>I agree with in that you've basically got different people
>saying different things.
>
>RE: the "advantage". Loshnak and Co. did more than Hell. You
>guys (all or some) went and got gear from a handful of areas.
>The crux of it all is that without your planned OOC Hell
>group, you wouldn't have had those allies around to even
>casually interact with, get eq with, defend the cabal with
> for those who were Scions), etc. If you want to nit-pick, you
>"gained" more than just Hell gear. Full empowerment (given
>your build) was a pretty big advantage over pretty much anyone
>else who ever has or will roll a Twist-evil-guy healer, for
>example.

I got equipment with whoever was around and it was done completely IC - most of the time I never took Tweedster or Artificial. I could have gotten any of the gear I had with random people around like Sigator, Arkellin, Kyanden, and many others that I did get gear with. The only one place I really did with both was Yzekon and it was to summon Yzekon (which ironically was useless for me since I couldn't use the axe). Again, just doing something that hasn't done since Ravon and his crazy charges or Cabdru and his.

Full empowerment actually would do jack for a healer in exploring. Dark Pact is horrible to put on a tank for longer fights and rejuv just makes them healer quicker, not longer. I think he had all his purities anyways but I'm not sure. Make a healer and go to the Inferno and you'll realize how much you're just a sanc/cure bot compared to a bard who can sing healing forever and do it a lot better.

Anyways it's a moot point.