City of Skulls: All the Nails my Coffin Will Ever Need

[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?