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If you choose a [[Merfolk]] [[Ice Elementalist]], you get to play with a lot of different options. You're already an excellent melee fighter with your [[Polearms]]/[[Dodging]] aptitudes, but you also have [[Ozocubu's Armour|great]] [[Condensation Shield|buffs]] for defense, a [[Summon Ice Beast|summon]] for backup, and some [[Throw Frost|Conjuration]] [[Throw Icicle|spells]] for dealing with enemies at a distance!
 
If you choose a [[Merfolk]] [[Ice Elementalist]], you get to play with a lot of different options. You're already an excellent melee fighter with your [[Polearms]]/[[Dodging]] aptitudes, but you also have [[Ozocubu's Armour|great]] [[Condensation Shield|buffs]] for defense, a [[Summon Ice Beast|summon]] for backup, and some [[Throw Frost|Conjuration]] [[Throw Icicle|spells]] for dealing with enemies at a distance!
  
This guide is partially based on [[Vigrid's Hill Orc Fighter Guide]], so if you're looking for something with less spellcasting and more smashing stuff with shiny weapons, definitely check that out.
+
If you haven't already, read the [[walkthrough]] and [[strategy guides]]. This guide assumes at least some familiarity with Crawl, and therefore doesn't cover extremely general aspects of the game.
  
=Skills=
+
This guide is partially based on [[Vigrid's Hill Orc Fighter Guide]], so if you're looking for something with less spellcasting and more smashing stuff with shiny weapons, definitely check that out. If anyone wants to edit ''this guide'', I only ask that you do two things: Replace incorrect information rather than outright removing it, and keep things general so that players can adapt it to suit their needs.
These are the skills you should be considering, and some information as to why. Visit the [[skill]] page for information on those I didn't cover.
 
  
===Attack===
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==Skills==
*'''[[Polearms]]:''' This is VERY important in the early game! Once you've reached [[minimum delay]], you can temporarily disable it to focus on other skills for a while.
+
These are the skills you should be considering, and some information as to why. Visit the [[skill]] page for information on any I didn't cover.
 +
 
 +
===Major Skills===
 +
*'''[[Polearms]]:''' Focus this immediately! Once you reach [[minimum delay]] with your current weapon, you can begin to focus on other skills.
 
*'''[[Fighting]]:''' This increases your accuracy, and your [[HP]]. Good if you don't want to die from one hit.
 
*'''[[Fighting]]:''' This increases your accuracy, and your [[HP]]. Good if you don't want to die from one hit.
 +
*'''[[Dodging]]:''' Your most important defensive skill. Keep it high, and stay away from heavy armour.
 +
*'''[[Charms]]:''' Used by everything from [[Ozocubu's Armour]] to [[Haste]]. Definitely keep an eye on this.
 +
*'''[[Ice Magic]]:''' Obviously you should raise this, all of your starting spells use it.
  
===Defense===
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===Minor Skills===
*'''[[Dodging]]:''' Your most important defensive skill. Keep it high, and stay away from heavy armour.
 
 
*'''[[Shields]]:''' Extra protection at the cost of decreased damage. Read the "armour" section below for more information.
 
*'''[[Shields]]:''' Extra protection at the cost of decreased damage. Read the "armour" section below for more information.
*'''[[Armour]]:''' You'll put XP into this at some point, especially if you end up wearing [[fire dragon armour]]. Just be careful that you don't invest in it at the expense of everything else.
+
*'''[[Armour]]:''' You'll put XP into this eventually, especially if you end up wearing [[fire dragon armour]]. Just don't start off too fast.
 
+
*'''[[Spellcasting]]:''' This mainly gives you extra spell slots, level this if you need more spells.
===Magic===
 
*'''[[Spellcasting]]:''' This lets you learn more spells, and slightly affects casting chances.
 
*'''[[Charms]]:''' Used by everything from [[Ozocubu's Armour]] to [[Haste]]. Definitely keep an eye on this.
 
