Reminder: 1.8h is GOG version. If that affects the seed (I have not installed mods otherwise).
I used to love Fireangel back in the day when I was willing to go Callisto Mines for maximum reward, but these days I don't feel like it, and I had several games which had neither Callisto Rift nor Conamara Chaos. When not willing to die every time you can't get that warlock's relic that grants immunity to his aura AND his resistances in exchange for -20 experience, Fireangel runs are dependent on game spawning BOTH specific branches: Callisto Rift and branch elevator to Conamara Chaos Biolabs spawning on E2 specifically, so that you can get maximum possible immunities + exalted essence atunement for extra damage. If neither Mines major relic, nor Rift AND exalted from Conamara, it seems one might as well abort.
Even then, the lategame suffers from health (and quite likely ammo) attrition as you lack the raw power to one-shot enemies, and Tech can't reposition good enough if caught in bad positioning, nor this is Entrenchment game where you have damage reduction, nor can you invoke smoke more than once per level most of the time. You are really dependent on weapons capable to hit out-of-sight, that is blast damage, grenades (to block sight also when caught in bad position), and shotguns. You can suffer attrition from warlocks if you fight them when they are behind cover (nevermind if you lack the raw power to outdamage archwarlock's regen). And guardian demonic bots, are the ultimate bane, as you are absolutely unlikely to one-shot them with anything at all.
Notice this UV run is not Fated. I had several Fireangel runs in a row, and this is the only one I won. The other that was at least somewhat powerful got through CRI labs of all places, and splatted on Dante (a more skilled player than me could have still won that run, but among casuals, I do consider myself experienced at this game). I still can say I have not truly figured this mastery, and it requires quite a knowledge of game mechanics (shotgun through smoke, shotgun manual targeting, shotgun out of range, armor and weapon mods necessarily to prevent attrition/deaths to Ancient, etc.) to still get a victory with all the rng I had.
What carried the victory, is the lucky drops of the first moon: AV1 shotgun with Critical 40, and AV2 shotgun amp with +50% crit damage and +1 optimal range (this triggered by spawning enemies in Rift with script, bots maybe? or demons, but demons would have dropped relic, so it must be bots. I remember it was like "I am not sure I can handle it, but let's do". Actually, now I am not quite sure it was Rift and not like CCB). All Hallowed mods arrived post-clearing Inferno, rail rifle was rarely at all used, and both rail rifle and EMP rifle are lucky drops from Mephitic Mines. Pre-IO, I think I had Critical 40 Chaingun from Callisto Rift. I passed off necrotic armor and duramesh armor in this game -- nothing is an upgrade over JS armor, even if it is basic.
Also, yes, I think plasma shotgun is too strong and just outclasses other shotguns under normal conditions, so I am glad I didn't owe THIS game to it: I didn't pick up any plasma shotguns AT ALL in the first place. Because I hate how plasma weapons tend to be a non-brainer upgrade (unless concerns about running out of plasma ammo on IO, and even then you probably will have taken one IO L1 weapon). This game on IO L1, I just modded plasma rifle with Efficient, and that is it (no usual auto-calibration and I didn't have the multitools for it), which then was dismantled on the go with Tech powers to get it on rail rifle (expected upgrade, although would have liked railgun even more), but I got EMP rifle soon afterwards. Rail rifle was still occasionally used even in Dante, but mostly to conserve plasma ammo for the EMP rifle. On some Dante level, I was caught with it, fortunately with Headshot it did some decent damage. I was tipped about possibly using Headshot (with rail rifle) in Fireangel runs on Discord, in regards to fighting bots specifically, as I seem to always have SoG 2 on my Fireangel runs one way or another. Other suggestion was Grenadier, might also work since, in experience, Fireangel tend to be a little dry on used ammo types in IO, unless you go to levels with CRI and cells is your main damage source I guess.
Firestorm, picked on CCB final "rewards" (and ammo attrition) level, really helped me feel more confident about ammo situation, so I could take Hoarder after SoG 2, and Scavenger after Headshot 1. I screwed up on Mephitic Mines and forgot to take Mephitic Taint, either didn't walk through the crowd OR it may not have been spawn, as when I rerouted gas on Mephitic L1, nothing happened, the gas stayed (I rerouted after visiting Strongroom). Also, Exalted curse on Mephitic L3 made situation easier for me, as there has been less enemies, some suffered from gas, they dropped health, and generally shotgun took care of them as quickly as the normal enemies (and exalted medusas I think can't spawn this early on UV). Not to say that both Mephitic L3 and IO L6 had health station (it even affected my choices of which health items to take, that is, I used large medkit at the end of Mephitic L3 before going to IO l6, and kept small medkits. On the next level, was able to use station for healing twice, and procuring a large medkit).
