Kaens - My TR story (still WIP)

This is mostly me talking to MarvzMitts, but hey if anyone else still plays I love NW so we can talk!

I started as a rogue, like I do in every game, and I tried to build out my character to be able to solo. To help me do that, I chose the healer starting companion and leveled him up to Legendary.



That served me really well, I followed the mainline quests, tried to do some of the campaigns, but other than Dragons I didn't really know what I was doing. SOOO many currencies and systems in this game. Regardless, I got to level 70 in a few weeks, really easy progression and then my quest journal exploded with too many places to go and things to track. I had no idea wtf was going on. At this point my IL was probably around 900. Yeah seriously, 900. So when I went into the Well of Dragons I straight up got my ass handed to me by the first group of drakes in the zone. That's when I said, "Okay, wtf is going on here?" I found the auction house, and quickly bought on the cheap gear in the 130ish range and moved my IL up to 1600ish. That made me way more survivable and I could easily do like Sharandar and Tyranny of Dragons so I ran those for another month, doing all the dailies and get finally starting to get some boons.

This is when I joined a guild, started watching a few youtube vidoes on how to fine and learning about artifacts. Here is one I found incredibly useful..


Fortunately I was able to make some advantage of a double refinement event. And I was able to break the 2k IL mark. Feeders on the artifacts was a huge huge huge key. If you do it during double refinement, you get double when you put it into your feeder, and doubles again when you put it into your final product. Simply awesome. I play the entire game around these events.



As you can see in that picture, I hadn't invested any time into my Artifacts. So I had my class one and a few I picked up at seasonal events and quests. So before the next double refinement event (which just happened over winter break) I researched which I should have, obtained those, got some feeders. A big key here is to understand these things are cyclical in the market. During or just before double refinement, everyone wants them and the prices skyrocket. You have to buy in the down time and patiently stash it in the bank. So when the most recent event started I was ready and I broke 3k IL finally..



So I was stoked, finally started doing some Epic dungeons, but that double refinement event was still going on - so I bought Zen. I took all of my Xmas and birthday money and bought a ton of Zen and converted it. As I said above, do it at the right time and you get about 370AD:1Zen, however do it right now at the worst possible time and you get about 305:1. But since it was gifts, I didn't care, free money. Here is where I am today..



My items and artifacts are fully leveled, except my wheel of elements. I need to get another feeder before that changes again. Nearly all of my enchantments are level 10, except for my Fey and Dragon hoards which are 11. Those are seriously the key to getting so much refinement. I get so many extra drops of refinement stones and enchantments it's fantastic. This should be priority #1 before gear even I would say because it pays off. Anyhow, that's where I am today.

1) cool story bro
2) fuck TR's
3) Nice to see someone really kitted out.

Have you tried Fangbreaker Island yet? It looks brutal. I'm trying to get my IL to 3100. I kind of hit a wall after Underdark, and really cut back my play in this game. I also haven't done anywhere near the amount of grind I should have for feeder artifacts. Which means my main & off-hand are also a bit behind. Which means there's a delay in my swapping my companions out proper. Here's my current set:




Most of my enchants are rank 10-12. Now I have to go through the painful and expensive process of swapping the Darks and Azures for Brutals and Savages. It's rough being a caster.

1) cool story bro
2) fuck TR's
3) Nice to see someone really kitted out.

Have you tried Fangbreaker Island yet? It looks brutal. I'm trying to get my IL to 3100. I kind of hit a wall after Underdark, and really cut back my play in this game. I also haven't done anywhere near the amount of grind I should have for feeder artifacts. Which means my main & off-hand are also a bit behind. Which means there's a delay in my swapping my companions out proper. Here's my current set:


Most of my enchants are rank 10-12. Now I have to go through the painful and expensive process of swapping the Darks and Azures for Brutals and Savages. It's rough being a caster.

Originally Posted by Dacoto

I too have been going more towards the multi-stat enchants. Seems like it gives more flexibilty. Swapping shouldn't be too much of a hit because you can sell your old ones for most of the profit back (I did that last night actually). I'm still heavy on azure and dark though, just too much cost to do all at once.

Re: Fangbreaker, I only just hit 3k this week. I did all of the Storm King stuff I could, up to where I was on a boat, that I thought was going there, killed everyone there, and it was kinda hung. This was pre-3k so I think what was happening was it let me do the quest to get there, then I'd fail a check and not make it.

