Orcish Mines - Revision history

Hordes: /* Strategy */

2025-11-23T08:00:47Z

‎Strategy

Regret-index: versions update, with the few monster changes noted down

2024-10-23T06:19:38Z

versions update, with the few monster changes noted down

Hordes at 02:48, 4 March 2024

2024-03-04T02:48:37Z

Hordes: /* Strategy */ fix link

2023-09-15T18:40:14Z

‎Strategy: fix link

Hordes: format stuff

2023-09-15T18:33:50Z

format stuff

Hordes: +branches template

2023-09-07T00:34:18Z

+branches template

Hordes: /* Useful Info */

2023-08-09T23:14:24Z

‎Useful Info

Hordes at 23:13, 9 August 2023

2023-08-09T23:13:15Z

Hordes: update layout/useful info

2023-08-09T23:10:58Z

update layout/useful info

Ge0ff: it looks up to date, so bump version

2023-05-11T20:51:07Z

it looks up to date, so bump version

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 ==Strategy==
-While plain [[orc]]s and [[orc warrior]]s shouldn't be a big threat for those encountering the Orcish Mines, it's still a moderately difficult branch. [[The Lair]] is widely considered to be easier. After all, Orc can rarely contain serious [[out of depth]] threats like [[ettin]]s and [[stone giant]]s, while swarms of orcs can be hard to deal with due to the layout's splitting apart each stair.
+While plain [[orc]]s and [[orc warrior]]s shouldn't be a big threat for those encountering the Orcish Mines, it's still a moderately difficult branch. [[The Lair]] is widely considered to be easier; Orc often has paralysing [[orc sorcerer]]s, can rarely contain serious [[out of depth]] threats like [[ettin]]s and [[stone giant]]s, and swarms are harder to deal with.
 The Orcish Mines are worth clearing eventually - usually after Lair. While it isn't mandatory, the gold, guaranteed shops, XP, and access to [[Elven Halls]] make it worth it. The shops aren't guaranteed to be useful, but there's a good chance that you'll find something nice to buy.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{version030}}
+{{version032}}
 {{flavour|The Orcish Mines are filled with the cave orcs native to the Dungeon, their humanoid labourers, and piles of freshly mined gold. Enterprising merchants have set up trading posts to help relieve the orcs of the latter.
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 Orc:2 features an end [[vault]], often with organized buildings. These layouts can vary greatly (as can their difficulty), ranging from a handful of scattered rooms, to one huge room dominating much of the level, to an entire fortified compound housing [[Saint Roka]] and a throng of followers.
-Orc:2's end vault guarantees 4 [[shop]]s. Additional shops may spawn through random level generation.
+Orc:2's end vault guarantees 4 [[shop]]s (give or take [[mimic]]s). Additional shops may spawn through random level generation.
 ==Useful Info==
 It's easy to get surrounded in the Mines. You'll often encounter at least a few orcs upon entry, who will [[shout]] to alert nearby enemies. Use [[stair dancing]] to separate groups of orcs; even a crowd of [[orc warrior]]s and [[orc priest|priests]] can be a handful.
