222-250 How much you think it cost?

[Maultar]

I have 70k will I need more?

[Silound]

Helpful Hint --> If you look at the multitude of posts on this question you will notice a few things people need to know first to help you:

-Level/Class/Race
-Any flags/trials you have
-Server you are on
-Amount of time you have available to farm
-How fast can you make money

Anyway, my opinion is that assuming you have plenty of time, a reasonably high level character, and decent gear then you can GM smithing for under 1k by doing the Shadowscream route (Search DB for recipies).

If you are crimped for time but can easily make a few hundred thousand plat, then there are other more costly methods available.

If you are human, you have by far the best cultral skillup path via old cult in Freeport.

If you have neither large amounts of time nor potentially huge bankrolls, I suggest looking into saving up combines until you have a large number and doing a run as you get a number ready. Shadowscream is probably the best for you here again, because you can go spend 15 minutes gathering each of the three parts per day and come out with about 10 of each, depending on luck and kill time. Farm substances off wolves in TM, bears in HSM, and shadows off shades in TS.

Good luck to you.

[Obina]

As many smithing guides suggest, the most time efficient way to farm shrieking and wailing off both bears and wolves is in Hollowshade Moor by managing the war. Read the Smithing guides on this site.

[Aalar]

If you are able to gate (a caster), you can bind by Aid Grimel and do the first part (smithing) of the Aid Grimel quest (the acid wash) to 227. That's what I did. It is very cheap and easy. Just make up a batch of acid wash and keep washing that dirty breastplate, in a forge, till you reach 227 skill.

Aalar

[gnormy]

Mage CoH works well with the Aid Grimal run.

[FrostDragonsinger]

HUman smithing

Well as a Human smith(54mage) I have been making sea tempers for 222 to 242 in a year in half I have farmed and fished(as a 55 bard) for 900tempers plus a few hundred padding( bottled necked on spiderling silks right now) I am still on EVB but have been banking what I can get of essence of sunlight and blue diamonds. the screaming stuff I have I figured for the last 10 points.

Wish spiderling silk was not rare else I would like to make fishing lures again.

[Galudan]

plus a few hundred padding( bottled necked on spiderling silks right now)

Thiers a better way to make leather padding then collecting spiderling silks, collect shadling silk much easier to get and drops like flies in Shadeweaver's Thicket, only problem with this way is that you have to use Low Qaulity Rockhopper Hides, but they are very easy to get in Marus Seru cause that and gray hides is all the hoppers there drop in the line of hides or you can farm the normal higher level hopper for superb and flawless at the same time as getting LQ to HQ ones which you can reduce to LQ for padding.

[Docat]

Spiderling Silk

The best place I've found for spiderling silk is Everfrost, theres 3 areas right near the POK book... I've used my Bard with an AOE or my SHM pet click-and-sic. Either one is fast and they pop so quickly you will NEVER run out of mobs ! Just kill everything and you can also collect plenty of LQ skins for padding and HQ bear skins for backpacks. Also a good source of wolf meat if you're baking Halas Meat Pies.

[Angelsyn]

The best place I've found for spiderling silk is Everfrost, theres 3 areas right near the POK book... I've used my Bard with an AOE or my SHM pet click-and-sic. Either one is fast and they pop so quickly you will NEVER run out of mobs ! Just kill everything and you can also collect plenty of LQ skins for padding and HQ bear skins for backpacks. Also a good source of wolf meat if you're baking Halas Meat Pies.

I've found that in recent months the drop rate for Spiderling Silks all over Norrath has gone down... in many cases, significantly.

