Iron Chef Optimization Challenge In The Playground XXIX

[Hunter Killer]

I had a variety of ideas that did not make it into my build.

One of them was a Druidic Avenger with the Unseelie Fey template that took some Fangsheilds Druid substitution levels for Wild Shape Hands (Two-Hander in Polar Bear form FTW!) then some Frenzied Berzerker levels using Ordered Chaos. I nixed that because it didn't really use Consecrated Harrier.

The other one had something to do with Invisible blade and the Bluff bonuses. I thought the improved Feint would be cool. Still, I was not sure if the Dagger Sneak Attack would face the same restrictions as Sneak Attack does with Consecrated Harrier. Plus, it was feat hungry and very one-trick pony-ish.

The third idea was something that I did not explore deeply. I wanted to find a way to burn spells off the Consecrated Harrier that would give me combat bonuses, then stack it on a combat build. I know Arcane Strike wouldn't work, but I was going to look for something else.

I did manage to submit something, but it was none of the above.

[Gotterdammerung]

I thought about doing a Mongrelfolk Ardent2 (pain and suffering, guardian, and life mantles)/4 ranger/10 Consecrated Harrier/4 Martyred Champion of Ilmater
using steadfast determination and other useful survival feats. Hunting down loviatar's minions.

It was very tempting thematically. But no matter what I did, I was just left with a guy who gets beat up. Beat up in cool ways, but beat up nonetheless.

Sidenote: anyone else besides me suspect that Loviatar and Ilmater were shacked up together somewhere during the time of troubles having a little bit of an S&M session? I mean almost all the other Gods have stories accounting for their whereabouts... but Loviatar mistress of pain and consummate Sadist , along with Ilmater, God of martyrs and those who suffer for the sake of others, a consummate masochist, were both mysteriously unaccounted for...

[Amechra]

There were two Factotum entries, but they were different enough that it could be missed.

I'm rather surprised no-one tried my first idea, which was some form of Ninja/Paladin with the Serenity feat to get Wisdom to AC, Saves, Smites, Healing, and Turning.

[DemonRoach]

My initial idea was an anthropomorphic Dog called Rusty, hunter of the vile Catfolk, with a Crusader base and City Slicker for Entry requirements.

Second was a Changeling hunter of Doppelgangers, using Locate City and some of the feats from the Locate City Bomb to damage everyone in the city, so that you could use level 8 Consecrated Harrier to find them.

Alas, time and the inherent sillyness of the ideas stopped me

[The Gilded Duke]

Yeah I was trying to figure out some variation of a locate city bomb that worked through walls and such, and just bomb entire towns looking for the rebels. I didn't have the time to work it out, and I think I would have had to use psionics to make it work, and I'm not as good at psionics as I used to be.

[Amphetryon]

I thought about doing a Mongrelfolk Ardent2 (pain and suffering, guardian, and life mantles)/4 ranger/10 Consecrated Harrier/4 Martyred Champion of Ilmater
using steadfast determination and other useful survival feats. Hunting down loviatar's minions.

It was very tempting thematically. But no matter what I did, I was just left with a guy who gets beat up. Beat up in cool ways, but beat up nonetheless.

Sidenote: anyone else besides me suspect that Loviatar and Ilmater were shacked up together somewhere during the time of troubles having a little bit of an S&M session? I mean almost all the other Gods have stories accounting for their whereabouts... but Loviatar mistress of pain and consummate Sadist , along with Ilmater, God of martyrs and those who suffer for the sake of others, a consummate masochist, were both mysteriously unaccounted for...

So, you almost made Mick Foley?

[Gotterdammerung]

So, you almost made Mick Foley?

AHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAH!


Actually, yes... he would of been very Mick Foley... but without the identity crisis (Cactus Jack, Dude Love, Mankind, Jack Foley, ect.).

IF I had thought about that similarity, I definitely would have changed the story to do a Mick Foley tribute. Somehow, his utter lack of power becomes acceptable in the face of sheer LOLs.

[Kesnit]

After much consideration, I'm going to nominate Mayael for Honorable Mention. I seriously considered Griblax, but the story for Mayael sold me.

[Thurbane]

My honourable mention goes to Cassius Humatiel...I have a soft spot for the Lumi, and my build would have been based on a Lumi as well.

AHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAH!


Actually, yes... he would of been very Mick Foley... but without the identity crisis (Cactus Jack, Dude Love, Mankind, Jack Foley, ect.).

IF I had thought about that similarity, I definitely would have changed the story to do a Mick Foley tribute. Somehow, his utter lack of power becomes acceptable in the face of sheer LOLs.

Foley is one of my all time favourites...a build with a Foley inspired backstory would have been truly awesome!

