Is there a way to convince people that an ultra isn't the best way for your first time through??? I think it's just in the nature of people. An ultra is a grindy, painful, and easy to mess up beast. It's like people trying to play a symphony when they don't know chopsticks or even all the keys. Like climbing Everest without training. It doesn't make you better it makes you foolhardy and liable to unnecessary sadness.
Let me help you: STOP READING THE GUIDEBOOK. It shows you everything you can do. Not everything you should do. Also, it's often outdated. For instance: stoma saccing no longer works.
Also I would suggest not stepping on statues unless you want the RNG god to piss on your ultra attempt. Here's a small proof to help you in that decision: Statues are player created. Players are mostly dicks. Therefore statues are mostly dicks. QED.
Live saccing or saccing piles of gold are pretty much the only options for precrowning and most characters don't have piles of gold lying around in the early game. So live sacs. Most people only do it if the conditions are just right i.e. near the stairs of or preferably on a cavernous level.
Pre-crowning, at least in its current iteration, just one time practically negates a second pre or a post crowning. It's almost impossible with live sacs. It's a money only option and that kind of negates itself since you are usually much too far along to fit the requirements once you have enough money.
Lastly: When you get sacced on that chaotic alter, you will be sad at the hours you wasted. I will be sad for you a little but mostly not. About as sad as you might feel if you heard about a novice dieing on Everest. You'd feel sad alright but you'd also have to say "I'm not surprised"
P.s. You're a wizard, Revontulet. Every other class I would suggest a melee heavy approach and spells for the nasties. Wizards are the exception. You're practically causing the ChAoS to explode from Soirana.
Completed: All Races, All Classes. Twice.
Fastest Run: Dwarf Mindcrafter - 34803 turns. No wand of tele.
Challenge Games: C- CK (stupid ending), Platinum Girdle x10, Westside Story, Team Teleport - illiterate troll barb, Scroll of Omnipotence obtained
ULE - DE Archer