It's time for some Lone Wolf again...

[Ofecks]

You can get through Castle Death with one combat, and that combat is 15/23 or something similar; easily manageable. The problem is setup - you need to have completed book 6 for the Primate rank, have Animal Control, and either Curing or Divination. The PA flowcharts are your friends.

[noble]

Thanks

To my amazement, I managed to do Castle Death in one go.

I had to fight the giant snake, loosing double endurance. But I had five good rolls and managed to evade.

After that I just ran away from everything... there were only minor fights.

I fought the Zakhad in the end in an epic blade clashing fight in zero gravity - or so it felt. I read afterwards that you do not have to fight him, but I felt like using the Alether potion I lugged around, before loosing it.

I lost four times Laumspur with my backpack and I still have an overflowing shelf of that stuff. Healing (Curing) means you will only need these when you are having difficult fights back to back, or are really unlucky with the numbers.

I hope to be able to do three books over easter, where I have to work and watch servers updating. With Psi Surge in my pocket for Book 8 and the Circle of Spirit within my grasp, I think I will enter routine country for most fights, even without the Sommerswerd.

[Ofecks]

You can skip the Helghast fight in book 8 (it involves skipping Tharro completely), but the Vordak ending might be an issue, even though the fight was nerfed. You still need to kill both within 6 rounds.

[noble]

I managed the Helghast on the third try, with 3 EP left - It was a lucky roll, as he had 8 EP left at that point - that's a tough one

I used Alether and was at -5. No sense in using Psi Surge here, as the Endurance loss would be too high and not leave enough time to finish off a 40 EP enemy. I understand what they say about Psi Surge now...

[noble]

I took the first Vordak down in five rounds and decided to redo that combat, as there was no way to get an instant kill result on the second one.

I took three rounds for the first on the second try and then decided not to risk anything and quaffed my second Alether potion. I dispatched the second Vordak in two rounds then.

Here I used Psi Surge as I knew every point of damage would help. But it is down to luck in the end...


I took me two tries for this book and it felt so brutal I wouldn't want to redo it. I used two Alether and three Laumspur potions (I was generously supplied by Tadia). Can you do this book with a fresh character? With a lot of luck. I went through it with an average Combat Skill of 22, which is achievable for a well rolled new character. All in all it feels like times are getting harder. It felt like the books wants to get you at every corner, and delivers additional damage or chances to die, even when you just finished the boss fight.

I do realize the missing of an in book mechanic to balance the boss fight. You can circumvent going to Tharro, as I'm told, but that would be out of character for me. There are no definite clues about a death trap on the road route (there is on the barge route, but you cannot circumvent Tharro there).

In hindsight, I like it. Gnaag means business. Understood.

Time to break out the Sowrd of the Sun?

I will try Tahou without, Maybe retry with, I'll see...

[noble]

Firt try: double potions, Alether (sadly only have one left, though it's the good one), and four healing substances (1x Rendalim's and 3x Laumspur).

This approach will also not let me out to dry when I have to do book 10 and 11 back to back.

I hope I do not need the good Alether, as I may direly need this at the end of book 11. I know I will get another potion at the beginning of book 10 and maybe I can find one in book 9, so I can shield the good one from usage...

[Ofecks]

You will need to save the +4 Alether for the Villians if you're not bringing the 'Swerd.

[noble]

Book 9 was quite easy. The combat encounters were routine as expected (my CS now at 26).

The last fight was evenly matched. Amassing all psychic power against that enemy, I used Psi Surge for story reasons, and I imagined under the circumstances, I went in with cold light shining from my eyes. It paid off that I had fortified myself with 10 EP of potions beforehand, as the whole scene left me at 9 EP in the end (I had an unlucky encounter on the city wall, costing me 16 EP just before).


One more book this weekend...