-Monster difficulty is variable. Most denizens are plain orcs, warriors, priests, and wizards. You'll also encounter [[orc sorcerer]]s, [[orc high priest]]s, [[orc knight]]s, and usually one or two [[orc warlord]]s. A few other monsters, such as [[list of ogres|ogres]] and [[stone giant]]s, can spawn. Since almost everything is armed, pay attention to weapon brands. There's a good chance to encounter orcs with [[electrocution]], [[distortion]], etc.
+Monster difficulty is variable. Most denizens are plain orcs, warriors, priests, and wizards. You'll also encounter [[kobold blastminer]]s, [[orc sorcerer]]s, [[orc high priest]]s, [[orc knight]]s, and usually one or two [[orc warlord]]s. A few other monsters, such as [[list of ogres|ogres]] and [[stone giant]]s, can spawn. Since almost everything is armed, pay attention to weapon brands. There's a good chance to encounter orcs with [[electrocution]], [[distortion]], etc.
 The mines typically contain 1000-3000 [[gold]], and a host of [[shop]]s on Orc:2. You'll also find plenty of equipment from the orcs themselves, so there's a good chance to find [[brand]]ed gear. Melee orcs carry plate armour and heavy weaponry, while you'll find plenty of [[robe]]s from the mages.
 ==Strategy==
-While plain [[orc]]s and [[orc warrior]]s shouldn't be a big threat for those encountering the Orcish Mines, it's still a moderately difficult branch. [[The Lair]] is widely considered to be easier. After all, Orc can contain serious [[out of depth]] threats like [[ettin]]s and [[stone giant]]s, while swarms of orcs can be hard to deal with.
+While plain [[orc]]s and [[orc warrior]]s shouldn't be a big threat for those encountering the Orcish Mines, it's still a moderately difficult branch. [[The Lair]] is widely considered to be easier. After all, Orc can rarely contain serious [[out of depth]] threats like [[ettin]]s and [[stone giant]]s, while swarms of orcs can be hard to deal with due to the layout's splitting apart each stair.
 The Orcish Mines are worth clearing eventually - usually after Lair. While it isn't mandatory, the gold, guaranteed shops, XP, and access to [[Elven Halls]] make it worth it. The shops aren't guaranteed to be useful, but there's a good chance that you'll find something nice to buy.
-Some characters, namely [[Venom Mage]]s (Orc has less poison-resistant monsters than Lair), may want to dip into Orc "early".
+Some characters, namely [[Alchemist]]s (as Orc has less poison-resistant monsters than Lair), may want to dip into Orc "early", though they will need something beyond their starting book to deal with [[obsidian bat]]s.
 ===Useful Traits===
@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 | {{monsterlink|Orc knight}} || {{monsterlink|Orc sorcerer}}  || {{monsterlink|Orc high priest}} || {{monsterlink|Orc warlord}}
 |-
-| {{Yellow|g}} [[File:Gnoll (monster).png]] '''[[Gnoll (monster)|Gnoll]]''' || {{monsterlink|Gnoll shaman}} || {{monsterlink|Gnoll sergeant}} || {{monsterlink|Warg}}
+| {{monsterlink|Warg}} || {{monsterlink|Obsidian bat}} || {{monsterlink|Kobold blastminer}}
 |-
 | {{monsterlink|Troll (monster)}} || {{monsterlink|Deep troll}} || {{monsterlink|Iron troll}}
@@ Line 101: / Line 101: @@
 ==History==
 *Prior to [[0.18]], the Orcish Mines were four levels deep.
 *Prior to [[0.14]], the Orcish Mines' entrance was located on D:6-11.

