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[TheDarkStar]

For your skills, you can probably stop training Fighting for now, but keep training Axes. You want at least enough skill to get your weapon to mindelay (for a war axe, you want Axes to be at 16). Train Armor too, but I'd focus on Axes first. Don't train too much dodging, though - with heavy armor on dodging gets really inefficient to train really quickly (PPE: Arcvasti recommends 12 and that's a decent suggestion). It looks like you stopped leveling shields at 5, but that's good because that's the minimum for your buckler to not slow your attacks. If you move up to a bigger shield, make sure to eventually train it some more. And yeah, keep invocations on in the background.

Beogh makes Orc really different than I'm used to, so I'd follow NGWN's advice.

As for Lair branches, you're set for any of them (but save Shoals for last if you have it, it's awful). Swamp might be slightly annoying because you'll have to switch to your fire-branded weapon for hydras, but your orcs might help with that. Finish the dungeon first, though - there are several large/full floor vaults you might find at the end of the dungeon that have nice stuff. And don't do your second Lair branch until after you've explored the first four floors of Vaults because you'll need the experience.

[Ozarck]

cool, thanks.

I have been doing a lot of mindelay 14 weapons lately, and started with a hand axe, which is probably why I stopped when I did
Invocations, because it helps with smiting damage. that's what let me kill Rupert (who was wielding a battleaxe of distortion)
dodging is low just because I focused on armor and weapon first. I am planning on getting up up now. I'll put it to 12, since that's what's recommended.

plus, having followers is new. I don't even play summoners, though I occasionally use an evocable or a scroll of summoning.

Any advice on how to hide my army away so I can train up warlords and high priests and sorcerers?

[Arcvasti]

When you recall your orcs, the strongest ones get recalled first. So, if you cancel the recall after one turn, you end up summoning only the best orcs. Or just ditch your entire army and wait until Beogh gives you new recruits, so you can get some good warlords and whatnot.

[Sarrak]

I found out that hiding big army is not that good (at first). Only do so after you get many knights/warlords - others would serve as a cannon fodder for the bigger orcs gaining exp (and you want to raise many knights instead of only one-two warlords). I mainly opt for tanking things myself, letting orcs tear enemies to shreds, but some hits going sideways are nice for survival.

Also of note. While quite useful initially, orc sorcerers are shitty both at survival and team work. They WILL raise everything as zombies and summon demons to steal your exp. High priests are marginally better, but die as fast and with active Beough battle-heal, orcs don't need easily-distracted healers all that much.

As pointed out by Arcvasti, Recall is a great tool. You can also use it for ordering your army around. If things go sour (for the army, but not yet for you), tell orcs to retreat, teleport, recall. It saved me a lot of headache many times. There are also funny effects with polymorph effects involved if recalled between floors (not tested in latest versions).

[Ozarck]

thanks. all of this is really helpful. SO far, I've cleared the dungeon and Lair, and haven't touched the other branches yet. Level 15, with one warlord, one high priest, about five knights, and a dozen or more others. no priests or wizards, so I guess i am on the right track for the moment.

Edit:
What a ride.
lost most of my army in swamps, including my warlord and a knight carrying my +10 sword of freezing - he drowned and the sword was gone for good. Lesson learned.
restocked in orc and headed to vaults.

I was on vaults 2 or so, and got sent to the abyss at level 17. I eventually found a doorway deeper into the abyss, which dropped me to level 3, where I died in a bees nest (thought it might hold the rune - which I hoped would help me escape quicker).

I am a little frustrated at getting sent to the abyss, but overall I am satisfied with that run, as i learned a bit about orc followers.

[Sarrak]

Swamp is an orcish hell (though Tomb & Hells:7 are worser than it). Swamp drake breathes - and your bewildered warlord beheads your equally bewildered priest, hits you, then promptly drowns. Infuriating. Still, rPois is not that good to gift (unless on GDA).

17 level is normally not good enough for orc character to wander the deep abyss - chances to fail are quite high without support.

Best of luck next time! Die more Have fun.

[Repulsion]

Running a KoEn right now, stuck between a +5 amulet of shielding, an amulet of magic regen, and an amulet of regen. I figure the amulet of regen is the best amulet to have on as a default, but I'm somewhat unsure.

[TheDarkStar]

I've been slowly figuring out how to start off a NgTm. So far, I've learned:
1. get Blade Hands up as fast as possible, which means only training Transmutations and some spellcasting for the beginning of the game
2. don't worship Chei (or at least not as soon as you see the altar). Stat boosts are nice but I died a lot from not being able to run away.
3. spam breath attacks at the beginning because lizards and cockroaches are stronger than a Naga at level 1.

[EnigmaticHat]

Naga of Chei *sounds* like a good idea.  Then you realize that one mistaken movement is like, what, 3-4 actions for any monsters around you?  Not forgiving at all.

[TheDarkStar]

Naga of Chei *sounds* like a good idea.  Then you realize that one mistaken movement is like, what, 3-4 actions for any monsters around you?  Not forgiving at all.

It doesn't help that there are some uniques and other monsters (two-headed ogres) in the mid-dungeon which can lead to unavoidable death if you run out of teleport scrolls and they notice you.

[Arcvasti]

Naga of Chei tips:

Step 1: Blade Hands
Step 2: Statue Form
Step 3: tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtab
Step 4: Win

The only problem with the above is that you need either Transmutations ~10 or an early ring of wizardry to get Blade Hands and Nagas are incredibly pathetic early on. Once you've got Blade Hands and ~10 in UC/Fighting/Dodging, its pretty safe to go Chei and then blend the entirety of the dungeon into fine paste. Makhleb is probably more helpful before you've achieved murderball power levels and still pretty helpful afterwards.

[Ozarck]

Dungeon level 10.

"This trove needs the Horn of Geryon to function."

mhm. yep. Think I'll pass.

[ZeroGravitas]

Dungeon level 10.

"This trove needs the Horn of Geryon to function."

mhm. yep. Think I'll pass.

isn't vestibule pretty tame compared to a lot of lower dungeon levels nowadays?

[TheDarkStar]

Dungeon level 10.

"This trove needs the Horn of Geryon to function."

mhm. yep. Think I'll pass.

isn't vestibule pretty tame compared to a lot of lower dungeon levels nowadays?

Nah, the vestibule is still pretty annoying. I usually save it for after I clear out the Depths.

Of course, if the trove wants the Horn of Geryon then it means that you don't actually have to give anything up to access it, which is pretty nice.

[EnigmaticHat]

Dungeon level 10.

"This trove needs the Horn of Geryon to function."

mhm. yep. Think I'll pass.

Lol that's funny.

Kinda cool tho.  Shouldn't be hard at all for a level 27 character to get into that, pretty much a guaranteed trove.