Flying is great. It costs nothing for you, has only one minor downside that is that you will get significantly more damage from the Airstrike spell that some casters in the game can use, but not that many of them. And it gives you more mobility as you can fly over water, magma, and either attack mobs from unexpected direction or run away from them. It also helps in branches like shoals where there is that water everywhere. Basically, I have it always on from the moment I get it on level 14.
Will keep in mind that.
Just met Kirke...
Say what is your branch routine if you would go for 3 rune ascension?
My branch routine when I play Gargoyle Fighter is:
1. Dungeon until I find lair.
2. Lair full clear unless there is something really scary on the way, like some Unique monster or a group of mobs that I know would gangbang me.
3. Dungeon untill level 15
4. Orcish mines. Recently changed to be just two levels so expect Orcish endbranch vault on level two.
5. One of the Lair branches.
- I like spider lair as Gargoyle as you dont give a fuck about poison, there isnt many ranged mobs and you can clear it without too much of a trouble as high AC character.
- Snake Pit is also ok as you again have poison immunity. But there are many ranged assholes here so proceed with more caution. And the endbranch vault is more difficult, try to lure them in small groups or one by one.
- Shoals is ok if you are level 14+ as you have perma flight then so you dont care about the changing tides there. Some annoying ranged monsters here. The last level I like to leave for a bit later when I have more cold resistance.
- Swamp isnt too bad either when you have flight as you movement isnt as restricted as it would be without it. Monsters here aint bad either, but confusion resistance is helpful for those cloud spewning dragons. The boss on the last floor can be a pain in the ass, I recommend high AC.
- The Slime Pits - No no no, me no likey. If I attempt to do this branch is only at level 27, with all the appropriate resistances, a lot of healing and nothing better to do. The jellies here are tremendous assholes that can hit hard despite your high AC and shield, and the boss is a bitch too.
6. Next I do the Vaults till penultimate level. Not too bad but many different mobs can spawn here so the difficulty is a bit random.
7. Crypt if I have some half-decent Holy weapon. Can be done without it too. Be prepared for the fact that crypt is a very quiet place so monsters will come to you from further away when you will start making noise.
8. Now I either do Elven halls if I have decent Magic resistance, or do Depths till the entrance to Zot.
9. On 3 rune runs I dont enter any of the Hells or Pandemonium or Abyss (at least not of my own volition, fuck the Abyss!).
10. Then Zot to the bottom and Usain Bolt out of the Dungeon.