Veteran Dungeons will have some of the best gear pre-raid. If you can't find a World Boss group but can round up enough friends to do a few runs, then this is where you need to go for gear. Dungeons can also sometimes be combined with daily Contracts to further your rewards when it comes to gear, so be sure to always check the Contract Board when you log in.
Previous changes, and upcoming changes in F2P, make it so that completeing Dungeons with a Bronze medal are the only real thing you need for Genetic Archives attunement. This is a big plus so be sure to hit up that local Elder Gem vendor and pick up your Genesis Key. If you need some extra points in the right direction for Attunement, visit our guide here.
If you are having a difficult time be sure to try the previous methods and come back to Dungeons later.
In F2P World Bosses have been revamped to be far more rewarding to the average player. They can now drop gear that is between Veteran Dungeon ilvl and Genetic Archives ilvl - giving you the extra edge if you plan to get into raiding faster with ilvl 90 gear. World Bosses should be on your radar as soon as you hit level 50.
Another change for World Bosses is their addition to Tier 3 Contracts. Daily Tier 3 Contracts can now have three different World Bosses as the objective. If you are going to maximize your time vs reward then you should be checking contracts before gathering your buddies to take down some world bosses on the side. Typically you will have a much better chance finding a group for World Bosses if they are the current contract objective.
It's also worth noting that you will unlock different titles when you kill a world boss. If you want help tracking them down or seeing what they have to offer, then you should head to our World Boss guide here.
Once you hit lvl 50, Contracts should always be checked as soon as you log in. They can usually act as bonuses to your daily routine, be it running dungeons or hitting those rep dailies. The more you complete the faster you can get to the various tiered armor bags. The top tier will give players entry level raid gear (ilvl 100)
Although not fully tested, it is rumored that Contracts have an internal checklist for gear recieved so you can fill your various armor slots faster and easier.
Contracts won't just help with getting gear but filling it out. Additional rewards come in various forms whether it be Rune items or just straight money!
Veteran Adventures fill the gap between Expeditions and Dungeons. If you are having a hard time putting some bosses down in Dungeons then try focusing on getting groups for various Adventures.
Adventures let you make the choices that set your path through the instance. If you are tired of linear Dungeons this can be a great place to farm some upgrades.
Like everything else on this list be sure to check your daily contracts for added reward bonuses.
Veteran Expeditions are your friend, whether it be giving you something to do solo or giving you some extra rewards in your bags. The biggest perks are decent amounts of Renown currency, Rune rewards, Amp unlocks, and a decent amount of gold/plat made each run. They can be fairly quick to accomplish and usually have a fun story to play through.
This is on Gear Up mostly for what it does to your pocket. It can allow you to get those Flasks from the renown vendor, or with Gold runs, give you a cheap Amp unlock. The mount of money you can get from Gold runs is worth the time farming if you are at your weekly Elder Gem cap.
Challenges have been revamped for F2P and thus made more valuable to the leveling player. They now have tiered rewards that are unlocked as you complete Challenges and gather points. The items are geared towards the zone's overall level. These should be attempted whenever possible to give you the extra edge you need in killing mobs.
In our Starter Guide we mention that the best leveling method while doing quests is to focus on World Story quests and Zone Story quests. Doing this can leave you about 2 levels lower than the mobs in the area. Mixing in challenges now can keep you gear up to par with the mobs.
Tradeskills are far more useful to players now; especially Tailoring, Armorer, and Outfitter. These tradeskills have been streamlined for players to make them less of a headache and more straight forward. In doing so Carbine has also adjusted the items so that they can often offer an upgrade to various armor slots as you level. If you are leveling an alt or are a new player it is suggested you take one of these tradeskills to help keep your gear up to snuff against the mobs on Nexus. This can also be the fastest way to gear up with pre-raid gear (ilvl 88) at Elder game.
The bonus to leveling these with your character is their new impact on end game. A player can now use crafting vouchers to purhcase Genetic Archives and Datascape level plans that can be crafted using materials obtained from their associated raids. The items are BoE and come with an imbuement to unlock their true potential (New players, think of it like a quest for your item). Crafting these items allows you to chose your own stats, thus giving them the potential to be a best in slot item.
Need help figuring out what Tradeskills to take? Check out our Tradeskill page!
Gear Progression:
- Renown - ilvl 60
- Vet Adventures - ilvl 70
- Crafted - ilvl 72 - ilvl 110
- Vet Dungeons - ilvl 79/80
- World Bosses - ilvl 90
- Contracts - ilvl 68/80/100
- Genetic Archives Raid - ilvl 96/100
- Datascape Raid - ilvl 116/120
- Always keep a look out for world boss groups in your zone or LFG chat ( /chjoin LFG - Entity Server/Exile ).
- Shiphands are a good money maker once Elder Gem capped and can be solo'd
- "N" key will open up your group finder!
- Not getting the drops you want? Lockbox Keys can be purchased from the shop that will open a chest in
Dungeons that can contain items on the loot lists that did not already drop in your current run.
- Tradeskills have been revamped and made items while leveling and at end game far more useful - don't ignore them!
- Easiest to hardest dungeon in our opinion - Protostar Academy / Stormtalon's Lair / Ruins of Kel Voreth /
Skullcano / Sanctuary of the Swordmaiden / Ultimate Protogames
[ leveling & lvl 50 ]
[ lvl 50 ]
[ lvl 50 ]
[ leveling & lvl 50 ]
[ leveling & lvl 50 ]
[ leveling ]
[ leveling & lvl 50 ]