Talk:Pyrolisk

As a pet

I think pyrolisks make bad pets, and the corresponding section should be curtailed.

• Assasinating friendlies is an advantage all pets enjoy, and there are more effective choices.
• If the hero can't kill something, a pyrolisk won't help either. So the strategy advice reduces to "lock it up always", which really means "dump your pet pyrolisk".
• Factual error: Their gazes does miss, you just don't get a message. Wiz-test it with a peaceful elf lord and a stethoscope.
• Bad loot is a moot point because the only scrolls monsters ever get are teleport and create monster, and potions are mostly healing ones. Don'c onfuse this with death drops - they are created only after the player himself kills the monster.
• Your magic whistle is a very effective weapon with 4-7 archons, balrogs, master mind flayers, jabberwocks, vampires etc attached. Blowing it kills any early/mid-game enemy before it can scratch you. Due to its weak gaze attack, a pet pyrolisk dilutes the squad and makes it unrealiable.
• Factual error: they never attack your quest leader or peacefuls unless confused or conflicted.
• Pyrolisks still obey the usual XP levels rules for attacking monsters. For example, they aren't exotic enough to gaze on the Wizard of Yendor. See Pacifist#High_level_monsters why you would bother.

In the end, it boils down to:

A pet pyrolisk has the unique advantage that its gaze attack will not provoke counterattack or wake up sleeping monsters. Since its d12 damage is insignificant, any good general-purpose pet is better.

If nobody speaks up, I'll update the article.--Tjr

I'll make that edit voluntarily for now. If I'm absolutely wrong, I expect to be corrected. --FJH 06:15, 2 January 2011 (UTC)

I'm sorry for the tone - I was angry for unrelated reasons last night.

If you use conflict or wraith corpses, does a pet pyrolisk make a viable (pacifist) strategy for Master Kaen, Ashikaga_Takauji, or other tough nemeses? --Tjr 13:45, 2 January 2011 (UTC)

Conflict would risk the "never be counterattacked" benefit a pyrolisk possesses. I can see no problem with wraith corpses; the more, the merrier.

I haven't played samurai in a while but I can see where it might be uniquely useful against the Tsurugi of Muramasa: move your pet pyrolisk away from the up stair, monopolize the up stairs with a boulder fort, and alert Ashikaga from a distance somehow, drawing him into visual range of your pet. It sounds effective but at the same time very inefficient. --FJH 16:55, 3 January 2011 (UTC)

Conflict does not risk the "never be counterattacked" benefit as long as the quest nemesis is meditating, and it stays meditating despite the gaze attack. --Tjr 03:20, 6 January 2011 (UTC)