This is the smart way to do the skill ups for smithing and tailoring . Making Bracer/Glove templates for each level of leather, silk, or ore. You can recoup most of the cost. Some people like to to go the Barbs/Studs route but you can't sell those back to a vendor to recoup cost iirr, which is why I never did that route on any of my alts. Not going to list out every template level from 1-275, since you can get to 275 very quickly, its 275-max trophy is what takes time. But the following links, should take you from 250 to 300 to max trophy. For tailoring: http://www.eqtraders.com/items/show_item.php?item=27908&menustr=035000000000 http://www.eqtraders.com/items/show_item.php?item=28266&menustr=035000000000 http://www.eqtraders.com/items/show_item.php?item=28155&menustr=035000000000 http://www.eqtraders.com/items/show_item.php?item=28168&menustr=035000000000 For smithing: http://www.eqtraders.com/items/show_item.php?item=27890&menustr=035000000000 http://www.eqtraders.com/items/show_item.php?item=28446&menustr=035000000000 Personally I prefer doing bracers as the stack count is higher, so you can do more combines before refilling your bags again. Also note, the EQTC guides on skill up paths are way outdated and some new routes will get you to max with less of a hassle either by less sub-combines or less of a plat investment. The time factor though is a different story....you will still spend a good 8-10 hours maxing a trophy (from skill point 1 to max + trophy quest) regardless, as you can only do so many combines per hour depending on your latency to the server.
After googling around a bit I found a couple of good ones for Brewing. They are all store brought mixes so makes life easy and not like some of the prices you see in the current bazaar craze. 1) Fayder Shaker (Trivial 188) 2) Clear Absinthe (Trivial 250)
Do you realise that an Excellent Silk is now around 2,500 platinum for 1?? It is unbelievable the prices as so many are doing the Artisan's quest there is not much around for sane prices.
Sorry, it's the Excellent Pelts that are 2,000-2,500pp. Excellent Silks are like 1,000pp. The point is you cannot recoup those types of costs with a vendor in the current craze. They have no sympathy unlike a fellow player who knows the cost you are paying to make an item. I got the fright of my life when I realised I hadn't maxed my Tailoring trophy as it was still on level 5/7, even though I was on 300 skill. I've been looking to Exotic Pelts which I have been buying for anything for up to 500pp per item and only one is required with all store brought items to make up the combine.
Not having a maxed out trophy doesn't prevent you from getting the aug, it just prevents you from making your own seal for that TS. Also, trophy doesn't effect the aug's stats, either. Make the ones you can, trade for the ones you can't. Don't agonize over maxing your trophy.
Yea, your right, but no one can get the Aug without PoP progression. While I wait for it I'll just do these. I could easily just go by all the seals and make the others right now, but there is no point without being able to request Aid G's quest line.
Making studs for blacksmithing costs next to nothing. The only cost is 10pp for a smithy hammer. Having saved tons of tantalum, vanadium, osmium and palladium ore I was able to get all my alts to at least 282 in smithing. One ore + smithy hammer in a forge. (smithy hammer is returned each attempt) Titanium trivial = 242 Tantalum trivial = 255 Vanadium triv = 268 Osmium and Palladium both trivial at 282. Since I had way more tantalum than the other ores I used those to make chain bracer template patterns to get to 300 and max the trophy. And I used Indium ore for chain bracer templates to get me to 220ish range. The studs (last I checked) were only used for monk cultural and since cultural is pretty much obsolete then just destroy the studs cuz they don't sell to a vendor and can't tribute them. But smithing was by far the cheapest tradeskill and EASIEST one for me to get done on multiple characters.
Bit off topic but it's an easy way of getting there. I finished maxing my trophy and just completed my first Artisan's of Tailoring today. I used bazaar bought Exotic and Befouled pelts all for under $500 a pelt to max evolve my trophy. All the other items were brought from Tailor Kujen. ~750pp per combine. - Exotic Leather Gorget Template (Trivial 488) - Befouled Leather Gloves Template (Trivial 490) Both use only one pelt per combine. That's pretty easy, fast and about the cheapest you will get from a buying perspective. But you might have lots of excellent silk which would be different.
And I also max evolved my jewelcrafting trophy. I ended up using Velium Bars bought from Talem Tucter in Thurgadin. One Velium bar and one Blue Diamond is all you need for a combine with a trivial of 302. So I went to the Shard's Landing merchants and the one in the guild hall where you get resurrections and purchased lots of Blue Diamonds. Ulike Tailoring you get about $400pp back each item.
Finally finished doing all of my trophies. Have to say this thread helped out a lot. I hope others might find it useful in the future.