Honestly, I never liked Underdark or Dread Ring, both are so f'n grinding an un-fun. Unfortunately, those are the ones I'm doing right now. Only being able to get 1 stinking scroll a day and needing so damn many of them is just purposely slowing me down and bad design. I hate it, but I'm getting to where that's the only campaign stuff I have to do. I still run Sharandar for the skill points and dragons because I still need Tia and the last few boons.


This game has so many systems, I've basically learned one, did a ton in that, and then switch. I went and got me a good set of companions (still working on swapping one out) and another time I went and learned about mounts (see image above). Both of those have a huge difference in my survivability, but don't do shit for my IL. People in random groups judge you by your IL and so even though I could hang really well at lower IL, I was getting passed over in groups.

My guild is small (level 7) and good people, which is why I don't want to move on, and so I'm making a point to go out of my way to participate in Alliance parties. I play without a headset so it is harder to build relationships. I can solo anything that the game lets me get to, including any 3 man HE (some being much harder than others), so there hasn't been a need to make many friends. Every time I'm in Dread Ring I see people LFG just to do the little instance dungeons and I wonder, "are they not able to do that alone?"

Btw, your character looks cool.

Btw, your character looks cool.

Originally Posted by Kaens

Thanks. That is the elemental dragon flight gear I am wearing. PITA to get. It involves leveling up your Black Ice crafting, doing guild dragons to buy all 4 dragon flight pieces, then crafting them into the upgraded pieces. I'm in a super active guild, so if you are looking for a new home at some point, just let me know. I think we just upgraded to GH18.

My orb has been that way for a while. At some point last year I transmog'd my orb into something with a frost item, then transmog'd that into the Many Arrows orc skull. Now, with the enchant that I have in it, it gives it this awesome blue flame look on the skull. It's bad ass.

My mounts are sick: Tensor's Floating disc, the Lobster of Gond, Giant Crab. I just got the lobster from the winter event. The disc was my only lucky draw of out a lockbox. VIP 12, and that was the only worthwhile thing I got.

I just made it to cold run today. Did all of that. Still doing the other camps for the rewards/AD. This weekend is nice since it is double camp currency. I am a few things away from earning my last boon from Well of Dragons. Other than that, it's just the grind as usual.

I've started this and I'm he really interested, but I can't seem to find my way out of the first tutorial town...lol.. I'd love to maybe jump into a party sometime with you and maybe you could show me the real stuff I need to worry about and show me the way out.. Otherwise I just get bored or frustrated with the game.. I like to get out there and kill some stuff. I know I'm probably nowhere near your level or ability's so I'm not expecting you to go adventuring with me or carry me thru anything. Just some hints and tips would be appreciated and if that never happens meh, no big deal either. Just letting you know I'm out there.

1) cool story bro
2) fuck TR's
3) Nice to see someone really kitted out.

Have you tried Fangbreaker Island yet? It looks brutal. I'm trying to get my IL to 3100. I kind of hit a wall after Underdark, and really cut back my play in this game. I also haven't done anywhere near the amount of grind I should have for feeder artifacts. Which means my main & off-hand are also a bit behind. Which means there's a delay in my swapping my companions out proper. Here's my current set:

Most of my enchants are rank 10-12. Now I have to go through the painful and expensive process of swapping the Darks and Azures for Brutals and Savages. It's rough being a caster.

Originally Posted by Dacoto

So this is where you are when you're not trying to beat my pinball scores...I can't believe you have 52 days on this game...

I've started this and I'm he really interested, but I can't seem to find my way out of the first tutorial town...lol.. I'd love to maybe jump into a party sometime with you and maybe you could show me the real stuff I need to worry about and show me the way out.. Otherwise I just get bored or frustrated with the game.. I like to get out there and kill some stuff. I know I'm probably nowhere near your level or ability's so I'm not expecting you to go adventuring with me or carry me thru anything. Just some hints and tips would be appreciated and if that never happens meh, no big deal either. Just letting you know I'm out there.

Originally Posted by B8TINGU

Run.... You will never touch those other 1300 games you bought...

So this is where you are when you're not trying to beat my pinball scores...I can't believe you have 52 days on this game...

Originally Posted by Fshguy

Just think, 52 days is low in this game...

