The 5 Hardest battles

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Draconis and *MY* party is all that really springs to mind as tough, hard to cheese battles.

EDIT: Unmodded, of course.

 

Interesting that people keep bringing up improved Illasera. I can't say I've ever had trouble with her, although I've never tried taking her on with a made-in-TOB character--that being the whole reason she was so easy pre-mod. I wonder if magic-heavy groups have an easier time with her.

 

Without Time Stop they wouldn't stand a second. Just two of her arrows is enough to finish one mage, no matter what defences he might have, and since she can kill 2 mages and disrupt a third mage in one turn, mages won't stand a chance for long. (Don't forget her arrows insta-kill -bye-bye summons and your melee characters.)

Anyway, that was just an example of how ridicilous modded battles usually are. Like there weren't other ways to make battles interesting beside beefing them to impossible levels and adding non-AD&D effects.

 

You misunderstand me, Wirhe. I use magic heavy groups, and I have never had trouble with Improved Illasera. The last time I took her on, it was with Minsc, Solaufein, Imoen, Viconia, Aerie, and a PC sorcerer. I am about to take her on with Valygar, Imoen, Kelsey, Tashia, Anomen, and a PC sorcerer.

 

Well, even Weimer admits that Improved Illasera is (I quote) "insanely difficult", so I don't find it odd that people would keep bringing up this particular mod, not to mention this is the very first thing you do in TOB. I'd have to agree with Wirhe on this, it's a perfect example of how trying to make a fight more challenging can make it TOO difficult. Good thing installing the mod is optional...

@Wirhe: You forgot one thing about Illasera, she's now an Archer. Just to be SURE that her insta-kill arrows WILL hit, no matter how good your AC.
Oh and by the way, what did I win?

 

'' 2. Firkraag (its just some lower resistance + magic missiles & the like really) ''

Yea, I know it sounds ridiculous but it's true. If you destroy his magic resistance, magic missiles take away a fair amount of his hp which is surprisingly low for a red dragon, yet the battle is still very hard. All those high damage and fire breath attacks are hard to defend (if you fight him before going to Brynnlaw of course).

I just DLed Gaider's mods and am currently in a psychological state of preparation for the hardest crpg test of my life. ^!^

I take it we re talking about the hardest battles in the normal difficulty of the game? Or did you play that in easy? Are there any brave BG Masters that have finished the game in anything more than D&D hardcore rules?

 

@ Ziad

Shake of hand and the glory of being the winner of BG2 "Recognize This Character" -trivia.

@ Menathor

Several, actually; just look at those people who have avatar and add a few more to boot.

As to the dragons, they aren't very difficult to handle even with a low level party (lv.8-10). A few summons to give them something to do, perhaps a few selected scrolls, Finger of Death... not a big deal due of the fact that it is just ONE big creature and not several.

 

I'm basing this on the first or second time you encounter them. I haven't encountered the Eclipse crew or Undead Solaufein yet (only installed him last week) but looking forward to having my *** handed to me. In no particular order (and since I only have some aspects of Tactics installed):

1. Draconis - this ****** just made my life hell; it is difficult enough to beat him without losing anyone in a one-PC party. When I finally nailed him (Imoen saved the day for Valygar with a perfectly-timed Power Word: Kill), it felt damn good.

2. Final Guardians of the Watcher's Keep seal - without cheesing it at all (eg: using Project Image, Skull Traps and Wish to restore your spells), this is a very tough battle. Go into it without buffing on the presumption that you're psychic and you are in for a rough ride.

3. Irenicus in Suldanesselar - 'nuff said. The first time, hell, the first dozen times he wasted me without taking a scratch. Now I've got his measure, but he was a force to be reckoned with.

4. Improved Guarded Compound - not so much for how tough they are, but for how comparatively weak you are at the time. This gets ugly very quickly, and if you can't stop Sion getting his Time Stops off, you may as well hit reload because at least half your party is going to die horribly.

5. Kangaxx - face it; if you didn't know what was coming, you didn't have a chance. Without Tactics he's easy once you know how, but until you figure it out... well, we all know why there are so many threads devoted to the topic of destroying Kangaxx.

 

Well, there are just too many battles too make a top 5 list.
But who the hell is Pontifex?

 

Pontifex is a dragon that sends you on a quest to disrupt "The Ritual." It's in the Tactics mod.

 

Is improved Illasera different from the version of her in Ascension, because I found her in that one to be rather lame, as she always was.

 

@ Khazraj: Improved Illasera used to be an optional component of Ascension-Weidu. And if you found her lame, then you definitely didn't install her

@ Nonsequitur: Power Word Kill is really the best way to finish off Draconis, I've found, because he will *always* cast heal on himself once you get him to Near Dead. It's a good thing Kill goes off so quickly. In one of my games, it was Aerie (!) who pulled off the spell, so I laughed out loud when "toughest monster defeated" for her was Draconis

 

I'm gonna go wild and resurect this old thread to give you a little update to my list.

I've now (nearly) completed tob with tactics and ascension *applause*. I'm at the ascension final battle now and my-oh-my this is some difficult ****. I've managed to kill everyone except Melissan and sendai, but Sendai was invulnerable to damage somehow and Melissan just ran away when she got hurt, at last I gave up and haven't tried again yet.

Well, there is no doubt in my mind, Ascension final battle, the five reincarnated (not to mention jon-bon with vecna) claims to no.1 spot for beeing the hardest showdown i've ever witnessed.

No.2 goes toooooooo *drumroll* ECLIPSE partei! These guys sucks, but in the end it comes down to melee power vs melee power (You kill my magic users? fine I kill yours, now lets fight man-to-man)

No.3 Improved Illych

No.4 Improved Irenicus

No.5 Improved Demogorgon

I was a bit disapointed with abazigal and yaga-shura, and unmodded Sendai is way to easy.

 

Well... is there a mod to spruce up Sendai?

 

Yes, I believe the Oversight mod does it.

 

There is. I believe it was part of the Oversight mod. Not sure where you can find this mod now.

EDIT: silly me, it's on this very site of course! http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/index_editors7.php

[ September 13, 2004, 18:07: Message edited by: Ziad ]

 

Hmm Improved Illasera can be tough but with a rather specific item (shield of reflection i think its called. Get it at adventure mart) it is simple.... her arrows hit her instead...heh.
As for other tough battles Draconis is tough and Demi-lich (hate them)

(By the way i'm new here so hi)