This was probably my fastest insane win with a playing time of just under 15 hours at the time of the win. Funnily enough 15 is also the number of my insane wins now. My psyshot win, for example, took over 10 hours longer!
I felt I needed to try sawbutcher again as my first insane win had to pick Rak'Shor's cunning because of almost dying (turns out I didn't need it). Also I didn't find those tier-5 randart two-handed saws. Turns out I didn't find tier-5 saws now either except for Ramroller which seemed weak. I didn't bother with Telmur nor Gem of the Moon quest.
I picked flex + arcane might which I feel are very good options for sawbutchers. First two cats went to inscription slots, then furnace, then automated butchery. After winning I bump against the training dummy for about 5 K per turn. About 10 % higher if I switch to Steam Powered Gauntlets.
I may write a sawbutcher guide later on, we'll see but for now enjoy the highlights of my run.
Highlights:
1) Escorting a temp explorer on old forest, I can already see the portal, oh the sweet sweet dreamwalk!! ...oh, what's that, a sawbutcher bee unique... welp, I lost the escort and also almost my character. Thanks grinding shield for die at -HP! Yeah, the bad part about playing EoR on is that you have to face the EoR classes too. Sawbutcher mindslayer bee/midgeswarm boss is the new bulwark mindslayer bee/midgeswarm boss in Old Forest.
2) The game tried so hard to kill my butcher before dreadfell, too bad sawbutchers are kind of stronk! I also got very strong item drops. Rip RNG.
3) Sawbutcher strats: just saw wheel yourself into the middle of a pact of monsters and press like shielding rune or heroism button to activate the end effect. Naturally not a thing I would recommend but saved time IRL XD
4) I don't think I'll save the merchant next time, I got the standard five merchant randarts out of which one was good, one okayish and 3 I did not end up using at all. It will be a sweet revenge.
5) Cog's Essential's can give you shell shield for 100 % damage reduction or unstoppable for 100 % invincibility (you won't lose HP unlike with the real unstoppable without getting hit). B A L A N C E D. I could have cheesed invincibility before the final fight but decided I'd go with a less good effect.
6) Disarm immunity is great, I had 150 % immunity from my gauntlet slot alone and one particular unique multihued drake managed to disarm me like every other turn or so. You kind of need your weapons to deal with fearscape + osmosis shield combo -especially so when dispersion does not yield the effect needed. Only like 300-400 HP separated my Lumberjack from death (defensive skills were already on cooldown). This on a character that could get away with number three on this list while clearing prides.
7) High Peak is still terrible. Especially so when you spawn in LoS of a stair guardian or a demon pact including General of Uhr'rok fixed unique. I did kill some stair guardians, maybe like 5-7 of them.
Speaking of great spawns, the demon portal in the final fight produced a ranged major demon in like turn 1 or 2. Thanks game! After that I got fearscaped by Elandar. Fearscape or not, Elandar died in like 3 turns while in there....during which the dragon portal summoned Ureslak + 2 multihued wyrms -_- . My strategy involves killing Elandar quickly and then closing the portals fast before going at it with Argoniel. It was a "fun" surprise when I met the aforementioned dragon pact while approaching the dragon portal.9) Aeryn was great. First she refuses to engage Argoniel at all and then when she finally decided to lend me a hand she dies in like 5 turns. She didn't appreciate Argoniel's 14 turns worth of greater weapon focus it seems. GG.
10) Pro strats: Seeing that Aeryn would die very quickly and that the top of the map is dominated by Argo + dragon pacts I retreated to the south of the map. I digged one tile in the south obstacle and hid/pillar danced Argoniel there around the 1x1 obstacle created by digging. Dragon summons and Argoniel can also fight each other and apparently at some point Argoniel solo'ed the Ureslak's group and Ureslak too. This made my day a lot easier. In the end, after I managed to survive the first horrible dragon ambush, the dragon portal was actually helpful.
11) I entered the final fight with 28 stat points and like 10 class and 8 gen points left. After I noticed the portal trolling I ended up using most of them.
12) I would have wanted that dreamwalk :'(. RIP.
Any questions, ask away!