{Possible Spoilers} SoD on Insane/LoB {Solo}

Icecreamtub

Who has beaten SoD on Insane/LoB with a Solo?

I'm hearing that the last boss fight is extremely difficult and there's an alleged lack of resources on guiding a player through the fight.

What Solo did you use? What was your strategy? Etc etc.

Thanks and see you guys around!

-Cinnamon

semiticgoddess

There's a great deal of information on the solo LoB thread. @histamiini and @Harpagornis have both beaten SoD with a couple of different characters.

Much of the strategy depending on either Potions of Invisibility, which only Hephernaan and Belhifet (not any of the other demons) can see through, or on Potions of Power. With a solid +3 weapon, lots of THAC0-boosting items, and Single Weapon Style, it's possible to use hit-and-run tactics on Belhifet and gradually grind him down. Combining the Enchanted Weapon spell with the Martyr's Morningstar (or just the morningstar, if you're not playing with the most recent update) is another great way to bring him down. Alternatively, you can use Potions of Power stacking to crank your HP up into the hundreds, tank Belhifet and everyone else at full visibility, and use Durlag's Goblet (which can be recharged to its full 20 charges by selling it to a merchant and buying it back, if you've already used it previously) while protected by immunity to fear, which can come from Kiel's Helmet (the best option, but which can't be used alongside the Helm of Balduran), Chaotic Commands (which will probably last the whole fight), a Potion of Clarity (which might not last the whole fight), or some other scattered ways to achieve immunity to fear. Note that Potions of Magic Shielding may be necessary to block the Absorb Health spell from the Cornugons (other players have gotten immunity by stacking Potions of Magic Resistance, but in my install, Absorb Health bypassed MR).

I beat it with an Archer(8)/Mage dual-class, courtesy of a custom kit mod (which was actually identical to the Marksman kit from Scales of Balance or maybe Might and Guile, and the Generic Archer kit from Tactics). I died here, then succeeded in a three-post fight here, here, and here.

Since my character didn't have any pips in Single Weapon Style, since it was a fighter kit that didn't get to choose Demon as a racial enemy for a +4 to hit and damage against Belhifet, and since it was a quick run that didn't involve collecting dozens of spare Potions of Invisibility, I had to resort to a variant of the Potions of Power trick: rather than fighting Belhifet in melee, I used Invisibility to lure a crowd of enemies into a corner to willingly box in my character, keeping Belhifet out using a wall of other enemies. I would then use Arrows of Detonation at point-blank range to clear the field of enemies (with auto-pause on hit to make sure I always had enough time to drink from Durlag's Goblet), giving me enough room to kite Belhifet with Enchanted Weapon-boosted Acid Arrows and Arrows +3 and the Wand of Monster Summoning until he summoned enough critters to crowd up the field and prevent me from kiting.

Icecreamtub

As always you're a true gift to mankind, @semiticgod !

Thank you so much for all the information, personal touches & links. I'll be sure to pass them on, thank you so much!

semiticgoddess

I am, aren't I?

Icecreamtub

You are! SemiticGoodBoy!

I always love reading your posts, they're like, an elongated variant of short & sweet! So... Long & Sweet? I dunno... They're fun!