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I need some help with this fight - big time. I don't want to give up on this game because I got stuck here! I have tried and tried but I can't win the battle against the Valsharess. I'm dead within thirty seconds every time. Can anyone give me any strategy tips on firstly what will damage her and secondly what will best protect me long enough to kick her behind into the otherworld. Any ideas at all would be appreciated.

Use the Mantle spells to shield you from her spells (make sure you have at least 2 of these in case one runs out), use Stoneskin to protect from physical attacks, use Improved Invisibility to stop her targetting you with spells, and use Haste (or potions of speed) to increase your casting speed. Also, take potions of Cat's Grace, Owl's Wisdom and so on to bump up your saving throws a bit. Cast any spells you have that remove her spell protections and decrease her magic resistance, then lay into her with Isaacs Greater Missile storm, Lesser Missile storm and Magic Missile until she is dead. You could also try summoning spells, including your familiar, to distract her a little too.

Hm.... She got quite a few heals, so I think you'll need minimum 9 maximised missile storms to get her.

Another approach is to use mordekainen's disjunction on her (or greater spell breach a few times). Then use the counter spell ability when she casts. If your spellcraft skill and level is high enough, you'll stop her from harming you with spells. Now since you're a mage, and she's a cleric, the only way you can counter spell her spells (those restricted to clerics) is to have greater dispelling. After she's out of major damage spells, you can cast missile storms at her.

Why doesn't your mage have timestop and Greater Sanctuary? Just use Greater Sanctuary then buff (if you want) and cast timestop, cast mord's dysjunction and then two or three Isaac's Greater Missile Storm (may need another timestop after the second Isaac). She won't be able to cast any Heals that way.

jeremiah wrote:Why doesn't your mage have timestop and Greater Sanctuary? Just use Greater Sanctuary then buff (if you want) and cast timestop, cast mord's dysjunction and then two or three Isaac's Greater Missile Storm (may need another timestop after the second Isaac). She won't be able to cast any Heals that way.

That's a good point, I forgot all about Timestop Timestop is one of the best spells as a mage. I have actually killed her before by using nothing but Timestop, Mordekainen's Dysjunction, Breach spells and Greater Missile Storm, but that was with a Sorceror so I had a lot of high level spell casting slots. If I recall correctly, I'm sure I've actually managed it with Finger of Death before, but that could be another fight I was thinking of as I can't remember if she is immune to death magic.

Thank you all for your advice - I'm now in hell! Yippee! Meaning that I finally beat Valsharess. The very next time I fought her after reading your replies in fact. I had been using timestop but obviously not getting the right spells happening during that pause. I wasn't using haste either which, when I did use it, also made a big difference. This time she was the one dead in 30 seconds instead of me. Of course I still did a little bit of panic casting so I'm not sure of all the spells I used but the combo worked in the end. I guess that's all that matters!