Well, I'm not sure if this has been posted before but I found something interesting in the cave where you are ambushed by Hook Horrors.

I opened the door to the fire beetles but I did not attack them. They just kind of wander around (of course my char was using Imp. Inv.). The point being, when I was attacked by Hook Horrors, the beettles and the horrors went after each other instead of after me. The horrors were more interested in attacking the beetles than attcking me even after I started attacking them.

Maybe this is a way to distract the horrors while soloing?

Has anyone else noticed this?

Yes, the fire beetles are handy for softening a very difficult solo battle - let them do your dirty work...it's not like you are gaining experience points for hook horrors while soloing anyway and it is so much fun to watch enemies beat the snot out of each other.

Also, the umber hulks in the adjacent cavern will attack and kill Harshom and his minions. Make sure you are invisible when drawing all the umber hulks into the open and then lure Harshom and friends back to the hulks before becoming invisible again and then watch the carnage you have wrought. This method is especially useful when soloing through HoF.

Darn... I was hoping I had found something that others weren't aware of yet.... oh well. At least I know mine wasn't a fluke. :)

You can do that, but on the other hand I like too much that battle against hook horrors to resort to such tricks. Later on, when they are all dead I can go, open the door and drop a cloud kill to get rid of the beetles. Too bad you don't get any XP for them though.