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[LuckyDee]

Contrary to the promise I recently made myself, I just gave up on my MVm build going for the first Mortuary attempt: I suicided in the City of Skulls, having killed the agony elemental and all pain elementals - except for one, which made sure the swarm of lost souls that remained was kept fresh.

Not counting bad luck, the City is the level which has gotten me killed most by far, so much so that I actually skip it most of the time. Kills almost always happen when the agony elemental has been summoned, or even already killed. This time I had a missile launcher for long distance whoop-ass, and my B-modded chainsaw (BRU3,FIN1) prepared to mop up the rest. I had a B-modded red which was still well over 100% when the AE was summoned.

Apart from the City of Skulls, the run was going great, even after a sloppy start. I had half a mind to savescum the entrance, and I'm actually sorry I didn't do it, because it would have simply allowed me to do some trial runs in order to see if I can make something of this.

The obvious beauty of MBM aside, any tips on taking on this bastard and it's grinning offspring?

[AlterAsc]

After pulling the lever you can shoot with BFG9000, so you won't be surrounded.After that any shotgun will do the trick.

[Sanctus]

With Vamp and some unbreakeable (or melee resistant armor) armor City should not be a problem o_O.
Anyway, you can use Phase device after pulling lever, to start more comfortable.

Epic fail was when I tried to clear City of Skulls on AoMr with GCB >_< no chance...

[Ander Hammer]

A missile launcher is not going to be whooping any asses at all in the City of Skulls.

Take a shrapnel or plasma weapon for clearing lost souls.

[LuckyDee]

Thanks for the input so far, but I don't think I've made my point clear.

Using either BFG or homing phase after pulling the lever is always part of the plan. In fact, if I have neither I don't do the City by default.

Trouble only starts with the agony elemental, for which the missile launcher - to a certain degree - actually works very nicely, since any spawned pain elementals and lost souls take hits as well. The problem is not being swarmed once Auntie Agony gets going.

Oh sure, I can BFG my way out of that as well, but especially in this run the goal was walking out with a couple of skulls. If you don't do a shotty build, the shotgun just won't cut it at the end and you'll still be swarmed due to the fire/reload time.
As far as armours go, I've only found vanilla reds/blues/greens. I was actually hoping for a Duelist's, fair protection with a movement increase.

So the question remains: how do you prevent being overrun at the end of the level?

[AlterAsc]

I use shotgun.Really.
if you're afraid of reloading, take shell box from the armory.

[Klear]

Using either BFG or homing phase after pulling the lever is always part of the plan. In fact, if I have neither I don't do the City by default.

A double shotgun is a good start too.

[Sanctus]

Yep, double shot with ammobox is the best variant.
Once, for some reasons, I assembled focused double shotgun just before City. Never again.

[Klear]

I often have brainfart games where I have a full inventory and decide to toss double shotgun, thinking that I should be OK using whatever my trait focus is.
For some reason I always do that the level before CoS.

[LuckyDee]

Double shotgun it is, I guess.. I'll give it another try this afternoon, when I have the house to myself again. Thanks for the tips so far.

[Klear]

BTW, when clearing CoS with the double shotty and you are in the phase when you mostly meet single lost souls, you can use the alternate fire (single shell) to dispatch souls in short range to save ammo/be ready to kill another one without needing to reload.

[pacmanus]

As everybody says - shotgun or double shotgun is a best friend of lost souls if you haven't any hard resistent armor.
But to save ammo - bfg or something I'm use homing device. In fact - no one near exit door.
And secondary rule - use wall to protect your back. Never go to center of room, if many of them still alive.

Another strategy - use your rocket launcher to rocketjump - if you in circle of dead.

[LuckyDee]

Another strategy - use your rocket launcher to rocketjump - if you in circle of dead.

Yeah I usually ditch the RL in favor of the missile launcher, but it had already occurred to me that a rocket jump could have saved my ass right there :S

[pacmanus]

micro launcher most useful =)

[LuckyDee]

Yeah, I guess. Never tried it before, only assembled it once for the badge. How is its knockback (for rocket jumping) compared to the vanilla RL?

