Ascension + Tactics Mod?

Hurk Fun · Post by **Hurk Fun** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:03 pm

Is it possible to run them both?

Cippa Lippa · Post by **Cippa Lippa** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:23 pm

yes, absolutely, install ascension first

Edar Macilrille · Post by **Edar Macilrille** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:44 am

I do, and it definately makes the final battle ... interesting...

;-)

Thrifalas · Post by **Thrifalas** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:40 am

If I remember correctly, they do overlap slightly. If you install the "slightly smarter mages", which is the biggest understatement ever, all mages gets a lot of spells and contingencies.

That means that Irenicus and Sendai will be a much bigger pain in the already challenging final battle of Ascension. It is definitely doable, I did that mistake the first time I played the game and ended up with a much tougher fight than supposed, but it's doable.

I wouldn't recommend that mod, though. It's one of the worst additions from Tactics, although not quite as bad as the slightly smarter dragons.

Cippa Lippa · Post by **Cippa Lippa** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:34 am

you are forgetting about Ilyich...

Sator · Post by **Sator** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 6:31 pm

I am currently playing with both installed, as i have been against mods for a good while now i haven't beaten the game yet with Tactics or Ascension. Problems i have run into so far:

*SPOILER ALERT*

#1. In Irenicus's dungeon every time you rest after the first time, you get a team of duergar attacking you. Fortunately it's AFTER you have been healed and the spells have been recharged, but it's very very VERY annoying. Not to mention the melee duergar is quite tough and the mage casts Chaos and Melf's Acid Arrow, both of which can result in a swift load. I installed Dungeon Be Gone because of this (sorry didn't have the patience to crawl trogugh the already very boring and slow dungeon)

2# You get attacked by some weak bandits in the city itself as soon as the sun sets. Just plain annoying.

3# Firgkraag decimates the party with some very weird scripts, like targeting his breath on Aerie (probably because she has the lowest HP) and killing her while she is under the effect of Sanctuary.

There have been some good things though, like the tougher Mae Var. Also, installing both mods made the bonus merchant in the copper coronet to not appear, i had to install the mod for that separately.

Apsis · Post by **Apsis** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:04 pm

#1. In Irenicus's dungeon every time you rest after the first time, you get a team of duergar attacking you. Fortunately it's AFTER you have been healed and the spells have been recharged, but it's very very VERY annoying. Not to mention the melee duergar is quite tough and the mage casts Chaos and Melf's Acid Arrow, both of which can result in a swift load. I installed Dungeon Be Gone because of this (sorry didn't have the patience to crawl trogugh the already very boring and slow dungeon)

2# You get attacked by some weak bandits in the city itself as soon as the sun sets. Just plain annoying.

Both of them are optional components i don't see what the problem is. By the way, are you saying these bandits are weak? It's been a long time since i've played tactics but they were sure not weak.

3# Firgkraag decimates the party with some very weird scripts, like targeting his breath on Aerie (probably because she has the lowest HP) and killing her while she is under the effect of Sanctuary.

Dragons can see through invisibility (including sanctuary) and can cast spells on invisible creatures (not sure about improved invisibility), there is nothing weird here.

Sator · Post by **Sator** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:03 pm

The bandits are weak after chapter 2. I'm a kensai with Korgan, Keldorn, Jeheira, Aerie and Edwin. The Firgkraag beats me not bcause of his see invis, but because of endless wing buffets, breaths, moving constantly around with perma haste and worst of all, dispelling my buffs without error. He always goes for the protagonist in melee after he dispels and there is no way to stall long enough to lower resit + mm him. The only way i can kill him at my current level (10) is via faketalk which i don't use.

Thrifalas · Post by **Thrifalas** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:03 am

Sator wrote:The only way i can kill him at my current level (10) is via faketalk which i don't use.

Then don't. I had that problem the first time I played tactics, I had to leave just before the final fight in a lot of quests. For example, Mae'Var and ThorGall didn't die untill chapter 6. It was my first modded run after the vanilla game and I was still a bit newbish back then.

But it might be the only option. If you can't beat it, leave it and return with more xp and better items.

Apsis · Post by **Apsis** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:46 am

I completely agree with Thrifalas, some fights are best left for higher levels rather than cheating. However, i remember the very first time i met Firkraag, i had also couldn't find a way a kill him and went for fake talk (thanks to DSimpson) but that didn't satisfy me. Then i checked my all available options and discovered Aerie's Slay Living spell! Firkraag fell after a couple of reloads while Aerie yelled OH MY! :laugh:

Sator · Post by **Sator** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:17 pm

Well i feel good about myself than because i killed Mae Var at the beginning of chapter 2

It took about 10 reloads though for all my chars to not get killed/chunked. Edwin was indeed a great help though.

