So whats the verdict? (new epic items)

[Muspellsheimr]

As a side note, scroll drop rate seemed higher than other epics, a bunch of people took some notes from several different groups and figured it'd be around 1:50 kills in the new quests, seals seem to drop from every chest and shards apparently from each quest end chests including any optional chests (atleast in the final quest, the optional chest for keeping the flame alive dropped a shard for our group).

I have received 3-4 scrolls in under 100 total kills farming echronoscope. I saw three scrolls drop for the same person (in a full group of 12) in under 50 kills in the raid.

I completed the entire new chain on epic, with two scrolls drop (both in the second quest) for the group.

You need a LOT more data before you can claim scroll drop rates are actually higher.


Oh, and not a single seal for our entire group. I pulled a shard of the envenomed blade in the chest behind the barrier of the optional fight in Servants. Someone else pulled a shard of (I think) bulwark in the non-epic end chest of Spinner. No named items or shards/seals in the epic chest for anyone, any of the three quests.


On topic, some of the new items are actually pretty nice. Nothing that I want, however. Maybe eventually I will use some of them.

[xveganrox]

Most look pretty meh to me. A few reactions on the ones I've seen - -

Cruel Nobility - If we could change the Unholy into Holy this would be a suitably epic scimitar, especially with druids on the way (scimitar proficiency). As is, the slicing/bleeding/disint combo is nice, but there's nothing that breaks DR so it'll need to be slotted to work on devils. At least you can make a couple to wreck Running With Devils.

Flameward - I'm making one of these when I get a chance, because the huge one-item boost to UMD is unique and powerful. Forgot DW and have 6 negative levels now? Forget using Restoration scrolls, with one of these and a skill boost I can pull out a greater restoration. Ditto with death penalties.

Fury of the Flame - At first glance, "neat, a two-hander..." at second, ".. that looks much less effective than my eAG or triple-pos maul in every situation.." On the bright side, it has impact, so it can be used by someone without improved crit: blunt (which is... everyone, right?). Fracturing is a nice free 2d6, but the crit profile sucks, which is why people don't often specialize in mauls. Not much reason to get this.

Luminous Truth - The world needs more decent quarterstaves. I don't see this as fitting that niche, unfortunately. Base threat range of 19-20 is huge for q-staff users, though, so this is definitely a start. Combined with the other effects, this makes for a solid weapon on non-fire resistant mobs. I collect q-staves, so I'll definitely make one.

Some of the armor looks halfway decent for someone who hasn't got other epic/end-game gear, too, which got me sort of thinking - that's who this stuff should appeal to. These are F2P epics, and looked at without comparison to P2P packs, the gear in them is top-notch.

[tinyelvis]

I definitely want one of these on my sorcerer. Sorc ToD rings don't come with +1 exceptional charisma so I'm currently using Shard of Xoriat of all things (as I'm not going to slot epic items until I have a final gear set to avoid wasting tokens).

Slot the club with +2 good luck and it becomes a +11 UMD stick, omfg.

I'll be looking for a silver slinger for my Artificer life. A bow of the silver flame for my following archer life (so a ways off).

I'll be looking for an Epic Darkstorm Helm to replace my minos on my PM (not sure where to put heavy fort or toughness in that case though).

I'll be looking for Epic Golden Guile for my unarmed rogue.

Scroll drop rate was good but got pretty skunked as far as seals/shards/base items went, oh well, about to do another run.

+2 good luck is a buff you always want active, so better to slot it to a permanent spot. The +7 charisma with +1 exceptional charisma is something someone who does not have a charisma based toon could use best. Especially in weapon swappable form. The fact that it comes with +5 umd means that a self healing melee, for example, could then equip this item with heal scrolls to his hotbar. Any time he needs a heal he gets the buff. Furthermore, he does not have to wear (or swap to) a +5 UMD item anymore and it opens a slot and makes for quicker healing. Whether the developers planned it that way or not, this is clearly a melee or non-charisma based scroll healer oriented item.

I suppose if you are a charisma based toon and you have poor gear this might be useful, but do you really want to grind for the epic version of this when you could easily pick up the same or higher bonus elsewhere, especially if you dont mind using a weapon spot for your charisma bonus? Keep in mind the +1 exceptional buff is pretty much the easiest buff to fit to an epic item. It can fit into any weapon or item crystal spot.

Other weapons with +7 charisma and potential for +1 exceptional include dynastic falcata and elyd edge. These items are rarely used by a sorcerer, though some bards use the later. The addition of the +5 UMD is only imperatively useful to someone with UMD below say 39 (not typically a capped sorcerer or bard).

Since the plus 5 bonus is supposedly competence it should not stack with seven fingered gloves. I predict melee and other non charisma based scroll healers will be grinding for this swappable weapon to buff charisma and replace the gloves. In the unlikely event that the +5 UMD comp bonus stacks with gloves, then I predict a mad rush by all melee for this item.

[wax_on_wax_off]

crit profile sucks, which is why people don't often specialize in mauls.

Mauls have the same crit profile as great axes.

[FuzzyDuck81]

From what i've seen, the new stuff looks good - perfectly decent & viable, yet not really competition for some of the existing epic gear, which IMO is about right.. unless i'm being very dumb & missing something obvious, aren't these the first (barring challenges & events) free2play epic quests (& therefore epic loot available to f2p) in the game?

[Esserbe]

They are indeed, and I'm looking forward to hear of fully F2P "I won't ever buy anything to support the game I play and enjoy!" people tackling the second quest on epic.

[NaturalHazard]

Mauls have the same crit profile as great axes.

