Nest step, BD or mistletoe, 222

[Gruffun]

I have raised my skill to 222 doing shadow scream.

Tired of farming that stuff. I am considering trying to make my Culteral gear, which is why i started this process, to make bd gear for myself and guildies, possibly sell in market.

1. go for bd? what sucess rate might i see?
2. do more shadow Screaming?
3. switch to mistletoe cutting sickles?
Other?

Thanks for help

Ogre Shadowknight
lvl 57
Str 255
int 156
cha 164, buffed and steins
deity Cazik Thule
Geerlok hammer

[Tinile]

lvl/race/class info would be helpful to know.

[Celdil]

BD cultural is gonna have a pretty poor success rate at your level. It's not great at lvl 250 I started using Mistletoe Cutting Sickles to augment my normal skill up path at about your skill level. Normally, I would successfully combine 4 or 5 sickles for every 20 attempts. I would then sell those in the bazaar, and when my supply ran out, I'd make more.

At 7k plat per run of 20 (roughly), succeeding on four of the 20 means you'd have to sell them for 1750p each to break even. Selling for a loss will add up quick! So check your server market and see if the going rate will allow you to enter the market and at least break even. Then as your skill grows and you average more successes, they'll make you money to help further fund your smithing attempts.

So, I'd suggest to continue Shadow Scream, use sickles to augment your skillups if the market allows it, and skip the BD stuff unless you are willing to accept a 25% success rate on raw materials that can be pretty hard and/or expensive to come by.

[Monodon]

I understand how much of a pain in the butt shadowscream is. If your server has a reasonable price for sickles then I would take that route, but be carefull not to sturatet he sickle market. I would put no more than 10 in trader at any one time. Public perception is one of the driveing factors on cost. If somone sees that you have 60 sickles in your inventory they will expect you to be selling them for less since you have so many ~SHRUG~. If the sickle market is currently trshed due to peeps skilling up and flooding the market for the aid grimel quest then I would stick with shadowscream until you get to 230 or 235. You could do BD culutral, but at your lvl I would reserve that for boredom smithing and makeing things for yourself or friends. Basically My experience with doing heraldic has been that the skillups are few and far between. I have thus far done well over 300 BD combines and recieved only one skillup. (At 241 atm >252 with trophy).

Anyways, thats jsut my 2cp.

[Kahmon]

unbelievable!

Believe it or not ShadowScream sold very well for me. It does not sell for big cash, but if you are trying to get decent gear for a lowbie at a low price it is a great value. Here are the prices I was charging:

BP, leggings: 200pp (hated using 2 orbs)
Cloak, Sleeves, Mantle: 100pp
Belt, helm: 50pp
Boots, gloves, Bracer, collar, mask: 30pp

Before I did a serious push to simply hit 250 and be done I would keep about 3 sets on my vendor. One was for sale, one was being worn/modeled, and one was banked. when I was out of anything particular I would spend a day farming to restock and then go back to having fun untill I was out of SS again.

[Aranthas]

2 small pieces velium + coldain velium temper + spell: Enchant Velium = Enchanted Velium Bits
LORE NO DROP

trivial at 227

[KyrosKrane]

Actually, the trivial on the Enchanted Velium Bits is 221 < x <= 227, and it's a skill-restricted combine: Minimum skill to attempt is a modified 165 (158 + geerlok can attempt).

The result is Lore, though, so you have to destroy it on each success. The spells don't stack, either, and the velium pieces could be a pain to get and make, not to mention the tempers. Still a viable option, though.

To get back to the original question, at skill around 220 (plus geerlok, of course), I started doing the occasional run of sickles. I'd get 5 or so successes per run of 20 combines. I'd sell them off in the bazaar at the prevailing rates, then try another batch. At that success rate, I was still losing money, but it was a bearable loss, compared to how much I valued my time. Of course, this depends on the price of sickles on your server and how fast you can sell them.

At 240 skill + geerlok, I'm getting 10-12 successes per run of 20 combines. This lets me sell them at a healthy profit, even with the depressed prices of sickles.

If you want a 100% storebought option (aside from getting the emeralds imbued) and don't mind forking over 5-7K in raw costs (depending on your CHA and how much you pay for the subcombines and imbues, if at all), then sickles are an option. Go in with the express intent of burning all that cash for skillups -- yes, plan to lose all 7K if need be. Consider any successes a surprise bonus, not a way of covering your costs. With this attitude (and a pocketbook to match! ) you should do fine on the sickles. As you get higher in skill, your success rate will increase and you can start making some money back.

[Gruffun]

Thank you

Thanks for the information all.

Found out Brell server, Mistletoe cutting scyles are selling for 1500 to 1750, 3 people had them at 1500 for a combined count of 400 scyles. so that isnt much of an option, I dont have but about 5k left on me.

So I am going to hit the shadow farm again.

After Iresearch the velium bits that was posted. This may be a good option for the 222 to 227, then do ss again.

What success would i have at 230 skill for bd. as the desired result it making full suits of bd for me and 2 other guildies.
remembering i have a Geerlok.

Thanks

[Velurian]

With a geerlok, at 230 raw skill, expect about 40-45% success on cultural.

[Galain]

Clean BP's for Grimel to 227. Cheapest route by far.

[Kahmon]

Originally posted by Galain
Clean BP's for Grimel to 227. Cheapest route by far.

I am so sick of people taking their flags for granted and recommending this route. 99% of the players do NOT have this option!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gruffun]

Grimel

"Clean BP's for Grimel to 227. Cheapest route by far."

Researched this. I am not flagged and do not belong to guild really capable to do the justice trials.
That is a large part of why I am making these armors.
Its ok it was suggested. If I had been flagged. I would have done so.

We will get flaged eventually. GNV has lots of friends.
Gruffun
57 SK
Brell serilis
Grand Norrathian Vanguard.

[KyrosKrane]

Re: Thank you

Originally posted by Gruffun
After Iresearch the velium bits that was posted. This may be a good option for the 222 to 227, then do ss again.

Enchanted Velium Bits have been confirmed trivial at 222.

[Arghargh]

I did mosly sickles after 220, but this was back when they sold for 3k each, and sold fast enough. I still did quite a bit of shadowscream.

Arghargh Grumble, Darkblood
64 Ogre Shaman of Rallos Zek

195 Alchemy
200 Baking
250 Blacksmithing
200 Brewing
200 Fishing
200 Fletching
200 Jewelry
200 Pottery
170 Tailoring

[Haphern]

Depending on the pricing for bits (Tae Ew blood + Distilled Mana/Iksar Blood, Sarnak Blood, Froglok Blood) and finished products, take a look at Tae Ew shields, legs and tunics. These have a much better success rate than Cultural and Sickles from 200 onwards and *may* be a cheaper alternative.