Warrior Gearing Path

[evanderheide]

I posted this in response to a guy discouraging a first time player on P99 from rolling a warrior, but thought it should be a separate thread since I would like to get people's feedback / potentially add steps to it seeing as my character is still only level 55 and only part of the way up the chain.

I wanted to compile a step-by-step guide to acquiring decent gear and what I think the priorities should be for a newbie warrior, assuming you receive no help and your character is your first on the server. I suspect it could be altered a bit for a Knight class too, but I think the order for warrior is particularly important given the importance of gear for them.

ABOVE ALL ELSE - If you want to play warrior, play a goddamn warrior, the difficulty gets vastly overblown...

List of things you want to do...

1. Loot lots of trash loot - You're going to have pretty high STR if you're rolling a Barb, Ogre, or Troll, which means you can carry a lot of crap to vendor. Most people on P99 don't do much trash vendoring in groups - just grab the stuff and sell it. They generally don't mind. Even if you're evil, there are often vendors near some of the best exp-ing dungeons where you can vendor like Conium Darkblade (a dwarf poison vendor on an island off Estate of Unrest OR a neutral druid vendor near at the Steamfront druid port-in near Mistmoore). Other then vendoring trash, I'd encourage you to level in Highhold keep doing goblins - sell the ears you get to other players (do not use them IMO) - I made 5k selling ears between level 24-32 in HHK.

2. Acquire a Silken Whip of Ensnaring, a Jarsath Trident, a Fist of Zek, or a Staff of Battle. Any / all of these weapons will provide decent DPS until you have the cash / levels to acquire better aggro generation weapons like Frostbringer, Wrapped Entropy Serpent Spine, or a Sarnak Warhammer. Not having those weapons early on doesn't matter much - the "good" aggro weapons that I listed later on don't even proc until 40's for the most part, giving you plenty of time to save for them.

3. Save for a Haste Item. You should be targeting either Silver Chitin Hand Wraps (pairing it with a Mithril Plated Girth if you're anything but Iksar) or Flowing Black Silk Sash (later pairing it with some Crystal Chitin Gauntlets). Starting from nothing, i was able to save 1700 plat for Silver Chitin Hand Wraps by early 20's just vendoring trash - I got lucky on winning the roll on a Shiny Brass Idol but at max that adds maybe 2 levels of exp delay if you're just vendoring trash.

4. Get some HP rings and Crafted Armor - Most decent warrior gear you can get for affordable prices if your prioritize good "value" items that are WAR only or just not as useful for other classes. Some good examples are "Glimmering Mithril Torque", "Mithril Plated Girth", "Crested Spaulders", "Bracer of Scavenging", "Hero Bracers" (if you're a Barb), and "Skull Shaped Barbute". These will all last you into the mid-to-late 50's when you'll start swapping them out for Thurgadin Quest Armor. Some later tier, more expensive value items are "Barbed Dragonscale Boots" and "Cloak of Maelstrom".

5. Start saving for a 2nd Tier Haste item - This is where I am in the process. I'm 55 and currently have 18k saved (of 40) saved for a Spiked Seahorse Hide Belt. This takes a long time but you should be saving for this item from like mid 40's (once you've gotten your base armor in step 4) for a while, but the cash will come. In your early 50's onward if you're in a Kunark dungeon like Karnors, you should start seeing "clicky armor" like Cobalt, Blood Ember, and Tolan's drop - vendor this stuff for like 300-500pp unless you can EASILY sell it to another player for more.

6. This is at least part of the plan - join a decent guild and start grinding Kael in groups for Thurgadin Armor. If you're in a decent guild, you'll also start doing content where really nice near end game gear should drop.

PLAY THE CLASS YOU WANT. WARRIOR ROCKS!

[evanderheide]

Any suggestions?

[Premaximum]

I definitely recommend that new players level in High Hold Keep Basement like you said. Between Ore drops and Ears, you come out of there with quite a lot of extra plat to jumpstart your character. And the exp is good, to boot. Even if you have to wait in line, it's probably worth it, especially if you can get on a list while you're killing guards or something.

[Jimjam]

Good guide. I find the best way to get started is to do decaying skeletons (North ro inn is prime). Get a full set of cloth, some backpacks and a rusty two hander from the process. Stash the bone chips but cash everything else.

Once done buy an ornate jade broadsword or better for 30pp and just accumulate trash drop armour from where you hunt.

From this point at least your guide is perfect. Buy hp rings, upgrade weapons, Quest crafted armor in 20s/ 30s, save for haste. Looted cobalt or crystal chitin armor until you can get armour quested from sky shrine or kael.

If you can't afford entry level haste by 46 there is a frequently rotted one you can scrounge for free in sky. Belt of concordance.

I think it is a misconception that you must spend huge amounts on warriors. It doesn't take much to hit 40s and from there you can self gear effectively.

Edit: a couple of other good rot quest items: scimitar of ykesha (kithicor forest), trochilic's skean (deffo mispelt this, steam font), spectral bow and seb key(trakanon's teeth) jarsath armor (karnor castle). Use / all zone to check if people might be letting these items rot.

