Old emblem advice

[Lubal]

Many folks know that my playgroup is taking a strange path through the game. We're still going to be 75 for awhile yet, but because the jump to L80 is expensive, I've been starting preparations early. I'm uncertain about emblem selection at 80, however. After SoF, emblem choices are easier: Discord in SoD, whatever progression allows in UF, Aggressive Dreams in HoT.

But that's a long way away in our current playstyle plan. The SoF emblems do not have an option that is high AC/HP/hWis. In fact, both emblems with hWis (Elemental Ice and Tri'Qaras) are otherwise fairly feeble. But with only 5 hWis at maximum, especially considering that I will not have raid gear for the full 100% emblem power (thus, 3 hWis), is that even worth itemizing for at the L80 tier? Or is the markedly better AC/HP on something like Elemental Earth probably the way to go? Factions are not an issue; I have more than enough time to grind rep if required.

Frankly, if these weren't 16k each, I'd be more inclined to experimentation. Anyone remember what they used way back in the before-time when SoF was content?

[goodn]

Armor emblems were introduced in SoF so there was nothing before that.

I believe that you would be better off worrying about getting the best augs possible (for casters, that means doing Ashengate for the Clergyman's Stones of Purity,etc) rather than be concerned about emblems. At 80, the choices are limited at not that huge with group gear. You cannot get the next set until 85 (SoD or UF).

So max your gear, concentrate on augs, and if you can, get an emblem. If money is that tight (where 16k is a bother), then be sure not to get an emblem until your chest piece is as good as it is going to be for awhile.

Goodn

[warador]

if you do get an emblem instead of destroying it when u upgrade chest piece you might want to get the perfected aug remover from the loyalty vendor it will take the emblems and purity augs out without destroying them

[Lubal]

I'm in a pretty good place as far as actual augs go, and will be even better situated by the time we advance to 80. I've completed, or have in progress most of the functional quested augs* in additional to a variety of normally obtained ones**. The peculiarities of my guild's playstyle mean that I value solid AC/HP hybrid augs over pure HP/MP options; I take my share of hits from unpleasant things. That said, CSoP are already on the list in case I'm not able to fill slots with my primary goals***, because they're frankly pretty easy to camp.

Unlike a traditional progression guild, we're not tier-restricted in our gearing options, because frankly one-grouping raid content is a big enough challenge. As a result, the set of gear I have banked for our jump to L80 (probably late February) is going to last me ... well, until our jump to L85, because it's a full set of Abstruse. So although my money is tight (and always will be, frankly), the emblem will get quite a bit of use. Mostly, I'm just not certain how highly to weight the hWis; before this recent return, I last stopped playing mid-SoF, so I'm less comfortable with the relative gear values in a post-SoF world.

*Diamond Studded Coldain Historical Seal, Shield of the Otherworld, Jonas Dagmire's Skeletal Hand, Cursed Obsidian Faycite, Blessed Celestine Faycite, Model XLII Spatial Temporal Oculus, Valthon's Memory Shard, Purified Flawless Faycite Triad, Bayle's Heraldic Crest, Blood of the Fallen.
**Including a Fragment of Heavy Steamwork Plating.
***Notably, the Black Undead Shissar Scale, because that camp is horrific, and the Anti-Impact Helical Spring II, which simply refuses to play ball and drop. ><