Things are looking up a tiny bit, managed to get the runes needed for a Malice axe which should carry me through the rest of the act. Got my money back up by going back to A1 and doing so countess runs too (ergo the Malice runes). Had an A2 merc but I forgot how utterly shit they are if you don't have a really good spear so I ditched him for another rogue. Got my cube and freed up some space, grabbed the staff. Now just to get the headpiece.