KOS cultural smithing in Freeport?

[Monodon]

I've been working on shadow scream for a while now and managed to get from 201 to 205 last night.

Despite the amount of farming required Ithink it's easier than collecting the stuff for freeport cultural unless you have deep pockets. I have managed to gather enough mugs for about 20 combiunes though, and was planning to do some FP cultural this week. Sasically, I'm a KOS pally (ya I killed Sir Luc for my epic drop) and am looking for advice on the best way to procede as VI has chosen East FP for the location of the forge. I can just picture a gaurd walking up and smacking the piss outta me while I try to do a combine. :shock:

I have visions of trying to run encumbered with ore and molds through enemy territory. Are there any KOS smiths out there with some advice?

On an unrelated topic I was a little dissapointed in the skill mod on the smithing trophy. As far as for smithing goes i may as well just stick with a geerlock and my regular smithing gear since I'm maxed str anyways. Admittedly the stats are nice for the range slot and it is a bonus that you don't have to switch back and forth to opal encrusted steins all the time, but as a trophy for somone who has mastered their art I would have expected 10 pct skill mod. Guess it's more of a status symbol (at least to me).

[Balkin]

Actually, I'm fairly sure the Freeport Cultural forge is inside the warriors guild. Warriors being against the militia, you should be safe. Just have ALL the things you need for your combines on you when you go, and bring a couple invis potions for when it's time to leave.

[Monodon]

thanks

Thanks Balkin.
I'll give it a try.
I guess the worst thing that will happen is I'll get in a fight with the FP militia and maybe die if there are more than two of em. LOL

[KyrosKrane]

I've produced enough sea temper for 100 cultural combines so far, and sometime in the next few days, I'm going to make a skillup run.

Since I'm KOS, it's impractical for me to run around Freeport. What I'll probably do is create a mule alt on another account and load up as much as possible on him / her. I'll probably prepare the various stacking components in the Bazaar and transfer them to the alt at the WFP / NFP zone line, then use the alt to "scout" how many guards are between me and the forge. Once I make my way to the forge, the alt hands me stacks or bags of supplies as needed.

Since there's also a normal forge in the warrior's guild, it's easy enough to prepare non-stacking materials for the cultural combines.

I'll report back at some point on how it went.

[Stugein]

I wouldn't worry too terribly much. The higher level guards are all stationary and sitting at the gates to the newbie yard or to the docks. Most of the wandering guards range from blue to green to me at 42 so if you are high enough to have taken out Lucan you shouldn't have a problem with them. Just snag a couple invis potions, one for the trip in and one for the trip out and I don't see you having any issues. If one does, for some odd reason, come all the way down to the forge to mess with you, you shouldn't have any problem dispatching him with little effort.

[KyrosKrane]

OK, I did a skillup run of 50 combines yesterday. It's a bit aggravating, since so many bits don't stack, but manageable if you have an alt or a friend who's willing to play mule for you.

I created a newbie warrior and dumped her points into strength, then sent her up to PoK. I gave her cash there, bought toolboxes to hold stuff, loaded her up with bracer molds and water, then sent her off to the warrior's guild in Freeport.

I then prepared all the pre-combines. I used the Bazaar for the HQ merchant there and to avoid the weight issues from the blocks. The rings for the chain jointing I made in PoK. Trust me, it's no fun to try and move in PoK while weighing 612/142! I also picked up enough tempers and padding for the combines off my tradeskills mule.

When I reached the Freeport forge, I got into a rhythm. Prepare 10 jointings in the normal forge. Pick up 10 molds (just trade an empty backpack, or later on, one full of bracers, for a fresh backpack of molds). Head to cultural forge and make bracers. Rinse and repeat until I ran out.

I then gave my warrior alt an Opal Encrusted Stein and sent her off to the guild merchant to unload the bracers -- though she kept two for herself. With CHA of 100, she was getting best prices (or close enough to not matter) at her guild merchant. I did have to give her a SoW potion to allow her to move from the forge to the merchant, though.

An invis potion worked great for getting me in and out of Freeport. Just avoid the militia house, as at least one guard outside the door there can see invis. None of the others that wander between the gates and the arena can see invis, and all the ones I conned were light blue or green at 52.

As to the results ... I estimate my cost per combine (before sellback) at around 115pp each. I had 43 success on 50 attempts; successes sold back for just under 40pp. Net average cost per combine of about 81pp. I had three skillups; average cost per skillup of 1343pp -- ouch! WIS was 255, starting skill was 188 plus geerlok. I did the Field Plate Bracers, trivial of 195.

(The high cost is mostly because I buy the Mugs of Sea Foam for 11pp each off vendors, and I factor in an opportunity cost of 30pp on padding -- I could have sold them at that price. Add in 51pp for the HQ folded sheet, and maybe 10pp for the remaining cheapie components like seaweed and jointing.)

[Troodon]

Re: KOS cultural smithing in Freeport?

Sasically, I'm a KOS pally (ya I killed Sir Luc for my epic drop) and am looking for advice on the best way to procede as VI has chosen East FP for the location of the forge.

Um, the Freeport forge is in fact in WEST Freeport (in the warrior guild), not East.