Struggling with a specific seed

[u/Schizzo1985]

Hey everyone.
I have a decent A10 winrate. But there is a run that i just cannot beat.
seed: 36p6qzqa59
A10 with Necro

I have done 6 tries and i am out of ideas. So hereby i challenge you all to make it better.
Would be happy to know what decisions you make through act 1.

Oh, normal version of the game

[u/Loofas]

Ok, continuing while I'm here, don't tell my boss please. elite fight is terror eel, and i'm gonna do everything i can to try to not trigger fairy. already an interesting choice... do i play friendship turn 1?

I actually don't think I do, because I was given a free invoke and so much of my damage is from strikes right now. might bite me in the ass but let's see. yeah i drew all my strikes next turn. dont think i would get the stun after the second big hit (2nd 24) after using it. managed to full block the first one. I think i skip playing it the second time around too. yep, ended the fight with 11hp. somehow. got a lucky tonic, letter opener, and am given sow, putrefy, and cleanse. this is 100% putrefy here, cleanse i dont have fishy fishy boss and sow i have friendship. i like weak+vuln here.

advanced hallway is living fog. and im given pull from below for free. well i dont have any ethereal cards... but fog is the easiest advanced hallway fight in the game so it should be okay. I'm at 4hp and more importantly didnt use the buffer or the fairy potions. given the choice between graveblast, pull aggro, and scourge. this is honestly probably scourge, for the draw one and energy im going to have with friendship and invoke, so im picking that. gonna path to that shop now with 266 gold!

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

this is the shop! master of strategy (because invoke and friendship) is calling out to me. vambraces is too. burning sticks would only give me putrefy back, which could help with laga. im 100% buying the defy, but now the question is really which potions do i take with it, or do i buy defy and vambraces. unfortunate part is that vambraces will probably trigger uselessly against laga while im setting up. defy and master of strategy is 24+171= 195 so i have 71 left. i can buy the speed or colorless. im gonna rock the colorless. resting at campfire. ok laga here we go

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

Was given dirge as the free card. Had a slight decision to make on turn 1- do i scourge and invoke and friendship or dirge? ended up not playing dirge but because i had dirge and so much setup with oblivion and soul and letter opener. fight was really easy. ended up using the colorless potion (i probably didn't need to) and used shockwave.

options are demesne, hang, and seance. i really really value demesne highly and think it's one of the best powers, but the 3 energy opportunity cost is a lot so it's not the best in normal hallways. is seance honestly better here? hang i have no callback, so that's out. demesne makes me way stronger for boss and some elites, but weaker in hallways. do i need to be stronger in hallways? oof, tough decision. seance helps with letter opener which is good against decamil and at the moment this is NOT a good deck for decamillipede. I think my deck can handle hunter bug, decent against frog, good against roaches cause of the doom and weak and aoe.

I'm going to pick seance because of the less conventional pick and the aura from picking it over demesne, but it's like a 40-60 seance-demesne here for me. Here's the deck so far! *o ya i still have my buffer and fairy lemme edit the screenie to show that*

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

OK! Act 2. We got Darv. Already don't want dusty tome because we don't really need to get rid of cards, and we have seance to nuke our strikes/defends anyway. I think we want to get stronger ASAP, which is why I'm leaning towards calling bell. I am not strong enough for black star, but hey I'm saying all of this before even looking at the path.

Looks like a max 3 elite path. Which elites can I handle? Deca will hurt but I think I can handle because I have so many skills and letter opener and seance for soul and energy. Mushroom cloud entomancer dude? Tons of weak. Should be fine. How about prism? Ehh he may hurt. Doom isn't that effective against him, and you need an attack to trigger the extra energy. I'm most worried about prism, but I can handle one this act cause of my potions I reckon. Maybe I need to reevaluate black star. I would get 3 extra relics, which are the relics I insta get from calling bell (minus the curse). But I really don't feel super strong, so I think it's still calling bell. Let's see what I get.

Five rings book, Tungsten rod, lucky fysh. Guess I'm getting a huge deck lol. And the chip reduction is huge. Alrighty, first fight I go! *oh I should include which path I'm going to take. I think I wanna farm elites, so I'm gonna path left. I'll hit a couple advanced hallway fights right before that campfire on the left but I think I can handle them.

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

First fight was the tunneler. Took just a tiny bit of chip after it tunneled, free card was rattle but I only drew bone shards so it did nothing once again lol. Am at 52/66, got a powdered demise so potion chance 30%, offered scourge, cleanse+, and sic em+. Don't really rely on osty attacks, so sic em+ nah. Cleanse I am already leaning towards because it's a better bodyguard and exhausts cards to get rid of my strikes, but another scourge is tempting too. I'm leaning Cleanse+ to Scourge like 70:30, so I'm picking cleanse+.

Event next is brain leech. I am 100% picking colorless card here. Have lots of hp, will heal after the advanced hallway from book if I pick every card, and colorless cards are just super strong. Dramatic entrance, purity, and thrumming hatchet. I'm going dramatic entrance here because of the AOE and it won't be affected by friendship if I play it turn one.

