Gear Plan/Help: Starting to raid TSS

[Tordail]

I have recently joined a new guild on a new server. Before it disbanded, my old guild had just entered Deathknell and had only beaten the first event. My new guild clears Deathknell in one night and has killed every raid mob in Ashengate with the exception of Lethar 2.0, an event we are still learning. My guild leader estimates we will begin raiding Frostcrypt in the next week or so.

My new guild allows people to "reserve" an item as a Wish List item. When you do so, you are considered for the award before all others. If more than one person has listed the item as a Wish List item, the officers have a set of criteria they use to determine who is awarded the item first.

That being said, I am considering selecting as my first Wish List item. Is this a wise choice? Only one other person has selected this item thus far.

I have also selected some items that I'd like to get hold of. The only item I'm wanting from Deathknell is the off Ayonae Ro. Then, as we move through TSS raids, I have my eye on , , , , and . Are these wise choices?

I should add that my guild leader has said we will be farming Ashengate and Frostcrypt for approximately a year, so I have plenty of time to gear up and help my guildmates do the same.

I'm also considering the Timeworn molds. I know I want the arms, the gloves and the leggings, but beyond that I don't know. I'm considering a bracer, boots and a new helm. I want to save my Improved Dodge 3 aug and move it to my cultural chest. Is it wise to do so or should I pursue a Timeworn chest mold (or hold out for a TBS chest item)?

Also, I am having a bit of a problem choosing a range item upgrade. There is one from Solteris I like a lot () but I'm not sure I like the idea of going so long with such a crappy item (my Rikk eye). I have lugged it around for far too long already.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Note: retitled to make similar threads work together. -Sam

[Brohg]

I regret looting ARo ring, I only remember to click it once in a blue moon, and I'm never sure if it makes a difference. I'm infinitely happier with the two augments I got from her chest.

Lethar wrist is definitely a superstar, along with Iveweave Shawl and the Choker. I didn't loot either that belt or mask, stayed with level 70 foci on those lines. The earring you've picked out will be very hard to get I think, since I don't know of any guild that farms that encounter after beating it once.

For range slot, you can get the Everflame Torch of Ashengate as a "just fine" option, if you're really antsy to upgrade. I wouldn't sweat it, though. Hold out for something that really blows your hair back, imo.

[Tordail]

Thank you for the feedback!

About the Earring ... I was afraid someone would say what you did. Trouble is, I'm having a hell of a time finding a good Magic focus. One Shaman in my guild looted , which is nice, but I would rather have the Shaman shoulder item with the Spec. Alteration mod so I can eventually get rid of my earring and helm. I will perhaps stick with my Demi mask (Vampiric focus) and not try to get Scaleguardian's Guise. What about ? Stun resist is yummy, but Combat Effects don't do it for me.

The Everflame Torch is sexay! I'll have to think about that one so I will hold out for awhile.

[Brohg]

Crescent Courier's Earring I'm a fan of, because +cfx does do it for me. It's from the same encounter as the Everflame Torch, one that some guilds definitely farm, because it's also the source for the big 2hp and a pretty hot melee ring.

I've let Magic focus fall totally to the wayside, I'm on a 100% poison damage model. I've posted parses here before that you can look for; I'm not sure that using curses would really improve them. The dots are higher dps, but the varied duration from Nectars might disrupt the rythm that I get into.

[Catmandew]

[Galelor]

[Tordail]

Many Shaman have told me they don't bother with Magic focus anymore. There is a nice augment with Nhaylea's Reprisal on it ... from FC, I believe. Perhaps I will try for that, but I'm not going to plan my gear upgrades around it. This being the case, do you suppose I should save my Narcissist's Ballroom Mask for the Vampiric-level magic focus, or ditch it and try for Scaleguardian's Guise? Or go for another mask altogether?

Also, I noticed that I have overlooked a shield upgrade. This isn't a pressing thing, since I love my Vish shield, but I suppose it will be something I should look at in the future. looks rather tasty to me, but I don't know. Are there any to-die-for shields I should be considering?

[Samanna]

[Veril]

[Maitz]

[Kianor]

[Maitz]

[Funi]

[Brohg]

[Tordail]

[Kneesmasher]

[Kianor]

[Funi]

[Samanna]

Wow, you're the focus poster child!

[Tugela]

[WaringMcMarrin]

[Ughbash]

[Tordail]

[Funi]

[Tugela]

[Tordail]

[Tugela]

[Brohg]

[Brohg]

[Samanna]

[WaringMcMarrin]

[Veril]

TSS is a LOT more farmable than Solteris. Even with 80 I think TSS will the farmed a lot and solteris nowhere near as much. The solteris events are so heavily script based that more DPS and being higher level doesn't make then quicker.

"Keep eighteen bajillion mobs within 2% of each other" is just borign as 1-900-MixALot

[Amanensia]

Kinda - but it makes the "hard" ones easier. Aprosis for example. Extra DPS from five more levels would gimp that fight totally. Currently our best ever run was to get the first set of adds with the Orc at 7%. With five extra levels we'd never get a set of adds until after the Orc was dead, and we'd never get more than one set of adds in total - that would gimp it. Similarly Guilds which struggle for DPS on Sisters would suddenly be able to cope with it just fine, and all of a sudden both Isle 1 fights become trivial to a LOT more guilds than find them trivial at the moment. Isle 2 events and beyond are obviously much less susceptible to gimping by extra DPS, but any guild who can suddenly consistently beat Isle 1 with the level increase is unlikely to have too many problems getting to Two Gods in reasonably short order.

[Kianor]