Guide to Item of the Week Farming

Guide to Item of the Week Farming
Background: Every week, Nicholas the Traveler requests a different item in exchange for Gifts of the Traveler. These items of the week end up being very valuable for a short period, since the gifts can usually be sold for – (and opening the gifts yields valuable items). Veteran players usually have no trouble farming the item using advanced (although standard) builds and they have access to the ideal farming locations. This guide, however, is designed to help the relatively new player, who has fewer skills and might need to unlock the farming area.

Summary

 * Item: Luminous Stone x1
 * Found In: Kourna and The Desolation
 * Dropped by: Mandragors

Getting to Nick
title=Nicholas the Traveler include=current

Farming for Luminous Stones

 * Suggested Farm #1: Exit into Arkjok Ward from Yohlon Haven, heading north towards the Marga Coast portal. Say "hey" to the priest at the rez shrine, so you can get bounty. Follow the path on the map, which leads you to about 20 or so groups of 3 mandragors, including a boss. If you are careful, you can avoid any other foes. Move slowly: about half the mandragor are hidden beneath the surface and seemingly pop-up when you have aggro'd 2-3 other groups already.

Threats & Recommended Skills

 * Threats: The mandragor triplets are L22 and almost always composed of a Necromancer, a Warrior, and a Elementalist. The necros remove enchantments, steal health, and can transfer conditions; the elementalists can cause weakness and will knockdown weakened foes; the warriors interrupt, daze, and remove stances. In short, this is the anti-buff team of your nightmares. The good news is that they don't bring much else.

Any team that can succeed against the mandragor can also survive the plants, insects, and great beasts as long as you don't aggro too much at once.


 * Tactics: The mandragor can be reasonably handled in groups of 3; in larger numbers, they can easily overwhelm even strong parties. Move slowly through Arkjok, being careful to avoid aggro'ing the Iboga, Ntouka, and Beetles. If you get caught by multiple groups, run to fight another day unless you feel confident you can carry the day.


 * Recommended Skills: Because they mandragor are heavy on debuffing, they are vulnerable to parties that don't depend on buffs: hexes, degen, aoe damage, and wards. Shouts, chants, and spirits are also more useful than enchantments. As with any farming, a balanced group gives your best chances of success: some healing (and conditional removal), some area damage, and some spikes. Anti-caster skills such as interrupts are convenient, but not required. Spirit healing and buffing is very useful, but also not required.

Solo Farming

 * Anti-enchantments prevent the 55/Monk from being useful
 * Minion Masters and Spirit Spammers are sufficient for the careful farmer.

Summary

 * Item: Topaz Crests
 * Found In: Diviner's Ascent, Vulture Drifts, Skyward Reach.
 * Dropped by: Sand Drakes.

Getting to Nick
Nicholas the Traveler is located in Diviner's Ascent, just outside Elona Reach near the right Teleporter.

Farming for Topaz Crests



 * Suggested Farm #1: exit the Elona Reach and farm anywhere in the Diviner's Ascent. Most L20 characters should be able to solo this using any build with a few heals.

Threats & Recommended Skills

 * Tactics: Sand Drakes should do relatively low damage to a L20 character with max armor so most tactics will work well, a good tactics is to go solo on them because they will not use the skill Earthquake when you are alone.They are also weak against elemental damage like Fire,Water and Air so consider bringing those if you can.


 * Threats: The Sand Drakes use Ward Against Melee so be sure to bring an interrupt skill if you rely on melee damage or the killing may be a bit slower,other than that the drakes are not much of a threat,but while not being strong by themselves,you can meet other hidden foes in this area like Scarabs,Rockshot Devourers, Sand Wurms and even 3 Hydras.Rockshot Devourers use traps and ranged attacks but if you do not trigger the traps they can be killed quite easily,just don't forget they use the Distracting Shot.Scarabs are necromancers or warriors that can take down most builds easily with their enchantment removal skills and high armor-ignoring damage from touch skills,if you're not prepared for them you should avoid them at all costs and run away when they attack you.The Hydras are Elementalists with powerful Fire Magic skills and can do a lot of damage quickly,luckily there are only 3 so if you look on their route on the map you should be able to avoid them easily during the farm.
 * Recommended Skills: Although the Drakes do low damage already,you can bring a blinding skill to lower their damage even more if you have problems killing them.The Drakes have no interrupts,no hexes and inflict no conditions so 1 healing skill should be enough to kill them.You can also bring along a running skill to run away from unwanted foes like Scarabs more effectively.

Solo Farming

 * This is a great week to try out solo farming for the first time or practice using a new build. As mentioned above, most L20 characters should be able to safely farm them.