What armor in the late 20s?

[Oxboy5]

<DIV>My AQ armor is starting to blue out, so I'm on the hunt for better armor. But the vendors in Qeynos harbor don't have anything for late 20s heavy armor.   I can't find any good armor quests.  The player merchants aren't selling anything usable.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Question:  what are you mid-to-late 20s paladins wearing, and where are you finding it???</DIV><p>Message Edited by Oxboy555 on <span class=date_text>01-08-2005</span> <span class=time_text>06:39 PM</span>

[Graven_Rockbit]

<DIV>Pristine Forged Carboninte Vanguard. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>its the stuff I am wearing.  wont go out of fashion until I hit lvl 30 and then it will be equal to my lvl..</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I am doing the AQs but for the most part I am selling off the armor as I dont like the look of the Plate Mail armor</DIV>

[Oxboy5]

<DIV>Wondering if the AC on what you suggest (Pristine Forged Carbonite Vanguard) is generally lower than the AQ pieces?</DIV>

[MeridianR]

<blockquote><hr>Oxboy555 wrote:<DIV>Wondering if the AC on what you suggest (Pristine Forged Carbonite Vanguard) is generally lower than the AQ pieces?</DIV><hr></blockquote>I believe it is a little lower.I would say wear it though until you hit L30 and then buy the Tier4 crafted armor, which is Feyiron I believe.Not 100% sure, since I am still early 20's but I believe Feyiron is the T4 Crafted Armor.

[prisoner]

<DIV>The pristine forged stuff is a tad lower in the AC / hp / power department,  perhaps 10-20 less in a few resists,  but its nearly equal,  enough that I've pretty much given up on bothering with the armor quests.  Also I've noticed in Thundering Steppes,  some armor that is "steel" drops that is pretty nice,  sometimes even a little better than the AQ stuff.  Anyhow,  I think I'm going to stick with player crafted stuff for most of the game unless I run across something totally spectacular.  If the armor quests is any indication,  I'd rather not put up with that headache.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Plus,  armor quest gear looks like crap ;(</DIV>

[Oxboy5]

<DIV>I just don't understand why the AC for AQ stuff is higher than the Feyiron, yet conning blue compared to the yellow/orange of Feyiron to me at level 27.  The non-AC stats really aren't different enough IMHO between the two types to justify a 2 or 3 color-con differential.  Doesn't make sense.</DIV>

[frawdd]

<DIV> <DIV>The colour con system is not an indication of how good an item is but how long it takes for you to master it. Same as spells/abilities and weapons. You have to look at the balance of item stats now, to what they will be in a couple of levels. Will normally read something like :- AC277(302 at lvl27) and con yellow, this doesn't mean it is better than the AC317 item that cons blue just now. I recently replace a pristine yellow con helm, with  the blue con tinkerman's helm, because the AC/stats were superior.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You can start using player crafted feyiron items in the late 20's. Crude, then shaped and standard. Then at level 30 you can use the pristine items. Think the T4 armour crafting was bugged until last big patch, as I didn't see any on the broker a week ago. I'm ready to ding lvl30 and have most items in the bank ready to replace AQ items but would now suggest using crude/shaped items for jewellery and hand/feet and arm slots at lvl28. There might be a slight drop in AC from the armour but the resists and added stats more than make up for it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Found several quested ( and had two dropped)  blackened and silvril items on the broker with better stats than pristine crafted items, though they are more expensive. So it may be better to use the crude player crafted items from lvl28, till you are able to find and use these items, normally at lvl32.</DIV></DIV>

[DemosEye]

<DIV>The NPC to the left of SH entrance gives a quest to get certain items throughout SH, the reward is a very nice gauntlet of storms which is an upgrade to the AQ ones.  Useable to 31 i think.</DIV>

[Oxboy5]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> frawdder wrote:<BR> <DIV> <DIV>The colour con system is not an indication of how good an item is but how long it takes for you to master it. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Still confused.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Isn't it an indication of how 'good' it is to you relative to your level?  Doesn't the usefulness and value degrade as you progress past 'mastering' it?</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Oxboy5]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> frawdder wrote:<BR> <DIV> <DIV>The colour con system is not an indication of how good an item is but how long it takes for you to master it. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Still confused.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Isn't it an indication of how 'good' it is to you relative to your level?  Doesn't the usefulness and value degrade as you progress past 'mastering' it?</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Oxboy5]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> frawdder wrote:<BR> <DIV> <DIV>The colour con system is not an indication of how good an item is but how long it takes for you to master it. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Still confused.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Isn't it an indication of how 'good' it is to you relative to your level?  Doesn't the usefulness and value degrade as you progress past 'mastering' it?</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Flet]

<DIV>Ox,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The Conning color of an item tells you when you can use it and get full value out of it, nit how good it is.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>For example, I am swinging a Blue club that is a quested item that is on par with the Yellow prisine forged carbonte stuff weapons.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>All the blue con says is that it is not going to continue to improve it's stats as I level. The Yellow con stuff will be good for another coupe levels.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In fact, I have noticed that most of the quested items seem to have a narrower range of useful life, but as such you get more benefit from them earlier. Then you are using them at thier peak for for a few levels even though it seems like you have leveled past them.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So, don't look at the CON, but at the damage output for a weapon, or at the AC and stats for your armor. The con is more of a guideline and a way to minimize twinking.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Lullo - Butcherblock Pally</DIV>

[Oxboy5]

<DIV>Hmmmm.... I always took the Con color to mean that if you've equipped something less than white, that means there is something else with better stats, better AC, better usefulness out there that you SHOULD be using at your level instead.</DIV>

[ThirdWiza]

<blockquote><hr>Oxboy555 wrote:<DIV>Hmmmm.... I always took the Con color to mean that if you've equipped something less than white, that means there is something else with better stats, better AC, better usefulness out there that you SHOULD be using at your level instead.</DIV><hr></blockquote>If you can find something, yes, but don't use something with worse stats because it cons higher. Even though it kills a small part of me every time I say that. (I'm an armorer)