Skillup path question

[Doomspark Deathfire]

My smithing alt is level 35. He's a Teir'dal necromancer with an unmodified skill of 220. His INT is maxed for his level. I do NOT have the DoN or DoDH expansions. Now I'm looking at what to do to get to 300. I cannot do the Aid Grimel quest due to his level (and lack of a guild to do Bertox). Here's what I'm thinking:

- Old-style cultural to 242. I have a cleric to imbue the sapphires, and an enchanter to enchant the adamantite.
- Black acrylia weapons / Mistletoe Sickles to 300. The biggest problem with the weapons is that they are LORE, so it's difficult to do more than 2 or 3 combines before you start running into duplicates. As for sickles, I have a cleric to imbue the emeralds and a potter to make the dust so their biggest issue is the cost.

I'm not keen on the idea of doing shadowscream armor. My understanding is that it requires jumping through a lot of hoops to get Shar Vahl citizenship before you can make it.

Are there other viable alternatives that I'm overlooking?

[Qaladar Bragollach]

I'm not keen on the idea of doing shadowscream armor. My understanding is that it requires jumping through a lot of hoops to get Shar Vahl citizenship before you can make it.

Its not that difficult... a few newb level quests that take maybe a couple hours tops.

[Astroshak]

You say that the necro is an alt ... high high is your main? If you exp in MPG a lot with your main, you might consider trying to get all of the magentic pieces that drop that you can. Do this (and sell the finished pieces) to supplement your income to cover the costs of the Mistletoe Cutting Sickles.

[Angelsyn]

My smithing alt is level 35. He's a Teir'dal necromancer with an unmodified skill of 220. His INT is maxed for his level. I do NOT have the DoN or DoDH expansions. Now I'm looking at what to do to get to 300. I cannot do the Aid Grimel quest due to his level (and lack of a guild to do Bertox). Here's what I'm thinking:

- Old-style cultural to 242. I have a cleric to imbue the sapphires, and an enchanter to enchant the adamantite.
- Black acrylia weapons / Mistletoe Sickles to 300. The biggest problem with the weapons is that they are LORE, so it's difficult to do more than 2 or 3 combines before you start running into duplicates. As for sickles, I have a cleric to imbue the emeralds and a potter to make the dust so their biggest issue is the cost.

I'm not keen on the idea of doing shadowscream armor. My understanding is that it requires jumping through a lot of hoops to get Shar Vahl citizenship before you can make it.

Are there other viable alternatives that I'm overlooking?

Since you're level 35 on your Smith, I would seriously suggest looking into the Shadowscream route.

Save your Cultural Tempers for BD Cultural! You will not regret it. Plate Boots & Bracers sell well, both for wearing & for Tribute.

Sickle combines are not terribly expensive... it's just that the pre-combines don't stack, so it's a bit hard to do big runs. Especially if you're like me and a pack-rat for Tradeskill supplies.

I don't think you have to have DoN in order to do your "DoN Cultural" quest. Midnight Stones will still be tough to farm in large quantities, but it's still another path to skill-up on. Plus, you probably won't have a lot of competition in the market if you try selling.

Tae Ew Chain, Weapons & Shields to 295 are another possibility... depending on how well your main can solo in CT.

[Velurian]

Its not that difficult... a few newb level quests that take maybe a couple hours tops.

That's overly optimistic. I remember blowing an entire afternoon mass-slaughtering mobs in the newbie area in Shadeweavers for one part of the quest. Between this and the other quests, I'd say allow eight hours, and thank your diety of choice if you get lucky and finish sooner.

(Though if you're not swimming in cash, this is still a more palatable alternative to many people than sickles.)

Even if you live in MPG, you won't get enough magnetic pieces to maintain a good rate of skillups. I'd recommend mixing these in with shadowscream, sickles as drop rates, sanity and budget allow.

[Wyvernwill]

Actually, I sat on Neuro for 7 hours one day and walked out of MPG with almost 30 assorted pieces of magnetic. Neuro has 4 or 5 Lightning Warriors that all spawn in the pulling path. Maybe I had a good drop rate, but almost every other lightning warrior was dropping magnetized.

Hunting the right camps, you'll find what ya need fast.

[Ishwar]

Is it just me who thinks smithing on Int might be a bad idea? I am not sure what level you need to be ti get wunshi, but since it lets you go over cap, getting high str is just so much easier than int.

I would definatly suggest saving cultural tempers for Infused cultural. Great tribute values on that stuff, for your own tribute, or just to sell.

[Zaltak]

As a DE necro hes gonna have faction issues doing shadowscreem hammer and anvil quests.So either DE cultural,or mag armor,or CT,or MCS's:-)

[Qaladar Bragollach]

Is it just me who thinks smithing on Int might be a bad idea? I am not sure what level you need to be ti get wunshi, but since it lets you go over cap, getting high str is just so much easier than int.

I would definatly suggest saving cultural tempers for Infused cultural. Great tribute values on that stuff, for your own tribute, or just to sell.

As an int caster, my int is roughly double my strength. Wunshi doesn't make up for that.

As the original poster is a level 35 necromancer I'm sure a similar situation applies (and he can't even GET wunshi because he's too low level).

[Phantron]

I thought Vah Shir are neutral to everyone?

[Sharrien]

I believe all races travel freely in Shar Vhal, unless you've been out killing kitties. Has to be that way so those smelly ogre and troll beastlords as well as barbs and iskars can get to the epic npcs.

[BlackIslandRose]

My smithing alt is level 35. He's a Teir'dal necromancer with an unmodified skill of 220. His INT is maxed for his level. I do NOT have the DoN or DoDH expansions. Now I'm looking at what to do to get to 300. I cannot do the Aid Grimel quest due to his level (and lack of a guild to do Bertox).

Shadowscream is certainly a viable option for you, although it does take a lot of farming. The quest information is listed here: http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/q...tml?quest=1542
You do NOT need Shar Vahl citizenship to do this. (I am Erudite enchanter, and I did not go through the citizenship quest before this quest.) You DO need at least Amiable faction with the questgiver to start the quest, though. Shrieking substance and Wailing substance, although both NoDrop, can be farmed in Hollowshade Moors on the southern islands there, even at level 35. Swirling shadows come from the shadow mobs on the island just east of castle zonein in Twilight Zone, and they are tradable. Shadowscream cloak is good through trivial 267.

Acrylia plate is good until trivial 242. You can farm the blocks of acrylia in Acrylia Caverns, Grimling Forest grimling caves, or even the southern tribals in Dawnshroud Peaks. Essence of wind and windstone come from Tenebrous Mountains and Acrylia Caverns. All 3 of these primary items are not NoDrop, so you can buy them in the Bazaar.

- Old-style cultural to 242. I have a cleric to imbue the sapphires, and an enchanter to enchant the adamantite.

This obviously is a wonderful additional way to trivial 242 for you.

- Black acrylia weapons / Mistletoe Sickles to 300. The biggest problem with the weapons is that they are LORE, so it's difficult to do more than 2 or 3 combines before you start running into duplicates. As for sickles, I have a cleric to imbue the emeralds and a potter to make the dust so their biggest issue is the cost.

Any option above 260 in any tradeskill is a viable one.

Are there other viable alternatives that I'm overlooking?

See information above. :-)