 
*'''[[Conjurations]]:''' This can help get spells like [[Throw Icicle]] castable, but it's not too important.
 
*'''[[Conjurations]]:''' This can help get spells like [[Throw Icicle]] castable, but it's not too important.
*'''[[Summoning]]:''' A few levels for summon ice beasts is fine, but don't invest in this much.
+
*'''[[Summoning]]:''' A few levels for [[Summon Ice Beast]] is fine, but don't invest in this much.
*'''[[Ice Magic]]:''' Obviously you should raise this, all of your starting spells use it.
 
*'''[[Transmutation]]:''' You have a +3 aptitude, but it's primarily for Unarmed Combat, so you can ignore it.
 
  
 
===Other===
 
===Other===
*'''[[Evocations]]:''' An early [[ring of invisibility]] or [[amulet of rage]] can be absurdly useful. Level this as needed.
+
*'''[[Evocations]]:''' An early [[ring of invisibility]] or [[amulet of rage]] is very useful. Level this as needed.
*'''[[Invocations]]:''' You'll want enough to bring your god abilities' failure rates into the single digits, and more if you're following a god like [[Makhleb]].
+
*'''[[Invocations]]:''' You'll want at least enough to bring your god abilities' failure rates into the single digits, possibly more depending on the god.
 
*'''[[Stealth]]:''' Being able to run away before a fight even begins is always good. Invest a few levels in this.
 
*'''[[Stealth]]:''' Being able to run away before a fight even begins is always good. Invest a few levels in this.
  
=Stats=
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==Stats==
You'll want [[Dexterity]] for increased dodging, and some [[Strength]] if you're wearing [[dragon armour]] (3 extra strength is good enough for [[fire dragon armour]]). Your starting [[Intelligence]] is more than enough, just don't assume you'll ever be casting something like [[Glaciate]].
+
You'll want [[Dexterity]] for increased [[evasion]] most of the time, but if you move on to heavier armours, [[Strength]] can help offset the spellcasting and evasion penalties. For instance, you'll want '''at least''' 11 strength if you're wearing [[fire dragon armour]]. Your starting [[Intelligence]] is more than enough, just don't assume you'll ever be casting [[Glaciate]].
  
=Spells=
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==Spells==
==Starting Spells==
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If you never use spells, your character will almost certainly die, it's as simple as that. If you don't want to cast, go play a Berserker. By the end of your game you'll want a wide selection, but it's best to start off slow, getting your most important spells castable. Then you can branch out.
 +
 
 +
===Starting Spells===
 
'''[[Freeze]]''' will be your primary form of attack until you've raised your pole-arm skill. It ignores AC/EV, and slows cold-blooded enemies like [[adder]]s, but the damage caps out fairly quick.
 
'''[[Freeze]]''' will be your primary form of attack until you've raised your pole-arm skill. It ignores AC/EV, and slows cold-blooded enemies like [[adder]]s, but the damage caps out fairly quick.
  
 
'''[[Ozocubu's Armour]]''' should be the second or third spell you learn. It offers AC, helping to offset your poor armour aptitude, and could last you well into the late game!
 
'''[[Ozocubu's Armour]]''' should be the second or third spell you learn. It offers AC, helping to offset your poor armour aptitude, and could last you well into the late game!
  
'''[[Throw Frost]]''' is good for taking out stuff at a range, grab it when you get the chance, either before or after Ozo's.
+
'''[[Throw Frost]]''' is good for taking out stuff at a range. Grab it when you get the chance, either before or after Ozo's.
  
 
At this point, you have a few options. Pick up '''[[Condensation Shield]]''' for more defense, '''[[Throw Icicle]]''' for increased ranged damage, or '''[[Summon Ice Beast]]''' for allies that can help you fight and [[pillar dancing|escape]]! All of these are good, so pick up whichever you want, whenever you need it.
 
