After reading this section I thought I'd be in for many attempts but was surprised to have it drop on my first mission.
Confirming that it drops from Elder #1 on normal (66+) difficulty. Instant click is a plus but the duration is fairly short so balance that against Orb of Suspension or the Ball of Fluffy Cotton.
7901 kills later.... it dropped for me..finally... I can R.I.P. now....
[Thu Aug 17 17:01:04 2006] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Tue Aug 22 15:47:24 2006] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Tue Aug 29 18:51:07 2006] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Sep 22 12:21:57 2006] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Nov 03 13:39:20 2006] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Thu Nov 23 10:18:26 2006] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Nov 24 15:04:28 2006] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sun Feb 04 15:07:24 2007] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Thu Feb 22 16:14:20 2007] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Wed Mar 21 11:35:06 2007] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Apr 07 00:19:18 2007] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Apr 07 23:04:54 2007] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Apr 14 19:05:59 2007] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Jun 01 22:08:52 2007] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sun Feb 10 16:32:25 2008] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Feb 15 21:27:57 2008] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Feb 16 09:04:07 2008] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sun Feb 17 08:41:52 2008] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Nov 05 11:23:04 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Nov 05 12:45:12 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Nov 05 13:55:51 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder (Hard)'. [Sat Nov 05 15:14:31 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sun Nov 06 14:03:09 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sun Nov 06 15:08:50 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sun Nov 06 16:43:48 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sun Nov 06 17:31:35 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sun Nov 06 21:46:34 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Tue Nov 08 20:38:55 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Tue Nov 08 21:39:29 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Nov 11 15:59:43 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Nov 11 16:51:42 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Nov 11 18:28:02 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Nov 11 19:50:35 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Nov 12 09:37:36 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Nov 12 11:02:51 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Nov 12 12:09:53 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Nov 19 00:53:49 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Nov 19 11:20:24 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Sat Nov 19 12:16:16 2011] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Jul 06 14:58:58 2012] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'. [Fri Jul 06 21:27:13 2012] You have been assigned the task 'Freeing an Elder'.
[Fri Jul 06 22:19:54 2012] --You have looted a Swiftmantle.--
Actually, the Swiftmantle is more of a raid item. Not a raid drop, but with a cast of 0.0 its the only levitation item that can defeat anti-lev AE procs off various raid mobs. So if your raiding, it really nice to have. Not an essential raid gear item, but very handy.
I cleared the entire instance (except for one drachnid that walked off a bridge and disappeared to the nether - could see him on tracking, but nowhere to be found). The 2nd to last mob (excluding taskmaster and his event) dropped it for me. I spent a few hours clearing the zone. There must be hundreds of mobs in there.
Instant clicky lev was worth it, though. Also got about 30 AAs on my druid haha.
Went through this mission once and beat it to get access to LS-2. Burned through field, tower1, tower2, Reanimation Chamber and Orcs 13 times before I finally got Water Ele mask to drop.
So I start working on getting Swiftmantle, thinking maybe it will be easier than Shiliskin Trickster Mask was, but boy was I wrong.
Went through this mission once and beat it to get access to LS-2. Burned through field, tower1, tower2, Reanimation Chamber and Orcs 13 times before I finally got Water Ele mask to drop.
So I start working on getting Swiftmantle, thinking maybe it will be easier than Shiliskin Trickster Mask was, but boy was I wrong.
17th mission so far, still no sign of it.
~Anothersoldier (80 Zerker, Xegony)
Keep at it. I have probably gotten about 7 swiftmantles and 4 masks in my time farming these missions. If you dont get one I will look to see if you are on if i decide to farm this zone for the trash loot for plat.
Was told this drops in the 69.1 mission as well. i have done that mission over 50 times no lie and it never dropped there for me. just in the elder 1. Can any comfirm this drops in 69.1