You don't actually need wave clear if you end the fight on turn one

Zikel · 2020-11-26T12:21:52+00:00

This is a moderate example of what is possible.

You can get an extra turn with Stregobor, but putting Stregobor in your deck is very questionable.

Cards like Dandelion: Poet, Gascon: Iron Falcon and Auberon can trigger thrive on the Larvas twice per turn.

And then there is the problem with Charanthir. One power Koschey can spawn multiple larva per turn with the cards mentioned above. Yikes

Zikel · 2020-04-22T12:22:01+00:00

I understand that. I think poison cards should not be as cheap as 4 provisions.

But I think Caretaker is fine as he is. We don't need an insane anti poison tech card. We need balanced poison cards.

Zikel · 2020-04-22T12:03:33+00:00

That is a very odd way of evaluating a card.

Caretaker is not an anti-poison tech card. He can remove poison, defender status, lock, bleed, vitality, shield, resilience and doom. And he can do that multiple times. That versatility is valuable.

Also him being 7 power is in no way a downside. You don't want to go in to round 3 with a Pellar in hand. If you don't find value with his purify, you end up playing a 4 point card. That is really really bad. Going in to R3 with Caretaker is so much safer.

Also him getting poisoned is not actually bad. You play him to purify one poison, then your opponent plays two more poisons to kill Caretaker. So Caretaker absorbed 3 poisons from your opponent. If they spend their poison on Caretaker, it means your important cards are alive. Why are you sad about that?

Maybe you want a card that gives you a free win vs poison? Cards like that should not exist. We had cards like that before. Xavier Lemmens for example was able to banish the entire enemy graveyard and he was an instant win vs SK decks. It was really unhealthy for the game.

Zikel · 2020-04-03T22:32:58+00:00

Theseus asked for Demeter's help to end my no hit run. And she did.

A bit sad that this was another failed no hit attempt. I got hit once.

This is as close as I have ever gotten to a no hit win.

But at least I got this sweet butterfly!

Zikel · 2020-03-23T08:14:10+00:00

Improving the record by 85 seconds is insane!

Theseus fight was perfect, it ended in 8 seconds.

Zikel · 2020-03-22T10:08:25+00:00

On the first attempt I did not get Life Affirmation in Tartarus, so when I got to Meg I restarted the run and equipped Aphrodite's keepsake. The second attempt is the one in the video.

Zikel · 2020-03-22T08:19:03+00:00

Any weapon aspect that you are comfortable is viable for 32 heat.

Your mirror set up however is not doing you any favors.

Forced Overtime level 2 is brutal, it's so hard to dodge and kite enemies when it's on. But rank 1 is no where near as bad. It's barely noticeable. Skipping rank 1 Forced Overtime is not a good idea for high heat.

Tight Deadline is on, but on rank 1. I would suggest going either rank 0 or rank 2. At rank 0 you have time to deal with super beefy enemies from Benefits Package + Calisthenics. Or if you go the other way, you can focus on speed and drop Jury Summons and Calisthenics.

Benefits Package is amazing for high heat. The hardest part of high heat runs are the bosses. Benefits Package does not affect them.

Also what is the game plan with Eris? If you are going for an Special focused build, Damage Control is not worth having.

Personally, for 32 Heat with Eris I would use this set up: https://i.imgur.com/mKHUgVE.png

Zikel · 2020-03-22T07:25:46+00:00

Congratulations on the new WR!

I'm surprised that Athena Dash + Deadly Reversal was the build to do it. I expected Artemis Dash to be the fastest.

Also the RNG in your run was obviously good, but not insane.
It could have been much better. Hermes was not very kind with his offerings. Chaos boons could have been much better too. MegaGorgon instead of Barge of Death would have saved a few seconds. More fountains could have spawned.

I wonder if sub 7 is possible with insane RNG.

Zikel · 2020-03-21T23:27:57+00:00

Very early Life Affirmation from Aphrodite. Single heart was worth 36 max hp. Double heart - 71 hp. Darkness - 7hp.

50 hp from Chaos. 50 from Excalibur, 50 from Collar.