At this point, you have a few options. Pick up '''[[Condensation Shield]]''' for more defense, '''[[Throw Icicle]]''' for increased ranged damage, or '''[[Summon Ice Beast]]''' for allies that can help you fight and [[pillar dancing|escape]]! All of these are good, so pick up whichever you want, whenever you need it.
  
==Later Spells==
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===Later Spells===
Further ice spells you can learn include [[Bolt of Cold]], [[Freezing Cloud]] and [[Ozocubu's Refrigeration]]. All of these are very effective against groups of enemies, but none of them are necessary, so I would advise being very choosy about which ones you memorize.
+
Further ice spells you can learn include [[Bolt of Cold]], [[Freezing Cloud]] and [[Ozocubu's Refrigeration]]. All of these are very effective against groups of enemies, but none of them are necessary, so I would advise being choosy about which ones you memorize.
  
Meanwhile, charms are definitely recommended. [[Repel Missiles]], [[Regeneration]], [[Spectral Weapon]], [[Control Teleport]], [[Deflect Missiles]], and [[Haste]] are all excellent buffs. Spells like [[Swiftness]] or [[Shroud of Golubria]] are also good, if you have the slots to spare.
+
Meanwhile, charms are definitely recommended. [[Repel Missiles]], [[Regeneration]], [[Shroud of Golubria]], [[Spectral Weapon]], [[Deflect Missiles]], and [[Haste]] are all excellent spells.
  
 
Some cheap but useful spells from other schools include [[Animate Skeleton]], [[Apportation]], [[Blink]], [[Cure Poison]], and [[Summon Butterflies]].
 
Some cheap but useful spells from other schools include [[Animate Skeleton]], [[Apportation]], [[Blink]], [[Cure Poison]], and [[Summon Butterflies]].
  
=Equipment=
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==Equipment==
==Weapons==
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Equipment is very important for any class, but it's especially so for a melee heavy one like MfIE. Thankfully, [[polearms]] are abundant in the dungeon, and decent armour isn't rare by any means.
When you start, you'll have to use whatever is available. This means even if you plan on using a shield later, it's fine to use a good two-handed weapon early on. Just make sure to swing it a few times, to check its current [[weapon speed|delay]], and refer to the wiki to see at what point you'll reach minimum delay.
 
 
 
Here are some of the [[brand]]s you should keep in mind:
 
  
*[[Draining]] deals extra damage to susceptible enemies, and applies a debuff.
+
===Weapons===
*[[Electrocution]] is a great brand that works best on quick weapons.
+
When you start, you'll have to use whatever polearms are available. This means even if you plan on using a shield later, it's fine to use a good two-handed weapon early on. Just swing your weapon a few times to check its current [[weapon speed|delay]], and be very cautious if it's anything above 1.0. Never bother with scythes, unless they're an especially good artefact.
*[[Holy wrath]] deals extra damage to demon and undead, which is perfected for the extended game.
 
*[[Flaming]] weapons are invaluable for [[hydra]]e, since all two-handed pole-arms deal chopping damage.
 
*[[Freezing]] weapons are great, particularly against [[cold-blooded]] enemies, which are slowed by this brand.
 
*[[Speed (brand)|Speed]] is possibly THE best brand in the game, generally speaking.
 
*[[Vampiric]] weapons are some of the best throughout most of the game.
 
*[[Venom]] is good for [[kiting]] and [[pillar dancing]].
 
  
[[Antimagic]], [[Chaos]], and [[Distortion]] are all extremely useful, but have downsides you should carefully consider. [[Vorpal]] and [[Protection]] are both useful, but generally inferior to other brands. [[Pain]] is practically worthless for you.
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For quick weapons like [[spear]]s and [[trident]]s, flat brands like [[draining]], [[electrocution]], and [[venom]] are good. Venom is especially good for kiting! For two-handed weapons like [[halberd]]s and [[glaive]]s, scaling brands like [[frost]], [[flame]], and [[vorpal]] are also good. If your two-handed weapon doesn't have a [[flame]] brand, make sure to keep a spear or trident for hydras.
  