[skarlorn]

I think the warrior gearing path can be simplified.

Get HP rings.

Get a staff of battle.

Jade Mace and another good, cheap DPS for offhand.

Focus AC first. Banded will take you farther than you'd imagine. Keep investing in your armor as you level.

Then you can start saving for a haste item, however I found it was more valuable to buy cultural armor to make myself a stronger tank over a stronger DPS.

Join a raid guild and get the rest of your stuff.

[Sonderbeast]

As a warrior you have a time honored path. Be sure to visit your guild leader and turn in your note. He will then give you the namesake Mancatcher which, although horrid, identifies you as one of the troop. Next, head to the Field of Bone where you will fight many scaled wolf welps. Collect their skins and turn them in to the Klok at the haggle baron for free curscale armor. Also slay any Iksar skeletons you see wielding Iksar targ shields. Use one, the rest sell for a full platinum. You may also find these decaying skeletons with rusted weapons of the brood. Pick up any of these immersive and unique pieces and wield them with your greatest skill and switch your Mancatcher to your back slot. Purchase a couple backpacks with the shield money you have made.

Once you are sufficiently geared, head to the spidering tunnel. Here you will find a special yellow spider which will drop your first proc weapon! The Burynaibane Spider Fang! It may take a few clears to find this specific spider but you won't regret it!

Once you have attained the unique weapon you are ready for the newbie ramp! Proceed with winning EQ as the best warrior choice in the game.

[evanderheide]

As a warrior you have a time honored path. Be sure to visit your guild leader and turn in your note. He will then give you the namesake Mancatcher which, although horrid, identifies you as one of the troop. Next, head to the Field of Bone where you will fight many scaled wolf welps. Collect their skins and turn them in to the Klok at the haggle baron for free curscale armor. Also slay any Iksar skeletons you see wielding Iksar targ shields. Use one, the rest sell for a full platinum. You may also find these decaying skeletons with rusted weapons of the brood. Pick up any of these immersive and unique pieces and wield them with your greatest skill and switch your Mancatcher to your back slot. Purchase a couple backpacks with the shield money you have made.

Once you are sufficiently geared, head to the spidering tunnel. Here you will find a special yellow spider which will drop your first proc weapon! The Burynaibane Spider Fang! It may take a few clears to find this specific spider but you won't regret it!

Once you have attained the unique weapon you are ready for the newbie ramp! Proceed with winning EQ as the best warrior choice in the game.

Someone watched Reptox's second episode, The Bonebinder Warren's, huh :)?

Above poster on haste - interesting opinion on AC / armor > haste. While I in principle agree that tanking is your foremost responsibility, I feel like haste helps you keep aggro substantially and is one of those annoying purchases that's worth just getting out of the way early. Certainly an iinteresting idea though - might make more sense to have a few pieces of Thurg armor by 40 than a haste item since you could presumably go to Sky at 46 and snag a belt.

JimJam, love your addition - damn truth, I should have brushed up the very beginning when you're farming rusty weapons and bone chips from skeletons.

[evanderheide]

Get golden HP rings first.

Naethyn - specifically wanted to add something to this threat that is based off your idea that warrior become stronger and stronger 1-30, weaker and weaker 30-50, and then stronger and stronger again until cap.

Beyond the pure lack of skill increases in 40's (which really sucks for sure), i think the fact that many players are grouping in City of Mist specifically makes that period worse.

The trash loot in CoM is terrible compared to the income a warrior would be generating on average from his previous groups in Mistmoore or HHK comparatively. Whereas in Mistmoore, you've got FS weapons, bronze armor, and gargoyle eyes and in HHK you've got ore and ears (to say nothing of the legitimately good warrior items that drop in MM - Hooded Black Cloak and Crested Spaulders), in going to CoM you're getting low coin, bone chips, and the occasional weapon or jewel drop that gets randomed.

Given how gear influenced warriors are, the fact that your income drops off until you get to 50+ at Karnor's is an additional burden on the class. I remember distinctly that in the 10 levels I got in CoM, I think I upgraded 1 or 2 items, compared to the rapid gearing I did in MM and HHK.

Anywho, it's a thought I figured I'd share given your theory!

[Sonderbeast]

I agree with the armor > haste. When it comes down to damage hate generation, your attacks are always going to be beat by any dps. Procs raise your hate generation far more than the 10 to 20% additional hate you get from your aa's. So focus on damage mitigation and hate generation up until level 40 rather than the hp stacking, then flip. 46 you get a free haste belt anyways like you said so If you're on a budget I'd recommend just waiting it out.

[Kyrozch]

thank you for this motivating post.

how would you go about this self-found? (not buying strong items from players for cheap).

so far at level 17 i've raised enough platinum to get blacksmithing high enough for a set of banded and i have two combine weapons.

[Jaxon]

There's cheap gear available that's great for use at low level but it all comes from very high level Kunark or Velious dungeons. For self-found gear as you progress stick to the old world. Look into getting Obsidian Shards from Sol A around level 25 and Yaks from Lower Guk at around level 45-50. At 46+ if you have a rogue buddy that's working on his epic quest you can help him kill Renux and get a Trochilic's Skean

For haste go to Frenzy around level 40 for a FBSS.

