Farming Sunshard Ore

[Lilandraa]

I have seen a few drop here and there. I have read several places where they drop, but where is the best place to farm them? I don't care about xping would rather AE a bunch of greenies if it is going to get me more drops.

[Gaell Stormracer]

Given that the mobs that drop Sunshard Ore are in the 55-65 range, I doubt AE is going to work too well - a cleric with the WoV line may well be able to do something useful though.

As for where, personally I've not found any particularly great locations (beyond the 5% drop rate) -- for which the non-instanced Thundercrest zone was reasonable -- but in the other thread about Sunshard drops, the GoD sewers instances, in particular Lair of the Trapped Ones, were recommended.

[Catweazel]

I have hunted in many of the areas recommended and drop rates are not sufficient to farm. As an example, the spiders in Nightmare (
a fiendish consort
a loathsome creeper
a predatory creeper
an infernal consort
Terror Matriarch) are all within the correct level range, but hunting here for many hours nets no more than 2 or 3 bricks per hour and often zero (30-40 mobs killed per hour). Chardok B, where *most* of the mobs are within the required level range allows faster killing, but still a poor farming drop rate.

The "best" areas in theory are where the mobs are *all* within the required level range. Because of "global drops" I doubt you will beat the designed drop rate. 5% seems a pretty good number, but it could easily be worse and it will likely never be better.

As a further warning, the skill up success for sunshard ore after 290 drops from 1 in 15 to 1 in 40. I recognize that this could be the RNG, your mileage may vary.

[Roanne]

The best drop rate Ive experienced was killing the harpies that spawn inside the nests when you break them open in Blackfeather Roost on the third island. I was farming spell scrolls at the time for my alts' LDoN spells, but I had many Sunshard Ore drop as well (better then Ive seen farming other places).

As above, the drop rate wasnt what Id call farmable and probably related to all the mobs being in the level range, but I walked out with 10 or 11 ores in an hour.

[kekenewah]

the Hole

The higher level mobs at the bottom of the hole drop Sunshard ore. I get about 3 every 30 minutes duoing with my 69 mage and 60 necro when I pop LOTD. The most I ever got in 30 minutes was 6 and the least was one. The other night I got 3 on the first 3 mobs I killed then got no more for the rest of the half hour.

[Strokker]

Hey I have been playing on the combine for a bit now you should come here we got plenty and the venders have most of it...

[Kaaba]

I get about 5-10 sunshard ores per hour in Cazic-Thule camping either at 4c or the mud temple.

[Catweazel]

It would perhaps help prospective farmers if people identified the drop rate per mob as opposed to "10 dropped in an hour". Boxers, Duoers, or even groups "farming" 55-65 level mobs can kill a far greater number than soloers. At least different classes can then decide for themselves whether Sunshard Ore is indeed "farmable" for tradeskill-ups.

[kekenewah]

agree with 5% rate

I would agree with the 5% rate mentioned in one ot the posts above, although with the RNG this probably varies from 1% to 10%.

[Ngreth Thergn]

It would perhaps help prospective farmers if people identified the drop rate per mob as opposed to "10 dropped in an hour". Boxers, Duoers, or even groups "farming" 55-65 level mobs can kill a far greater number than soloers. At least different classes can then decide for themselves whether Sunshard Ore is indeed "farmable" for tradeskill-ups.

You are correct that it is x% per kill. We just base that x% off of "WE want players to get Y of them in 30 kills" With 30 kills being the kills per hour... leading to an approximate amount per hour.

[Hhrolf]

As it is so hard to farm this, a lot of players are having to rely on buying it in the bazaar. On my server I have seen a lot more instances of players buying up all the available ore and then jacking up the prices. On BB atm its going for 2500 per ore, and several traders have between 100 and 350 units, whereas just two weeks ago it was 1500pp per ore.
I am just glad I did my skilling up when the expansion was new and I could buy it for 500pp at most. Until recently I was making TBS armour to sell but at these prices I will find another commodity to make instead as I wont make a profit at these prices.
To allow people to farm this Ngreth, rather than being gouged by the opportunists, would it be possible to make selected zones 'hotzones' for the ore with an improved drop rate? This could then be changed occasionally just like the hotzones.
Maybe even just make it the current level 60 or 65 hotzone whichever is appropriate. Just think the ore farmers could actually get a little xp too if its a hotzone killing light blues. Now that would be a first /wink.

[Catweazel]

IMO the drop rate is close to perfect working on the assumption that this is NOT a mass skill up path. Over a period of a few weeks or a month you can "farm" a stack killing exp mobs. Of course this assumes that you are killing the lblue mobs for something else....

As for the bazaar bottom feeders, they have recently employed the latest tactics for Sunshard Ore on CT, perhaps at lower prices than your experience, however they have so far been stuck with massive supplies at inflated prices, simply because the ore is filtering in, every day, at the same drop rate, and if you really want to buy some, you can pick up 2 or 3 at a time for 600 to 800pp. I seriously cannot imagine there are too many people that can afford to buy many stacks of Ore at 1500pp let alone 2500pp once they experience the failure rate of silver conduit and subsequent combines (easily 10%).

[Roanne]

Slightly off topic but this reminds me.

Please get rid of all success rate caps. They are annoying. If you want to cap success rates, do it by raising the trivial so we can at least skill up on the combines (and I will continue using the term "trivial" in this context until it is removed from all official literature and game menus).

We spend time away from grind sessions to farm and raise our skills, spend more time evolving our trophies, and spend AA on mastery skills our peers skim past to have those effects nullified because someone thinks the success rate of a recipe should be capped without the benefit those difficult combines usually bring.

[Eggborn]

I would say go to a zone that has a limited loot table on the mobs. It seems though, that they were added, not replacing current drops, not sure though. I have been getting a few in Veeshan's peak. If you go to nightmare, hunt spiders and go for the butterflies. I noticed them dropping a few.

If you are great at undead, maybe try the Lair of Terris Thule for fun or crypt of decay.

In Veeshan's peak hunting rancors I get one ore for every stack of great reptile hides. I am just hoarding the ore until I get a decent amount.

[Maevenniia]

FYI the Giants in the forest fort in PoStorms dropped Sunshard Ore. I think the Sea and Desert giants probably do as well.

Take a few groups of folks BoT key piece camping, and have fun