As the boss charged, Astra ran. She ran east, but got nailed by a poison blob from a Stygian watcher in that pool, and knocked silly. Here comes the boss again. Oh crap. Run. RUN!

After tempting the boss, I laid down a stack of hydras to shoot at the watchers. Can't hit them with meteors. I run some more, tempting the boss once again in front of the stairs. Finally get a look at him.

Oh goodness.

I could deal with magic resistant. I could even deal with teleport. However, in order to deal with both, I will not be able to play it safe.

You see, in Hell, you DO NOT run blaze against undead flayers. Their death explosion range is increased and they will hit you from farther than you may think. If you've never seen them in single player, you may be blaming lag, but that's not all of it. They actually do hit harder and from farther away, in Hell. Not a problem at all in Normal, not much of one in Nightmare, but in Hell you don't mess around with them. That is not to say you can't handle them. They can be safely managed, just NOT with blaze.

The proper method is to tempt them, gain adequate distance, then hit them with something: hydras, meteor, whatever. Or use GS against them from a safe distance (not an option for Hot Babes), or teleport across some terrain feature and then attack. They will stand there for a short time after they get a swing at you.

Only... magic resistant and teleport? That ain't going to work. He will teleport every time I have to tempt him, and so I have to do simply massive damage to him all at once, and that's only going to happen if I stack the blaze hard, drop the rocks and keep him in the flames for long enough. If he dies within range, Astra could be wiped out by the explosion. And if she gets cursed, it would be certain death.

I should bail. I should grab my Khalim's Intestine and get out of there.

Astra has NO BUSINESS messing around with this pest. That's as bad as toying with multishot cursed archers. You just don't do it. You just don't. Unless... unless you're on a full clear mission. Unless you want to stare death in the face and defy it to catch you if it can.

Since I'm not doing that with Astra, I should get my Khalim's Bladder and get OUT OF THERE. I really should.

I listen to the sound of one of the Stygian Watchers going under with a growl. I tempted the boss again and raised hydras next to the location of the third, as-yet unslain watcher, the one who spit on me. Once he's down, it will be one on one, Astra vs the undead midget.

"Feeling lucky today, punk?"

Yeah, I suppose I am.

"Your luck can't hold forever."

No, I suppose it can't.

"Get out of there, you fool."

In a minute. I'm busy.

I chose my ground at 4'oclock on the pool. I drank reds to fill up my health. I stacked the blaze, I dropped the rocks.

Teleport-teleport-teleport-teleport. Dammit, the little bugger is quick.

Stacking more blaze, tempting him, dropping rocks. Burn you bag of bones. Burn, dammit.

Teleport-teleport-teleport-teleport. Tempt him. He burns. Teleport-teleport-teleport-teleport. Ack!

Good grief. I'm going to take the hit. I can see that now. I'm going to get smacked really hard when he bites it. I cannot tempt him and leave him to burn, he teleports every time. I will have to sprint.

I stacked a line of blaze to the top wall and when he came at me again, I did not tempt. I ran.

I ran, he exploded, and Astra Was Flattened by the Concussion.