What exactly are the "freebie" combines?

[Antoin]

I've heard a few quips about the "freebie" skillups at 211 and 212. What exactly are they, and is this even the right skill level?

Best I can remember is that they're part of the Ornate Silk Quest or somesuch.

[Velurian]

Not quite free, just comparatively so.

You are correct, they're part of the ornate silk armor quest. Combine two strands of ether with an Ethereal Curing Agent (brewed) to get an Ethereal Silk Swatch. Trivial 212. (You can also then combine two of these in a tanaan loom with a tanaan embroidering needle to get Cured Ethereal Energy, also trivial 212.)

The caveat is that neither the tailoring combine nor the brewing combine may be attempted with a modified skill of under 220. This equates to 210+geerlok, so only points 211 and 212 may be gotten via this method (unless you have one of the tailoring items with more than +5% modifier -- just the shadow shears, as far as I know...), plus you must have access to a 220 modified skill brewer.

Subject to these caveats, though, these are much cheaper and easier skillups than anything else you're going to get at this level of tailoring.

[Sealody]

Not exactally freebie... but compaired to any other cost in either farming or plat for combines at that level, it may as well be 'free' hehe

http://www.eqtraders.com/items/show_...r=035000000000

At 210, with a geerlok, you can get 2 skillup points from these. Much more if you have greater +% tailoring mods. You can start these at 194(ish) if you have +15% sheers and get skillups all the way to 212.

Frustrated_Tailor01: Hail, Bank Account.
Depleting_Tailors_Bank_Account: Well meet traveller... Would you like to [receive some free tailoring points]?
Frustrated_Tailor01: I would like to receive some free tailoring points.
You gain experencence!
You have become better at Tailoring! (211)
You have become better at Tailoring! (212)

Sea!

[Healblade]

With a 15% mod you can start them at skill 192.

[drtyaty]

Sheers

Couldn't find any infor on the +15% modifier you guys are speaking of. Any further info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

[Kittyda]

Link

15% Modifier

[GraemeFaelban]

If you look under Frequently Asked Questions, you will find a thread regarding skill enahancing items. In there, all garbled up at the moment due to HTML issues looks like, you will find:

Akhevan shadow shears (drop off Shei Vintras in Akheva Ruins): +15% tailoring

[drtyaty]

Thank you much!!

Will look into getting a pair of those.

[Saleani]

I just got my shears last nite. Very challenging raid. Itrier Vius and Bastion of Thunder towers are easy for us. The battle with shei took about 60 min once we cleared to his/her/its room (with 4 arms, you can't tell too much, and I ain't lifting up that dress to look). It was our second attempt at shei. 2 shears dropped for us. Be prepared for a deathtouch every 2 min, a level 60 mob popping from the corpse of every dead player (or pet), and a nasty mana draining trap.