Copying strategy
Certain items and familiars, notably Items-of-the-Month from Mr. Store, let you copy a monster while fighting it in order to fight it multiple times without having to encounter it normally. This page documents the most effective monsters to target with this ability. Copying is often combined with fax machine strategy to produce multiple copies of enemies that can't be accessed normally. In addition to a copy per day, the alpine watercolor set persists between ascensions and can replace fax targets. The genie bottle can provide up to 3 "faxes" per day. The Fourth of May Cosplay Saber can turn any fight with a monster into 3 consecutive fights with that monster in its native zone (even if the initial fight was not from the appropriate zone). A combat lover's locket records every copyable monster you fight with it equipped (saved across ascensions) and lets you fight 3 different copies from that list per day.
Most Effective
Copying these monsters saves the maximum number of turns.
| Monster | Purpose | HC/SC | Max Copies |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ninja snowman assassin | Level 8 quest | Both | 2 | Saves several turns vs. finding three assassins normally. |
| Green Ops Soldier | Mysterious Island Quest | Both | As many as possible | Counts as a war kill even if fought in other zones, each fight has a chance to drop green smoke bomb, a free runaway combat item. |
| lobsterfrogman | Level 12 (Beach) | Both | 1+4 | Saves some turns per barrel. |
Situational / Path Specific
These faxes are relevant on specific challenge paths, and are only optimal under specific conditions.
| Screambat | Level 4 quest | Both | 2 | If your challenge path prevents the use of the sonar-in-a-biscuit (e.g. Bees Hate You, G-Lover), copying Screambats serves as a preferable alternative to hunting them down manually. |
| Bob Racecar or Racecar Bob | Level 11 (Palindome) | Both | 7? | If your challenge path prevents the use of the disposable instant camera (e.g. Bees Hate You, G-Lover), copying either monster allows you to obtain the photograph of a dog faster than hunting it down manually. |
Honorable Mentions
If you need other things to copy, consider these monsters.
| Monster | Purpose | HC/SC | Max Copies |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Witchess monsters | Free scaling fights, delay-burning (when arrowed), epic food/booze or potion | Both | (lots) | Fighting copied Witchess monsters does not consume a turn, just like the originals. Each copy gives free stats, and (if encountered in a zone other than your inventory) can also help advance quests. Warning: Only Knights, Bishops, and Rooks are meaningfully copyable! |
| giant swarm of ghuol whelps | Level 7 quest | Both | 2-3 | Saves a few turns in The Defiled Cranny vs. finding the noncombat manually. If copying these with an arrow, it can be tricky to line up your +ML correctly. |
| modern zmobie | Level 7 quest | Both | 1+4 | Saves a few turns in The Defiled Alcove vs. cranking +init and finding them manually. |
| mountain man | Level 8 quest | Both | 1-2 | Provides an alternate way to collect ore (vs. clovers and Unaccompanied Miner). Requires a fax or similar source if you're not an Avatar of Boris. |
| pygmy bowler | Level 11 (City) | Both | 1+4 | Saves a few turns in The Hidden Bowling Alley vs. Olfacting the bowler. |
Notes
- In Hardcore, you can copy by using the special ability of the Obtuse Angel or Reanimated Reanimator (which are mutually exclusive), from a LOV Enamorang, or from the Digitize skill.
- Bosses and most other special monsters cannot be copied.
See Also
| Ascension Strategy | |
| Rankings: | HC Skills - HC Familiars - HC IotMs |
| General: | Class selection - Familiar usage - Lucky adventures |
| Paths: | BHY - Fist - AoB - BI - ZS - AoJ - BIG! - KOLHS - CA2 - AoSP - SS - HR - Picky - Ed - Random - AoWoL - Source - NA - GN - LtA - L.A.R. - PF - G-Lover - DD |
| Additional Paths: | DG - 2CRS - KoE - PotP - LKS - GG - Y,Robot - QT - WF - GY - JM - FotD |
| IotMs: | Tomes - Faxing - Copying - YR - Garden - Correspondent - Workshed - Tea party - Florist |
