Advice on killing high end uniques

[Sirridan]

Hello fellows! Unless I have bad luck, I have now been getting characters down to dlvl 98-99 with endgame kit on a consistent basis, which tells me I'm very close to actually winning. (Yay!)

Anywho, I have no trouble killing most of the uniques, but some of them do give me quite a bit of issue, and I have not had success killing them.

Faegwaeth, Cantoras, Witch King, Sauron.... this pattern continues to mostly all the undead and high end summoners give me too much trouble. Is there something I'm missing? Most of my deaths lately (besides the ones where I continue to play while not paying attention) have been from summoners bringing lots of high level W's and L's and D's and their combined breaths/bolts.

Long story short, what's the best way to deal with these guys, and are there any I should just avoid? (And if so, what's the best way to deal with the big little p?)

[Zikke]

The first thing to do is post a link to your character dump on the Ladder. That way we can look at what resists you have and what gear you're using.


Edit: On a basic level, using anti-summoning corridors is the best way to kill the high end summoners, like Faegwath and the Witch King. Cantoras is pretty easy if you have a decent amount of heals and lots of nether resist and hp's. But I don't even know what class you're running.

[Djabanete]

First of all, don't fight anything that can kill you in a single turn (or two turns if it's faster than you). Don't stick around in situations where combined breaths/spells can kill you either. Don't hesitate to run away. You can ALWAYS kill them later.

When it comes to fighting high uniques, the main thing is to keep an eye on your health, and keep an eye on their summons. Take it slow --- if you're hurt, teleport and come back for more. Try to save those precious healing potions if you can. Be patient and try to pry difficult monsters apart from eachother; use your telepathy and detection to engage baddies one at a time. If a Lich unique has an escort of Black Reavers, try to find the perfect distance at which exactly one Black Reaver will pursure you, and let it come to you and kill it. Rinse and repeat.

Be careful with Teleport. It's nice, but it can land you in hot water. Teleport Away and *Destruction* are your friends.

Use anti-summoning corridors. Don't fight in open spaces.

Use buffs. Double resistance, heroism, blessing, berserk strength if you're a warrior... It's better to blow through 50 store-bought potions and scrolls than use a single potion of Healing. Against monsters that regenerate fast, fight until you're no longer safe, escape (Tele, TA, whatever), chug CCW, and come back for more immediately so they don't have time to regenerate.

TL;DR : Be patient. Run away. Come back. Use guerilla tactics. Be wasteful of store-bought resources if it helps; conserve precious scrolls and potions like ?Banishment and !Healing.

[Derakon]

Use buffs. Double resistance, heroism, blessing, berserk strength if you're a warrior... It's better to blow through 50 store-bought potions and scrolls than use a single potion of Healing.

On the flipside, it's far better to drink a potion of Healing than it is to die. The potions are there to be used. Preferably you would phase door away and chug Cure Criticals before getting into the danger zone, but if you are in the danger zone, you shouldn't gamble that a phase door will get you to safety; drink the potion instead (or read the scroll of *Destruction*, etc).

[Sirridan]

Thanks for the advice, I think I've been going too straightforward with it, and ?tele ended me up dead more than once.

And sorry for no dumps, all of em are dead currently, I wasn't very clear but I was asking for more general advice, which is what I've been given, thank you all!

[Zikke]

One more piece of advice about Sauron, since unlike Morgoth he teleports himself away occasionally, I recommend clearing as much of the level as you can beforehand so that you can chase him if he's low on life.

[awldune]

Don't what classes you are playing or your play style, but don't overlook the utility of "ego" ammo. It can be worthwhile to hold on to your best bow *and* crossbow to make use of the Slay Undead, Slay Evil, lightning/venom (Tarrasque), and acid (Sauron) ammo you find.

[Tiburon Silverflame]

Another thing to gather up, is scrolls of Banishment and Mass Banishment. The latter especially...nahhh, you didn't summon NOTHING. Even better if you have the spell.

[Pete Mack]

Staffs of Banishment are good too, as is tele other. And if you don't like ASCs, at least fight in a twisty set of passages so that the summoner can't get too many monsters at once into your LOS. Create Doors can help too, although some people think that's a cheesy as ASCs.

The real issues are:
Do you have enough HP? CON 18/200 can really solve a lot of problems)
Can you do enough damage? Branding rings, ego ammo, Doomcaller or Dathwreaker can help here. If you've already killed M, you can use his hammer too

[PowerDiver]

If you've already killed M, you can use his hammer too

But it makes such a mess!

[Zikke]

Create Doors can help too, although some people think that's a cheesy as ASCs.

Do people really think that? That is the sole reason the spell exists is to cause obstructions.

[o-o]

If you don't like ASCs, at least fight in a twisty set of passages so that the summoner can't get too many monsters at once into your LOS. Create Doors can help too, although some people think that's a cheesy as ASCs.

I would worry about being cheesy the second or third time through. Having just killed Morgroth for the first time, I happily own that a lot what I did might be cheesy.

Anti-Summoning Corridor? The only reason I didn't use one against Morgroth was that they my beautiful handiwork was obliterated by one blow of Grond. Messy.