Is the grind worth it for Ascended Gear?

[costepj.5120]

2 hours ago, DoNotAimAtMe.3510 said:

I have take one wizard reward for Amory all good but to get a full set its a long way

Actually, if you complete a few of the weekly and special WV achievements, you can easily get a full set inside a few months. One of my guildies only plays a couple of hours each week, but he was able to claim 3 ascended armour chests from each of the first two seasons.

[ZTeamG.4603]

You shouldn't fixate too hard on getting ascended gear, nor should you break the bank to get it. The only place it is required is higher level fractals (to use agony resistance infusions), and in all other content it just provides slightly higher stats than exotic. Even in T2 and T3 fractals, you only need enough ascended gear to have slots for the agony resistance you need. There are a lot of ways to get ascended gear for low or no cost through gameplay, such as the living world ascended trinkets (which make up a larger portion of the stat increase from exotic to ascended than armor does), strikes, raids, etc.

Let me put it this way: when you go from full exotic to full ascended with everything else being the same, you can expect your damage and stats to increase by 5 to 10%. If you're a newer or less experienced player who has never used a DPS meter and has never set up a proper, meta DPS build, you'll likely get anywhere from 10x to 40x that increase by simply setting up a good DPS build and trying some raid DPS rotations. It's not uncommon for people to go from 5000 DPS (or significantly less) to 20,000 DPS when correctly putting together a raid build and learning rotations. Compared to that, ascended gear's 5 to 10% increase is negligible, especially when full exotic lvl 80 berserker's (the typical stat choice for a power build) is dirt cheap and there are a lot of ways to get cheap/easy stat selectable exotic gear for things like Viper's.

[DoNotAimAtMe.3510]

Exotic viper gear I have so that is the next step do get ascended 🙂

[DoNotAimAtMe.3510]

Another question: should I open these crypto boxes in the fractals? The keys for them can be quite expensive?

Edited February 12 by DoNotAimAtMe.3510

[evilcat.6817]

5 minutes ago, DoNotAimAtMe.3510 said:

Another question: should I open these crypto boxes in the fractals? The keys for them can be quite expensive?

I am preatty sure you can buy like 30 discounted keys every day for 20silver or something. If you have too many caches you can keep them for a while and just keep uying keys when you have no time for playing fractals. The value of box is higher than 20silver.

[DoNotAimAtMe.3510]

Ok thanks, is it worth opening these boxes?

But where can I get this 30 discound key for 20 Silver? FOUND IT but still expensive if i you all them i have for 6 gold.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Fractal_Encryption_Key

EDIT: Seems to be more crafting mats in there.

Edited February 12 by DoNotAimAtMe.3510

[Danikat.8537]

4 hours ago, DoNotAimAtMe.3510 said:

I have take one wizard reward for Amory all good but to get a full set its a long way 😕

For weapon even more.

Can ascended gear armor and weapon also drop from fractals?

I can buy stuff from bling in fractals but there are these marks needed and they seems not as easy to aquise 😕

to much grind.

 

Again: Ascended is designed to be a long-term goal. Any way to get it quickly will be expensive or very difficult, because the entire purpose is to give players something to work towards. It seems like you're trying to get through the game as quickly as possible, and if that's the case you're going to keep running into road blocks like this, because MMOs are not designed to be completed quickly.

2 hours ago, ShadowCatz.8437 said:

You forgot the most important difference between Ascended and Exotic is that Ascended are are account bound which means when OP craft Ascended gear or purchases it, it can be used on any character in that account. Exotic will be locked to that character that have equipped it.

You're right, I did forget that. I hardly ever do it, so I don't tend to think about it. I like to be able to just jump onto any character and start playing, so I'd rather keep some of them in exotics than go through the hassle of passing ascended equipment through the bank. I only do it if a character doesn't need that item any more.

[Padrion.7382]

12 minutes ago, DoNotAimAtMe.3510 said:

Ok thanks, is it worth opening these boxes?

Usually yes, as long as you can buy the discounted keys. There is often quite expensive trash in these boxes that you can sell to a vendor and more than makes up for the cost. There are also often additional keys within these boxes to open more of them.

[DoNotAimAtMe.3510]

1 hour ago, Padrion.7382 said:

Usually yes, as long as you can buy the discounted keys. There is often quite expensive trash in these boxes that you can sell to a vendor and more than makes up for the cost. There are also often additional keys within these boxes to open more of them.

Only mats in there or also gear? Have open few, nothing special in there until now 😕

Edited February 12 by DoNotAimAtMe.3510

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

1 hour ago, DoNotAimAtMe.3510 said:

Only mats in there or also gear? Have open few, nothing special in there until now 😕

From the Wiki:  https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Cracked_Fractal_Encryption

Also, Ascended Weapon easily acquired from Wizard's Vault:  https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Ascended_Weapon_Chest

Many of your questions can be answered by a quick look at the Wiki. 

