Is Lvl 22 Steel Vanguard Worth It?

[Munyo]

<DIV>lvl 21 (at 87%) wearing pristine imbued/forged carbonite vanguard. at 22 i get to wear steel vanguard where every piece offers higher (~33%) MIT and stats, but costs 2plat each. i have about 17plat saved up from selling on the broker (mostly collection items), but i dont want to go broke on a new set of armor. im also a lvl 11 outfitter, but it will take me about 15 levels (and the time to level up) AND a plat each for steel to be able to make the gear myself. Is the cost vs. benefits of a set of steel vanguard worth it? what are my alternatives? keep the carbonite for a few more levels? AQ or other quests? i've only recently started grouping (in Firemyst) and that hasnt paid off gear wise. should i keep grouping but do it somewhere else like Stormhold? or take the plunge and find another way to make the money back? thanx in advance</DIV>

[Kage8]

Dude forget the steel its a ripoff.#1. You wont be in your 20's for long#2. You will need that plat for lvl 32 cause feysteel is worth it#3. Do your armor quests. There almost as good as steel and you will get exp and nice AA for doing them.One more thing....I have made many plate wearing alts, i have near 100pp,  i have a 50 armorer and i have NEVER bought steel gear....Only way i could see you mabywanting tobuy that steel armor is if you solo or maby duo/duelbox. And maby if you plan to lvl very slowly. Other than that id dothe AQ's...<div></div>

[Munyo]

<DIV>oops i probly shouldve mentioned that i do solo alot and turn off my combat exp most of the time. only reason i ever turn it on is when i'm having trouble in a particular zone or w/ a named. i'm close to lvl 22 is because i was main tank in a group yesterday and i forgot to turn off my exp when i dinged 20. i forgot to turn it off again when i was close to 21. i already knew about the steel vanguard so i left it on incase it did turn out to ba good investment. if i was to take the plunge, whats a good way to make my money back?</DIV>

[Lamprey_02]

<DIV>I put 4 pieces of steel vanguard on my zerker, but only because the zerker is an armorer who made it himself and I got the pieces cheap (4 clusters for 1.5pp). I probably didn't need it but in the 20s a lot of healers aren't yet well geared enough in both power and adepts to be able to heal a crappy tank, so I figured, it's fairly inexpensive so why not? I would not, under any circumstances buy the armor for 1-2pp each, it's a ripoff.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you end up picking some up, buy clusters and have an armorer make it for you. You'll save 70% easily. Also, don't get the steel BP/legs as at 28 you can get the blackened BP as well as silvril vanguard legs for 5-10gp each, those have 202 mitigation which is more than steel's 166 and nearly as much as feysteel's 212. Personally I have made a helmet, gloves, arms and boots.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I considered quest armor but the gloves have +3 agi on them. NO str or sta. Therefore, they're crap to me as a tank.</DIV>

[Nolomite]

<DIV>I make a fair living selling Steel Vanguard armor, but I sell them in the 50-60 GP range. Even then, it can take a good bit of time to sell the pieces off (on Permafrost).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Feysteel, on the other hand, costs a fortune - more than double the cost of a steel cluster. Unfortunately you can't very level a fighter very well with armor crafted from the common metals: the mitigation takes a hit as you mention, and your resists take a huge hit at these levels.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've got a low Zerker and a mid-level guard that both are alts, and both level slowly: the guard has a complete set of feysteel and has a set of ebon waiting for him to make another half-level; the Zerker has a couple of steel pieces and will have even less feysteel, unless I get lucky and find some more very cheap. I do have sufficient ebon to make the full set, when he gets to 42.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I would suggest you go easy on the steel and feysteel, but get a couple of pieces of each per tier (weapon and imbued chest piece are my first 2 priorities). While you are levelling, collect cheap ebon clusters from the broker, and switch to a full master-crafted set at 42. That's the cost effective way to build your fighter, at least on my server.</DIV>

[Igixnasii]

<div></div>I play a pally with disabled combat XP in his 20's. STEEL IS WORTH THE COIN... if you disable combat xp. You should completely outfit yourself with adept 3's & master 1's, steel and palladium, it's expensive but you'll have much more fun not dying.I don't think playing a disabled zerker is really a good idea... The berserker doesn't gain the really good abilities until their 50's. Pally's, SK's and Pet characters are better for quest soloin' as they heal, damage and get heavy armors or at least with pets get something else to take the damage, This allows for attacking much harder mobs without requiring a group.Make the money back by selling adept 1's & treasured items on the broker for god lovers and transmuters to destroy. To completely fill out your character with adept 3's, steel and palladium will cost many plats.At the very least get the chest and legs done, those AQ's are a pain to complete and the imbued chest will give you a minor heal which trips often. Try to get crushbone groups as decent legendary plate drops there for lvl 20's that is as good as steel and no-trade. <div></div><p>Message Edited by Igixnasii on <span class=date_text>12-04-2006</span> <span class=time_text>04:48 PM</span>

[Munyo]

