Gear for Epic

[Vallar]

Hello,

Recently I just dinged 20 on my Arti and looking at the gear available through the commendations system (PDK, War Wizards, Druids, etc...) most of it are kind of pointless to artificer; none of the gear buffs intelligence for example.

Anyway, I was wondering what you guys did to get good gear on a first life arti that is a main. I know that I would probably need the Archaic Device and Slaver's Hand Bow (though I am unsure how this is a good weapon when 70% of the mobs in MotU are drow and they are immune to sleep effect).

Currently I am using the Blue Dragon Scale Medium armor and changing between Double Crossbow (when the mob isn't drow) and a +3 Vorpal Repeater of Rapid Shot. The build is mostly caster build (got all the metamagics, Mental Toughness Line, etc... and started at end game getting the ranged related feats) with repeater as an extra bit of damage, so potency is a must (that is why I am using the Blue Dragon armor).

I am not a crafter (haven't started yet crafting, though through enhancements and feats, I have level 8 in all of the crafting types).

So what did you guys do or think I should do to gear this character for epics?

Thank you very much.

EDIT: I am a drow arti and didn't take construct

[Lord_Balon]

Anyway, I was wondering what you guys did to get good gear on a first life arti that is a main. I know that I would probably need the Archaic Device and Slaver's Hand Bow (though I am unsure how this is a good weapon when 70% of the mobs in MotU are drow and they are immune to sleep effect).

For the slaver, my experience with it inside of MotU has been overall positive. Even if the "sleep" effect doesn't trigger, it still puts off a lot of damage for me. The only time, I'm not running with it is when I know I'm going against something that requires a metalline xbow to bypass their resists. So in my golf bag of xbows, I'm primarily using the slaver's, a good metalline xbow, and an undead killer (still using silver slinger). As for other gear, I'm still using a lot of the Cannith Crafting items. My two favs are the bracers for the perma - blur effect and the artificer ring (+200 sp plus reconstruct). Everything else I have is middle of the road.

I'm currently at lvl 22 so I'm hoping a lot options will be opening up for me at lvl 23 gear wise. I'll pass along anything I come across that I can offer for advice. Hope this helps.

[Vallar]

Well what I can conclude from what you said that it would be hard to continue being a caster based arti and rely more on the weapon for damage rather than the spells.

Nonetheless, thank you for the information, it was quite useful :)

[Vallar]

Bump, anyone want to share how they are dealing with traps in EE? What kind of gear they are using for it? How can arti reach the fabled 3K crit (and often do so) on a bow? Anyone would like to share their experiences and achievements? :)

[Singular]

Bump, anyone want to share how they are dealing with traps in EE? What kind of gear they are using for it? How can arti reach the fabled 3K crit (and often do so) on a bow? Anyone would like to share their experiences and achievements? :)

In FotW, I can get 2500 crits w/Needle. I'm not yet fully geared out for producing the max damage, but I'm close. I'm using:

- +6 seeker item (epic ring of the stalker)
- +9 deadly item
- 52 int (+21)

I can add in:

- +10 seeker item
- +5 exceptional seeker item

but they detract from my overall dps by weakening my spell power and weakening my survivability (cloak of the wolf instead of the jeweled cloak).

To completely max Needle, you'd need:

- +10 (11 if poss) deadly
- + 2-4 artifact bonus to damage (thru epic black dragonscale armor, PDN set, or planar conflux, though the latter would decrease my int)
- +12 seeker
- + 5 exceptional seeker
- running in archer's focus
- proccing the black dragon bonus
- human/helf racial bonus to damage (can be used at the same time as EF) or some other damage boost

I suspect you can reach 3000 crits with all the above, and am building toward it. It's difficult to do so while preserving my INT though. Right now I'm geared up in the epic blue dragon armor, providing spell power and +8 int, with plannar focus providing +3 insight and 1 exceptional diamond stuck somewhere. So if I can get Deadly 10 of Clever 10 or Clever 10 of Resistance 10, I could do it.

RE: your comment on search/disable. That should be pretty easy. There are +20 items in the game, +5 exceptional items, as well as tomes, +2 luck augments/rings, and Greater Heroism. I've never met a trap I couldn't disarm.

[Livmo]

Bump, anyone want to share how they are dealing with traps in EE? What kind of gear they are using for it? How can arti reach the fabled 3K crit (and often do so) on a bow? Anyone would like to share their experiences and achievements? :)

Just got back to L20 on 2nd life. However as a 28pt build first life I was able to get all the traps, etc. on EE except for one in Schindeline (cant remember quest). I kept my INT maxed and used search to find them, or my face. As for gear last life, I only needed a pair of Disable Device gloves, +15. For the harder traps I used Greater Heroism and/or artie skill boost.