How I Beat The Game Self-Found, Zero Deaths

[botebote77]

no mods, no twinks, no deaths



I did this on v2.9. I see there is an open beta version with controller support now. Just from reading the changelog, I don’t see major changes that would affect this build. But if there is, please feel free to point that out. I had Ragnarok and Atlantis on this run. I didn’t complete 100% of the maps but I completed all quests including side quests. I also killed all optional bosses like Hydra, Manticore, Fafnir, etc.

This is a magician (rogue + earth) trapmaster build, with a little bit of spellcasting. My stat distribution is mostly int and dex, but I put just enough on str to equip a normal difficulty tinkerer shield. I also spent a little more than 20 pts(iirc) on health. This may not be a popular practice but for this run, I think it’s justified.

A lot of people might think the key is making the best stat and skill build possible for your class, but I don’t think so. I’m not even sure I made the ideal stat and skill allocation for my class. I think it’s all about getting decent resistances, health, and DA. Maybe you can get away with low DA if you have good physical resistance or maybe damage absorption. But for a self-found run, I think it’s easier to go with basic means of survivability.

But there are synergies for rogue and earth specializing on traps. Traps get the Earth Enchantment aura including the burn damage from Brimstone. That is of course if traps are placed within the radius of EE. I took a pic here so you can have a rough idea on the distance. If you look closely, the first 2 still get the aura, while the 3rd one don’t.



Core Dweller is a very good meat shield, and Stone Form is a very good panic skill. Fire Nova and Poison Gas Bomb are good CC skills.

I managed to get some screenshots of end of difficulties, including my items. But this being a self-found run, just know that those items were constantly changing.
End of normal pics

Spoiler for Hiden:

End of epic pics

Spoiler for Hiden:

End of legendary pics

Spoiler for Hiden:

I got really lucky at end of act 4 normal. First, no dactyls spawned (at least on normal). Then I got a +1 to all skills completion bonus on crystal of erebus (although I only used this on epic and early act 1 legendary). Then the overlord turtle dropped. Yes just from 1 Hades run. Although it turned out I didn’t really needed it. Just from the few runs I made on secret passage normal, no easter egg items dropped. And then just as I was lucky on act 4, I was unlucky in act 5 primrose passage. I managed to find all easter egg items before the only one I really needed (Blackbeards Booties) dropped. Yes it was the last easter egg item to drop. But then I got lucky again in Atlantis. I managed to find Amazigh Banner Steak. That wasn’t really on my plans but I used it all the way till end game.

The main items I farmed for were SB Cuffs, Sthenos Wisdom, and the relics and charms I socketed. A good place to farm demon’s blood is the Shadowmaw cave. Once you have enough DA and a little fire res, it should be easy to farm. Rigid Carapace, either Valley of the Kings or Giza. You need a little bit of luck getting the pierce res completion bonus but those beetles should be easy to kill so it’s just a matter of time. I never used any of the Legendary Craftsmanship Quest rewards in act 5. That might just degrade my items. I didn’t want to create backups of my character either. That ruins the essence of this run in my opinion.

I would say a very useful knowledge to have is knowing which item affixes you will need. That means the green items. Or even yellows, look at my torso armor. Then in addition to that, knowing which relics or charms to socket. I was actually able to get good purple items plouton’s cornucopia, allfather’s gloves, coronet of Freyja, etc but I got them so late in the game that by that time, I didn’t really feel like changing my items anymore. On a run like this, one item change can lead to another item change, which can lead to another item change. I was like “meh, I think this is good enough”. Anyway, most of them I wasn’t able to reach int requirements. I guess that was the drawback of spending some on str and also on health. But I did it so it was all worth it.

Bonus info: Do you know how to make the doppelganger fight easy? You can empty your secondary weapon slot just before engaging mobs. When you hear that boss sound, that means a doppel has spawned. Immediately switch to your main weapon slot. That way the doppel spawning wouldn’t have any weapon and shield, but you have when you fight it.

[aurum]

Contragulations on this impressive run!
And thank you for the detailed writeup. 

[Zardoz]

The main items I farmed for were SB Cuffs, Sthenos Wisdom, and the relics and charms I socketed.

Really? On a 125 hours run, you only farmed for these items?

