Wand strategy - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: pothole

2023-12-04T02:57:53Z

pothole

Netzhack: /* Wands That Are Always Useful */ Pleonasm out

2022-08-16T18:46:07Z

‎Wands That Are Always Useful: Pleonasm out

Netzhack: /* Wands Of Limited Utility Value */ Title case; pleonasm

2022-08-14T20:50:17Z

‎Wands Of Limited Utility Value: Title case; pleonasm

Netzhack: /* Wands That Are Useful Through Midgame */ verb

2022-08-14T20:49:02Z

‎Wands That Are Useful Through Midgame: verb

Netzhack: /* Wands That Are Useful Early */ Silver wands as weapons

2022-08-14T13:45:53Z

‎Wands That Are Useful Early: Silver wands as weapons

Netzhack: /* Wands That Are Always Useful */

2022-08-14T12:41:00Z

‎Wands That Are Always Useful

Umbire the Phantom: /* Wands That Are Usually Polyfodder */

2021-12-22T21:22:40Z

‎Wands That Are Usually Polyfodder

Ogmobot: Capitalisation and minor grammar fixes

2019-11-30T10:03:40Z

Capitalisation and minor grammar fixes

Elrac: /* Wands That Are Useful Early */ remove duplicated word

2018-06-03T17:51:50Z

‎Wands That Are Useful Early: remove duplicated word

Luna: /* Wands That Are Usually Polyfodder */ locking has some use

2018-01-04T01:01:43Z

‎Wands That Are Usually Polyfodder: locking has some use

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 '''[[Wand of striking]]''' and '''[[wand of magic missile]]''': The low damage potential of these wands for ranged attacks makes them less useful as the game progresses.  Early on, they are worth keeping, especially if you don't have good ranged options.  You're likely to find many of these, so the best strategy is to use and drop as they are not worth recharging. Keep in mind that they are likely to miss against monsters with good AC, especially the wand of striking. The wand of striking can also be used to break [[boulders]].
-'''[[Wand of slow monster]]''': Early in the game, this wand can be used to cripple fast monsters, allowing you to escape or use [[hit and run]] tactics. As monster MR increases later in the game, they become less useful, but still have a niche in that they can disrupt engulfing vortices and [[air elementals]].
+'''[[Wand of slow monster]]''': Early in the game, this wand can be used to cripple fast monsters, allowing you to escape or use [[hit and run]] tactics. As monster MR increases later in the game, they become less useful, but still have a niche in that they can disrupt engulfing vortices and [[air elemental]]s.
 '''[[Wand of light]]''': Useful in lighting the [[Gnomish Mines]].  Not worth recharging.

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 '''[[Wand of polymorph]]''': Since self polymorph is of limited duration (and random without a source of [[polymorph control]]), this wand is useful early on for polymorphing pets or polypiling, and later in order to polyself into a metallivore for [[Eating jewelry|jewelry eating]].
-'''[[Wand of cancellation]]''': There are many utility uses for this wand &mdash; see [[Wand of cancellation|its page]].
+'''[[Wand of cancellation]]''': There are many uses for this wand &mdash; see [[Wand of cancellation|its page]].
 == Wands That Are Useful Early ==

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 '''[[Wand of cold]]''': Although useful for offensive purposes early on, the wand is useful later for freezing water if no levitation source is available.
-== Wands Of Limited Utility Value ==
+== Wands of Limited Utility ==
 '''[[Wand of enlightenment]]''': The usefulness of this wand depends on whether you have an [[identification]] source (for ring/amulet identification) and how well you [[notetaking|keep notes]] on intrinsics you receive.  Some players keep this wand in their stash rather than carrying it.  Unless you are starved for identification and rely on this wand exclusively for discerning magic items' properties, you are unlikely to need to recharge it.