Run.... You will never touch those other 1300 games you bought...

Originally Posted by Fshguy

Ah, we'll there is that..and that's why I have such backlog in the first place.. other good games dividing my time..

When I started my Rogue (Whisperknife) I did no research, picked what looked interesting and made sense to me at the time. That worked out well for playing through the single player campaigns. I didn't have any issues. I leveled my gear as the dungeons became available. This was my build through the end of last summer in full Drowcraft:



Surviving became an issue when I started doing epic dungeons. Instant one shot kills. The Soulforge Enchangment was a huge help and one of the first big ticket items I picked up. Currently working towards a 2900 IL. I was not doing as much damage as I should be with my original build so I respect and regemed around September. I'm currently using this build from MMOMinds. Got my Arm Pen to 60% and have increased my damage output. Smoke Bomb is really cool.

I still have a a good deal to do to get this character built up. Boons, maxing gems and artifacts. Things is that I have cut back on my play time in the the game the last couple of months.

So, is everyone going to be ready for double refinement this weekend? I have my relic main crafted. I need 15 Lanolin and 8 Dragon Turtle Moults to be able to restore my off-hand. I have 3 artifacts at lv 100, and 1 at lv 80-something. I do have 3 feeder artifacts, though. So, at the least I should be able to get 3/4 artifacts to a mythic-ready state. Oh, and my artifact belt will become legendary as well. I'm about 400k RP away from topping that off.

I have one feeder and a few bags of stuff to refine into it.I'm counting on this putting me over 3500 IL. I haven't been playing much this year so I don't have as much to feed into it as I intended.

I have been working on my black ice refinement stuff when I login. My alchemy is up to level 18 now, which will be my fourth one to level 20. I haven't really looked into exactly what I need yet, just leveling those up and then I intend to knock them out.

The new Relic weapons introduced with SoMI suuuuuucks. You get the set just from doing the campaign, but have to then farm for the mats to restore them.

Each requires an item made from lv25 artificing and from lv25 weaponsmithing. Those items each require a drop from treasure maps, 20 Lanoin (from heroics) and 10 resources that you can buy from a guild vendor if you have started the proper masterwork crafting quest. the 10x stuff is cheap. Lanolin is around 20k each, and I forget what the other lone item is averaging.

Now, in addition to the craftable piece, you need a rare purple drop from heroics, either 5 for main or 3 for off-hand of a mat you get from rank IV fish, 20 of these bonding stones you get from doing dailies, 2 mats from treasure maps, 20 dragon turtle moults (rare drop from heroics), and either 30k voninblood for main or 20k VB for off-hand.

Most of the stuff is fairly cheap per unit on the AH. The Moults are around 40-45k, Lanolin hovers around 20-25k. The craftable is absurdly priced currently. It's easier to try to farm/buy the mats and have someone make it for you. I can do the Artificing, I can't to the Weaponsmithing. So, that is why I focused on getting my main hand finished. Now I need like 12 more lanolin and to find a weaponsmith to craft my ingredient. I don't even want to think how much I need to spend to get the Moults.

Now, to their credit: the new relic weapons are BiS for just about everybody. Even better than Twisted. Plus they come with Everfrost resistance on them. So you can stop swapping as much gear if you want to get into FBI, or the new instance SVA.

When I read "TR" I immediately related it to Total Rewards and thought woah...another Vegas junkie..sweet! Then I opened the thread...color me disappointed

Now, to their credit: the new relic weapons are BiS for just about everybody. Even better than Twisted. Plus they come with Everfrost resistance on them. So you can stop swapping as much gear if you want to get into FBI, or the new instance SVA.

Originally Posted by Dacoto

BiS is what I heard too, but honestly I hate anything I have to maintain the stats for. Can't stand it. So honestly I'll probably keep rolling with my twisted set.

BiS is what I heard too, but honestly I hate anything I have to maintain the stats for. Can't stand it. So honestly I'll probably keep rolling with my twisted set.

Originally Posted by Kaens

As far as I know, the weapons are different from the relic armor in that you don't have to maintain their status. It's why I never bothered with the Black Ice set, nor the Relic set from SKT. But, with these weapons not having an upkeep, I tried to get them. Since Mastercraft stuff will take forever, and I am still another 16 EDemos away from having the twisted set.