Smithing - Next Step

[Akenta]

My cleric is trying to get her smithing up a little higher and is struggling to find the next path upward. She's only level 33 so she can't really farm too much. Her current skill is 161 without the trophy and 167 with the trophy. It seems that the next options are fine steel armor, but that looks like it will run about 1000 plat a stack, and the cultural armor. She hasn't check the bazaar prices on the ore, but the coal needed is about 20 plat a piece so that will start getting expensive too.

Am I missing any other ways to increase the skill or should I put this on hold until she gets a little older?

Thanks.

[Grayven]

Sadly, Smithing is either a farming intensive craft or an expensive one. If you are looking for a cheap smithing combine I would start working towards the Tizmaks in the Great divide and saving all the Velium and Velium weapons you can get. From there you can make Enchanted velium bits all the way to 222. There are other lower level options for Velium such as crystal caverns.

[Aldier]

Another option if you have a jeweler or tinkerer would be to look at the sunshard recipes.

Dust and Pebbles. These will be slightly more expensive as the vendor parts for them are more expensive than some alternative options but they sell back for a decent enough value to help offset that cost some.

[Canyar]

The new cultural templates have a fairly decent sell back price. So as long as you farm the ore yourself, you should not be out of pocket too much.

[KyrosKrane]

Fine Plate armor is surprisingly cheap. If you farm the bits for the leather padding yourself, the finished armor sells back for just under the cost of the vendor components.

[Sharrien]

Another possibility is LDoN armors. They can take you to 210 or so. The dropped parts might be on the rare side these days, but the final products can often be donated for tribute at several times the cost of the components. You will lose money going this route, but for that investment you can get a large tribute bank for it....besides the skill ups, hehe.

[Zaltak]

After fine plate trivals you can do Shadowscream:-O But warning you will be doing LOTS of farming but on the plus side its really Cheap skill ups:-) Or you can look into make Iron conduits but like Aldier say you have to have JC skill.

[Aldier]

Or you can look into make Iron conduits but like Aldier say you have to have JC skill.

Or a friend who can do them for you.

[Leana]

My personal preference has always been Enchanted Velium Bits to 222. It is very easy to collect the velium weapons from the Tizmaks in GD. If you have troubles with them, you can consider hunting the orcs in Crystal Caverns. There is a small town in the bottom that has a forge, so you can cut down the weapons and make the velium pieces right in zone.

At 222, I'd go cultural armor. It is easy enough to farm the materials, armor gives two chances for skill up per drop (one of those has a bonus chance), and you can sell back to the vendor for most of your expenses.

[Aldier]

At 222, I'd go cultural armor. It is easy enough to farm the materials, armor gives two chances for skill up per drop (one of those has a bonus chance), and you can sell back to the vendor for most of your expenses.

At 222, you will not ahve that good of a success rate on the intricate armor which is in the 270s trivial ranges if I recall for the bracer/gloves. No armor below there gives a skill up bonus. Also, if you succeed at making the armor, the vendors do not buy it back. If you make templates, yes you can sell back to vendors, but no, there is no skill up bonus on templates.

At 222, you could make the Rubicite I think it is which goes to the 230-250 range.

[Akenta]

Thanks for all the advice. Cultural armor is out since she's too low level to farm the ores she needs and not much for sale in the bazaar (and what is there is out of her budget). I think she's going to try the Enchanted Velium bits since she can farm that ore and only costs about 18 plat a try. Can't seem to do anything with the bit since it doesn't stack and only used in one recipe. Hopefully will get skill ups even with the high trivial. If they don't seem to come, might farm plat and try some Fine Plate armor and see what it sells back for.

Thanks again :-)