[Sonderbeast]

OI stand by goblin skull crushers, shitty ratio sure, but 4 second stun that procs at 15 is op as fuck.

[Jimjam]

thank you for this motivating post.

how would you go about this self-found? (not buying strong items from players for cheap).

so far at level 17 i've raised enough platinum to get blacksmithing high enough for a set of banded and i have two combine weapons.level seventeen you want to get an iksar berserker club primary (kurns tower)and polished granite tomahawk secondary (high pass). Self found.

[Trungep99]

Probably best for a new player to pick troll or iksar for the regen

[Mateo]

If you aren't an Ogre warrior, you made a mistake. I know - "play what you like", but there's the recommended path - no question about it.

[evanderheide]

I dunno, I personally am Troll and would probably advocate a Troll or Iksar because of regen and faahionquest.

With Troll, I recognize I'm not Uber ideal, but I feel I'm the best for group content without twinking - a troll has better base line melee stats then everything except ogre AND has regen, which I feel.makes.things a little easier for when your healer situation is less.than ideal.

How much are you using DPS and procs to gain aggro in raids anyways? Raid tanking is having best HP and AC and slamming Midnight Mallet.

[evanderheide]

Do you think 5 mallet hits and auto attack is all a raid warrior dos? Best get them to all use jaleans and claw then, if aggro is so irrelevant.


I'm just being honest here and saying I don't know - guessing it's continue to use high aggro proc weapons - like epic, Willsapper, Infestation, etc., More mindful use of disciplines, and watching ENRAGE and ramprage, probably positioning too.

With all that said, I've had a good experience with Troll and think that in group content, the troll warrior is quite effective

[Mateo]

probably positioning too.

Pretty hard to position when you are "happy dancing" from being stunned.

[Troxx]

Armor doesn’t mean much if you’re not getting hit. No haste is going to make holding threat very challenging.

As others have recommended I’d prioritize cheap banded, 5ac/55hp rings, a cheap weapon or 2 with reasonable ratio and then haste. Once you get in the haste game with at least 21% haste ... then worry about armor.

[Raev]

probably petitioning too

FTFY

Ogre is an overrated choice for warrior IMO. Warriors can cap stamina without too much trouble at the Dragon/Giant level and the stun immunity is overrated (mobs only bash/kick every ~8s, not all attacks hit, not all hits stun, even when they do your melee is probably cooling down for at least some of the stun so you don't lose the full 2s, mallets/blinding orb are huge threat). And they look god-awful. Warrior race choice in Velious pretty much boils down to whatever model you like the most.

Also I would just go DPS weapons on a warrior until Infestation/Frostbringer/WESS/Sarnak Warhammer start to proc at 40-50. Reality is you probably aren't going to be tanking much 1-40 just because everything will die so fast.

[Samoht]

If you aren't an Ogre warrior, you made a mistake. I know - "play what you like", but there's the recommended path - no question about it.

Halfling and Iksar are the only Warrior races with benefits over the rest. Halfling for innate sneak or Iksar for extra AC+regen. Any other benefit can be made up for with gear or clickies.

[Goodest]

Oger>iksar>halfing>rest?

I like it.

halflings also don't need to shrink to fit in the corners for raid tanking.

[Legidias]

Humans also need the most use out of items..

[evanderheide]

I think we're getting a little abreast of the original post - definitely racial concerns are important if you're going to roll a warrior as your first character specifically because as I mentioned, you're going to want to trash loot and vendor as much as possible to gear up early on. Thus, I'd probably encourage races with naturally high STR and STA simply because you'll want to be able to carry things to vendor AND you're not going to have twink gear with lots of stats.

That being said, if you've always wanted to roll a gnome warrior, I'd encourage you to do it. This thread is more intended as a "Gearing Guide" specifically for people rolling a naked warrior out of the gates when resources are limited.

[Samoht]

halfing>iksar>>rest?

Fixed that for you.

[Raev]

Full quest plate Iksars look great in Velious. The problem is both the statue and vindi bps look terrible. That 2HS animation though . . . I have no idea what idiot allowed that through quality control. Almost qualifies as a bug imo.

Also I basically agree with the OP: on a server this mature, it's easy to buy some decent gear for cheap and then transition into the Coldain armor/Frostbringer/Infestation stereotype. In Kunark it was MUCH harder, and most warriors even in 2nd tier raid guilds were wearing indicolite and using a sarnak warhammer or some equivalent nonsense. Or, like Sakuragi, a bunch of trooper scale . . .

[Legidias]

Iksar wars do get one massive bonus: Basically uncontested armor drops from PoH

[Troxx]

I like my dwarf warrior. Solid starting stats (not best). High levels innate dex. Preshrunk for dungeons. Chortle-worthy run animation. Epic beards. Powerful cultural armor for the pre-raid leveling. Barrel roll jumps.

If I hadn’t made a dwarf I would have gone troll.