Guide to Item of the Week Farming

Guide to Item of the Week Farming
Background: Every week, Nicholas the Traveler requests a different 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: Stone Carvings
 * Sources: Stone Guardian (Factions)
 * Found in: Arborstone (explorable zone) and  mission


 * Nick's Location: Arborstone

Getting to Nick
The only way to reach Arborstone is through completing the Arborstone mission, which means completing the five prior missions (and relevant primary quests). The shortest route to Nick is from Altrumm Ruins: exit the outpost and head left, following the map.

Most Efficient Farming
You can find 21 enemies that might drop the carvings just outside the ruins. Exit the ruins and head left towards Nick, but take the second right through some double doors. You'll find 3 of the 4 Stone Guardian bosses. Finish them off and head back towards the outpost, passing the portal and head up the top of the ramp. (You can choose to run past the various wardens.) Now head back to where the bosses were to find 3 sets of 6 guardians. (The second ramp triggered the appearance of the 18 extra carving sources.)


 * Total time: about 5-10 minutes for 21 possibles, depending on your team. Teams of four can expect about 1-2 carvings/run.

Threats & Recommended Skills
The most serious threats to your party are large groups of wardens and the elementalist boss; prepare yourself for them and the other opponents are easy enough. As always, only aggro as many monsters as your team can handle.


 * Wardens: bring some anti-melee skills (blocks or slow downs) and some AoE attacks. Some condition removal is also helpful, as their traps cause bleeding, slowness, and poison.
 * Zarnas Stonewrath: his elite skill, Shockwave causes a lot of damage to its target but even more damage to nearby party members. Backfire & Interrupts are ideal, but if you don't have a good Mesmer, bring as many earth damage protections as you can (armor upgrades, skills, etc). Keep your party far from the boss, unless they are tanking; protect the tanks with damage reducing skills.

Note: the Guardians are resistant to Knockdown, Bleeding, and Poisoning; they remain vulnerable to other conditions.