[pacmanus]

Don't know about weapon information, lazy to read =) but on view - same way with low splash.
Lost Souls need some of.

[AlterAsc]

Yeah, I guess. Never tried it before, only assembled it once for the badge. How is its knockback (for rocket jumping) compared to the vanilla RL?

The same formula.
6d6(+SoB bonus)/2 tiles for RL, 5d5(+SoB bonus)/2 for micro launcher.

[Matt_S]

Double shotgun is probably the best weapon for City of Skulls, but I usually decide to toss it before then =/

I think City of Skulls has probably caused me far more grief than the Mortuary.

[LuckyDee]

I think City of Skulls has probably caused me far more grief than the Mortuary.

No shit. Man is this level getting on my nerves. I just went through it 3 consecutive times, with only one attempt considerable as a success. After which I naturally completely fuck up the next level.

It's a pity that the few chances I get to play this game can get thwarted so easily. But then again I'm a fool for letting it get to me.

[Creaphis]

Not to diminish your struggles or anything, but I'm honestly at a loss how City of Skulls can be causing anybody trouble outside of AoMr or non-blademaster AoB runs. A major part of the problem is that you're actually over-preparing. Blasting the agony elemental with rockets will just scatter the pain elementals and lost souls that it spawns and leave you surrounded. Just keep bathing the agony elemental and its spawn in shrapnel damage and they'll die before they leave their starting tiles. Also, lost souls do 3 damage on average, so unless you're planning on meleeing the agony elemental, wearing any armor with more than 2 protection is fairly pointless and will just drag your move speed down. Wear light armor or go naked so that you can actually run when you need to.

[IronBeer]

There are a few tactics I like to use for the City. For a fairly general build, I like to go in with at least a Tac Shotty and a shell box (ideally). I use that combo against isolated pain elementals, then soften up the Agony Elemental with a few BFG blasts. Once I've critically injured the AE, I switch back to the Tac Shotty or melee and clean up. Finishing off the AE with a BFG usually destroys the skulls, which negates the larger point of why I go in there (if I make it so far, I NEVER skip the Halls of Carnage). Of course, things seldom go that smoothly, and if I wind up surrounded (as can happen right after pulling the lever), I REALLY like to have a Phase or 2 on hand.

MAD and MBM are both friggn' hilarious on this level (MVm has fallen out of my favor as of late, maybe I'll give it a go later). MAc is good as always, but you need to be careful to avoid getting swarmed- focusing fire on pain elementals first is the best way to control lost soul spawning. With a twitchy-ass trigger finger, you can generally mop up any straggling souls once the elemental is dead.

My "default" build is what I call Malicious Rocket Scientist- MMB followed by Juggler and Whizkid. I try to build a Tac RL in favor of the ML, so I can focus on rocketjumping to get in some poor bastards' faces with a modded Piercing Knife. It works pretty well here, since it lets me mix up my engagement range and permits me use all the tactics described in this post and earlier in this thread. (offtopic pssst- rocketjumping is stupid good on CC+)

[Matt_S]

The agony elemental has an awful lot of armor that's going to make shrapnel pretty wimpy.  A combat shotgun will take quite a while, and it gets more annoying on HMP when there's already enemies around.

[LuckyDee]

So far I've tried the double shotgun/shellbox combination, which actually works pretty good, except 1 box doesn't cut the mustard. Luckily I had 2 packed.

Maybe I should try and get him in the mood with some BFG action first..

Not to diminish your struggles or anything...

Don't worry, I'm simply not that good a player, and I know it. And especially on evenings like yesterday, when I appear to exhibit all the brain activity of a medium-sized smoked haddock, this can lead to very frustrating games.

[Matt_S]

So far I've tried the double shotgun/shellbox combination, which actually works pretty good, except 1 box doesn't cut the mustard. Luckily I had 2 packed.

Yeah, double shotgun is probably the best thing (short of a butcher's cleaver with a MVm build) when dealing with hordes of lost souls like in the beginning or when dealing with the agony elemental.  What Klear said is a good idea and it's something I've never thought to try: alt-fire to use just one shell against lost souls.  I just really dislike carrying a double shotgun that far into the game when I rarely use it. 