<DIV>im on Vox (PVP w/ Staion Exchange) and ive been checking the broker for steel clusters but i havent seen any in Qeynos for under a plat. the cheapest in FP are ~85g. besides the set you get from the AQ i havent seen any comparable Vanguard/plate pieces until lvl 30, so i keep thinking to myself: why not spend the extra gold or plat for the stats that steel armor or palladium jewelery provide and play the game knowing you have the best crafted armor that money can buy. so last night i brought pristine steel vanguard cuirass and leggings for 1.08 and 1.2p because i was afraid i wouldnt see them for that low.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>these are all the items i have my eye on. prices vary depending on whether i can get it from FP or Qeynos:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>each "pristine forged steel vanguard" armor piece has 5str, 5sta, 5 agi, 20 health & 20 power</DIV> <DIV>chest    already brought for 1.08p <BR>legs    already brought for 1.2p</DIV> <DIV>head    1.4 - 2p<BR>feet    1.4 - 2p    </DIV> <DIV>forearm    1.4 - 2p    </DIV> <DIV>hands    1.4 - 2p    </DIV> <DIV>shoulder    1.4p - 2p    </DIV> <DIV>shield    1.4 - 2p    pristine forged / imbued steel vanguard</DIV> <DIV><BR>each jewelery piece has 7str 6sta 7agi 15 health & 15 power</DIV> <DIV>ears    60g    pristine fashioned palladium hoop x 2<BR>ring    65g    Pristine Imbued Palladium Band of Strength  &  Pristine Imbued Palladium Band of Agility<BR>wrist     60g    pristine fashioned palladium bangle x 2</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>these should last me very long (til lvl 30 or 32) since i really take my time leveling up</DIV>

[Lamprey_02]

<P>Don't be silly.</P> <P>Buy 5 steel clusters for 30-45gp each on the broker.</P> <P>/who all armorer 26 32</P> <P>/tell armorer1 "I'd like to commission a set of steel vanguard minus the chest/bp at 5gp a piece"</P> <P>/tell armorer2 "I'd like to commission a set of steel vanguard minus the chest/bp at 5gp a piece"</P> <P>/tell armorer3 "I'd like to commission a set of steel vanguard minus the chest/bp at 5gp a piece"</P> <P>/tell armorer4 "I'd like to commission a set of steel vanguard minus the chest/bp at 5gp a piece"</P> <P>/tell armorer5 "I'd like to commission a set of steel vanguard minus the chest/bp at 5gp a piece"</P> <P> </P> <P>These folks make exp off this and 25gp made while skilling up is great. And you just saved yourself 3 plat by thinking. If you hadn't bought bp/legs for over a pp you'd have saved 4. </P> <P> </P> <P>I know people buy mastercrafted items off the broker, but why would someone go do something stupid like this still eludes me...</P>

[Munyo]

i mentioned above: the server i'm on & the cost of steel clusters: never saw them below 85p in FP (off fence) and they cost 1p in Qeynos. even if i was to catch a good deal, ive heard of people getting ripped off. im not in a guild, how do i kow some1 will deliver? besides following them and watching like a hawk. or am i being paranoid? either way each piece is at least 1p and ive started selling collection pieces to pay for all this

[UnderToad]

If you're going to be in that tier for more than a month, I'd say do it; but for the love of all that is holy don't buy from the broker unless you can afford to throw away plat.  Just harvest the steel.  Along the way you'll pick up the rares for STR, STA dollies, rings, bangles, earrings, neck piece, ranged weapon/icon and loams for your adept IIIs - you can even sell a lot of the raws on the broker for a tidy proft - or to stock up for your own tradeskiller.<div></div>

[Nolomite]

If you are afraid of getting ripped off when you hire an armorer, find one by placing an ad on the server-specific board on this site. You'll have a record of your transaction, and no one here wants to trash their reputation by ripping off a few Steel Clusters.

[Nolomite]

<DIV> <P><EM>I know people buy mastercrafted items off the broker, but why would someone go do something stupid like this still eludes me...</EM></P> <P><EM></EM> </P> <P>Because some of us crafters are comitted to charging 'fair' prices at all times, thereby eliminating the need to hunt down a willing tradeskiller when they happen to be on, then coaxing them away from whatever they are doing, then chiseling them on their labor charge. I routinely but Steel Clusters for 30G and post the Steel Vanguard items for 55G - how hard must someone work to shave down the 25GP profit (a little less, actually)? And how far are they going to shave it?</P> <P>I don't bother crafting rare armors 'on spec' for the higher tiers - ebon and feysteel stuff just take too long to turn over, and the Feysteel Clusters are just to pricey to tie up all that gold in inventory. But an awful lot of Permafrost players have bought my Steel Vanguard pieces at reasonable prices with no risk and no waiting - I wish you would refrain from calling them 'stupid'.</P></DIV>

[sunyata39]

wow 65g for steel, 1p+ completed?that's kinda ridiculous for t3, IMO. well i assume your point of keeping xp disabled is you enjoy questing etc, so i'd do the quests you can and then fill out the rest with crafted. but i guess if you're going to keep up this playstyle there really is no reason to not spend most of your money since you probably will have more than made enough by the next time you need to upgrade.<div></div>