Armor & Weapon Advice

[VSRayv]

<p>Hi all,</p><p>I'm a level 22 SK & just starting out.</p><p> Whilst harvesting yesterday i managed to get 3 Steel Clusters so i got my friend to make me Pristine Forged Steel Devout Cuirass & Pristine Forged Steel Greaves.  </p><p> He also made me a Pristine Forged Imbued Steel Tower Shield.  </p><p>If i get any more Steel Clusters is Vanguard Armour the Next Best in terms of Armor?  </p><p>Also I looking for a decent Mastercrafted 1HS Weapon on the broker but at them moment can't seem to find much? Can anyone recommend one?  I've been told also a Mastercrafted 1HB Weapon maybe a better option for me as Mastercrafed 1HS are pretty lame?</p><p>Can anyone recommend a decent 1HS to buy not necessarily Mastercrafted but also within a reasonable budget as i am new to EQ2.  </p><p> I've been looking for a decent 1HS quest but can't seem to find one & only ones i've had drop off mobs seem to be worse than the 1HS i already have from the ROK timeline.</p><p> Many thanks in advance & sorry for all the info </p>

[Uggli]

Go with quest rewards and cheap broker items until you get into your 30's imo.   Before then the levels just go too fast to really invent much coin in.   And depending on your play style, how fast you level, you may want to wait until your 40's.Other than that just see about jumping into a guild that has some trade skillers in it.  They can equip you cheaply.Good luck

[Mathafern]

Personally I levelled up armoring at the same time as my adventure level.  Harvesting to train crafting I picked up enough rares to do a full set of vanguard plate for each tier.  Made the 2-5's of each tier a breeze. If you're levelling fast don't worry too much about gear; quested loot will do.  If you slow down, that's the time to look at your gearset.

[Kaldrin]

I would have sold the clusters and bought a decent weapon and kite shield from the broker... you level way too fast through the 20s to really see much benefit of even making a MC armour. In my 30s I have a feysteel suit and shield, but next level I'm switching to Deathfist Armour and probably keeping that well into the 40s.

[VSRayv]

<p>Thanks for the advice. I've still got 5 Steel Clusters & 4 Jasper Clusters & 1 Palladium Cluster so maybe i will sell those.  I was told to harvest everything & then sell stuff i don't need.</p><p> Someone told me there is a quest involving a Palladium Cluster should i keep this?</p><p> I've chosen to level slow not because of quests because i wanted to get used to tanking in groups so i can learn better.  The way i look at things it's best to learn now than later in levels <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/ed515dbff23a0ee3241dcc0a601c9ed6.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p><p> Many Thanks</p>

[Grol]

<cite>VSRayven wrote:</cite><blockquote><p> Someone told me there is a quest involving a Palladium Cluster should i keep this?</p></blockquote>The strange black rock HQ (Started behind the oracle tower in antonica, level 30 HQ) requires a Palladium Torque or Bangle, Bangle being the crafted version. So keeping that palladium could save you quite a bit if/when you do  that quest.