[Gotterdammerung]

I vote Thorik Stonetooth for honorable mention.
Solid melee with nice combat options and good background story and theme.

But it was tough as hell to decide.

Even taking my own entries out of the picture (because voting for yourself feels weird) there were still about 6 of the builds I really liked the feel of.

[Garwain]

Yeah I was trying to figure out some variation of a locate city bomb that worked through walls and such, and just bomb entire towns looking for the rebels.

Exactly my first thought as well! Widened Locate City that does 1 damage to all, no save, is what I tried but didn't find. Then moved on to some sort of nightmare haunter, because it affects a target from unlimited range. But none of the ideas made it into an actual build.

I did however had one build, but no time to work it out:

Bhuka Beguiler 5/Sentinel of Bharrai 5/Consecrated Harrier 10

Beguiler is the sneaky type, Sentinel of Bharrai (BoED) gives track and bear shape at will and both mesh well with the harrier, making it a LG bearman-tracker gish with beguiler and ranger spells. The Bhuka (Sandstorm) gives Knowledge(Nature) as a class skill and toghether with the beguiler, all PrC entry skills are class skills. Furthermore, the bear forms would enhance tracking with scent, while the harrier doesn't have survival as class skill.

Edit:Also crossed my mind: Druid 5/Planar Sheppard5/Harrier 10 = planar ranger revised. Just for the lolz of it.

[Feytalist]

Hunts for Fharlagn (sp?), a god of travel. Hunts farlagns enemies.

The correct spelling is "Farlangananananafhtagn".

Also, thanks for the synopsis. Helps keep track of all the different builds and stories. I was seriously tempted to fire up Excel just in an effort to remember all the builds, heh.


My other (purely fluff) idea was some sort of centaur ranger/bloodhound/harrier. I couldn't find any way to make him worthwhile though, so it's probably a good idea I dropped it.

[FyreByrd]

Ouch...That's a lot of builds....glad I decided to enter, and not judge.

Mad props to anyone that manages to complete judging for all 17 before next year

*FyreByrd goes to read all the other builds*

[Ossian]

Noob question: in each Iron Chef thread there are tons of pages. It is a bit hard (if one has not followed the competition) to locate the winning builds. Is there a place where they are all stored? Like a hall of fame.

So far we have had 28 IC, so x3 + 1 (honourable mention) entries. That's a 4*28 hall of fame. 112 entries.

O.

[BobVosh]

HM was only the last few. Also no we don't have an organized hall of fame, but if you ask Ponies his spreadsheet is close enough.

[Feytalist]

Coupla options:

Usually the chairman is thoughtful enough to link all the builds in each opening post. So it's easy to jump to the end of the competition, find the winners, jump to the start, and click on the links you want.

And then, OMG_PONIES has been maintaining a fairly in-depth (at least, so we've been told ) Excel spreadsheet cataloging just about everything from these competitions. Ask (via PM) and ye shall receive.

And then, there IS actually a hall of fame thread floating around here somewhere, but it hasn't been updated in ages as far as I know, and it kinda got lost with the forum reshuffling a while back. EDIT: Here it is.

Hmm... perhaps we should start it up again?

[BobVosh]

And then, OMG_PONIES has been maintaining a fairly in-depth (at least, so we've been told ) Excel spreadsheet cataloging just about everything from these competitions. Ask (via PM) and ye shall receive.

No no, he does. I got him to email me it, and...its very thorough. I'm still trying to parse through all the info and attempt cosmetic changes. However my knowledge of excel-fu is weak so didn't add much to it.

[Ingus]

The beauty of this time builds is incomparable.

I didn't make up in time with anything of interest, but my general idea was a mix between Léon and Altair, crossbow user (heavy for range, hand for mayem), careful planner and fear spanner.

Factotum 5 / Fighter 2 / Consecrated Harrier 10 / Exotic Weapon Master 3.

The main trick: hit everyone around, use a wall shield (standard: make a sphere of ectoplasmic wall) and terminate everyone with phase bolts in conjunction with seeking crossbows + implacable hunt).

The side trick: intimidate optimization.

The bad thing: the build was item related, not class related, and partly unoriginal.

...and, postumously, way inferior to the majority of what I've seen

Good luck to everyone!

[Amphetryon]

Usually the chairman is thoughtful enough to link all the builds in each opening post. So it's easy to jump to the end of the competition, find the winners, jump to the start, and click on the links you want.

They're linked.

There were so many entries to keep track of this round so I made a quick list run down of all the entries. Let me know if I made a mistake.

Could you reduce each of those down to a single line, please? Giving more detailed explanations of some than of others gives the appearance of a bias.

[Thurbane]

Could you reduce each of those down to a single line, please? Giving more detailed explanations of some than of others gives the appearance of a bias.