Then i checked my all available options and discovered Aerie's Slay Living spell! Firkraag fell after a couple of reloads while Aerie yelled OH MY

must... try... now.... !

- did try it. After removing his resistance, he still made his save vs spell every time. Even a roll of 6 gets him to save. So this isn't plausible unless you use time stop. But if you HAVE time stop you can kill him the good old fashioned way.

Guys i have a problem. I went and beat the CF encounter after several tries (managed to chaos everyone). Now upon resting in the 7 vales inn i go outside and i meet a monstrous kensai/wizard that demands the CF from me. Unfortunately that's not an option, but i can't seem to get his defenses down! And sooner rather than later, someone gets chunked (usually the protagonist or Edwin after his Protection from Magical Weapons expires). Any tips?

Sator · Post by **Sator** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:08 am

Sorry to double post but does anyone have any suggestions on this?

Dradeel · Post by **Dradeel** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:29 am

If this is kurosian-the acid kensai, i remember UU's anwser on a post that asked a similar question and later i've also read it in his guide. He said that you should buy the crossbow firesth. I'm not good with names. The one you can buy on the roof of watchers keep and equip it with plain regular bolts. Than improve haste and kurosian should go down in a few rounds. I of course never tryed this but it seems plausible for his protections. It has something to do with fire damage from the crossbow getting trough his stoneskin and plain bolts i presume to get trough prot. from magic.

Sator · Post by **Sator** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:31 pm

Unfortunately that's not an option. I'm trapped in the inn, and the encounter is waiting for me when i get out. Also, not high enough level for imp haste yet.. :/

Thrifalas · Post by **Thrifalas** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 4:09 am

You're a bit early on the fight, it sounds. Kuroisan is a 13/14 kensai/mage with all the goody equipment you can get yourself. Gaxx etc. He is made to show how powerful a kensai/mage could become in the vanilla game and easily beat everything. ^^

I've read about the Firetooth tactic as well. The trick is that once you dispel his defenses he will recast them, but he won't recast ProElements. Hence, the fire damage will get through his ProMW and SSkin.

Another plan, although cheesy, is to waste a precious ProMagic-scroll on him. Just like Kangaxx and other dangerous casters it's a free-win strategy, but you only get two in the entire game, so use them carefully.

Personally I've always waited with the CF whenever I have that mod installed. At higher level he doesn't pose that kind of threat anymore.

And well. You'll want him dead, his weapon is one of the best weapons of all times.

Sator · Post by **Sator** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:30 pm

Hmm i've played trough the game, definitely not a noob here

But i didn't want to spoil my run with the 2 difficulty mods installed so i just went for whatever i can get whenever i felt like it. It took some luck to beat MaeVar at level 10 believe me. For both the CF fight and the MaeVar fight i relied heavily on the Wizard spell Chaos and Keldorn's Dispel. But for this kensai/mage surprise i ran in to.. Damn. A Protection from Magic scroll it is i guess. I didn't ever use them in the original game (as well as Rods of Ressurrection, i didn't let a single party member die). It's going to be tough in the Tactics mod though so i guess i have to. I still will play trough the entire game without letting a single character die however, even if it takes 1000 reloads

Thanks for the tips btw!

akash · Post by **akash** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:14 am

mention the melee duergar

the first time, you get a team of duergar attacking you. Fortunately it's AFTER you have been healed and the spells have been recharged, but it's very very VERY annoying. Not to mention the melee duergar is quite tough and the mage casts Chaos and Melf's Acid Arrow, both of which can result in a swift load. I installed Dungeon Be Gone because of this (sorry didn't have the patience to crawl trogugh the already very boring and slow dungeon

Khumak · Post by **Khumak** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 6:49 pm

Using Ascension + Tactics is not a good idea if you're creating a fresh character or party and going straight to ToB, skipping SoA. Pretty sure the ToB stuff for those assumes that you already finished SoA and aren't just using the few trinkets you start with fresh in ToB. I've tried the opening fight with a fresh party and with a fresh solo character and it's not pretty. I found it very hard for the party and absolutely impossible for the solo character.

Rancid Sushi · Post by **Rancid Sushi** » Tue May 05, 2009 1:37 am

Thrifalas wrote:
Another plan, although cheesy, is to waste a precious ProMagic-scroll on him. Just like Kangaxx and other dangerous casters it's a free-win strategy, but you only get two in the entire game, so use them carefully.

Cast Simulacrum and have the dummy use its copies of the protection scrolls. You'll never have to use the actual scrolls in the game at all meaning almost unlimited protection (you get 2 free scrolls for every simulacrum).