Learning to play the Shadow Blade

[jam3]

I have been playing and trying other things for a while but recently have been doing SB again. Shalore SB.

What I have learned (and what I practice).

Early-early game ( lvl 1-8 )
Trollmire 1,2->Lair 1,2->Woodcutter->Trollmire 3->Lair 3->Arena->Bill

Illuminate is too weak to depend on, the defence from dual weapons is too important. If your weapons are poor, consider having
dual weapon 1/1
phantasm 1+4f/1
combat training 0/0/2/0/2
conveyance 5/1/0/0

replace phase shift rune with regen
set shield to auto-cast visible+adjacent

Mid-early game ( lvl 8-12 )
Rest of early dungeons

dual weapon 2+1f/1+2f
shadow magic 1/1/5/1
if possible get escort:light, not possible get displacement shield and 4th infusion (might change depending on escorts, escort:conditioning might be worth it?)

Purchases
make sure you have best barrier, at least one heal, at least one physical status cure
if you need to get rid of mana-surge, be sure you get channeling staff (especially if you depend on magic for all escapes or heals or barriers or cures)
make sure there is no large gap
(always buy heroism if you find it)

Mid game (lvl 12-16 )
Mid dungeons but Daikara

set shield/barrier to auto-cast visible
get 40 defence

Purchases
make sure you have two sources of physical cure (one can be item if you put points into charm) (at least one not mana based)
make sure you have one heal, two barriers, and four total sources of 'health' (one can be item if you put points into charm) (at least two not mana based)
make sure you have three escapes (at least one not mana based)
make sure your weapons are valued greater than 100
purchase one useful >200 item that is good improvement

Possible barriers
Rune of Reflection (rare)
Heroism (rare)
Shielding Rune
Barrier (escort) (unlock)
Displacement Shield (mana)
Time Shield (mana) (unlock)
various items (rare)

Possible heals
Bath in Light (escort)
Healing Light (escort)
Vitality (escort)
Regeneration influsion
Healing infusion
various items (rare)

Possible cures
Wild infusion
Heat beam
various items
Providence (escort) (unlock)
Unflinching Resolve (escort) (unlock)
Healing (as second physical, use it first before wild/etc)

Possible escapes
Movement infusion
Teleport Rune
Phase shift Rune
Teleport (mana)
Phase shift (mana)
Invisibility (mana)
Invisibility Rune
various items
Probability travel (mana)
Gem portal (mana) (escort) (unlock)

I am still figuring out the next step. I have escort:light this time which really makes things easier and I am going to replace my regeneration infusion with a movement infusion. I think if I am careful and a little lucky I can get to the next state (Dreadfall) around lvl 20.