Velious armor...where to start?

[Bristlebaner]

My enchanter just hit 54 and I'm still rocking some fairly newb gear.

I've yet to set foot in Velious. Anyone have some tips/advice for starting to get Velious quest armor?

It seems like Thurg is the common choice as faction might be easiest and the city is really convenient? It does look like the other armors might have better stats.

Also - whats the game plan to start killing in the areas the patterns drop?

Explain to me like I'm 5 :)

[Tupakk]

Get in a guild that does arena.

Anon
Fires
Hydra Alliance
CSG

if you are a solo player than you will have to buy the pieces and they are rather expensive.

[Shodo]

Thurg is definitely the easiest to start with. Join a faction "group" (often more like a mosh pit) in Wakening Lands at the entrance to Kael. This will raise your faction both with Thurg (for your quests) and with Claws of Veeshan (bonus for safe travel through Skyshrine/CS/etc). Alternatively you can just raise your faction while killing in Kael for the quest pieces, but that often isn't enough by itself since you need to get up to warmly (I think?) for the turn-in.

As for getting quest drops, Kael arena raids are the way to go, as Tupakk suggested. Paradox hosts open arena raids every few weeks or so if you want to get your feet wet - keep an eye out for one later this month :)
Lots of mobs there can drop them, and you can definitely get them via soloing or grouping, but the mobs have a lot of HP and AC which makes the raiding method more desireable.

[Sodors Finest Poster]

PoG = no gems required. a typical planar style raid but trashes faction. As such, many people including clerics and druids are adverse to this.

Following requires 3x Gems:

Thurg = About equivalent to PoG - requires gems. Molds drop in Kael Drakkal. Fairly easy to get.

Skyshrine = Usually requires 58+ with good resists. molds drop in East wing of ToV

Kael = Usually requires 58+ with best AC. molds drop in west wing ToV

[Baler]

I've never joined a guild on any of my level 50+ characters so I've only gotten as far as thurgadin armour pieces. The only way I obtained the armour from arena used in the quest was to ask guilds if I could come along or wait for open arena raids.

For dragon or giant armour you're going to need to become close with a bigger guild or join one.

The gems for thurg armour are pretty easy to get, people even sell them relatively cheap which is how I encourage people to obtain them just to save a lot of farming time.

The dragon/giant armour gems can be gotten in a high level pub group.

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For faction if you can't find a big faction group happening. Find someone who is killing mobs which grant faction you want. Explain to them that you just need to tap the mob to gain faction and that it wont have any affect on them. Low level DD, pet, etc.

[Sodors Finest Poster]

Also, if you want Coldain faction be sure to keep an eye out for the population in Great Divide. If it spikes they may be doing a ringwar which gives many many good faction hits to the dwarves.