[ThirdDay]

Options

Shadowscream armor, in my opinion, would be the easiest....especially if there is a large supply of swirling shadows for sale in the bazaar at a cheap price....the new expansion offers new combinations that are 250+ as well...but I'm surprised that no one mentioned the most obvious answer at the 220 level. There are a few items out there which provide a +15% bonus to smithing. It is the only skill that gives you such an edge, so I would do my best to take advantage of it if i were you. You can do a search at allakhazam for smithing bonus item's to see where they are all hiding at. Not knowing your level/guild/other info, it's hard to say where your best bet is...but here are some links to what I'm talking about: 1. http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=13156 (Gauntlets of Dark Embers....drop from the first blob in VT...fairly common drop on that named mob...but of course you need to be keyed for VT to obtain this) 2. http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=8779 (Hammer of the Iron Frost) This is the other one I have <yeah...silly to have 2 of them, but at the time, I needed the gauntlets as an upgrade :O)> This "weapon" drops from XtC, a named mob in Ssra Temple..drop rate...from my experience...maybe drops 20-25% of the time. 3. http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=10480 ( Massive Girdle of the Forge) This item is only +10%, as opposed to the 15% on the other two I listed, but it's still a considerable advantage over the usual 5% offered by geerlok's and trophies...and can amount to an ENORMOUS amount of saved time and money...if you can be a part of raids on these places. More info on the girdle :This is a common drop in Sanctus Seru, from Praesertum Bikun..in fact...I think it always drops on him....and it can also drop from four mini bosses in the zone. The BIG drawback to this particular item, is that it isn't useable by all classes/races :O( limitted to:BL, sham, SK,Bard, rogue and warrior. Race limits:Warrior, Vah Shir, Iksar, Troll and Ogre.
Now that I think of it.....the gauntlets are limitted to certain classes also....but not limitted by race, but the hammer of ironfrost is an ALL/ALL item, so I would recomend hitting it....to be sure you don't make a mistake and work hard for something you can't use.

You only need to get to 220 unadjusted, to max out with the 15% items, and only need 226 for the 10% girdle (assuming you are lucky enough to fit the restrictions). This is a MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR advantage, as smithing is both expensive and the skill up's as infrequent as any skill can be! Once you get your item and your "minimum-max", you can slowly finish maxing your unadjusted skill level as you have time/need of combines. I want to eventually get to 252 without my hammer or gauntlets, but it sure is nice to know that I don't HAVE to :O) I hope you are able to do/feel the same :O) Best of luck to you.

P.S. If this works out for you, I'd love to put your 70k to use for things I need, since you would have blown it all and more to get yourself to 252 the "hard way" :O) Just send me a tell where I can pick up the money lol....I haven't seen 70k for a long long time :O)

[Aalar]

I have a different philosophy in regards to the "magic" 250 skill number. I know that it is important to some to achieve a natural 250 skill in a given tradeskill. It has only been important to me to have a modified skill of 252 - which is the current maximum.

I would suggest, unless you have no goal other than 250 in a particular tradeskill, that you only go as high as 240 (max 252 skill with a geerlok) before starting another skill. Especially if you are doing the AG quest. You can go back and get 250 when you have the time.

Aalar

[ThirdDay]

???

I have a different philosophy in regards to the "magic" 250 skill number. I know that it is important to some to achieve a natural 250 skill in a given tradeskill. It has only been important to me to have a modified skill of 252 - which is the current maximum.

I would suggest, unless you have no goal other than 250 in a particular tradeskill, that you only go as high as 240 (max 252 skill with a geerlok) before starting another skill. Especially if you are doing the AG quest. You can go back and get 250 when you have the time.

Aalar

Your response is more concise that mine, but I believe that is precisely what I said in my previous post. I merely pointed out options that would allow him to stop at an even earlier level than the standard geerlok or trophy <if you were wealthy or lucky enough to get it at 220).

[Silnyil]

Cost me 1999-2003

[Maultar]

I'm a DE wiz lvl 70 400 int soon to be 405. I tried DE cultural Innoruuk stuff adamantite plate. I was 227 smith got to 230 in 30 combines. In 60 combines of sickels i only got 1 skillup. Now 231. Better skillup on cultural because the triv were closer to my lvl? Or just BAD luck on sickles?

[Akishka]

You do have a better chance of skilling up on a sucess than a failure. So, if you are failing the sickles a lot more than cultural then yes, thats a problem and you might want to go back to the cultural. However, you are talking about a tiny sample size so pretty much anything is possible. I did almost 100 sucesses in a row the other day and did not get a single increase. Thats the luck factor of trying to skill up. Hopefully you have better luck at the next run