The best one-handed polearm you're likely to find is a [[demon trident]], with an [[electrocution]], [[speed]], or [[vampiric]] brand. There are also [[Trishula]]s, purified demon tridents which carry the [[holy]] brand, but you'll likely only acquire one of these from The Shining One himself.
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In all cases, if you find a good weapon with a [[holy wrath]], [[Speed (brand)|speed]], or [[vampiric]] brand, hold onto it! [[Protection]] weapons can also be good, since your armour's AC value will be low throughout the early-mid game.
  
As for two-handed polearms, you'll want a good [[glaive]] or [[bardiche]], preferably with a [[frost]], [[holy]], [[speed]], or [[vampiric]] brand.
+
Eventually you'll want a [[demon trident]] if you're using shields, and a [[bardiche]] if you aren't. While you can't use a [[demon trident]] while worshipping a [[good god]], [[The Shining One]] will transform one into the even better [[trishula]].
  
==Armour==
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===Armour===
You'll generally want to stick to robes and leather armour, since [[Ozocubu's Armour]] requires armour with an [[encumbrance rating]] of 4 or lower. If you absolutely need a particular [[resistance]] (such as [[poison resistance]] for [[Swamp]]), it might be worth wearing ring mail to get it, but that's only if you have no other option.
+
You'll want to stick to robes, leather, or troll leather armour at first, since [[Ozocubu's Armour]] requires armour with an [[encumbrance rating]] of 4 or lower. If you absolutely need a particular [[resistance]] (such as [[poison resistance]] for [[Swamp]]), it might be worth wearing ring mail to get it, if you have no other option (such as a ring).
  
Eventually you will probably upgrade to a heavier armour. [[Dragon armour]] is popular in the late game, especially [[fire dragon armour]] for [[Zot]]. Anything heavier than that is not recommended, as it will impede your [[evasion]].
+
Eventually you might move on to a heavier armour. [[Dragon armour]] is popular in the late game, especially [[fire dragon armour]] for [[Zot]]. Anything heavier than that is not recommended, as it will heavily impede your [[evasion]].
  
Shields are popular for their extra defense, at the cost of a lower damage output. Playing with and without a shield is acceptable, so often it's best to decide based on what spawns in your game. If you run across a "[[shield]] of [[Resistance (ego)|resistance]]" early on, definitely consider using shields. If you run across a [[vampiric]] [[glaive]], use that instead!
+
Shields are popular for their extra defense, at the cost of a lower damage output. Playing with and without a shield is acceptable, so often it's best to decide based on what spawns in your game. If you run across a "[[shield]] of [[Resistance (ego)|resistance]]" early on, definitely use shields. If you run across a [[vampiric]] [[bardiche]], use that instead!
  
=Gods=
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==Gods==
*'''[[Okawaru]]:''' The invocations Heroism and Finesse are both simple yet powerful additions to your toolbox, and he will give you weapons and armour of variable usefulness as you progress through the dungeon. While you can easily complete the game with Oka, if you want to collect all 15 runes, swapping to another god before the [[Hells]] and [[Pandemonium]] is recommended ([[The Shining One]] is a popular choice).
+
*'''[[Okawaru]]:''' The invocations Heroism and Finesse are both simple yet powerful additions to your toolbox, and he will give you weapons and armour of variable usefulness as you progress through the dungeon. While you can easily complete the game with Oka, if you want to collect all 15 [[Rune of Zot|Runes of Zot]], swapping to another god is recommended ([[The Shining One]] is a popular choice).
  
*'''[[Makhleb]]:''' Health on kills, piety-powered destructive blasts and the ability to summon demons. His summons are much more powerful than ice-beasts, and HP is always useful, so Makhleb is always a good choice. The one catch is you absolutely have to level invocations, or risk summoning hostile demons.
+
*'''[[Makhleb]]:''' Health on kills, piety-powered destructive blasts and the ability to summon demons. His summons are much more powerful than ice-beasts, and HP is always useful, so Makhleb is a good choice. The one catch is you absolutely have to level Invocations, or risk summoning hostile demons.
  
