MM update, defeat is mine

I will admit defeat. I'm not doing that gladly, I really thought I had a shot at completing MM; maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

So, you might want to know what happened. In short I died four times. Four times trying to reach Zooknock, and four times reaching different parts of the dungeon. All of the times it were the level 142 skeleton monkeys that did me in.

Reconnoitering the dungeon with Simple gave me a few difficult passages. Basically there are four main threats. The first one are the Zombie Monkeys, followed by a few traps, some environmental problems like poisoning and falling debris, and lastly the Skeleton Monkeys. The environmental problems were the least of my worries. I can deal with those using anti poison and, at certain intervals, gobble up a buttered potato or two.

The first few traps were not a problem either. Same procedure as with the environment, anti poison and potato. Zombie Monkeys posed a bigger problem but the combination of running and eating those potatoes again meant I got past those. Then the big problem arose: Floor spikes and Skeleton Monkeys in one go.

I'll admit here and now I didn't have energy potions on me: I can't make those (well, I couldn't, I can now). So, down on run energy, I had no other recourse than to rest and hide from the Skeletons. There is this one spot where you can hole up without being attacked by Zombie Monkeys or Skeletons and just taking the hits from falling debris. Since that takes only 2-3 hp away while resting to get run energy back it is do-able.

Then the real trouble starts: The mad dash round three corners, each littered with floor spikes and skeletons trying to do you in. And in all four tries that did it. Floor spikes hit you for 7 and will keep hitting for 7 when you stand on them. With 40 hp that means I could be safe if I got hit a maximum of five times. Not counting the skeletons...

And that is where it went horribly wrong... Getting hit for 7's from the floor, and way higher by skeletons meant I just couldn't gobble up potatoes fast enough to get me through it. Four times I tried, four times I failed.

Out of pure frustration I did another quest: Shades of Mort'ton. That got me 22 herblore and the possibility to concoct energy potions. Maybe I'll give it one more go with a few energy potions on me.

One thing that still amazes me. Sabre Grief. Apparently, by his own admission, he completed the dungeon on his Grief account while being combat level 30 with 1 prayer. I can't for the life of me understand how he managed to do that, since it would mean even less hp to lose than the 40 I have, and a lower def level so the monkeys hit higher... Nope, I just can't imagine how he did it.

Can I? Should I? What the hell.. I'll just have a go

I finished Dragon Slayer yesterday. Range in melee-style. In all honesty I didn't like ranging as if I was a warrior. It just isn't my 'style'. I like range for what it is: Stealth, sneaky, long distance. Since the safe spots aren't there, or maybe they are, just didn't look around for them, I resorted to melee-ranging. Buttered potatoes kept me alive, with about 12 left at the end.

It raised defence to a staggering 46, and strength to 35. With attack at 40 it also made me a melee combat perspeop at cb 50, and though I don't like being a warrior I'm seriously considering talking to a king.

A Monkey Madness king. A gnome king. A king that probably will lead to my demise. Still, I am going to have a go at MM. Not the smartest thing to do, if you don't like to die, but I'd like to see if the experience of a 'Simple-life-time' will see me through it. My biggest worry is traversing the maze with a prayer level not suited for it... Not being able to rely on protect from melee will probably do me in. That said: I think I can finish it, be it with a lot of perseverance. Since I can make anti poisons, that would take care of one thing. With 38 agi I probably will have a hard time keeping run ability up, but not trying is just not in the cards.

So I am off to see the wizard, the wonderful of Oz the king.

Oh, stats at the start of this voyage:

You successfully burn a salmon

Before giving you an update about the life and times of both Gwalagwic and Simple I'd like to wish you all the best for 2010. May the Gods of Gielinor smile upon you.

I cannot get over the fact levels come as fast as they do on the Gwalagwic account. This morning I stumbled over some roots while hurrying to Ardougne from the quaint Seers homestead. Of course I had to investigate and I came upon an Evil Maple tree. That is the highest tree I can tackle and thus started chopping away at it. Doing that I raised my level to 53 and with the time rewarded to use the auto-banking feature I managed to get that even to 54. TWO levels thanks to one tree...

Since I was short only a few xp to level 35 fletching I had to have a go at that. 290 Iron arrows got me that level and that made it possible to use some of the willow logs I had stashed away in a far corner of the bank. Willow shorts, and no stringing. Soon, after 374 willow short bows, I had the capability to make willow longs. And I just had to try that out. Resulting in another 3 fletching levels and one free spot in the bank... gone were the willows.

Normally on the Simple account I would have dropped the bows (u) but Gwala just is strapped for cash and thus I sold the bows to the general store: I truly was amazed at the 20k I could add to my coffers. Well, not all of it... I invested in 1000 feathers and after using 180 of them I reached 34 fishing, and, after cooking the fish on the range at Lumbridge Caste, 36 cooking. This resulted in a grand total of 604 levels. I can only say I am pretty pleased with that.

Simple doesn't fare that well. With all the festivities I just couldn't bring myself to do some work on both accounts and thus she only had a go at the Christmas event.