I'll need to become a smithy if I want cultural armour

[Idracab]

Looks like no Troll on Prexus makes cultural armour, so looks like I'm gonna have to give it a go meself if I want the latest and the greatest. The last time I tradeskilled was ... oh ... 4 years ago when I got my enchanter to 250 jewelery. So I'm afraid I'll need some advice, if you wouldn't mind giving it.

1) I've heard about a tradeskill trophy that increases in stats ... how does one get this? Should I get it from level 1, or should I level my skill up a bit first?

2) Is there a post or guide that shows an effective way to gain smithing skills? How high can you go on storebought items before you have to start skilling up on drops?

3) What level will I be able to semi-reliably start making elaborate (or even intricate) gear?

4) I would like to give this an honest go, and see if the life of the tradeskiller holds enjoyment beyond simply skilling up to make myself some gear. Any advice on getting enjoyment from the art?

Anyhoo, thanks very much for your time all.

[Kemie Dreamshadow]

The way I've been doing it on characters I have is to begin with one of the "freebie" quests (either in Abysmal Sea or Crescent Reach) to skill of 54and then immediately do the trophy quest afterwards.

Your best bet on advice for skillup paths lies in reading the smithing section following the path here:

EQTC Forums > Tradeskills - > Tradeskill Guides and UI Mods
Complete Tradeskill Guide 5.0 (rev.10/2007)

The last one I personally have worked on since the new cultural paths came in, I didn't bother with banded or fine plate or other "traditional" ways to go, but simply began with cultural templates, as lower level components are cheap and plentiful in the bazaar. Between those and enchanted velium bits (with Velks currently a hotzone for level 45 at the moment, and a character in that approximate level range, velium was easy to come by as well).

Anyway, as I said the best advice is check out the guide.

[jaquio]

smithing trophy quest

smithing quick list

the new smithing drops are a nice supplement to the standard stuff for smithing upgrades. personally, i am using the new drops in conjunction with magnetic, shadowscream, acrylia, and black acrylia armor. velium is also a necessary evil

[Kemie Dreamshadow]

4) I would like to give this an honest go, and see if the life of the tradeskiller holds enjoyment beyond simply skilling up to make myself some gear. Any advice on getting enjoyment from the art?

Oh, wait a sec! Enjoyment? We're supposed to enjoy tradeskills????

Hehe that one's a little harder. I first started tradeskilling back when Luclin came out. I wanted to make myself the Solstice earrings, and ended up tackling all of the different tradeskills myself (not what I first had in mind, which was a shared enterprise within my small guild). At that time, it took quite a while. But when I had both the skill and the means to do so, it gave me great pleasure to be able to furnish everyone in the guild who wanted one with a set of the "gifts."

It took me years to hit the 250 in all tradeskill mark, right before they raised the cap to 300 Several years later, I've now reached that cap and gone on to raise a tinker to 300 as well, and a researcher to 268 or so.

The enjoyment for me comes now from having someone show a link in game and drool over it, and being able to tell them that if they want it I can make it.

[Idracab]

So I spent about an hour last night and got to 106 skill. That means I should be at 300 in two more hours, right?

*coughcoughcoughcoughcoughcough*

Anyhoo, I finished up the evolving tradeskill quest as well. It was a pretty cool feeling. I think I might spend some time one o' these fine days and get my other tradeskills up to 106 / evolving tradeskill item as well ... just in case! But for now, I'm going to start working on my cultural smithing. I have no pretense that I'll be making the elaborate Ravager gear in the next day, so I need some help ...

What level of gear should I shoot for? The current symbols are far and away better then my current gear, so I'm going to make a suit of lower level gear and just pop it in. Besides the lower AC (which I will miss ), the HP difference between top and lowest level gear (not counting the new 70-74 cultural) is only about 35. But to be able to pop in a symbol and gain ~175 hp plus stats over my current gear (which, have I mentioned, is not that impressive!) will be worth just using Intricate or Ornate level gear.

So which should I shoot for? I'd like to get the highest level cultural gear I can easily make, pop in my Hate symbols, and then start working toward the Elaborate gear at a more stately pace. How long will it take me to get to, say, 200 skill? 250 skill? What is the highest level I can get using storebought ingredients? Is there one combine that you can 'power' on, or will it soon be time to start scouring the bazaar?

Well, thanks again for the advice! I'm off to the Real Life zone now.

[Roanne]

smithing trolls on prexus

http://eqplayers.station.sony.com/se...l=80&x=49&y=24

[thomenthechanter]

Link won't work if you don't pony up for the "Station Access" junk, Roanne. ;D

[solithan]

Expect the stats on the armor portions to change soon, so you might want to re-think your strategy in what to make. Just fyi. I suspect you'll see better stats on armor across the board and perhapse a clear defined reason to shoot for the higher end armor as well as the higher end symbols.

Good luck to you and your sanity shooting for 300. Its a daunting task.
3hrs... I nearly snorted soda out my nose. Whats amusing is i've actually encountered folks that figured that. Boy where they in for a rude awakening when 3hrs later they were bearly to 150. I ofcorse told them that it was because that forge ran out of skill ups to hand out and they needed to move to another one, the more obscure the better for better chance that no one has beaten them to it.

[gildana]

I know at least two other trolls that are also working on this in my Guild on Prexus also.