*'''[[Yredelemnul]]:''' The allies he provides are all useful, and once you can cast haste on them they become even more powerful. Pain Mirror and Drain Life are also great panic buttons.
+
*'''[[Yredelemnul]]:''' Perhaps the absolute best god if all you want to do is win. He allows you to raise the dead to fight by your side, and gifts undead allies, all of which become more powerful once you can [[haste]]n them. In addition to that, Pain Mirror is a great panic button, Drain Life can heal you when you need it most, and Enslave Soul allows to make any unique in the game your permanent servant.
  
*'''[[The Shining One]]:''' A poor choice for the early game, but one of the absolute strongest gods for the later game. He has so many useful abilities, it's probably best if you just read his page. The classic Okawaru to TSO swap is always strong, and being able to turn a demon trident into a [[trishula]] at high piety makes him particularly appealing to characters using shields.
+
*'''[[The Shining One]]:''' A poor choice for the early game due to his restrictions, but one of the absolute strongest gods for the extended game. He has so many useful abilities, I'm not even going to try and list them all here. If you want to swap to TSO later, make sure to save [[Crypt]] until you've swapped.
  
=Strategy Overview=
+
==General Tips==
 
*''Remember your buffs''. Casting Ozocubu's Armour and Condensation Shield before a tough fight can be the difference between life and death.
 
*''Remember your buffs''. Casting Ozocubu's Armour and Condensation Shield before a tough fight can be the difference between life and death.
*''Soften up hard targets''. Trolls, giants, and any other highly-competent melee combatant should get some ice to the face before they get too close. Never engage them in straight melee.
+
*''Use your ranged attacks''. Trolls, giants, and any other highly-competent melee combatant should get some ice to the face before they get too close. Never engage them in straight melee.
*''Know thy enemy''. Examine every foe you encounter. If they look dangerous, they probably are, and you shouldn't wade into an entire horde of them. Anything the game doesn't tell you, the wiki is more than happy to divulge.
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*''Know thy enemy''. Examine every foe you encounter. If they look dangerous, they probably are, and you shouldn't wade into an entire horde of them.
*''Blink is your friend''. Getting scrolls of blink or teleport control is a very, very good thing. The ability to make a controlled blink is invaluable. Try your best to not waste any scrolls, and if you're going to get any Translocations, get Blink.
+
*''Merfolks love water''. It makes you faster, better at dodging, and deep water can keep away plenty of enemies.
*''Better them than you''. If you have allies, such as [[ice beast]]s or Yredelemnul's gifts, generally you want them to take hits for you, or at the very least, distract the weaker enemies while you mop up the rest. The game will continue if they're dead. It'll stop if you're dead.
+
*''Better them than you''. If you have allies, such as [[ice beast]]s, generally you want them to take hits for you, or at the very least, distract the weaker enemies while you mop up the rest. The game will continue if they're dead. It'll stop if you're dead. Besides, you have a reaching weapon perfectly suited for combat from the back row.
*''Items are your friend''. If you have less than 5 varieties of scroll, wand, ring, amulet and potion on your person, chances are you're woefully under-prepared for the challenges ahead.
+
*''Items, Items, Items''. If you have less than 5 varieties of scroll, wand, ring, amulet and potion on your person, chances are you're woefully under-prepared for the challenges ahead. When you believe a situation has a decent chance of getting you killed, don't make the mistake of being too conservative - use those consumables!
  
===Additional Reading===
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[[Category:Character guides]]
Other than these points, stick to the [[walkthrough]] and [[strategy guides]]. Both of these will take you far, but in the end, only a good deal of skill and a little luck will get you to the end of the game.
 

Latest revision as of 14:36, 4 February 2016

The following article is a character guide. This article contains advice from other players, which may be subjective, outdated, inaccurate or ill-advised. Read at your own risk and alter to fit your play style as necessary!
Version 0.15: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.


