Three More Nomad Attempts

I was minding my own business in the deepest recesses of Gielinor. I'd got 87k thieving xp (including levelling up to 79) and nearly 100k firemaking xp by running around Dorgesh-Kaan, fixing lamps and raiding chests. I can do the high level chests now, which means mega xp. All good, all sedate, all... Joshua Mack has hunted me down. He's not only followed the trail to Dorgesh-Kaan, but he's even run up the stairs and looked around houses until he's found me. I look at his new Soul Wars cape and congratulate him. The conversation instantly turns to why I haven't got one. I repeat my mantra. When I have a massive stockpile of supplies, then I'll go in. I've got enough for two attempts, that's all. "Follow me," says Josh.

The future unravelled in front of me, both trouser legs of a parallel world. In one, I could continue raiding chests until I got bored or ran out of light orbs. No doubt I would be trailing a high level mage in a Soul Wars cape, trying to reason me into pwn Nomad. In the other, I could give up now and follow him. I gave up. I don't know why. Temporary insanity?

Josh took me to the bank in Dorgesh-Kaan. Not that he actually mentioned Nomad. It was more, 'bank all of your stuff and put your dhide on'. I pointed out that I've got full void range in the bank and that was approved. There was none of this going to the digsite or Oo'glog to boost prayer and hitpoints. As soon as I was dressed, we were off to Edgeville. He'd got me dressed in void range, Zammy book, rune crossbow with ruby bolts (e), glory, beacon ring, snakeskin boots and Ava's accumulator. In my bag were 12 super restores, while the rest of the spaces, plus Shelley's entire inventory, were filled with Sara Brews. No range pot. No superset. Nothing. Just get your backside into the tent now. I tried to argue for a practice run. He told me that this was my practice run. Go.

Sometimes it works. Usually it doesn't. Today it worked. I went into the tent. I felt rusty, clumsy and too hot. My palms were sweating on a sticking mouse. There was a bit of lag. But for all of that, I got Nomad down to berserker mode with a few Saras and restores left. I really thought I was going to make it, then I made a stupid mistake. I accidentally clicked on an empty vial instead of a Sara Brew, thought I'd healed and, in the confusion of not having done so, Nomad hit and killed me. I learned to rearrange the pots in my bag during the clone time. You don't have to face them, so that time is for hiding behind a pillar sorting yourself out and refocusing.

Once outside, Josh was ready to harangue me again. We were going to Draynor to replace my accumulator. This happened with Rafftank's steel arrows, once I pointed out that I had none. With Rafftank and Josh escorting me, I was soon in the Manor and back to Edgeville. TheArcturus1 and Eman were there now too. Arct loaned me his Bandos Godsword and gave me 11 Saras. Rafftank and Eman cheered. Josh kicked my backside back into the tent.

This time it felt much smoother. However, I took some unlucky hits and that flustered me. I spam drank Saras before finding my equilibrium. It went to the wire, literally. We seemed to fight the berserker mode one in slow motion. After about half of the fight, he didn't seem to be hitting me as hard. By now, he was barely hitting at all. Maybe the fact that I'd had leech range and leech defence on throughout had a part to play in that. Maybe it was the 35 BGS special right at the beginning. But I was running out of Sara Brews! I looked anxiously at my bag and there saw the BGS again. It's a GODSWORD! These things have been the holiest of holies on the lips of great fighters for ages. Plus people talk of ruby bolts (e) not being so good after the half way mark. I switched to the BGS, but I wasn't getting any hits. I gobbled down the last of my Saras. Nomad was practically red-barred. It really felt like I was going to defeat him. One good hit from me. One bite from Shelley. That's all it would take! I hit a O. Shelley didn't hit at all. Nomad hit 10 and I was dead.

Outside, the postmatch analysis was that I shouldn't have fought the last with the Godsword. Ruby bolts all the way. If I'd stuck with them, it would have been all good. I also learned something else, this time about gravestones. As much as I love gravestones for keeping my stuff, collecting said stuff can be annoying. You click on your grave and get a long list of things to collect. Each one another right-click and another choice. Why can't there be a 'collect all' here? I anxiously grab the expensive items first, then the remaining posts, then the empty vials. (Cossack, bless him, took 350 empty vials off me yesterday and trained his mage in filling them back up again. ) Except you are guaranteed that halfway through, the list will disappear. You'll get the menu that starts with 'read Symbol of Guthix gravestone' or whatever it says, with no items at all. It can take several attempts, interpersed with 'Walk here Rafftank', before the list is back and I can continue grabbing vials. Joshua Mack watched all of this with obvious bemusement, eventually asking why I didn't just demolish the grave first? 'Because I would lose my stuff,' I replied, fretfully. He informed us that your stuff lies on the floor for 2 minutes afterwards. There was some disagreement about this amongst the assembled ranks of Arct, Rafftank and Eman. I ensured that I had the good stuff in my bag and then demolished the grave. Sure enough, there was a pile of empty vials sitting there, easily spam clicked to collect. That's going to save me a lot of hassle in the future!

Of course the conversation turned to another attempt. I reminded them that I had had enough supplies for two attempts. That was the second. No more goes. Rafftank and Arcturus were soon trading me. Rafftank gave me super restores and another 75 steel arrows for the accumulator. Arcturus gave me more Sara Brews. One more attempt. I was against it. I was wound up and this hadn't worked out well last time I tried this wound up. I didn't want to be wasting their supplies! If you think on it, I've already wasted the supplies of Shirkar, Daisyjake and H Alger. I've got Arcturus now with the Celtic gift of the gab. Telling me that my chat channel has brought today awesome people, who wouldn't have met each other if not for me. Take the potions. Then I have Eman telling me that his successful attempt was whilst wound up. Rafftank, Josh and several people in Canting are all talking me off the ceiling and into the tent. I teleported to Draynor and replaced the accumulator. I rolled some cigarettes IRL. I went back to Edgeville.

What followed was the most frustrating fight of all. I was brilliant. I was absolutely fantastic. I have never fought a boss so calmly, precisely and with such luck. The BGS hit high at the beginning. I released so many ruby bolt specials that the air seemed perpetually filled with that blood lust shriek. Shelley went at him like a demented tortoise out for destruction. It was clockwork. It was perfect. Nomad entered berserker mode and I hadn't even emptied Shelley's supplies. I had full hp and full prayer. In fact, this is what I had left, while Nomad was in berserker mode:



My computer lagged. Right there at the end. I clicked like mad trying to attack him, but I was one square back when the lag occurred. He teleported to the middle with a cry of 'coward' and there was nothing I could do. I hid behind a pillar. I resisted the urge to cry. I logged out and back in. Apologies to any Welsh speakers in Canting at the time. The rant started with a few choice words, before switching to English to spill out the story. *sigh* Even Rafftank, with his irrepressible cheeriness, had to wonder where Lady Luck was where I'm concerned. Inorite.