Tactics Mod - Improved Illych

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Anyone else have a hell time with this one. I did not mind the damn Shadow Thiefs with two Potions of Invisibility and always backstabbing my mages (of course, once I stoneskinned then, the thiefs would move onto so someone else). The fight with Illych was rather irksome. Anyone have any ideas on this one.

I have my Wild Mage, Imoen, Jeheria, and Minsc.

No matter what happens, Illych casts the Classic Blunder thing that fatigues everyone and also casts slow (kind of crappy). Then one of the other idiots casts something that summons a Deva. No matter what I do, these clowns just beat me down in about 3 rounds.

Any tactics that might be helpful will be grateful.

 

Uninstall the mod -that is what I did after giving it a shot (went down together with Tactics ).

Not sure what can you do at level 7, your choises being somewhat limited... Since deva's are immune to all your weapons ATM, could you just - - wait?

 

A Deva? In IRENICUS DUNGEON?!?

Seems I have to uninstall Dungeon-be-gone every once in a while...

Did you try the fireball\web combo? Since you have Jaheira, try learning as many of the Summon Woodland Beings spell (iirc, it's level 4) as you can. The nymphs should be able to buy you more time.

What are your levels?
If you're still quite low, shapechange Jaheira into a bear after casting your spells so she becomes something of use. Have Imoen hang back and throw Magic Missiles. If the mage gives you trouble, focus Imoen on it.
Minsc and your PC should go for Llyich. You can try direct-damage spells, or enchantments spells (or chromatic orb) and hoe for the best.

EDIT: And I'll have to agree with Virne. Have Imoen bait the Duergar with low-level summons so you can force the Deva out and wait for its duration to expire.
You may be able to bring down the Deva if you manage a Chromatic Orb a few levels higher on it and it fails its save, but the chances of that are slim.

If you have the Enchanted Weapon spell (by any grim chance), you can also use this should your ordinary Chromatic Orb get through.

 

This walkthrough has a good strategy for that and many other things.

 

I un-installed that mod the minute I saw that deva racing towards my party!

I mean, WTF! That part of the mod truly sucks...I never install it anymore.

 

The Improved Ilyich is definitely extremely challenging. But, not impossible by a long shot. It adds a tough encounter to the first dungeon, and when you figure out how to defeat these guys, you'll get some great loot out of the whole experience. Sadly, I hate Chateau Irenicus SO much that, even with Ilyich installed, I usually tend to use Dungeon Be Gone and get the hell outta there. Just me tho!

 

Divide and conquer!

Have Imoen set her snares in a room with a door then send one character (preferably hasted) to the room where Ilyich and his cronies appear. As soon as Ilyich pops up, run off back to the room. Odds on, only one of Ilyich's cronies will follow you. As soon as they enter the room, the snares will go off and wound him. Slam the door shut and finish him off. Rest and repeat. The cronies will return to the library room each time enabling you to use the same tactics time and again. And I'm pretty sure the cleric only summons a Deva the first time so if you can escape it once, you'll escape it all the time.

 

Throw everything you've got at the cleric. You should be able to kill him before he summons the deva.

You could always get Yoshimo before the fight, too.

 

I agree with david w. I managed to beat them a few times with this tactic (hey, it's not called the Tactics mod for nothing!). You have to lure them one at a time to a room with a door -- the one with the "dude in a jar" (can't remember his name) works perfectly. But to do that, you have to time it well: if you run away as soon as you see them coming, they'll retreat to the library and wait for you there. What you have to do is retreat slowly enough so that one bad guy stays within your line of sight. Wait for him (especially before turning around a corner) if you have to. That way, he'll still try to attack you while the others retreat to the library. Lure him inside the room with a door, shut the door and fire away with all you've got. Jaheira's summon insects is a must, and all summoning spells help.

These guys are worth a lot of exp. and have great stuff, especially for this early in the game. I'm sure you'll make it, so good luck!

 

It was major hard!! I gave up after 2 reloads and reinstalled tacs without the Illych part ;e

 

Just take them one on one. First person I usually kill is the neophyte demon with traps. Then the monk. Next up you need to kill the golem with staff and oil of speed, although if you have a char that can use war hammers you could kill illyich first instead, he isnt hard by himself, just assualt him with every spell possible. Generally I fight this fight using the otyaugh room as a staging point. This fight is always what helps me decide a char, and brushes up my lower level combat skills, if you can beat this fight every fight in this game will prolly be easy.

The deva isnt tough to deal with, just close the doors and wait for it to unsummon, you might also want to wait till he wastes both true seeings.

 

Hmm...doesn't installing an 'improved fight' mod that requires the use of 'cheese' to beat it, kind of defeat the object? I mean, clearly the mod is over-powered.

 

The point is to make the game more difficult, and force you to figure out ways to win a tough fight. I think the reason a LOT of people like mods like this are because, for those of us who have played the game so many times we've lost count, it has gotten rather easy. Not to mention the fights, even the few that could still be considered tough, have just gotten dull, because they are battles we've fought a thousand times. These mods give us a chance to fight a fight that requires some really well laid plans.

Course, the real beauty of mods, IMHO, is that if you don't like em, if you think they're cheese, overpowered, or simply don't care for the premise of em, you don't have to use em. But the Improved Illyich mod is basically a tough fight that you need to figure out how to win by using unusual tactics (guess that's why it's part of the Tactics mod ). If you feel like your being forced to resort to 'cheese' to beat it, and you're one of the folks who are completely against using cheese tactics (I know there are a LOT out there who are against it), then that's cool, just don't install it.

To each their own!

 

Keldor, I actually found the mod a welcome addition. It was the first time since I started playing the game that I actually had to struggle to get out of Irenicus' dungeon. My usual tactic for getting through the place up to that point had been to charge merrily into any fight and just bashbashbash until the enemies were dead because I knew there was nothing in there that was likely to give me any trouble. When the improved Ilyich killed Minsc and Jaheira in 5 seconds flat it really made me stop and think. And for the first time in Chateau Irenicus, I actually had to think about how I was going to beat some enemies.

So is it overpowered? Undoubtedly. Does it make the game more challenging and fun? Of course.

Which is what it's all about.

 

I like Improved Ilyich mod. You may think that it is hard with party, but try to solo it

Some good hints for the battle:
1) try to distract cleric's spellcasting
2) take them one by one
3) take enough damaging spells, some enemies (like the demon) are only hurt by them
4) don't be stingy with potions, wands and whatever items
5) clear also the upper level of dungeon before fighting against Ilyich, if battle is too hard
6) Yoshimo's traps help a lot
7) Resting between killing the baddies isn't forbidden
8) and the best hint of them all: try some new tactics

In my opinion, rewards for killing Ilyich are somewhat too powerful (like +3 club, which can be sold for big amount of gold)