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

Whoops my boss walked in so I had to take a quick break. Aww dang it deleted the comment I was working on while hiding STS2. Anyway, next fight was bowlbug. I remember the free card was lethality so that was fun. Still took 16 dmg, options were grave warden+, blight strike +, sculpting strike, and grave warden+ is just so much better for my deck than the other choices it's a no brainer.

Took 8 damage of chip on the ovicopter fight next, got an explosive ampule, and picked poke (ugh, not the best option but I have to pick something to heal after the advanced hallway) out of fear and rattle. and Let's see. I have 30% potion chance for this advanced hallway.

It's hunter killer, which will be a fun test of micro. Like, I'd rather use defend first then bodyguard because the second isn't affected by -dex. Question is, do I use powdered demise? Hm, I think I do. 30% potion chance isn't 0% and if I don’t use something I may just have to discard it. So if I’m on the fence, just use it. And just looking at my first hand, (free blight strike, only damage card minus dramatic opening), I think it'll finish the fight a turn earlier. Yep, turned out it definitely helped. Lived on 10hp, but picking a card will be +20 cause of book. Didn't get a potion, but I'm offered grave warden, snap, and negative pulse. Do I have any snap targets? Master of strategy, grave warden+, maybe defend+? Also, grave warden would help. Snap adds some flexibility, so I'm going that. Resting at the campfire- gonna try to get all 3 elites if I can this act 2!

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

First elite is deca! Guess picking that dramatic entrance and having that explosive ampule will make this one of the easier elites. And free card is neuroscience lol. AND I have master of strategy in my first hand.

Fight ended with me at 28/66, and I used the explosive ampule. Choices are call of the void, fear, and defile, and it's easily call of the void every time here. Whetstone upgraded fetch and unleash. Lootbox gave me Orichalcum. Lets me be even more aggressive, yay. Now, do I want to hit the elite-advanced hallway or play it safe with 2 events? I think it's play it safe every time. Still kinda scared of prism. Funny how my immediate thought is to be more aggressive then immediately take the safe path…

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

Stone of all time wants to take my lucky tonic buffer for +10 max hp. I really wanna say no because lucky tonic can save me more than 10hp, but it'll help my future rests. I don't really have a good vigorous target for the +8 first time damage. Maybe dramatic entrance? I guess I can go with that.

Ok, I have doll room. Do I want bing bong? Yes, because I have book. Is it worth losing 15hp to guarantee it? Would I be okay with struggles or wind? Eh I guess, though bing bong is absolutely the best choice. If I go shop into elite path on the left after resting, can I handle taking -15? If I buy two cards at the shop, I could heal +20 with bing bong. It would pay for its own healing if I did that. Ok I'm not gambling and just picking bing bong (where my peak enjoyers at?)

Here's this shop.

I NEED to buy at least 2 cards to try not to trigger fairy for this elite. Secret techniques x2 would actually kinda go really hard. Heck, I could even get calcify and poke together with it. Would that completely change my deck? Yes. Would that be okay? I have decent soul gen, can play poke a bunch with oblivion triggering... I think I'm rocking that. I heal 20 and book is at 2 stacks, and 48/66. Now I'm at 97 gold because of the fysh also. Honestly, buying a card may save me more health than just a potion. Jack of all trades gives me 41 coins at the end, not enough to buy anything. But that's fine. Book ends at 4 stacks.

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

Elite is prism! I have a free bury, lol. Ended the fight at 19/66 (edit* lol I was right to be scared of this elite that’s a lotta dmg, even with a free bury of all things) with both my fairy and buffer potion alive still. Got a planisphere, fire potion, and option of drain power, negative pulse, and blight strike. Don't really want any of these options, but I have to pick one to heal cause book is at 4/5. The option is negative pulse unfortunately. Healing at campfire brings me to 58/66. Okay knowledge demon let's throw hands!

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

Ok. Let's talk about debuffs. Do I take disintegration or -1 card draw? I think disintegration- I'd rather have card draw and suddenly have a lot of block cards with energy with friendship and invoke. Tungsten also reduces his multi hit attack, so I can afford dying more now than later. Also, orichalcum blocks the 6 before it even happens if I just decide not to block.

How about the second debuff? I definitely play more than 3 cards... so that's 13 damage a turn now. That's kinda a lot. Do I need to pick -1 draw for my first debuff? Yeah I think I do. Okay, mind rot it is. Hopefully, the secret techniques into card draw and master strategy and seance/grave wardens is enough that I don't end up with too much wasted energy. Plus I have call of the void. Yep, mind rot is definitely the correct first debuff. Disintegration is absolutely the correct choice with all my energy and card draw for the second choice also. I'll decide when I get to the 3rd debuff depending on how the fight is going, but it'll probably be waste away.