Final boss fight was tricky just like fighting the Ancient, or even trickier still because in final boss fight, I have used up both ancient salves I got from Dante Inferno's medical station (with Sysop 2, 1 full heal + 2 ancient salves), 1 large medkit that I picked up at that level, some more healing items (stimpacks?). I was fighting it in the open again ("thanks" that those remaining pillars are destructible) and always bordered near death. If I did not take so much health increases (and mind you, I went to Dante with a lot of healing items, though a lot bled at Dante Inferno), I would not have survived, if third phase didn't fly away from me out of sight, I would not have survived, etc. And that is after all the luck: the acid dreams relic, the attunements, everything. Really, after masteries that attack on the run and/or dodge well, or games where you can stealth, or at least have damage reduction (Entrenchment), you forget how to fight Ancient, how to fight final boss. So if you struggle at winning with Fireangel, know that you are not alone: this loadout is perfect, I think, really insane luck and yet still borders on death.
Vigilant, level 18 Technician,
defeated the Harbinger against all odds.
He survived for 22091 turns.
The run time was 3h 0m 11s.
World seed was 84529.
He scored 7882 points.
He was ULTRAVIOLENT!
CALLISTO L3 - Low Power
Callisto Hub -> Callisto Rift L1
Callisto Rift L2 -> The Rift
The Rift - Cleared!
EUROPA L2 - Low Power
EUROPA L2 -> Conamara Chaos Biolabs L1
Conamara Chaos Biolabs L3 - Secure Vault
Conamara Chaos Biolabs L3 -> Containment Area
Containment Area - Cleared!
Containment Area - found Firestorm
IO L2 - Secure Vault
IO L2 -> Mephitic Mines L1
Mephitic Mines L3 - Exalted Curse
Mephitic Mines L3 -> Noxious Hollow
Noxious Hollow - Cleared!
Dante Inferno - Cleared!
Dante Inferno - found Avalanche
Dante Inferno - found Death
Dante Station L3 - Exalted Summons
Awards
Medal of Prejudice (+200)
* Won with 100% kills
CRI Star (bronze cluster) (+50)
* 25+ kills without taking damage
Conqueror Ribbon (+200)
* Completed all encountered special levels
He killed 905 out of 905 enemies.
60 former grunts 7 security sentries
15 corrupted grunts 6 military sentries
1 former CRI grunt 7 CalSec bots
12 former grenadiers 8 security bots
4 corrupted grenadiers 2 military bots
10 former soldiers 22 reavers
18 corrupted soldiers 24 cryoreavers
15 former CRI soldiers 36 toxic reavers
9 former sergeants 23 archreavers
5 corrupted sergeants 13 kerberi
2 former CRI sergeants 8 cyberi
1 CRI sergeant 16 cryoberi
22 former guards 3 toxiberi
4 corrupted guards 24 medusae
2 CRI guards 14 archmedusae
2 former commandoes 30 ravagers
23 corrupted commandoes 7 armored ravagers
4 former CRI commandoes 17 plasma ravagers
3 corrupted heavies 31 CRI marines
2 CRI heavies 10 CRI bots
8 fanatics 12 guardians
16 security drones 5 frost guardians
3 combat drones 3 sentinels
100fiends 9 warlocks
56 fire fiends 16 archwarlocks
43 ice fiends 4 watchers
20 toxic fiends 4 cryowatchers
12 CalSec sentries 2 pyrowatchers
Traits
Whizkid L3
Cover Master L1
Son of a Gun L2
Sustained fire L2
Hoarder L1
Headshot L3
Scavenger L1
Sysop L2
FIREANGEL L2
Trait order
Cov->SF->Whk->Sys->MFA->Sys->Whk->SoG->
MFA->Whk->SoG->Hor->Hsh->Scv->Hsh->Hsh->
SF
Equipment
Slot #1 : IDR rail rifle BA2
* Balanced 1
* Critical 25
* Efficient
* Io Defence Reserve
* Scope
Slot #2 : AV1 12ga shotgun +HB2A
* Hallowed
* Second chamber
* Calibrated 1
* Autoloader
* Auto-calibrated
* Critical 40
* Slowdown
Slot #3 : Firestorm
Slot #4 : IDR EMP rifle HBA
* Hallowed
* Critical 25
* Swap Harness
* Io Defence Reserve
* Rush 10
* Advanced EMP
Body : JS basic armor B3A2
* Swift
* Metabolic boost
* Padded
* Loading feed
* Durable
* JoviSec
Head : JS basic helmet P2B2A
* Health Monitor
* Crit Enhancer 25
* Plated
* Long-range tracking
* Durable
* JoviSec
Utility : AV2 shotgun AMP
* Shotgun shred capacitor
* Shotgun spread control
Relic : archreaver's claw
* Acid dreams
Permanents
Medusa's Curse
Exalted Essence Attunement
Fire Essence Attunement
Blood Essence Attunement
Pain Essence Attunement
Rift Attunement
Inventory
energy cell (x100)
energy cell (x100)
energy cell (x100)
12ga shell (x47)
multitool (x5)
stimpack (x1)
Author
Topic: [1.8h|U|Te|YAAM] This run was Fireangel's dream, but sure was still tense (Read 52 times)