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 Orc:2 features an end [[vault]], often with organized buildings. These layouts can vary greatly (as can their difficulty), ranging from a handful of scattered rooms, to one huge room dominating much of the level, to an entire fortified compound housing [[Saint Roka]] and a throng of followers.
-Orc:2's end vault always features 4 [[shop]]s. You can also find other shops via random level generation.
+Orc:2's end vault guarantees 4 [[shop]]s. Additional shops may spawn through random level generation.
 ==Useful Info==

@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 The Orcish Mines are worth clearing eventually - usually after Lair. While it isn't mandatory, the gold, guaranteed shops, XP, and access to [[Elven Halls]] make it worth it. The shops aren't guaranteed to be useful, but there's a good chance that you'll find something nice to buy.
-Some characters, namely [[Venom Mages]] (Orc has less poison-resistant monsters than Lair), may want to dip into Orc "early".
+Some characters, namely [[Venom Mage]]s (Orc has less poison-resistant monsters than Lair), may want to dip into Orc "early".
 ===Useful Traits===

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 The Orcish Mines are two floors deep and found between Dungeon:9-12. The entrance stairs are usually decorated with orcish idols and occasionally even [[altar]]s to [[Beogh]], and they are often guarded by a large group of orcs.
-Orc:1 is often made up of several disconnected open areas, which can be accessed by using the upstairs on Orc:2. Orc:2 itself features an end [[vault]], often with organized buildings. These layouts can vary greatly (as can their difficulty), ranging from a handful of scattered rooms, to one huge room dominating much of the level, to an entire fortified compound housing [[Saint Roka]] and a throng of followers.
+Orc:1 consists of very open, cavernous areas. Sometimes, these sections can be disconnected - you can access them by using the upstairs on Orc:2. The Mines are made almost entirely out of digging rock, so a [[wand of digging]] can make shortcuts or chokepoints. Expect almost no hallways aside from those you dig yourself.
-As the Mines are made almost entirely of rock, bringing a [[wand of digging]] allows you to create shortcuts between portions of a floor. Expect almost no hallways or chokepoints aside from those you dig yourself.
+===Orc:2===
 ==Useful Info==
@@ Line 22: / Line 25: @@
 Monster difficulty is variable. Most denizens are plain orcs, warriors, priests, and wizards. You'll also encounter [[orc sorcerer]]s, [[orc high priest]]s, [[orc knight]]s, and usually one or two [[orc warlord]]s. A few other monsters, such as [[list of ogres|ogres]] and [[stone giant]]s, can spawn. Since almost everything is armed, pay attention to weapon brands. There's a good chance to encounter orcs with [[electrocution]], [[distortion]], etc.
-The mines typically contain 1000-3000 [[gold]], and a host of [[shop]]s. You'll also find plenty of equipment from the orcs themselves, so there's a good chance to find [[brand]]ed gear. Melee orcs carry plate armour and heavy weaponry, while you'll find plenty of [[robe]]s from the mages.
+The mines typically contain 1000-3000 [[gold]], and a host of [[shop]]s on Orc:2. You'll also find plenty of equipment from the orcs themselves, so there's a good chance to find [[brand]]ed gear. Melee orcs carry plate armour and heavy weaponry, while you'll find plenty of [[robe]]s from the mages.
-While most of the Orcish Mines can be reached via normal staircases, some portions may only be accessible through escape hatches. As these sections almost certainly contain more gold and may contain shops, it's not a bad idea to eventually use each escape hatch, just in case. It is not especially safe to do this until you feel confident that you can take on large groups of standard orcs, however, as an unlucky hatch may land you in a lot of trouble with no easy way out.
+==Strategy==
-==Recommendations==
+The Orcish Mines are worth clearing eventually - usually after Lair. While it isn't mandatory, the gold, guaranteed shops, XP, and access to [[Elven Halls]] make it worth it. The shops aren't guaranteed to be useful, but there's a good chance that you'll find something nice to buy.
-No specific resistances or other intrinsics are required to clear the Orcish Mines, although being strong in melee or having good spells for crowd control is highly recommended. Good [[willpower]] and a rank of [[fire resistance]] and [[negative energy resistance]] should be enough to protect you from the spells of orc wizards and sorcerers. If you cannot comfortably defeat roaming orc packs in the Dungeon, you are not ready for this branch.
+Some characters, namely [[Venom Mages]] (Orc has less poison-resistant monsters than Lair), may want to dip into Orc "early".
-Along with granting access to the Elven Halls, the bottom level shops are an excellent incentive to clear this branch. Their contents aren't free, but it's common to find at least one item for sale that is useful throughout the game.
+===Useful Traits===
 ==Monsters==

@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 | {{monsterlink|hellwing}}
 | {{monsterlink|ice devil}}
 |-
 | {{monsterlink|red devil}}
 | {{monsterlink|rust devil}}
 | {{monsterlink|neqoxec}}
 | {{monsterlink|sixfirhy}}
 | {{monsterlink|smoke demon}}
 | {{monsterlink|soul eater}}
 | {{monsterlink|sun demon}}
@@ Line 100: / Line 99: @@
 *Earlier versions of ''Crawl'' had sections of the Orcish Mines that were completely disconnected from all other areas. Using [[shaft]]s, escape hatches, or [[teleport]]s carelessly could maroon your character in an unescapable area, unless you had a source of [[dig]]ging or teleportation.
-[[Category:Dungeon_Branches]]
+{{branches}}
 [[Category:Orc]]