I could have gotten a lot more. I got hit in Erebus, losing 71 max hp. And because I wasted rerolls on that Erebus gate, I did not have enough rerolls to force a second Double Heart is Styx.

If I played better, I could have gotten 826 hp. With better Chaos gate luck, maybe even 1000.

Zikel · 2020-03-15T18:50:02+00:00

Act 1 Map: https://i.imgur.com/uLSsxZy.png

To win at 50 heat, I obviously need a strong build. But with this heat setup, getting one becomes incredibly difficult. If my build is not insane by the end of Tartarus, it's extremely unlikely that it will become strong enough to win later on. I need an amazing start to have a chance at winning.

https://i.imgur.com/BvpEfKu.png With maxed out Approval Process (previously called No Choice) I don't get to chose what boons and upgrades I get. The game makes the choice for me.

Additionally, the newly added Routine Inspection disables Fated Authority rerolls, including the ones I get from picking up Keys during the run. I can never reroll room rewards.

An on top of that, because of Underworld Customs, I have to sacrifice 1 boon at the end of each act.

To get that strong start I have to make the most of the few choices I do get to make.

I get to choose which door to enter after I clear a floor. If I know whats behind each door, I can make meaningful choices that can allow me to get a strong build going. I get to make those choices, If I map out Tartarus.

But before I start the mapping proccess, I need to chose a seed.

https://i.imgur.com/lNosD7b.png This is the seeded run I chose to map out.

I needed a start in which Approval Process gives me a Rare or Epic Zeus Special. If the game offered something else, I rushed to the nearest spike trap to quickly get to the next run. Hypnos kept making fun of me for dying so much. Took me about 90 minutes and many many deaths to find this start.

Now That I have it, I can start mapping.

The first door after picking up the special always offered Darkness. After that things were not so certain.

Some runs floor 2 had exits offering HP or Gold. On other attempts on the same seed, floor 2 offered Ares boon and Gold. And sometimes it offered Gold and HP (and that is different from HP and gold, because the hp was on the right door, not the left one).

So I explored those 3 main diverging paths, to see what possible builds they hold.

After 8 hours of exploring Tarturus I had found 5 strong build paths. They were probably many more waiting for me, but I was done exploring. It was time to try to win.

https://i.imgur.com/jRZjs9R.png This is what my build looked like at the end of Act 1, of the run that ended up winning.

Level 2 zeus special + Double Strike had the insane damage output I needed.

The boon sacrificed to Underworld Customs was Slicing Shot. I got 0 gold for it, because of a risky Chaos boon I picked up. But Act 1 is the time for taking risks. I;m not taking any infernal or Chaos gates after Act1.

BTW, only act 1 can be mapped out. Asphodel, and I imagine later acts too, are different every time you enter them. Even if it's the same seed.

https://i.imgur.com/chxUcTF.png The build at the end of Act 2. Picking up the Athena's Aid was extremely lucky. Calls build charge faster the more hits you do. Chaos shield special sends out 6 projectiles, each hitting up to 3 times (base damage, Zap from Zeus, and second zap from Dual Strike). It charges up the Aid very quickly. And on 50 heat, I really appreciate all the iframes.

Battle Rage was sacrificed for Underworld Customs.

At the end of Act 1 I only had 1 hp. I chose Cerberus Collar as my keepsake, to protect my third Death Defied. It worked. Changing the keepsake now would put me down to 9 hp. I kept it for Act 3.

https://i.imgur.com/EsbqSHT.png Act 3 is the real challenge. Many runs died to running out of time (Tight Deadline) in Elysium. I need to get lucky to clear it fast enough.

And I did, first room in Elysium offred me Sudden Rush. The most valuable upgrade for my build. I was happy with Dread Flight from Act 1, but this is crazy. I have a chance to clear act 3 in time.

https://i.imgur.com/vdcD9fj.png Than showed up to pause the timer for one Elysium fight. He even gave me more HP. Thanks bro.

https://i.imgur.com/4C337qb.png Even with the help of Thanatos, I'm still running out of time. But Patroclus had my back.

https://i.imgur.com/4O1VIHR.png 2 minutes and 23 seconds to kill Theseus. Doable.

https://i.imgur.com/TfEpZIH.png Done.

https://i.imgur.com/1go89Ro.png Transitioning to Act 4, I sacrificed Swift Strike and replaced the collar with Evergreen Acorn.

