I find analysis like this really interesting, but I've never found it in me to run areas or monsters like you all describe. The very idea of a 50 second run to kill the council is inconcieveable to me.
Is it just me... Or do the Council drop Ettin Axes ridiculously frequently? I see one almost every run, and I've got at least one Rune Master from them.
And wow, the Council really are a pushover with some 30 MDR.