don't know about the deadline.

But maybe I'll give it a shot. Thanks! The dwarf priest is also an interesting suggestion.

What about things like light sources? I never seem to find a lot of torches or oil. Does one just stock up, cross one's fingers, and hope for an early Phial?

[Bill Peterson]

With the latest V I've been starting a dwarf priest with 10 torches and 10 rations and mostly having no problems with light or food. Together with found food the 10 carry me to the point of getting the Satisfy Hunger prayer. I usually find more torches or a lantern + oil in sufficient quantities to carry me until I find a permanent light source. The latest V has more permanent lights than the phial, namely everburning torches and lanterns. Only once have I had to survive for a level or two using Call Light as my only light source.

If you've never tried it, Call Light illuminates two squares in either direction in a corridor. If you have the option to remember lit squares turned on you can then move two squares and cast again using only the light you just cast. If you come back to that corridor it's still lit. If you make a macro to rest and cast you can slowly light up an entire level with no light source.

Lately I've been waiting until CL3 to learn prayers in order to maximize my chances of getting Find Traps/Doors. That, Call Light, and Detect Evil are the only prayers I want immediately from book 1. Then I save choices to get Portal, Remove Curse, Satisfy Hunger, and OOD. Part of the variety of the game is how long it takes to get those prayers, sometimes it's easy, sometimes I'm at CL14 before I get OOD.

I've played ironman frequently over the last 5 years, between attempts to really win the game. The number one problem IMO is stat drain, without a store to buy stat restore potions you have to learn to play with diminished stats. I've even tried a half troll priest so at least my STR will stay up. High elf might be a good choice so you can see the early stat draining creatures, but in ironman you really would like to gain levels quickly.