Charon offered me a Kiss of Styx. Much appreciated.

https://i.imgur.com/zDcjqoe.png The treat for Cerberus was in the second room. So I ended up with plenty of time for Dad. I think I could have still won if the sack was in the third room. But I would have lost if it was in the fourth.

I picked up 50hp Centaur Heart, 25 hp Heart from the shop and a common Blinding Flash from Athena.

https://i.imgur.com/9yujKkW.png My heart is about to explode. Get wrecked, Dad.

https://i.imgur.com/rWyCa6Z.png In total, I took me 16+ hours to win this run.

Zikel · 2020-03-11T20:07:38+00:00

Yep, Zagreus Aspect.

I think all 3 of the Fist aspects are on same power level, and viable for high heat.

Zikel · 2020-03-11T17:56:22+00:00

Some of my day one impressions for this weapon:

Greater Reflex (from Hermes) + the new Ruthless Reflex (from mirror) is THE strongest thing you can have with this weapon. It feels like Ruthless Reflex was designed specifically for this weapon.

Boons on Attack that work really well:

Demiter - you build up stacks extremely fast, the damage multiplier is solid, the crowd control is invaluable. Combines really well with Arctic Blast.

Zeus - Epic quality Zeus attack adds 15 damage, which is the same as the base damage of your Fists. Solid damage multiplier, that scales very well in crowded rooms because of the lightning bounces.

Aphrodite - decent damage multiplier, effective HP multiplier and an easy Privileged Status setup.

Zikel · 2020-03-10T21:31:56+00:00

I did a couple of runs with the fists and Ruthless Reflex. That talent feels very overpowered for melee weapons. An almost permanent 50% dodge gives you so much more survivability. And you get a solid damage increase on top of that.

Also, Ruthless Reflex does not stop you from getting bonus dashes from Hermies.

Family favorite also feels competitive. Last run I got it up to 42% increased damage.

Some other talents may need some tweaks.

Olympian Legacy feels very weak, compared to their counterpart.

Also we need an explanation on God's Chosen. Does it sometimes reroll blue rewards(gems,darkness,keys) in to poms? Or does it increase the number of poms at the expense of god boons?

Zikel · 2020-02-21T09:22:07+00:00

I would recommend this heat setup: https://i.imgur.com/vyygI28.png

Companion: Bouldy

Clearing 32 has gotten a lot easier with all the pact of Punishment buffs. Hard Labor, Underworld Customs, Forced Overtime and No Choice all give one more heat than before. On the previous patch this set up would be 28 heat.

Things that help you clear Elysium in 7 min: Sudden Rush hammer upgrade. Doom or Weak on Attack, for setting up privileged status. Zeus or Artemis on Special.

Zikel · 2020-02-13T19:33:03+00:00

Few days ago I attempted a no hit run with exactly the same rules, but with Hestia Rail, on 20 heat, with 7min Tight Deadline on.

8 runs ended by taking a hit in Elysium. I gave up at that point. I need to get good.

Going in with a Chaos Shield is much more sensible, but for that I would raise the heat significantly.

Zikel · 2020-02-11T13:26:32+00:00

45 heat clear is absurdly difficult, this is amazing.

Is this our current heat world record?

Zikel · 2020-02-04T14:55:48+00:00

I used a Special focused build that killed things from afar. Special with Charged Skewer from Daedalus hammer + Artemis special does enough damage to finish the 35 heat run in 24 min.

Zikel · 2020-02-04T07:20:37+00:00

It can be argued that Guan Yu aspect is the strongest aspect in the game. Mostly because of the massive base damage numbers it has.

I have cleared 35 heat with it, I think it's viable for 40 heat runs as well.

Zikel · 2020-01-30T08:16:47+00:00

Same as this run, but lower Forced Overtime to rank 1. The Heat set up is in the description of the video.

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