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 == Wands That Are Useful Through Midgame ==
-'''[[Wand of sleep]]''': Eventually monsters you will encounter will be too powerful to be bothered by sleep spells, and some monsters are never vulnerable, but from early to midgame, this is a handy part of your ranged toolkit.  Probably not worth recharging.
+'''[[Wand of sleep]]''': Eventually monsters you encounter will be too powerful to be bothered by sleep spells, and some monsters are never vulnerable, but from early to midgame, this is a handy part of your ranged toolkit.  Probably not worth recharging.
 '''[[Wand of cold]]''': Although useful for offensive purposes early on, the wand is useful later for freezing water if no levitation source is available.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:45, 14 August 2022
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	'''[[Wand of create monster]]''': When sacrificing repeatedly for a gift, the wand of create monster eliminates the wait for a random monster to come along.		'''[[Wand of create monster]]''': When sacrificing repeatedly for a gift, the wand of create monster eliminates the wait for a random monster to come along.
		+
		+	'''[[Silver]] wand''': Whichever wand type happens to be [[Randomized_appearance#Wands\|made of silver]] can be wielded as a weapon in the early game before you have sufficient resources to fight [[lycanthropes]] by more conventional means.

	== Wands That Are Useful Through Midgame ==		== Wands That Are Useful Through Midgame ==

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 '''[[Wand of death]]''': A very powerful offensive tool. Particularly valuable as a last-ditch weapon when facing a difficult opponent, or for efficiently dispatching the [[Wizard of Yendor]] and other endgame threats.
-'''[[Wand of secret door detection]]''': Often stashed until the end game, when it is useful for finding the secret door in [[Moloch's Sanctum]] and the portals in [[Endgame]].
+'''[[Wand of secret door detection]]''': Often stashed until the [[endgame]], when it is useful for finding the secret door in [[Moloch's Sanctum]] and the portals in the [[Elemental Planes]].
 '''[[Wand of digging]]''': These are the fastest way to cut through rock, which is helpful in some situations, such as the [[Plane of Earth]], or as an escape item when zapped downwards. A digging tool (such as a [[pick-axe]]) can do the same things, but is much slower.

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 '''[[Wand of locking]]''': Can create [[door]]s in empty doorways, which is sometimes useful. Apart from that [[skeleton key]]s are simpler and can be used infinitely.
-'''[[Wand of probing]]''': A [[stethoscope]] can be used infinitely.
+'''[[Wand of probing]]''': A [[stethoscope]] can be used infinitely to obtain the same information, though probing does also reveal the monster's inventory.
 '''[[Wand of nothing]]''': Only useful as polyfodder.

