When to start cultural Smithing

[Iannyen]

I'm a HIE, and looking at starting the BD smithing whenever a BD comes my way. The rest of the time, I'll be making sickles, low end cultural, and the like for continued skillups. What I don't like to do though, is to sit and do nothing but skill for days on end.

So, when would you look at starting cultural, if it were you?

[Cavel]

I made a full set of The BD cultural at smithing of 220 without a single skill up. I will alsow attempt any BD cultural Combines for people if they want me to, normally ask for 2 to 3 times what it takes to make the item... If I make it on the first try then the rest is mine.

I will tell you that I had a lot of failures in attempting to craft the armor and to be honest unless you have VERY deep pockets this is not a good skill up or money making route. I am Currently Sitting back and waiting till around 230 to 240 to get back into some BD cultural myself.

[EchtelionFV]

General consensus is the later the better, and make sure that failing a few combines in a row doesn't bother you too much. 212+geerlok will give you 20% success, 240+geerlok about 45-50% success, figure out the rest and decide for yourself.

I started at 223 and was lucky, went 2/5 on bracers and 1/1 on BP (getting a skillup to 224 btw) I wanted the armour for wearing it myself, not for making profit yet, so anything above 30% of success was ok to me.

[Iannyen]

Its basically for my cleric alt and a few other guild members (2 more clerics and a paladin or 2) can actually use BFM. While I wouldn't use it as a skillup path for sure, i was mostly curious as to the success rate, using supplies that drop (i.e. blue diamonds) along the way. I usually see 1-3 BD's drop per adventure, and always offer to buy them from the group for 300pp each, rather than vendor dump them, so I'm slowly accumulating celestial tempers.

[Naelia]

I made myself a full set of Dark Prince Regent at 219-220 skill. I failed about 6 times on the Breastplate, hehe, but I made it!

If you are making it for yourself, try it whenever you're feeling lucky. I'm at 229 skill now, and there are definitely a lot fewer failures. I've done 40 sickle attempts, but otherwise have skilled up from 219-229 exclusively on Blue Diamond Cultural. (Mostly boots and bracers) And turning a profit, I might add.

[Satene]

Tonite

After reading this thread I decided to use the 6 celestial tempers I had sitting in the bank. I had been waiting till I hit 235+ before trying cultural for myself. I made 4 attempts tonite at a skill of 222 +geerlock. Result ...Thunderous Heraldic helm, boots, and gorget. I failed on the armplates. I also skilled up to 223 on the first attempt. Maybe because its Christmas Eve, but Ill take 3 out 4 any day

Satene of Balefire
Tarew Marr

[Kronepsis]

The answer is simple...

Do it when you're ready.

I clicked a few in the 180s, but I'm a lucky SoaB.

[Iannyen]

Aye, I went ahead and tried a few.

Skill starting at 222

Attempts / Product / Successes
4 Greaves 1
3 Girdles 1
Skillup to 223 on a girdle

3 greaves 1
2 vambraces 1
2 boots 2
6 bracers 2
no skillups

3 greaves 3
1 Breastplate 1
1 Helm 1
(great rate, but no skillup)
(did get a skillup on some Imbued Koa'dal junk tho, so up to 224)

3 helms 1
2 gauntlets 0
1 bracer 0
(yech, the RNG remembered mah last run..)