Iron Chef Optimization Challenge XI

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Actually, my favorite of the builds that I've made was one of the less popular ones with the judges (the Cancer Mage), so I don't know if it transfers over so well.

Oh yeah, Cancer Mage was great for flavor, not so much for optimizing.

[mjames]

Know what you mean. I liked my Birdlord at least as well as I liked my Stonelord, and they placed vastly differently.

That's the reason why i'm toying with two builds. One I really like, and one that actually has a good reason for taking blade bravo.

[DaragosKitsune]

Thats one of the reasons it takes me so freakin long to judge entries. I look deeper then just the level breakdown, because there is often a lot of good reasoning why things are like they are.

And that is why I won't dock Elegance points from a build that comes with an explanation of why they made the choices they did. Milo, from the previous contest, wouldn't have scored nearly as high as he did if not for the explanation of his "too lucky to die" bonuses.

[Amphetryon]

Decisions, decisions....

[IdleMuse]

Decisions, decisions....

Indeed. At the moment I'm having to decide between doing something I love from a flavour perspective, or something that's actually going to work. Option 1 might not even work RAW, it's just so much more delicious than option two, which I'm struggling to grok.

[Private-Prinny]

I'm going to have to drop out. Every idea I have keeps feeling like I'm cribbing it of off TLN.

[Amphetryon]

I'm going to have to drop out. Every idea I have keeps feeling like I'm cribbing it of off TLN.

With a Racially limited PrC that lends itself to an obvious direction, and a well-known build that takes all 10 levels of that PrC to compete against, I can see where that would be a difficulty.

[OMG PONIES]

I may wind up kicking myself, but I just changed my entire idea for my primary build. Why? Because I couldn't think of a compelling backstory, and the one that came into my head fit another class better. Oy.

I may not be submitting three builds after all. We'll see.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Is it just me or does this seem like the longest challenge ever?

[the humanity]

I freakin love gnomes. I cant wait to see the builds.

[Private-Prinny]

Is it just me or does this seem like the longest challenge ever?

I don't think it's just you. The cooking time for this challenge is 9 days, which is a full 2 days longer than the week that I always gave.

[Ozymandias9]

I don't think it's just you. The cooking time for this challenge is 9 days, which is a full 2 days longer than the week that I always gave.

You gave an 8 day one once, IIRC. I want to try to rationalize the decision for 9 days as wanting to encourage more competitors, but in truth it's mostly because when the contest started I was facing the possibility of being unavailable from today till late Wednesday.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

but in truth it's mostly because when the contest started I was facing the possibility of being unavailable from today till late Wednesday.

Makes good sense to me.

[IdleMuse]

Is it just me or does this seem like the longest challenge ever?

Yes, and I'm really appreciating it :P 8 or 9 days just feels more... relaxed? than 7.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Yes, and I'm really appreciating it :P 8 or 9 days just feels more... relaxed? than 7.

Probably so. I'm a creative obsessive, when I get an idea for this (or any of my writing for that matter) I can forget even to eat

[Draz74]

Yes, and I'm really appreciating it :P 8 or 9 days just feels more... relaxed? than 7.

Seconded. There's still hope that I might make a submission, in spite of the fact that I'm moving this week, thanks to the extended deadline.

[Draz74]

Aaaaaaand build submitted.

[BobVosh]

Aaaaaaand build submitted.

Even moving can't stop you eh?

[Malbordeus]

i'm going to be submitting this evening, i get the feeling my opwer willl be in the negatives though, possibly elegance too. >_<

[OMG PONIES]

Okay, my (new) primary build is done and typed up--now I just need to add the fluff and bring myself to click submit.

Builds two and three are mechanically done, but up in the air in terms of submission.

[IdleMuse]

My build is slowly coming together; made some difficult choices, got others yet to make, including which breakpoints to write up and buy equipment for :S

[Draz74]

Even moving can't stop you eh?

Heh, yeah ... my move has gotten delayed a couple days by various hindrances.

i'm going to be submitting this evening, i get the feeling my opwer willl be in the negatives though, possibly elegance too. >_<

I won't say which, but if I judged my own entry, I would probably bomb it in one category ... I like to think I would give it high marks in the other three, though.