On that note, I wonder if alt-firing the double shotgun would be a good way to deal with the lost souls in the Anomaly?

[LuckyDee]

Wow, current run is going bonkers. Killed the AE without getting hit once, collected another skull on the level after the city. In the Lair, I just wizzed to one side, assumed first-strike / easy cover position and offed all arachnos with the chainsaw, getting hit (with plasma) 3 or 4 times tops. Chainsawed the Cyberdemon high on Invul.

Subsequently had all my armors destroyed (was dumb enough to leave my spare on the floor in the UC). My luck turned the next level, which spawned 2 Invuls that I kept until the level was clear. Popped both, rushed into the Vaults and speared everything save 1 arachno before they wore off. Got rewarded with both Onyx and Gothic armors.

For the Mortuary, I now have:

• Longinus Spear
• Onyx and Gothic Armor
• 2 BFGs, one of which is B-modded
• Nucular Plasma Rifle
• 4 Skulls (2 hatred / 2 fire, I think)
• Homing phase

Took a break cause I should actually be doing other stuff, but man... I feel like a kid in a candy store.

Or at whack-a-mole.

[Sanctus]

My "default" build is what I call Malicious Rocket Scientist- MMB followed by Juggler and Whizkid. I try to build a Tac RL in favor of the ML, so I can focus on rocketjumping to get in some poor bastards' faces with a modded Piercing Knife. It works pretty well here, since it lets me mix up my engagement range and permits me use all the tactics described in this post and earlier in this thread. (offtopic pssst- rocketjumping is stupid good on CC+)

Cruel.

[Napsterbater]

To pass the City of Skulls, all one really needs is a double-shotty and a shell box, one of which is guaranteed in Hell's Armory. Use the shell box in the beginning to clear the area around you of skulls, then  your regular weapon to deal with the stragglers. Then use the shell box again for the AE fight. You may need more shells if playing UV.

[LuckyDee]

You may need more shells if playing UV.

Even on HNTR, 1 box doesn't cut it.

[pacmanus]

Played AoSh - my formula is tactical shotgun or assault, and for second slot double shotgun.
Juggler is needed.

[Ander Hammer]

Use the shell box in the beginning to clear the area around you of skulls,

Or you could use a phase device and save the entire box for the AE.

[2DeviationsOut]

Try doing it with Ammochain. It's a lot easier than you'd suspect. All you do is phase and then make your way to a corner, and then stand and chainfire, walking it back and forth over the enemies, wrecking them. I almost never use a shotgun for the City of Skulls, since I'm usually either doing a restricted game, melee, or Ammochain.

However, tac shotties will work very well indeed. RLs don't work too well, since the reload time will kill you and the RL's DPS is just way too low compared to a dedicated build. Not only that, but it's damage drops off too fast with range.

[ih8regin]

RLs don't work also because lost souls have 75% fire resistance. *wink wink*

[skarczew]

To pass the City of Skulls, all one really needs is a double-shotty and a shell box, one of which is guaranteed in Hell's Armory.

All you need is basic Shotgun and Shell Box ;) .

One can use BFG to clear initial LS swarm (one shot up, one shot down), then switch to Shotgun / Elephant Gun and make your way through the level.
Keep walking near walls, rather than going to centre.

MAc is great there, but using it alone is dangerous vs Agony. I have lost some runs there only because it died next to me, spawning swarm of PEs and LSs.
Rocket / Missile Launcher is ok against Agony, but it can destroy the skulls.

And once again: do not underestimate Shotgun / Elephant Gun.

:)

[pacmanus]

And if you really lucky - super shotgun do it wery well!

[Xtremekiwi]

Note to self: Even if you're on AoMC on an ammochain build, keep a shotgun AT THE VERY LEAST for the final wave of enemies that spawn upon the Agony Elementals death. Trust me, I learned that the hard way on UV AoMC.

[skarczew]

Even if you're on AoMC on an ammochain build, keep a shotgun AT THE VERY LEAST for the final wave of enemies that spawn upon the Agony Elementals death. Trust me, I learned that the hard way on UV AoMC.

True.
I learned it the same way, but in a bit harder challenge (AoCn) :P .