Edited February 12 by Inculpatus cedo.9234
more info

[DoNotAimAtMe.3510]

I've played a few tier 1 fractals now except for the currency and a few materials, is there more on higher tiers?

I also want to buy various Ascendeds from Bling, for example:
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Illustrious_Masque_(BLING-9009)

It's a bit grindy but the problem is rather the "Grandmaster Tailor's Mark":
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Grandmaster_Tailor's_Mark

[evilcat.6817]

15 minutes ago, DoNotAimAtMe.3510 said:

I've played a few tier 1 fractals now except for the currency and a few materials, is there more on higher tiers?

I also want to buy various Ascendeds from Bling, for example:
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Illustrious_Masque_(BLING-9009)

It's a bit grindy but the problem is rather the "Grandmaster Tailor's Mark":
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Grandmaster_Tailor's_Mark

I am in the camp of chill and wait for new season to buy from wizards but...

if you  level up your crafting tailoring to 500, then you can buy bunch of stuff from TP, and then craft the mark 3 times. However at this point hard to tell if it is not cheaper to just craft ascended gear manually.

Ascended items (mostly trinkets) drop more often in higher tier dungeons like tier 2.

They also drop in some content like Drakkar meta, or raids. Doing drakkar daily could be a chill way to chance for ascension.

You could also try with Dragonfall and Dragonstorm meta events. But it is rare drop.

Edited February 12 by evilcat.6817

[Widebody.5071]

What I learned is there's no need to sell everything you get, all it does is enrich those that already have it. especially with the new crop of players that came through, prices went thrue the roof. Items that went for 10-30 silver pieces started selling for 5-8 gold pieces, hold on to your materials. You'll start off slow but no problem get a home instance that's what did it for me. I finally broke down and got a home instance 7-8 years after first hearing about them.  They do make a differences especially in material farming. $10.00 will go a long way, do that for every other couple of months and you're good.

WvWvW is good for items too, just find a nice boon ball, hug it for dear life then pick player off as you can or at least tag them. the longer you play in a session the more your points you build up and you'll be rewarded accordingly.

Doing world completions and living stories achievements are another plus and a good way to pick up portal scrolls and black lion keys. After all, is that not what online game are all about the quests? Maybe not for all, but I've never been the one to hang out in the wilderness of a game all alone waiting for someone to agree to fight me or asking random players for buffs. Which is basically what most roamers are doing except they bring their buff partner with them. 

I've bought at least 4 armor peices and 5 weapons in the last couple cycles of the wizard's vault. All by doing the metas, dailies, weeklies and specials. It seems like I just got started.

 

 

Edited February 12 by Widebody.5071

[Ashantara.8731]

On 2/10/2024 at 6:01 PM, Widebody.5071 said:

Ascended is account wide also you can't adjust the stats all willy nilly but they can be adjusted with the proper tools. I've once changed stats on my armor and that was because it was a duplicate set of one i already owned.

Legendaries are okay I guess but for me they add too much to the screen. I like running at best appearance but legendaries are a bit over doing it (too flashy for my taste).

1. You can reskin legendaries for free, so no need to endure their "flashiness" if you don't like it.
2. Legendary Gear is the ultimate QoL gear and not comparable to Ascdended Gear in that regard. You can stat change within seconds, and it's useable simultaneously across all your characters.

[Widebody.5071]

1 minute ago, Ashantara.8731 said:

1. You can reskin legendaries for free, so no need to endure their "flashiness" if you don't like it.
2. Legendary Gear is the ultimate QoL gear and not comparable to Ascdended Gear in that regard. You can stat change within seconds, and it's useable simultaneously across all your characters.

 

1 minute ago, Ashantara.8731 said:

1. You can reskin legendaries for free, so no need to endure their "flashiness" if you don't like it.
2. Legendary Gear is the ultimate QoL gear and not comparable to Ascdended Gear in that regard. You can stat change within seconds, and it's useable simultaneously across all your characters.

Of course I can, I have 500 transmutation devises i think i paid for maybe 10. When you play the game you actually start accumulating things. WvW id good memories of battle. 

QoL gear is a subjective, what's good for one is not good for another. I for one don't see the value in plopping down 100 bucks for some virtual armor for myself. Now some folks do, and I'll not take that from but that's their thing not mine. It'll be nice if everyone understood that each person must make their own choice and let them live with it instead of making excuses why they should change. give them their options and let them decide.

It's that simple.

[Linken.6345]

1 hour ago, Widebody.5071 said:

 

Of course I can, I have 500 transmutation devises i think i paid for maybe 10. When you play the game you actually start accumulating things. WvW id good memories of battle. 

