Questions for Human and Barbarian GM Smiths

[Heugel]

Smithing has always been my favorite tradeskill, from my days as a level 9 Half Elf warrior making banded armor for friends in Qeynos Hills. Since then, I've successfully skilled up my half elf smith to 210, then a human smith to 202 right after the new cultural was introduced (just prior to the trivial nerf of Fine Plate).

Just recently, I've decided that I'm going to get that Human smith to GM status. It's something that I've wanted to do for a while now, and finally got the motivation the other day when an officer from my new guild commented on how awesome it would be to have a human GM smith in the ranks.

Also, I've decided that I'm going to take my higher-level Barbarian Shaman and turn him into a GM smith as well.

So, here are my questions:

1) I'm going to skillup my human smith using old freeport cultural. I am farming all of the components myself, with the exception of the ore and molds. How much, approximately, am I looking at investing in ore and mold costs, taking into consideration sell backs to vendors on successful pieces? I read somewhere that 50K is a good estimation, with a 63% buyback rate. Does this mean that the total investment after buyback would be in the 20K range?

2) My barbarian character, who currently stands at 115 smithing, will be taking the fine plate route to 188. After that, what is the best route to GM status? Is there a route available to barbarians other than the Shadowscream / Acrylia / Sickles route?

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer,

Heugel, the Anvil Junkie

[Naxy]

I don't have a full answer for you, but for the human skilling I expect you to pay at least 50kpp for the ore and molds as described here (read a bit down and this is skilling from 197):
http://mboards.eqtraders.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2136

[Shaman Arriana]

For barbarians, sickles/acrylia/shadowscream are really all you have. Add in small sprinklings of black acrylia, and PoP "legendary" armors when you get the components to do it.

"Old" barbarian cultural trivials below the 188 that fine steel plate tops off at.

[Kaysha Soulsinger]

I've recently been estimating my costs as I increased from 200 to 209 skill. So far, at this post-200 stage, I am averaging about 300pp to 1000pp per skillup, pending failures on combines. Once Bracers go trivial at 222, I expect cost to increase. So I'd say that 50kpp from 200 to 250 might be a good indication.

[Aarial]

I'm skilling up now an from 200 to 250 I would say it could cost you anywhere near 100k. Generally bracers sell back for about 39 to 43 plat to the vendors. Depending on what gems you use, what you farm, what you buy it can cost..

I buy everything mostly

Stack of Tempers - 750
Stack of Padding - 500
Stack of Gems - 250
Ore - 1500ish
Molds - 200

Thats just an estlimate of what I spend per 20.. I get about 40 plat per bracer back..

Just a note === those sheets of ethereal energy do sell in the bazaar, as well as the rings of ethereal energy. I slappe 350 plat on em for heck of it an hae been selling em quite well in the bazaar on my server 8) I've also been able to make some cultural bracers an sell em at 208ish skill. I go 1/3 on those generally. That can help bank roll you.

Personally I've spent 100k to this point. I"ve sunk money into sickles an other things though. That makes big difference. From that I've made back probably 40kish to date.

I'm at 215 but with geerlock 225

[Kaysha Soulsinger]

Yeah, that's a good one too. I forgot to mention that in my previous post. When I get items for skillup sessions, I usually farm most components myself. I get my own paddings (pelts and silks) and I also fish my own seaweeds. The only exception to farming items is that I usually buy my mugs of Sea Foam, because hunting for them myself takes too long (Cleric, thx la~1). I never pay more than like 15pp for those Mugs, by the way.

[Taraddar]

I wouldn't bother skilling up a barbarian smith. Since barbarian smithing is limited to just tribunal worshipers you have a very limited market. Tribunal worshiping warriors are few and far between. It's great armor for them but there aren't very many of them. All barb shaman are tribunal but there doesn't seem to be very much interest in the cultural armor for chain in my exerience. Combine that with no viable cultural skill up option since our old chain cultural trivs so low and you've got a very hard time raising the skill for very little reward. It's sad but your human smith will probably sell or make more armor for barbs than your barb smith would since RZ human armor is wearable by almost any warrior worshiping RZ and since he's the god of war he was the most common choice.

[Mochaboy]

http://mboards.eqtraders.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1482

I'm at 247 now...just too lazy to finish off the remaining 3 points...

Oh and my web server exceeded capacity so the spreadsheet I made available for download is no longer available but I'd be happy to send it to you if you PM me with your e-mail address...

Total costs were outlined on the post - but vendor pricing is on the spreadsheet.