My best early find.

[Zikke]

I have found a couple Holy Avengers at dlvl 5-7 so far, but no boots of speed yet. This is kinda fun, but I still die too often

[Tenka]

Found a Broadsword Holy Avenger ( 75% off ) in the shop (Hengband) after doing a few quick quests that give good money rings and selling off most of my gear i could just afford it, even running around the dungeons naked but for my eff off powerful blade the baddies fell like nothing......i ended up keeping it from lvl 12 until lvl 44.

With a Ninja you can get Sting before lvl 10 if you are careful...having so much stealth you just sneak straight into the quest and swipe it....you can keep it for a long long time too.

[Eamonite]

Originally Posted by Estie

You are SO doomed

Not dead yet. Had a couple of scares cracking open a checkerboard vault with no detection somewhere around DL 35. A Great Hell Wyrm could have toasted me but didn't. Later in the same vault, I opened up a cell and saw a white C, thought to myself--oh a little puppy! Stepped forward to attack and realised as I hit the key--Oh crud, that might be the Wolfhound of Valor!!! Nope, regular old white wolf.

I fianlly maxxed my stats when Dwar dropped a Potion of Augmentation.

Here's a dump.

[Estie]

Very nice, youre playing with randarts. Thought I was the only one doing that.