Yeah thats right, anyway I thought most people go for slashing because theres more to choose from, greataxes and falchions and more slashing epic weapons.

[Zonixx]

I want an epic silver slinger for my arti

[Viisari]

You need a LOT more data before you can claim scroll drop rates are actually higher.

Sure it could've been luck, but when there's a dozen groups reporting the same thing it starts paint a different picture.

And two scrolls is more than some of my groups have gotten when we've ran through all the desert quests

Yes there needs to be more data, but that was merely the initial impression.

[djl]

The end fight of the second quest is brutal. You need an EDA-ready CC caster to have any chance-- I don't see it being pugged on epic much. It's pretty much like an Epic Weapons Shipment.

[DDOisFree]

For all the people raving about the bog standard +7 / +1 Cha item, why not just make an epic helm of frost and a pure Cha GS item?

Elyd edge is still better as it has sup potency 6 on it too.

[Candela90]

Well I liked only the Epic Golden Guile. Fine thing for mine rogue

[Matuse]

The end fight of the second quest is brutal. You need an EDA-ready CC caster to have any chance-- I don't see it being pugged on epic much. It's pretty much like an Epic Weapons Shipment.

It must really scale up a ton then. I ran it on solo-normal and the spawn sizes were pretty tiny. 4-5 monsters in each wave.

[Esserbe]

It must really scale up a ton then. I ran it on solo-normal and the spawn sizes were pretty tiny. 4-5 monsters in each wave.

I ran it on elite, full party, and it was pretty crazy with how many mobs were active. Definitely like elite WS in a group.

[Sarisa]

The end fight of the second quest is brutal. You need an EDA-ready CC caster to have any chance-- I don't see it being pugged on epic much. It's pretty much like an Epic Weapons Shipment.

It must really scale up a ton then. I ran it on solo-normal and the spawn sizes were pretty tiny. 4-5 monsters in each wave.

I ran it on elite, full party, and it was pretty crazy with how many mobs were active. Definitely like elite WS in a group.

Definitely. On Epic, at one point, we had close to 40 mobs alive at once, and reached orange alert when the Jarilith wave spawned, though many were Fascinated so they weren't all active. It's brutal, and the only way my group survived as due to Fascinate.

[wax_on_wax_off]

+2 good luck is a buff you always want active, so better to slot it to a permanent spot. The +7 charisma with +1 exceptional charisma is something someone who does not have a charisma based toon could use best. Especially in weapon swappable form. The fact that it comes with +5 umd means that a self healing melee, for example, could then equip this item with heal scrolls to his hotbar. Any time he needs a heal he gets the buff. Furthermore, he does not have to wear (or swap to) a +5 UMD item anymore and it opens a slot and makes for quicker healing. Whether the developers planned it that way or not, this is clearly a melee or non-charisma based scroll healer oriented item.

I suppose if you are a charisma based toon and you have poor gear this might be useful, but do you really want to grind for the epic version of this when you could easily pick up the same or higher bonus elsewhere, especially if you dont mind using a weapon spot for your charisma bonus? Keep in mind the +1 exceptional buff is pretty much the easiest buff to fit to an epic item. It can fit into any weapon or item crystal spot.

Other weapons with +7 charisma and potential for +1 exceptional include dynastic falcata and elyd edge. These items are rarely used by a sorcerer, though some bards use the later. The addition of the +5 UMD is only imperatively useful to someone with UMD below say 39 (not typically a capped sorcerer or bard).

Since the plus 5 bonus is supposedly competence it should not stack with seven fingered gloves. I predict melee and other non charisma based scroll healers will be grinding for this swappable weapon to buff charisma and replace the gloves. In the unlikely event that the +5 UMD comp bonus stacks with gloves, then I predict a mad rush by all melee for this item.

Last time I checked I have to swap in Cartouche if I want to have no-fail heal scrolls. Did I build wrong?

Stats:
18+5+2+6+1+4+4+2=42 charisma with ship/yugo (just missing +7 item, +3/4 tome, +1 exceptional)
11+15+4+2+3+3+6=44 UMD capable with maximum buffs and spyglass equpped (so LotD taken off). That gives me a flexibility of 1 point to maintain 100% on resurrection scrolls. I like resurrection scrolls. I also like to be able to hit a scroll even if things are going wrong.

Honestly, no one cares what you're capable of in a good group, it's irrelevant. Things go to hell? That's when it matters.

[Chauncey1]

So what is eveyrone's verdict/opinion on the new epic items?

me personally, i dont see anything particularly stellar aka nothing i'll be farming for


lets hear your thoughts

Well, I suppose when they're fully upgraded, they'll be SUPER nice.
Right now, they're still very nice, just not as good as some other named or GS items.
But so far, I've only seen a few of the items, a couple of xbows, a necklace, and that's about it.

[Pank]

One of the x-bows, Doublecross, has in the epic version, 10% fortification debuff and enervation, and INT-based to hit, according to wiki: http://ddowiki.com/page/Update_13_named_items

Epic Doublecross Bow - Repeating Light Crossbow (2d8) - +6, Poison Burst, Crippling, Armor-Piercing - 10%, Nightshade Venom, Enervation, Red Slot

It seems to me this is an impressive trash beater. Would love to have mine epic crafted to test.
On an Arty with IPS...sweet

[Thrudh]

as I'm not going to slot epic items until I have a final gear set to avoid wasting tokens).

Good luck with that with epic levels coming out in June.

I think we're ALL going to be doing the old inventory shuffle. I'm saving all my tokens.

[Cyr]

Ho hum...nothing that I am excited about really.

I will probably run it for the heck of it anyways, but I am certainly not going to be bugging guildies to farm it with me.