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 The Orcish Mines are two floors deep and found between Dungeon:9-12. The entrance stairs are usually decorated with orcish idols and occasionally even [[altar]]s to [[Beogh]], and they are often guarded by a large group of orcs.
-Most floors of the Mines are made up of several disconnected open areas, all of which are accessible through either [[stairs]] or [[escape hatch]]es on adjacent floors. Occasionally, you'll also find floors that consist of more organized stonecraft, which is usually the case on Orc:2. These layouts can vary greatly (as can their difficulty), ranging from a handful of scattered rooms, to one huge room dominating much of the level, to an entire fortified compound housing [[Saint Roka]] and his throng of followers.
+Orc:1 is often made up of several disconnected open areas, which can be accessed by using the upstairs on Orc:2. Orc:2 itself features an end [[vault]], often with organized buildings. These layouts can vary greatly (as can their difficulty), ranging from a handful of scattered rooms, to one huge room dominating much of the level, to an entire fortified compound housing [[Saint Roka]] and a throng of followers.
 As the Mines are made almost entirely of rock, bringing a [[wand of digging]] allows you to create shortcuts between portions of a floor. Expect almost no hallways or chokepoints aside from those you dig yourself.
 ==Useful Info==
-The Mines are one of the easiest areas in the game to get surrounded in. When exploring a new floor, you will often immediately encounter at least a few orcs who will shout, alerting nearby reinforcements. If you find yourself getting surrounded, especially if orc priests are involved, use [[Escaping_from_(and_avoiding)_trouble#Leading_them_up|stair dancing]] to defeat smaller groups of orcs in safety. When you move away from the stairs, avoid relying on false chokepoints; orcs are smart enough to maneuver past you to give other orcs access to you, and getting cornered with priests around is suicidal.
+It's easy to get surrounded in orc. You'll often encounter at least a few orcs upon entry, who will [[shout]] to alert nearby enemies. Use [[stair dancing]] to separate groups of orcs; even a crowd of basic [[orc]]s and [[orc priest]]s can be a handful.
-Monster difficulty here is extremely variable. While most monsters are plain [[orc]]s, orc warriors, [[orc wizard]]s, and orc priests, you will also encounter [[orc sorcerer]]s, [[orc high priest]]s, [[orc knight]]s, and usually one or two [[orc warlord]]s. A few other types of monsters, including [[troll]]s and [[ogre]]s, are also eligible for generation (see list below). That being said, even the lesser orcs can be a handful; orc warriors in [[plate mail]] can take a beating while orc priests can [[smite]] you. Also, even if you can easily [[tab]] your way past dozens of common orcs without missing a beat, do pay attention to the combat logs; almost everything here is armed, and weapons of [[electrocution]] and [[distortion]] do generate here from time to time. Unless you're [[speedrun]]ning, exercise a little caution.
+Monster difficulty is variable. Most denizens are plain [[orc]]s, warriors, priests, and wizards. You'll also encounter  [[orc sorcerer]]s, [[orc high priest]]s, [[orc knight]]s, and usually one or two [[orc warlord]]s. A few other monsters, such as [[list of ogres|ogres]] and [[stone giant]]s, can spawn. Since almost everything is armed, pay attention to weapon brands. There's a good chance of [[electrocution]], [[distrotion]], etc.
-On the plus side, the Mines typically contain 1000-3000 [[gold]] and much enchanted and branded equipment, including plate armour and heavy weaponry on the warriors and various [[robe]]s on the mages, priests, and sorcerers. You can also find shops here, both randomly and guaranteed on the bottom floor (though the bottom floor's shops are heavily guarded).
+The mines typically contain 1000-3000 [[gold]], and a host of [[shop]]s. You'll also find plenty of equipment from the orcs themselves, which are often [[brand]]ed. Melee orcs carry plate armour and heavy weaponry, while you'll find plenty of [[robe]]s from the mages.
 While most of the Orcish Mines can be reached via normal staircases, some portions may only be accessible through escape hatches. As these sections almost certainly contain more gold and may contain shops, it's not a bad idea to eventually use each escape hatch, just in case. It is not especially safe to do this until you feel confident that you can take on large groups of standard orcs, however, as an unlucky hatch may land you in a lot of trouble with no easy way out.
 ==Recommendations==
-Although the Mines entrance may be discovered first, it is common to ignore it until you've attempted [[the Lair]], which is widely considered to be a less dangerous branch. Some character types, in particular [[Venom Mage]]s, may wish to clear the Mines first since the only poison-resistant monsters here are [[warg]]s. The hordes of low-level monsters make this branch a good place to build [[piety]] with gods who award killing [[Okawaru|regular monsters]], [[Beogh|heretic priests]], or [[Trog|spellcasters]]. [[Necromancer]]s can also make good use of the large quantity of corpses generated here. Followers of the orc god [[Beogh]] may wish to max out their piety before entering here so they can recruit as many high-level allies as possible.
+Although the Mines entrance may be discovered first, it is common to ignore it until you've attempted [[the Lair]], which is widely considered to be a less dangerous branch. Some character types, in particular [[Venom Mage]]s, may wish to clear the Mines first since the only poison-resistant monsters here are [[warg]]s. The hordes of low-level monsters make this branch a good place to build [[piety]] with gods who award killing regular monsters, [[Beogh|heretic priests]], or [[Trog|spellcasters]]. [[Necromancer]]s can also make good use of the large quantity of corpses generated here. Followers of the orc god [[Beogh]] may wish to max out their piety before entering here so they can recruit as many high-level allies as possible.
-No specific resistances or other intrinsics are required to clear the Orcish Mines, although being strong in melee or having good spells for crowd control is highly recommended. A source of [[willpower]] and a rank of [[fire resistance]] and [[negative energy resistance]] should be enough to protect you from the spells of orc wizards and sorcerers. If you cannot comfortably defeat roaming orc packs in the Dungeon, you are not ready for this branch.
+No specific resistances or other intrinsics are required to clear the Orcish Mines, although being strong in melee or having good spells for crowd control is highly recommended. Good [[willpower]] and a rank of [[fire resistance]] and [[negative energy resistance]] should be enough to protect you from the spells of orc wizards and sorcerers. If you cannot comfortably defeat roaming orc packs in the Dungeon, you are not ready for this branch.
 Along with granting access to the Elven Halls, the bottom level shops are an excellent incentive to clear this branch. Their contents aren't free, but it's common to find at least one item for sale that is useful throughout the game.