If you choose a Merfolk Ice Elementalist, you get to play with a lot of different options. You're already an excellent melee fighter with your Polearms/Dodging aptitudes, but you also have great buffs for defense, a summon for backup, and some Conjuration spells for dealing with enemies at a distance!

If you haven't already, read the walkthrough and strategy guides. This guide assumes at least some familiarity with Crawl, and therefore doesn't cover extremely general aspects of the game.

This guide is partially based on Vigrid's Hill Orc Fighter Guide, so if you're looking for something with less spellcasting and more smashing stuff with shiny weapons, definitely check that out. If anyone wants to edit this guide, I only ask that you do two things: Replace incorrect information rather than outright removing it, and keep things general so that players can adapt it to suit their needs.

Skills

These are the skills you should be considering, and some information as to why. Visit the skill page for information on any I didn't cover.

Major Skills

  • Polearms: Focus this immediately! Once you reach minimum delay with your current weapon, you can begin to focus on other skills.
  • Fighting: This increases your accuracy, and your HP. Good if you don't want to die from one hit.
  • Dodging: Your most important defensive skill. Keep it high, and stay away from heavy armour.
  • Charms: Used by everything from Ozocubu's Armour to Haste. Definitely keep an eye on this.
  • Ice Magic: Obviously you should raise this, all of your starting spells use it.

Minor Skills

  • Shields: Extra protection at the cost of decreased damage. Read the "armour" section below for more information.
  • Armour: You'll put XP into this eventually, especially if you end up wearing fire dragon armour. Just don't start off too fast.
  • Spellcasting: This mainly gives you extra spell slots, level this if you need more spells.
  • Conjurations: This can help get spells like Throw Icicle castable, but it's not too important.
  • Summoning: A few levels for Summon Ice Beast is fine, but don't invest in this much.

Other

  • Evocations: An early ring of invisibility or amulet of rage is very useful. Level this as needed.
  • Invocations: You'll want at least enough to bring your god abilities' failure rates into the single digits, possibly more depending on the god.
  • Stealth: Being able to run away before a fight even begins is always good. Invest a few levels in this.

Stats

You'll want Dexterity for increased evasion most of the time, but if you move on to heavier armours, Strength can help offset the spellcasting and evasion penalties. For instance, you'll want at least 11 strength if you're wearing fire dragon armour. Your starting Intelligence is more than enough, just don't assume you'll ever be casting Glaciate.

Spells

If you never use spells, your character will almost certainly die, it's as simple as that. If you don't want to cast, go play a Berserker. By the end of your game you'll want a wide selection, but it's best to start off slow, getting your most important spells castable. Then you can branch out.

Starting Spells

Freeze will be your primary form of attack until you've raised your pole-arm skill. It ignores AC/EV, and slows cold-blooded enemies like adders, but the damage caps out fairly quick.

Ozocubu's Armour should be the second or third spell you learn. It offers AC, helping to offset your poor armour aptitude, and could last you well into the late game!

Throw Frost is good for taking out stuff at a range. Grab it when you get the chance, either before or after Ozo's.

At this point, you have a few options. Pick up Condensation Shield for more defense, Throw Icicle for increased ranged damage, or Summon Ice Beast for allies that can help you fight and escape! All of these are good, so pick up whichever you want, whenever you need it.

Later Spells

Further ice spells you can learn include Bolt of Cold, Freezing Cloud and Ozocubu's Refrigeration. All of these are very effective against groups of enemies, but none of them are necessary, so I would advise being choosy about which ones you memorize.

Meanwhile, charms are definitely recommended. Repel Missiles, Regeneration, Shroud of Golubria, Spectral Weapon, Deflect Missiles, and Haste are all excellent spells.

Some cheap but useful spells from other schools include Animate Skeleton, Apportation, Blink, Cure Poison, and Summon Butterflies.

Equipment

Equipment is very important for any class, but it's especially so for a melee heavy one like MfIE. Thankfully, polearms are abundant in the dungeon, and decent armour isn't rare by any means.