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 Management of wands is an important part of the game.  Some wands are useful early in the game but become nearly useless later.  Some wands are frequently carried for immediate use, while others are often kept in [[stash|stashes]].  Wands are heavier than rings or scrolls (though only a third the weight of potions), so choices must be made.
-Not that all wands have value as [[polyfodder]].  Some wands with offensive potential may be picked up simply to keep them out of enemy hands.
+Note that all wands have value as [[polyfodder]].  Some wands with offensive potential may be picked up simply to keep them out of enemy hands.
 Another important consideration with wands is deciding which are worth recharging, as scrolls of charging (and/or magic markers to make them) are typically a scarce resource.
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 '''[[Wand of secret door detection]]''': Often stashed until the end game, when it is useful for finding the secret door in [[Moloch's Sanctum]] and the portals in [[Endgame]].
-'''[[Wand of digging]]''': These are the fastest way to cut through rock, which is helpful in some situations, such as the [[Plane of Earth]], or as an escape item when zapped downwards. A digging implement (such as a pick axe) can do the same things, but are much slower.
+'''[[Wand of digging]]''': These are the fastest way to cut through rock, which is helpful in some situations, such as the [[Plane of Earth]], or as an escape item when zapped downwards. A digging tool (such as a [[pick-axe]]) can do the same things, but is much slower.
-'''[[Wand of fire]]''' and '''[[Wand of lightning|Wand of Lightning]]''': Although useful for their attack potential early on, their real value lies in their ability to burn permanent [[Elbereth]] squares.
+'''[[Wand of fire]]''' and '''[[wand of lightning]]''': Although useful for their attack potential early on, their real value lies in their ability to burn permanent [[Elbereth]] squares.
 '''[[Wand of teleportation]]''': Useful both as an escape item and for teleporting enemies away.  Prized for crowd control. While you can't teleport yourself in no-teleport areas, it can always be zapped at enemies to teleport them.
@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 '''[[Wand of polymorph]]''': Since self polymorph is of limited duration (and random without a source of [[polymorph control]]), this wand is useful early on for polymorphing pets or polypiling, and later in order to polyself into a metallivore for [[Eating jewelry|jewelry eating]].
-'''[[Wand of cancellation]]''': There are many utility uses for this wand - see [[Wand of cancellation|its page.]].
+'''[[Wand of cancellation]]''': There are many utility uses for this wand &mdash; see [[Wand of cancellation|its page]].
 == Wands That Are Useful Early ==
-'''[[Wand of striking]]''' and '''[[Wand of magic missile]]''': The low damage potential of these wands for ranged attacks makes them less useful as the game progresses.  Early on, they are worth keeping, especially if you don't have good ranged options.  You're likely to find many of these, so the best strategy is to use and drop as they are not worth recharging. Keep in mind that they are likely to miss against monsters with good AC, especially the wand of striking.
+'''[[Wand of striking]]''' and '''[[wand of magic missile]]''': The low damage potential of these wands for ranged attacks makes them less useful as the game progresses.  Early on, they are worth keeping, especially if you don't have good ranged options.  You're likely to find many of these, so the best strategy is to use and drop as they are not worth recharging. Keep in mind that they are likely to miss against monsters with good AC, especially the wand of striking. The wand of striking can also be used to break [[boulders]].
-'''[[Wand of slow monster]]''': Early in the game, this wand can be used to cripple fast monsters, allowing you to escape or use [[hit and run]] tactics. As monster MR increases later in the game, they become less useful, but still have a niche in that they can disrupt engulfing vortices and [[air elementals]]
+'''[[Wand of slow monster]]''': Early in the game, this wand can be used to cripple fast monsters, allowing you to escape or use [[hit and run]] tactics. As monster MR increases later in the game, they become less useful, but still have a niche in that they can disrupt engulfing vortices and [[air elementals]].
 '''[[Wand of light]]''': Useful in lighting the [[Gnomish Mines]].  Not worth recharging.
@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 == Wands Of Limited Utility Value ==
-'''[[Wand of enlightenment]]''': The usefulness of this wand depends on whether you have an [[Identify]] source (for ring/amulet identification) and how well you [[notetaking|keep notes]] on intrinsics you receive.  Some players keep this wand in their stash rather than carrying it.  Unless you are starved for identification and rely on this wand exclusively for discerning magic items' properties, you are unlikely to need to recharge it.
+'''[[Wand of enlightenment]]''': The usefulness of this wand depends on whether you have an [[identification]] source (for ring/amulet identification) and how well you [[notetaking|keep notes]] on intrinsics you receive.  Some players keep this wand in their stash rather than carrying it.  Unless you are starved for identification and rely on this wand exclusively for discerning magic items' properties, you are unlikely to need to recharge it.
 '''[[Wand of make invisible]]''': This is typically a single-use wand: you zap yourself to gain the invisibility intrinsic.  Note that zapping pets does not confer a benefit.
@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 '''[[Wand of probing]]''': A [[stethoscope]] can be used infinitely.
-'''[[Wand of nothing|Wand of Nothing]]''': Only useful as polyfodder.
+'''[[Wand of nothing]]''': Only useful as polyfodder.
 {{nethack-360}}
 [[Category:Strategy]]

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 == Wands That Are Usually Polyfodder ==
-'''[[Wand of opening]]''': There are some minor uses such as being un-[[engulfed]] or removing [[punishment]] but is otherwise a prime candidate for polyfodder.
+'''[[Wand of opening]]''': There are some minor uses such as getting un-[[engulfed]] or removing [[punishment]] but is otherwise a prime candidate for polyfodder.
-'''[[Wand of locking]]''': Skeleton keys are simpler and can be used infinitely.
+'''[[Wand of locking]]''': Can create [[door]]s in empty doorways, which is sometimes useful. Apart from that [[skeleton key]]s are simpler and can be used infinitely.
-'''[[Wand of probing]]''': A stethoscope can be used infinitely.
+'''[[Wand of probing]]''': A [[stethoscope]] can be used infinitely.
 '''[[Wand of nothing|Wand of Nothing]]''': Only useful as polyfodder.