While messing about with random characters, I got a pair of skills that seemed to work together really well: Daggers Communism I really liked the fact that with Lichtenauer's Switcheroo and Guerilla Attack I could hit something without it hitting me back (doing the switcheroo) and then hit it again while turning invisible and it still doesn't hit me back. Spending my first level increase on Two Attacks One Dagger meant I could sometimes get three attacks without being hit back. So if I wanted to use this as the central basis of a character - hitting things repeatedly without being hit back, rather than exchanging blows - what other skills should I put with these? I thought of using Dual Wielding (to hit with two weapons at once) and/or Assassination for the Blackjack hit; to get even more hits in without the monster retaliating. What else would work with this? And is there a way to make it a viable tactic when faced with monster pits and the like?
This strategy helps with Single Target Melee only. If you need to range a boss or tackle a monster zoo, you'll need other skills. Single Target Melee still works for most builds up to floor 4, which start to make damage much heavier. Floor 7 is probably when you want to stop meleeing altogether(unless you're dodge or counter capped) and switch to ranged if you don't have any warrior skills. It also helps to have one of your skills as a First ability only skill, because you'll probably face Lord Dredmor on floor 15 before you cap your last skill. Also, Pure Melee can carry you at least to floor 10(if you have heavy armour) before you start running into problems for warriors. And try to get sneaky shiv, because that stuns the opponent instead of just putting it to sleep. Avenging Executioner's Dread Blade, Piracy's Swashbuckling and Android Rogue's Evasive Manoeuvres help out with meleeing as a rogue also.
I'm not sure if this works with the newest update, but The most hits I can think of build would be Daggers Dual Wield Clockwork Knight Tinkerer Rogue Scientist Piracy Unarmed Using 2 Clockwork Ravagers (15% each) with Clockwork Knight's augmented limbs+charge of the the steam brigade (25%) and Unarmed's Nice combo! (25%) you should be doing multiple crazy hit per turn. Then with you can have crazy high counter passively to get extra hits in and Piracy to bring counter to 100%. Rogue Scientist gives a 20% to extra counter and so does steam brigade. Tinkerer to make the clockwork ravagers.
Mathemagic would definitely help with the "run" side of things because of Froda's Jump Discontinuity and Xeuclid's translation.
Nice Combo still would, because there's no "must have empty hands" requirement on abilities -- but the STATS from Unarmed (which are a giant portion of the skill's power) vanish the moment you equip a weapon. TH,OD wouldn't proc, though.