Okay, my (new) primary build is done and typed up--now I just need to add the fluff and bring myself to click submit.

Builds two and three are mechanically done, but up in the air in terms of submission.

Do all three! This round needs more entries! And it would be really funny if you competed against yourself!

Just kidding, do whatever you want. Mostly I'm just happy to see people actually posting in this thread again.

[true_shinken]

Well, what do you guys think about the next secret ingredient?
I'd love to have something with it's own casting, like Vigilante or Suel Arcanamach (well, I'm a little biased about that one).
I also think that using something from the Completes would be nice. IC is supposed to be mainly core + completes, but we get about 50/50 here, I believe.

[Amphetryon]

3 out of 11 is not a 50/50 ratio....

Suel was done at BG, if memory serves.

Vigilante REALLY suffers from the 'why would you use this instead of something else' problem, as it doesn't offer anything that I can see that is even unusual, except its general badness.

[true_shinken]

3 out of 11 is not a 50/50 ratio....

You are right. I was just thinking about the time I was active on IC, from master of Masks on.

Suel was done at BG, if memory serves.

Their forum layout really irks me.

Vigilante REALLY suffers from the 'why would you use this instead of something else' problem, as it doesn't offer anything that I can see that is even unusual, except its general badness.

Well, lots of classes used in IC do, that's why it's a challenge.
But there are other prestige classes with their own casting, I just think it's an interesting concept that has yet to be explored.

I also have a thing for Ardent Dilettante. It could well be the most diverse IC we ever saw, though the problem here is more about qualifying for the increasingly difficult higher levels while remaining playable.

[OMG PONIES]

I think for the next one, it may be time to tap into Complete Psionics. My primary entry is coming along nicely now--I'm really loving my backstory. Build idea number 2 has no backstory right now, and I'll have to fight hard to come up with a good one that works well. Build idea number 3 has the backstory structure together, but I just don't know if I'll get the time to type it all out.

[Draz74]

Well, what do you guys think about the next secret ingredient?
I'd love to have something with it's own casting, like Vigilante or Suel Arcanamach (well, I'm a little biased about that one).
I also think that using something from the Completes would be nice. IC is supposed to be mainly core + completes, but we get about 50/50 here, I believe.

Nah, only 3 out of 11 have been from outside the Completes. (Is Core supposed to be well-represented? I don't think so ... there haven't been any Core Secret Ingredients. Aren't all the Core PrCs overanalyzed anyway?)

I'd like to point out again that Complete Psionic hasn't gotten used at all. Flayerspawn Psychic and Zerth Cenobite seem like they would be viable options. Then again, those are pretty much the only two that are viable. CPsi won't last long as an Iron Chef source, one way or another.

EDIT: Ninja'd. Or should that be Lurk'd?

[OMG PONIES]

LOL @ Draz.

I think the non-viability of the classes is what would make it interesting. The most ridiculous entries always seem to come from optimizers mining powerful combinations from forsaken classes. Of course, we could always change up the competition so that the secret ingredient was a core class, a feat, a race, or an item. Granted, it would make things a bit more abstract, but it might be interesting to see who could make the best Stonechild, or who could make the quintessential Combat Expertise user, etc.

When it comes to this competition, however, I need to get my butt in gear. Is it sad if I'm thinking of taking a day off from work so I can have time to submit all three entries? Of course, that desire could be fueled by the overtime I've been pulling...

[ForgottenCode]

Unfortunately I'm just too busy with work to have the time to put into this. I've written the basics of a history and can post that and the beginnings of my build after the other builds are posted if people want, but that's it.

[true_shinken]

I'd like to point out again that Complete Psionic hasn't gotten used at all. Flayerspawn Psychic and Zerth Cenobite seem like they would be viable options. Then again, those are pretty much the only two that are viable. CPsi won't last long as an Iron Chef source, one way or another.

I kind of like Ebon Saint as well.
I like the idea of a Zerth Cenobite IC, though. They get their own power progression, after all.