QoL gear is a subjective, what's good for one is not good for another. I for one don't see the value in plopping down 100 bucks for some virtual armor for myself. Now some folks do, and I'll not take that from but that's their thing not mine. It'll be nice if everyone understood that each person must make their own choice and let them live with it instead of making excuses why they should change. give them their options and let them decide.

It's that simple.

I ploped down no bucks for my legendaries just played the game.

What else do you use your gold on?

Need to do more map completions so I can finaly spend my 35k gold I saved up.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

4 minutes ago, Linken.6345 said:

35k gold

Geez!  And I thought I was doing okay with my 1600 Gold after all these years.  🤦‍♂️ Silly me!

[Linken.6345]

28 minutes ago, Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

Geez!  And I thought I was doing okay with my 1600 Gold after all these years.  🤦‍♂️ Silly me!

Well you probabely got more legendaries then me only got trinkets armors  and 2 weapons.

Edit

Just to lazy to get those gift of exploration.

Edited February 13 by Linken.6345

[RavensSorrow.6128]

9 hours ago, DoNotAimAtMe.3510 said:

Only mats in there or also gear? Have open few, nothing special in there until now 😕

Don't disrespect the mats! I see you have another thread open here asking how to make money. Well materials are a great way to do it. Even if you don't want to craft yourself you can sell these on the TP for a lot of money.

Loot in GW2 comes in a few forms:

1) crafting mats. Great to sell or build up legendaries of your own.

2) Currencies. Often used to buy gear or more material bags to make gold.

3) Unidentified items: Identify these and salvage them for mats. Occassionally you can get a high value skin or Precurser to sell. Can also just be sold as unidentified if you are lazy like me.

4) The rare items. Ascended items, rare skins, or even the big infusions. The hire the value on the TP the rarer it is usually. You actually will see ascended drops fairly often, but they tend to be account bound. Strikes have a good chance for weapons, world bosses do drop some boxes and fractals have a good drop for rings! (trinkets and armor typically come from currency vendors).

5) Junk! Those grey items actually can add up. In fractals you'll mostly get items worth a few silver but they add up. You can make good money just selling the junk. Don't discount it if you get junk. 

So go look at your material storage. Maybe you have some mats to sell if you want to build up your gold. 

[Widebody.5071]

This is one of those post where no matter what no one says someone else will say they opposite, so I'll go1st.  

Folks play what you want nobody else know what kind of time you have to invest or funds, only you. Research the the wiki and do your thang and have fun while you do. If you decide legendary it's all cool that's your choice. If you decide ascended or exotic no problem do your thang. It's all about having fun, it's not wise to get too invested in an online game keep some type of perspective as it's only a game.

Sell your items or don't, I don't because i don't want to have to rebuy anything. I have 1 account and only one so I'm in a good place. if you want do see the difference a set of armor makes or food, go back and read the forums from about 6 months ago. The proof is in the pudding and the words of those complaining. 

The problem here is people and their egos are inflated like Goodyear blimp, but if that's what it takes for them to get through the day more power to them. I guess there's nothing like a game of tit for tat. But I do appreciate your following and hanging on to my every word. See you in WvW.... Peace.

 

[Ashantara.8731]

13 hours ago, Widebody.5071 said:

 

Of course I can, I have 500 transmutation devises i think i paid for maybe 10. When you play the game you actually start accumulating things. WvW id good memories of battle. 

QoL gear is a subjective, what's good for one is not good for another. I for one don't see the value in plopping down 100 bucks for some virtual armor for myself. Now some folks do, and I'll not take that from but that's their thing not mine. It'll be nice if everyone understood that each person must make their own choice and let them live with it instead of making excuses why they should change. give them their options and let them decide.

It's that simple.

1. As I stated, transmuting Legendary Gear is for free, it does not use up any Transmutation Charges.

2. "Plopping down 100 bucks", what? Legendary Gear does not cost any money, it is acquired by in-game means.

[DoNotAimAtMe.3510]

One more question, I've just picked up a Sceptre from the weapon box, it has power, precision and condition damage but lacks expertise.

Do I have to change this with an infusion in Mystic forge or is that not possible?

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Coalforge's_Wand

[Linken.6345]

2 hours ago, DoNotAimAtMe.3510 said:

One more question, I've just picked up a Sceptre from the weapon box, it has power, precision and condition damage but lacks expertise.

Do I have to change this with an infusion in Mystic forge or is that not possible?

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Coalforge's_Wand

You know there is a nifty search bar on that wiki.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Stat_changing

Edited February 13 by Linken.6345

[DoNotAimAtMe.3510]

I know that... I asked if I had to change it and not how.

[Linken.6345]

16 minutes ago, DoNotAimAtMe.3510 said:

I know that... I asked if I had to change it and not how.

1   Original ascended weapon 1 Exotic inscription for the desired stats 5 Glob of Ectoplasm 1 Anthology of Heroes

Edited February 13 by Linken.6345