Weapons

When you start, you'll have to use whatever polearms are available. This means even if you plan on using a shield later, it's fine to use a good two-handed weapon early on. Just swing your weapon a few times to check its current delay, and be very cautious if it's anything above 1.0. Never bother with scythes, unless they're an especially good artefact.

For quick weapons like spears and tridents, flat brands like draining, electrocution, and venom are good. Venom is especially good for kiting! For two-handed weapons like halberds and glaives, scaling brands like frost, flame, and vorpal are also good. If your two-handed weapon doesn't have a flame brand, make sure to keep a spear or trident for hydras.

In all cases, if you find a good weapon with a holy wrath, speed, or vampiric brand, hold onto it! Protection weapons can also be good, since your armour's AC value will be low throughout the early-mid game.

Eventually you'll want a demon trident if you're using shields, and a bardiche if you aren't. While you can't use a demon trident while worshipping a good god, The Shining One will transform one into the even better trishula.

Armour

You'll want to stick to robes, leather, or troll leather armour at first, since Ozocubu's Armour requires armour with an encumbrance rating of 4 or lower. If you absolutely need a particular resistance (such as poison resistance for Swamp), it might be worth wearing ring mail to get it, if you have no other option (such as a ring).

Eventually you might move on to a heavier armour. Dragon armour is popular in the late game, especially fire dragon armour for Zot. Anything heavier than that is not recommended, as it will heavily impede your evasion.

Shields are popular for their extra defense, at the cost of a lower damage output. Playing with and without a shield is acceptable, so often it's best to decide based on what spawns in your game. If you run across a "shield of resistance" early on, definitely use shields. If you run across a vampiric bardiche, use that instead!

Gods

  • Okawaru: The invocations Heroism and Finesse are both simple yet powerful additions to your toolbox, and he will give you weapons and armour of variable usefulness as you progress through the dungeon. While you can easily complete the game with Oka, if you want to collect all 15 Runes of Zot, swapping to another god is recommended (The Shining One is a popular choice).
  • Makhleb: Health on kills, piety-powered destructive blasts and the ability to summon demons. His summons are much more powerful than ice-beasts, and HP is always useful, so Makhleb is a good choice. The one catch is you absolutely have to level Invocations, or risk summoning hostile demons.
  • Yredelemnul: Perhaps the absolute best god if all you want to do is win. He allows you to raise the dead to fight by your side, and gifts undead allies, all of which become more powerful once you can hasten them. In addition to that, Pain Mirror is a great panic button, Drain Life can heal you when you need it most, and Enslave Soul allows to make any unique in the game your permanent servant.
  • The Shining One: A poor choice for the early game due to his restrictions, but one of the absolute strongest gods for the extended game. He has so many useful abilities, I'm not even going to try and list them all here. If you want to swap to TSO later, make sure to save Crypt until you've swapped.

General Tips

  • Remember your buffs. Casting Ozocubu's Armour and Condensation Shield before a tough fight can be the difference between life and death.
  • Use your ranged attacks. Trolls, giants, and any other highly-competent melee combatant should get some ice to the face before they get too close. Never engage them in straight melee.
  • Know thy enemy. Examine every foe you encounter. If they look dangerous, they probably are, and you shouldn't wade into an entire horde of them.
  • Merfolks love water. It makes you faster, better at dodging, and deep water can keep away plenty of enemies.
  • Better them than you. If you have allies, such as ice beasts, generally you want them to take hits for you, or at the very least, distract the weaker enemies while you mop up the rest. The game will continue if they're dead. It'll stop if you're dead. Besides, you have a reaching weapon perfectly suited for combat from the back row.
  • Items, Items, Items. If you have less than 5 varieties of scroll, wand, ring, amulet and potion on your person, chances are you're woefully under-prepared for the challenges ahead. When you believe a situation has a decent chance of getting you killed, don't make the mistake of being too conservative - use those consumables!