Second winner (Rampaging Antimagic Cornac Cursed)

[dukereg]

My second winner, Normal difficulty. http://te4.org/characters/105200/tome/f ... 8f251dc1b4

I played a Rampaging Antimagic Cornac Cursed build, and I'd recommend something similar to anyone who has been unable to survive with other Cursed builds.

I love playing Cursed and have tried for ages to keep one alive past the early game. I think going AM/Fungus was really the key to survival. Most hard fights mid to late game involve heaps of non-physical damage, and that Fungus regen is great. Also, Cursed use Willpower/Mind Power already so there was synergy, especially with Superpower prodigy for extra MP and extra damage.

I think the other key to survival was to be able to control the situation.
General good speed due to the Acorn quest item, Surge and Rampage procs is awesome.
First 2 Gloom skills are much better for crowd control than the percentages might make you think.
Beckon helps get casters/archers/runners early on.
Dominate and Harrass Prey are good all game.
Preternatural Senses + Blindside are amazing.

Late game I'd pop a Regeneration infusion and Draconic Will, Blindside stair guardians/rares/necro casters and just cycle through Dominate, Harrass Prey, Slash, Frenzy and bump attacks, throwing in an Aura of Silence when Draconic Will wore off. This play style is also super, awesome fun and fits the predatory Cursed theme really well.

My deaths were all caused by not running away quickly enough from dangerous situations, or otherwise not controlling the situation as I should have.
One death in entrance to Vor Armory I felt was legit bad luck. The level unique and a bunch of other stuff spawned literally next to the stairs in a narrow corridor, and I stair danced instead of running off into the scary, monster-filled dungeon, until debuffs stopped me going up stairs and I died.
The other five deaths were purely preventable, not paying attention, hitting wrong buttons accidentally, assuming I could just tank mobs instead of positioning myself properly, etc.

I only have one reservation with my build: the Cornac race. While the beginning of the game is much easier than with other races due to being over-levelled, I don't recommend Cornac for two reasons:
1) They reach level 50 too quickly, which makes the mid-late game boring. Even avoiding the farportal, shadow crypt and dragon room, I got to level 50 in the prides. I was ready for end-bosses but fighting useless mooks for ages still. Only became fun again when I was fighting slime tunnel bosses and pouncing on and dominating stair guardians from the darkness.
2) Cornac's other perk is a category point, which was neither needed nor desirable given how many things you already have to spend points on. I got Harmony, but it wasn't worth the price of entry. Even a single generic point in the first racial of some other classes would have been a better deal, taken with the extra HP per level and/or ability to get better starting Str/Wil. It would suck to only have 3 infusions until level 36, but I hardly used my second healing infusion, and Rampage + Reckless Charge mostly make up for the lack of a movement infusion. You can also run a psychoportation torque (like I did anyway).

[erikkustrife]

my first ever winner in roguelike normal was a Cornac cursed, and as a fellow cc winner, i have to say conrac is the best race to play cursed with that cat point you get early is necessary for level 1 rampage. There isnt really a shortage of talents that you want. In fact i find you have more survivalist abilities then anything else in the game.

[dukereg]

i have to say conrac is the best race to play cursed with that cat point you get early is necessary for level 1 rampage.

Cornac is necessary for level 1 Rampage, but level 1 Rampage is not necessary to play as Cursed. The first 10 levels are the easiest, and there's always something worthwhile to spend class points on in the unlocked trees. It comes down to personal preference I guess.

[Death From Above]

The first 10 levels are the easiest,

This is blatantly untrue.

[dukereg]

The first 10 levels are the easiest,

This is blatantly untrue.

No, you disagree. There's an important difference.