A little like this?

[OMG PONIES]

My spreadsheet has fallen by the wayside in recent rounds due to craziness at work. However, I am planning on bringing it back up to snuff, hopefully this round. As penance, allow me to provide links to the gold-medal builds of all 28 previous rounds:

Iron Chef's Hall of Heroes

Spoiler

Show

I: Jorath by Akal Saris
II: Lirea by BooNL
III: Noxius by Akal Saris
IV: Old Lob Many-Eyes by Akal Saris
V: The Green Knight by Akal Saris
VI: Jereth by Draz74
VII: Little Starry Eyes by The Vorpal Tribble
VIII: Taliesin Pyrain by Arbitrarity
IX: Sway by WinWin
X: Dr. Milo Brushscrubber by OMG PONIES
XI: Dulcinea by OMG PONIES
XII: Ultimo Tarrasco, Jr. by The Gilded Duke
XIII: Rhys by Amphetryon
XIV: Markus VanDerHomme by gbprime
XV: Chieftain Nini by OMG PONIES
XVI: Spoons McGee by The Gilded Duke
XVII: Arleigh Skye by gbprime
XVIII: The Loyal Servant by kestrel404
XIX: Captain Four Fingers by OMG PONIES
XX: Salvagio by Amechra
XXI: The Gossamer Knights by OMG PONIES
XXII: Sanavakri by Urpriest
XXIII: Sortes by OMG PONIES
XXIV: Takai Shingi by Amphetryon
XXV: Melody by The Werebear
XXVI: Sandamir by gbprime
XXVII: The Charred Charmer by Garwain
XXVIII: The Antipode by Jeriah

[Jeriah]

Well, I'm judging and have made it through the first four submissions, but work has been absolutely crazy. I'm glad we have until the 18th to post our judgement, or I'm not sure I could finish!

[Cieyrin]

Noob question: in each Iron Chef thread there are tons of pages. It is a bit hard (if one has not followed the competition) to locate the winning builds. Is there a place where they are all stored? Like a hall of fame.

So far we have had 28 IC, so x3 + 1 (honourable mention) entries. That's a 4*28 hall of fame. 112 entries.

O.

HM was only the last few. Also no we don't have an organized hall of fame, but if you ask Ponies his spreadsheet is close enough.

Not quite correct, we did have an IC Hall of Fame thread under Shinken but, well...

Also, Honorable Mentions are a fairly recent thing, so not quite that many entries. I'd say we're closer to 80-90 placed entries.

[OMG PONIES]

Also, Honorable Mentions are a fairly recent thing, so not quite that many entries. I'd say we're closer to 80-90 placed entries.

Quite right, good sir. We've had 89 placed entries in Iron Chef history. A few things factored into this number:

• The bronze medal didn't exist until round XIV. In round I, there were 3 placed entries since there was a tie for silver, but rounds II-XIII only saw 2 placed entries each.
• Honorable mention was [unofficially] started in round XIII due to chairman error in not posting a build. The new chairman picked it up and ran with it, starting in round XIV.
• There have been a few rounds where no honorable mention was posted by the chairman: rounds XVI and XXI, to be exact.

[Akto]

Thorik Stonetooth get's my HM vote, really nice idea for a build, and backstory i think ties it lovely together

[gbprime]

My laptop melted on me the night before the builds were due, so I'm just a spectator this round.

I had a Dwarven Fighter (Thug) Battlesmith who could use a combo of Vile spells like Love's Pain to inflict damage on the target anywhere on the same plane of existence and thus activate the Implacable Hunt without ever encountering the target. Pity.

[Zipding]

Hey Amp, would you be able to link the builds to the OP? Also, do we know who is competing here? Sorry to ask questions, I was hoping to create a build, but RL issues got in the way and I wasn't able to come up with any ideas.

On a completely unrelated note, I have an idea for the next SI, Thrall of Graz'zt from BoVD. Slightly more than half-casting with some other abilities that might work with others offered from different classes appears to be the ideal SIs for this competition.

[Gotterdammerung]

I would personally like to see Urban Soul (RoD), Shadowbane Inquisitor (CAd), Shadowbane Stalker (CAd), and Ashworm Dragoon (SS) in a Iron Chef competition sometime b4 I die .

[Thurbane]

Yes, I'd like to see Urban Soul too. Also, other I've mentioned in the past: Shadowblade (ToM) or Dragon Disciple (DMG).

[ShneekeyTheLost]

A friend of mine sabotaged my attempt to finish off my entry for this competition by gifting me WH40k: Dawn of War 2 and both expansions.

Which actually gave me a silly concept for this PrC which ends in "FOR THE EMPRAH!"