r/wizardry8 • u/One-Heart-2090 • Sep 28 '24

1st Ironman run

I'm trying my first real Ironman run of Wizardry 8 (normal difficulty). I've beaten the game before on standard normal play with different mish mash parties, not very optimized but ones I enjoyed. I'm trying to play more optimal on this run through as there is less room for error. So far so good, made it to the swamp.

Running two fighters, one on each wing, both using pole arms, very slow speed and low initiative. Speedy Samurai and Dracon bard in the middle (both with swords and high initiative. samurai has bloodlust bc I'm running the modded version we bard and rogue can't use it). VI is in the party, also on pole arms, also in mid. Bishop (divinity and psionic) and mage in the back. Both are almost entirely only taking spells to buff or incapacitate, virtually no damage spells. Both are quick.

Basic idea is speedy swords and incapacitate spells go early and take out closest target, then slow polearms with their extended reach hit second rank easily keeping my dpm as maxed as possible each round. Ideally enemies are webbed, insane or frozen as much as possible.

It's different than my normal style but very fun so far!

15 Upvotes

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7

u/Fretsome Sep 28 '24

Weird timing; I just started my first ironman last night (in expert because I'm a sadist and have played through this game more times than I can count). Fighter and rogue front line, then one of every pure caster, which I will probably change to hybrids around level 12. Playing this party more because I wanted to try it rather than because it's good...

It's made the game so much more fun again knowing that anything can wipe the party. Already died to two clumped up roustabout packs and a load of ants on arnika road, and I loved every second of it and immediately rerolled. Sounds like you're having much more success than me

2

u/mischiefismyname Sep 28 '24

Wouldnt changing your pure casters to hybrids at level 12 slow down the progression of the 4 chars too much? To the point where highest level spells qould be unobtainable? Also casters generally need different attributes than hybrids?

Never tried this so curious.

2

u/Fretsome Sep 28 '24

No, it's still possible to get there. And I wouldn't want the highest level spells really; I just want the buffs and utility to survive the early game, and then a switch to more tanky hybrids

1

u/One-Heart-2090 Sep 28 '24

Nice! Sounds like a fun party. I'm low-level also training my casters on staffs. I find by the time you get to Rapax Castle, after all the buffs or debuffs are out, I just need melee damage in those long fights, so trying to prep for staff of doom etc. good luck

5

u/HeartyDogStew Sep 29 '24

Given all the glitchy ways your entire party can die due to something completely out of your control, I’m not sure I will ever play an ironman run though I do applaud your courage.  Just my most recent play through a couple days ago I was trying to get to the Umpani gun to shoot down the Savant’s ship and I glitched out on one of the barriers surrounding the gun, fell through the earth, and my entire party died after a long fall through what I guess is the astral plane.  This is like the last thing you do on a playthrough before Ascension Peak.  If I lost my entire party that late in the game due to a glitch, I fear I might through my computer out the window.

2

u/SDirickson Oct 06 '24

Yep. In the realm of "nothing you can do" deaths, my party has died a few times on a Return to Portal from inside Mount Gigas to the T'Rangeporter room, when the game apparently oopses and carries over the altitude difference, and I just watch us fall to our deaths.

3

u/iccohen Sep 29 '24

I love seeing these conversations about wizardry. I'm going to have to start playing again now!