[botebote77]

thnx @aurum

@Zardoz yes. those and the blackbeards booties i mentioned before that. but i can give you a little more detail, which you can probably imagine already. SB cuffs and Sthenos wisdom were for each difficulty. so those 2 are actually 6 items. then i can remember i probably farmed shadowmaw about a hundred times just to get 2 elemental resist completion bonus. and it's only on legendary. can't remember on normal and epic. but iirc legendary was the longest shadowmaw farm run.

and if you consider my going back and forth from merchant to merchant as farming, those also took a lot of time. i remember farming for my tinkerer shield just lying on my bed with my wireless mouse because it was so boring doing nothing but visiting Atlantis merchants. i also did it in legendary visiting atlantis merchants trying to find wraithlords or allfathers of the tinkerer. but i couldn't find any so i finally told myself "ah f**k it I'll just get by with my items"

but about farming, not related to your question but... for a self-found run, i don't really think farming is the "key". this wasn't my 1st try, nor my 2nd, nor my 3rd. i really believe farming should be very limited. just one mistake, you die, and it's all over. imagine if you already spent 100 hrs or more, then just 1 mistake from farming, everything you've done flush it through the toilet

[Zardoz]

thnx @aurum

@Zardoz yes. those and the blackbeards booties i mentioned before that. but i can give you a little more detail, which you can probably imagine already. SB cuffs and Sthenos wisdom were for each difficulty. so those 2 are actually 6 items. then i can remember i probably farmed shadowmaw about a hundred times just to get 2 elemental resist completion bonus. and it's only on legendary. can't remember on normal and epic. but iirc legendary was the longest shadowmaw farm run.

and if you consider my going back and forth from merchant to merchant as farming, those also took a lot of time. i remember farming for my tinkerer shield just lying on my bed with my wireless mouse because it was so boring doing nothing but visiting Atlantis merchants. i also did it in legendary visiting atlantis merchants trying to find wraithlords or allfathers of the tinkerer. but i couldn't find any so i finally told myself "ah f**k it I'll just get by with my items"

but about farming, not related to your question but... for a self-found run, i don't really think farming is the "key". this wasn't my 1st try, nor my 2nd, nor my 3rd. i really believe farming should be very limited. just one mistake, you die, and it's all over. imagine if you already spent 100 hrs or more, then just 1 mistake from farming, everything you've done flush it through the toilet

No worries here, i was just making a joke (not a very good one, i admit). I know perfectly well how fast time passes by in this game, especially on a self-found character. And I also like to take my time with the game when i play hardcore self-found. I never rush, sometimes spending up to 40 hours on normal difficulty, before i jump to epic. For me that's be best way to play hardcore - you take it slow and safe, with a good grinding plan... oh though i agree with you on spending too much time and risking to throw it away by single mistake. Still, i'd rather spend 100 hours and die with one hc character in the middle of legendary difficulty, than to lose 3 hc characters in half that time combined, without even beating epic, because i was rushing and being over confident. I like to play with fear and high stakes It's more addicting that way.

Love the topic and your build... makes me want to try a trapper too, but i'm already in the middle of a self-found hardcore playthrough.

[Tauceti]

Nice run Bote 

[botebote77]

i wrote this few days ago. just maybe it can serve as guide for some. i don't know. it's a Druid spellcaster

https://www.reddit.com/r/TitanQuestAE/comments/tokytv/beating_the_game_with_a_spellcaster_solo/

[fadz]

Hi, i have been reading your posts a lot and this zero death self found build interests me. Would you mind to share how do you progress through normal end act3 onwards? I tried starting with earth mastery and core dweller + normal attack, it was OK until i hit end act 3 when things pretty much slow down as core dweller cannot hold on its own. Maybe if i start using rogue things will be much easier?

[mthescorpion]

Hi, i have been reading your posts a lot and this zero death self found build interests me. Would you mind to share how do you progress through normal end act3 onwards? I tried starting with earth mastery and core dweller + normal attack, it was OK until i hit end act 3 when things pretty much slow down as core dweller cannot hold on its own. Maybe if i start using rogue things will be much easier?

Unsure if you are still playing but i started out as Rogue and focused on Traps first. Now just climbing Earth tree and dropping in single points to key skills. finally found a Hallowed Helm after around 100 farming runs in Chang'an. Already picked up SB Cuffs in the Gorgon area of the Labyrinth. My build at L30 at Chang'an is below:

https://www.tqcalc.com/TitanCalc85ef85ef85ef.html?mastery=Magician&master1=6&master2=1&sa=0&m1=32-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-16-0-0-8-0-0-0-0-0-0-8-0-0-0-0&m2=21-1-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0