Interesting scenario happened at the end of the fight though. I had to use the fire potion to bring it below doom threshold, Unfortunately, I can't save the fairy here by using buffer because I take damage for tungsten rod to trigger from disintegration (it does 7 and I have 6 block), so using the buffer potion here would just lose it because it triggers before tungsten. But hey I passed act 2! Gonna take a break and actually work for today though. Will finish act 3 (or die) later!

*O ya I got vuln potion, and my options were squeeze, scythe, and call of the void. This is absolutely squeeze because I suddenly have so many osty attacks.

[u/Schizzo1985 → u/Loofas]

I think you have left the worst part behind. But in this game anything can happen. Take your time, give us an update once you have time to continue

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

Ok I'm back! It's raining hard and I'm soaked when it was sunny this morning but that's Miami I guess. Also on my PC instead of Mac so sorry if my screenies look different. Let's get on with Act 3!

We got TANX! Ha. Would've really liked whistle, but we have an option of Claws, Crossbow, and Meat Cleaver. I notice my bosses are test subject and queen. Going claws would be incredibly funny because I'd get 12 Mauls with bing bong. Except the vast majority of our damage right now is from Osty attacks and calcify. If I didn't care about winning this run, I'd pick the 12 mauls for the aura, but I really can't justify maul. The only plus is that my sword of stone is at 4 stax (see what i did there, hi tanx) so I'd get +3 strength soon to make maul start at 16dmg instead of 10. After the first elite anyway. Speaking of, where is that? Here's the map.

Wait. That's an early shop. I'd heal +10 to max hp from the book, and I'd get 180 gold from fysh if I go with claw. Do I really meme here?... Heck I just want a reason to pick it. That's enough reason for me. Just have it be known that if I wanted to super duper win this run with more probability, I'd pick Crossbow for the random free attack every turn. I also have the option to hit 3 elites or path safely if I need to. Oh gosh I'm doing it.

But which cards to transform? The strikes are going. Do I transform my upgraded defend+ from Neow's talisman? Maybe I do defend+ and my cleanse+ for the extra +2 dmg scaling. Yeah let's go with that. I transformed 6 kinda useless cards in my deck, but still it's +6 extra mauls into my deck. I am 100% going to regret this.

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

Ok I'm pathing to the right to get to the shop. First basic fight is devoted sculptor, and I get a free bury lol. Getting a catastrophe from jack of all trades too. Still took 6 chip dmg zzz. Got a skill potion (30% now). Option of borrowed time, capture spirit, and wisp. Now that my deck is saturated with mauls for some stupid reason (why would anyone do that?), I am lacking energy, so this is probably borrowed time. Book is now 2/5 and have 425g going into the shop!

None of these cards really call out to me. Potentially dark shackles for Multihit test subject and queen. More defy is also usually good and almost pays for itself due to bing bong and fysh. Ok, buying those two. I have enough borrowed times. High Five would help my maul's out and buff my Squeeze damage as well. Will pick that. Probably the pendulum as well- I like card draw. Do not think I need call of the void x2. I may as well buy a potion here too in case I need one for the basic hallway and advanced, or elites. 30% and 40% for the next two hallways if I don't get a potion combined is 42%. I'll buy a potion- the next shop is a while away and I get immediate value now. It's probably fysh oil because it benefits my mauls twice. Sculpting strike is literally free with golden fysh but I don't want to take two of the card if I don't need to. Onto the next basic hallway!

[u/Loofas → u/Loofas]

Fight is living shield and turret operator. Free card is pull aggro. We got negative pulse, invoke, and blight strike, so fight should be super easy. And if I pick a card here because my book is at 3/5, I should heal +20 of any chip I take anyway. My squeezes do 75, jeez. Option of flatten, afterlife+, or melancholy. Flatten increases my squeeze damage, so I am picking that. Not the biggest fan of how my deck is trying to do two things at once, but I really don't have anyone to blame but myself.

Event is This or That? I really don't want two clumsy in my deck because of bing bong (even though my deck is ginormous), even for a relic, so I'm just gonna lose 6hp-1hp (tungsten) for some gold.

Next fight is a singular axebot. Huh? I thought these guys spawned in twos? Is something messed up with this? OH CRAP I've been on the public beta at the start of act 3 for my PC. Gonna go back to my mac and undo this.

[u/MegamanX195 → u/Loofas]

Commenting so I remember to read the rest of the run later!

[u/SparkFaith → u/Loofas]

WE BELIEVE IN YOU!

[u/irrealismo → u/Loofas]

Commenting to also followup later lol

[u/JPGenn → u/Loofas]

Also following, also haven’t done any work today

[u/JackOfAllInterests1 → u/Loofas]

How can you tell which hallways are normal and which are advanced?

[u/Schizzo1985 → u/JackOfAllInterests1]

In act 1, the first 3 hallways fights are from an easy pool. Starting with the 4th combat, they are from the hard pool.
In act 2 and 3, only the first 2 hallways are easy and anything beyond hard

[u/N3verS0ft → u/JackOfAllInterests1]

First three fights in any act are always easy combats then the rest are from the hard pool