Solo Heart of Fury EL1 Ironman (SHEL1I) Runs - Every Single Class, and Comprehensive Guide!
iwdee_fmc_solo
Member Posts: 60
EDIT:
I have begun making individual threads for each of the separate classes in the interest of organization. Here are the links.
F/M/C: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88840/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-fighter-mage-cleric/p1?new=1
Undead Hunter: Coming Soon
Druid: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88841/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-druid/p1?new=1
Fighter/Druid: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88845/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-fighter-druid/p1?new=1
Barbarian: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88842/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-barbarian/p1?new=1
Archer: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88839/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-archer/p1?new=1
Sorcerer: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88843/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-sorcerer/p1?new=1
Thief: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88844/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-thief/p1?new=1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello everyone! I have just recently joined the forums here, but I have been playing Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate since I was a wee lad watching my dad play through the games. Now, as an adult with master's degree in engineering and a career as a programmer I have reconnected with them.
I became fascinated by the concept of a solo HoF Ironman run that starts from Experience Level (EL) 1 over a decade ago, and at the time came across an old series of YouTube videos featuring an Evil Cleric that completed the challenge using Sanctuary and Blade Barrier.
On my own I have completed solo, non-Ironman, runs with an F/M/T (non-HoF), an F/M/C (HoF), a Sorceror (BG2:SoA), and Ironman runs of the Age of Wonders (Evil Route) and Age of Wonders II campaigns so while I have never completed a solo, HoF, EL1, Ironman, I know what goes into one. I sadly do not have a record of any of these runs as it was before I became interested in doing so.
Recently, I've begun writing a comprehensive guide that details the route through a solo HoF EL1 Ironman (is there a better acronym for this, haha) for every single class and kit in the game. As part of this project, I will naturally be playing through this challenge with every single class and kit in the game.
I'm hoping to use this thread to keep in touch with the community while the guide, and the runs, progresses. I know that there are fellow players here who have been playing for as long, or longer than I have, and who have greater knowledge and skill than I do about all the different paths one can take while fighting their way through the Dale. I am VERY much interested in learning from everyone what strategies and tactics they have found success with implementing.
Lastly, and I hope the purists will not disdain me too hard for it, but there are two things I must note about these runs:
(1) Double quest XP is on
(2) Rolls are done via console + subtraction
The reasoning for (1) is that an EL1, solo, HoF, Ironman is already enough of a challenge. In order to proceed smoothly through the run with minimal amounts of cheesy, time-consuming tedium like kiting massive groups one-by-one, it is necessary for some classes to hit specific XP benchmarks at certain times.
For example, the Druid must have EL7 after full-clearing the initial Easthaven quests in order to head into the Orc Cave and Goblin Pass with Animal Summoning I. Otherwise, they will need to either flee from encounters, or one-by-one kite their way through them until they acquire enough XP to begin summoning their army of wild animals.
Time economy is the reasoning for (2). I simply do not have the time to sit around waiting for a 93 so that I can play a Fighter/Mage/Cleric that doesn't take an hour to kill some Beetles in a tavern cellar. I would use an autoroller, but I am on Linux Ubuntu, and frankly I cannot find one that I can make work. I would rather just activate the console, and then subtract a reasonable amount of points.
Yes, it is not as great an expression of skill as running with the first roll that you see, but it is more fun for me to play this way and from a scientific perspective, I also like that it gives a study of how the strongest possible version of a class will do.
With that out of the way, I'd love to post the current Ironman runs that I've got going, and how they are
The first is Arathi, an EL6 Elven Archer who managed to full-clear Easthaven (except for Gaspar), and survive the Wolf Valley in order to report to Hrothgar the status of the caravan. She nearly died killing the Goblin Bridge to get Damien his fish back. After getting entangled due to a desync between the sprite and hurtbox, a goblin narrowly missed her just in time for her to escape and run to Tempus for healing.
Flail / Morning-Star = 1*
Longbow = 4*
Two-Weapon Style = 3*
The second is Bodhi, a 6/6/6 Half-Elf F/M/C with perfect stats
who has just finished clearing out the Orc Cave with an army of undead. She nearly died as well after I left her afk, wailing on an orc that I thought was distracted by her undead army. I returned just in time to save her one hit away from death, and also found a magical belt that blesses her 
Flail / Morning-Star = 2*
Sling = 2*
Two-Weapon Style = 2*
We also have Grunselda, an EL6 Half-Orc Barbarian who has just finished full-clearing Easthaven, and is getting ready to brave the Wolf Valley in order to advance the plot. Of course, she will first see if she can take one of the wolves, and potentially all of them, down (she probably can't
)
Flail / Morning-Star = 2*
Longbow = 2*
Two-Weapon Style = 2*
Next, we have Erethan, an EL4 Elven Sorcerer who spent over an hour killing some Beetles with a sling, and is next going to kill a bunch of Goblins and a Wolf gradually with Magic Missile.
Sling = 1*
1: Find Familiar / Magic Missile / Charm Person
2: Invisibility
I have begun making individual threads for each of the separate classes in the interest of organization. Here are the links.
F/M/C: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88840/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-fighter-mage-cleric/p1?new=1
Undead Hunter: Coming Soon
Druid: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88841/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-druid/p1?new=1
Fighter/Druid: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88845/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-fighter-druid/p1?new=1
Barbarian: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88842/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-barbarian/p1?new=1
Archer: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88839/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-archer/p1?new=1
Sorcerer: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88843/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-sorcerer/p1?new=1
Thief: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88844/solo-hof-el1-ironman-runs-thief/p1?new=1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello everyone! I have just recently joined the forums here, but I have been playing Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate since I was a wee lad watching my dad play through the games. Now, as an adult with master's degree in engineering and a career as a programmer I have reconnected with them.
I became fascinated by the concept of a solo HoF Ironman run that starts from Experience Level (EL) 1 over a decade ago, and at the time came across an old series of YouTube videos featuring an Evil Cleric that completed the challenge using Sanctuary and Blade Barrier.
On my own I have completed solo, non-Ironman, runs with an F/M/T (non-HoF), an F/M/C (HoF), a Sorceror (BG2:SoA), and Ironman runs of the Age of Wonders (Evil Route) and Age of Wonders II campaigns so while I have never completed a solo, HoF, EL1, Ironman, I know what goes into one. I sadly do not have a record of any of these runs as it was before I became interested in doing so.
Recently, I've begun writing a comprehensive guide that details the route through a solo HoF EL1 Ironman (is there a better acronym for this, haha) for every single class and kit in the game. As part of this project, I will naturally be playing through this challenge with every single class and kit in the game.
I'm hoping to use this thread to keep in touch with the community while the guide, and the runs, progresses. I know that there are fellow players here who have been playing for as long, or longer than I have, and who have greater knowledge and skill than I do about all the different paths one can take while fighting their way through the Dale. I am VERY much interested in learning from everyone what strategies and tactics they have found success with implementing.
Lastly, and I hope the purists will not disdain me too hard for it, but there are two things I must note about these runs:
(1) Double quest XP is on
(2) Rolls are done via console + subtraction
The reasoning for (1) is that an EL1, solo, HoF, Ironman is already enough of a challenge. In order to proceed smoothly through the run with minimal amounts of cheesy, time-consuming tedium like kiting massive groups one-by-one, it is necessary for some classes to hit specific XP benchmarks at certain times.
For example, the Druid must have EL7 after full-clearing the initial Easthaven quests in order to head into the Orc Cave and Goblin Pass with Animal Summoning I. Otherwise, they will need to either flee from encounters, or one-by-one kite their way through them until they acquire enough XP to begin summoning their army of wild animals.
Time economy is the reasoning for (2). I simply do not have the time to sit around waiting for a 93 so that I can play a Fighter/Mage/Cleric that doesn't take an hour to kill some Beetles in a tavern cellar. I would use an autoroller, but I am on Linux Ubuntu, and frankly I cannot find one that I can make work. I would rather just activate the console, and then subtract a reasonable amount of points.
Yes, it is not as great an expression of skill as running with the first roll that you see, but it is more fun for me to play this way and from a scientific perspective, I also like that it gives a study of how the strongest possible version of a class will do.
With that out of the way, I'd love to post the current Ironman runs that I've got going, and how they are
The first is Arathi, an EL6 Elven Archer who managed to full-clear Easthaven (except for Gaspar), and survive the Wolf Valley in order to report to Hrothgar the status of the caravan. She nearly died killing the Goblin Bridge to get Damien his fish back. After getting entangled due to a desync between the sprite and hurtbox, a goblin narrowly missed her just in time for her to escape and run to Tempus for healing.
Flail / Morning-Star = 1*
Longbow = 4*
Two-Weapon Style = 3*
The second is Bodhi, a 6/6/6 Half-Elf F/M/C with perfect stats
who has just finished clearing out the Orc Cave with an army of undead. She nearly died as well after I left her afk, wailing on an orc that I thought was distracted by her undead army. I returned just in time to save her one hit away from death, and also found a magical belt that blesses her Flail / Morning-Star = 2*
Sling = 2*
Two-Weapon Style = 2*
We also have Grunselda, an EL6 Half-Orc Barbarian who has just finished full-clearing Easthaven, and is getting ready to brave the Wolf Valley in order to advance the plot. Of course, she will first see if she can take one of the wolves, and potentially all of them, down (she probably can't
)Flail / Morning-Star = 2*
Longbow = 2*
Two-Weapon Style = 2*
Next, we have Erethan, an EL4 Elven Sorcerer who spent over an hour killing some Beetles with a sling, and is next going to kill a bunch of Goblins and a Wolf gradually with Magic Missile.
Sling = 1*
1: Find Familiar / Magic Missile / Charm Person
2: Invisibility
Post edited by iwdee_fmc_solo on
0
Comments
For Mages and Sorcerers, I'd suggest to use the Chromatic Orb, it's highly effective starting from level 4-5. 🪩
Here i the link to my current HoF run with a pure melee fighter ⚔️ :
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88061/solo-hof-from-scratch-melee-fighter
I have also a HoF game with a solo Bounty Hunter 🪙:
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/87754/developing-a-dual-classed-bounty-hunter29-fighter30
This is a 106 roll?
No, it's a ctrl+8 with the console activated
Yes, it's not as great an expression of skill but that's okay with me because I'm more interested in writing a comprehensive guide on the route
I also highly recommend the staff proficiency with two handed weapon style for non-warriors (and non-arcane, who can’t get weapon styles). Otherwise, the time spent killing beetles is truly insane. It’s also handy for a summoner to have a two handed weapon to attack with from relative safety, and mitigates ammo supply issues somewhat.
Sorcerer doesn't need WIS=18. It seems that WIS penalties for saving throws are not implemented, so even WIS=3 would be okay. 👈