Sal`Varae's Robe of Darkness  

 

I feel somewhat responsible for the explosion of threads on this robe in the last 2 days. Please allow me to explain.

I occasionally check out the uberguild sites just to see what's happening in the high end game. I saw threads on those boards about how some of the Velious stuff was better (or not) than epic weapons and planar gear. It occurred to me that with how faction comes into play in Velious, that I needed a long-term strategy for gear acquisition there. In other words, what drops did I REALLY want, and what was I willing to do to get them?

I "created" a character on this site with similar stats to my main, only much higher level. I then started playing the "Barbie Doll" game by dressing that character in the various loot combinations that you can call up from this site, just to see what was possible.

I noticed that this robe wasn't on this site, even though it had been posted on the FoH site for several weeks. Although I respect FoH's decision to not publicize new drops, this was already public knowlege. So, as a favor to users of Allakhazam, I copied the information from the FoH site (it was also already on Graffe's by then), and emailed it here. Because of the virus, I did it a second time yesterday. I'm a little chagrined that Allakhzam chose to use the version from Graffe's instead of the FoH version that I sent in, but that's his perogative.

I think it's a shame that Verant's actions regarding the dagger that Vulak drops have lead to a clampdown on information releases from the uberguilds. Those guys have earned the right to brag, they should be able to do so without looking over their shoulders in fear. In real life, we have our Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryants and Lance Armstrongs to look up to. In Eq, why shouldn't the rest of us be able to see what the uberguilds get and dream that maybe someday, we might be able to get, too?

Regarding the stats on this robe, what high level casters are really interested in is Int, Mana, and resists (especially magic resist, although cold and fire are close behind). There are at least 2 other robes in the game that have the same +Mana and magic resist stats. The extra intelligence doesn't matter, since even if you are decked out in +Mana or resist gear, at the high end you are over the HARD cap (+255!) for Int! Make a caster toon for yourself on this site and try it out for yourself if you don't believe me. Flowing Thought? If you have so much as one other Flowing Thought item, this adds nothing. That leaves AC.

Yeah, those level 60 Wizards with Dragonbane tank Velious mobs all the time. Not!

This is the robe that made me appreciate just how good my class's epic really is. Maybe someday...maybe.

Second the amening there. Let's put some specifics to these generalities kids:

This is not a mob you can farm, it's not a mob that is going to outfit every single caster in a given uber guild in these robes...

Little bit of history. About three weeks ago Fires of Heaven took down this mob for the very first time in the history of EQ since it has been in the game. They've been hunting in ToV for months, and have tried numerous times on this badboy. Wipeout, every time. So, what did they do? They drew upon the second most powerful guild on their server and the two most powerful guilds, one of which is possibly the most powerful guild in EQ altogether, went at it. Collectively it took the finest of both of those very fine guilds, IE, creme de la creme, literally, to take down this mob. And it took them in large numbers, and a very long time.

An example. Visit noows.com, FoHs news site. When this was first announced all sorts of folks flocked to their boards congratulating them and Cestus Dei. One of which was a person who was raiding ToV at the time, but wasn't on the Vulak raid. His group was in the Hall of Testing, and suffered a wipeout when FoH and CD first begun the battle. The group then came in, rebroke, got rezzed, buffed up, and FoH and Cestus Dei were STILL fighting the same mob. Anyone who has ever even walked into ToV will realize how long CRs take, meaning this battle took a long, long time.

(This isn't a myth, it on the second page of this link: http://www.noows.com/showthread.php?s=05a00eb5219b22c95447df2fcdcb90d0&threadid=2155)

Moreover, this single mob is probably the hardest *killable* mob in the game. Meaning, mobs who Verant permits us to kill. Those who cite the Sleeper or Tunare obviously don't have quite a grasp of what I mean. The Sleeper and Tunare are made to be undefeatable so that there's always some unexplored territory to keep the customer allured. (Watch, shortly after Luclin is released, give it three months, the Sleeper and Tunare will both be defeated after a miraculous patch. But then we'll have an undefeatable Luclin on our hands, or a grandmaster Kerran nasty.)

Meaning, all in all, this is probably the single greatest achievement a guild can aspire to in EQ right now. The loot should be of just the slightest reflection of that.

Congrats to the casters and clerics walking away with this incredible robe.

Amen broham, I just gotta add, maybe if yall thought before complaining, this dragon probably hasn't been killed enough to know all of its potential loot. So there might be a warrior BP out there somewhere, and keep in mind that the PoM Cleric BP is 60 AC too, no ones found a warrior BP up there either.

edit: ignore my signature, I'm in Sacred Legends now after the merger of Northern Lights and Sacred Legends, thanks.

Peace,
Shiz

I respectfully disagree. What's the point of having class-specific armors if you break the rules you set with them? Does it make any sense whatsoever that this is tied with the best *warrior* chestpiece in the game for AC? Sure, its not as if a caster can get a complete set of this stuff, but I'm sure it makes the warriors feel pretty cheap.

That being said, the point is probably entirely moot. If the mob is as hard as you say, there will be at most a handful on each server, so its not really a balance issue. Even so, IMHO this item very much goes against the grain of the game.

Oh, and as to the last paragraph, what are you smoking? Your progession doesn't make any sense to me.

Yes this IS better then the best KNOWN warrior BP, but think Vulak'Aerr has been killed what 1 or 2 times now and on how many servers?? Think of what other kinds of loot will drop off this guy, and imagine the stats on them. Then also think of the rarity of the loot that will fall of him. I say good job on creating an awesome piece of armor that will keep MANY a player yearning to get to those high levels. Lets not bash this armor, but think of this as the entrance to MUCH better pieces for other classes.

Take some time to learn what you are talking about before you talk. From those statements you made, you'll never even be close to anyone who has one of these robes much less have any basis for making an opinion on if this item is "a bit too good."

This item comes from VULAK'AERR. That's ALL that has to be said. If you don't know the name and reputation of V'A, that again shows your ignorance of this item's origin and backs up the total lack of worth of your opinion.

This is a dragon that can eat 99.9% of the characters in EQ for a light snack. It takes WELL organized Guild raids of 50+ level 55 minimum characters to even attempt to kill V'A.

Even comparing this thing to an Epic Weapon again shows your lack of knowledge. It takes 20 times more effort to even attempt to get this robe than the hardest Epic Weapon. Most people can expect to be able to get an Epic with reasonable chance of success. If you expect to get this Robe, either you are a professional EQ Player who's on 18 hours a day, 7 days a week in an Uberguild and Right-Hand Cleric/Caster to the Guild Leader or else you are plain totally delusional.

If you take a look at what mob drops this, you will understand...

Unless, of course, that Cleric is a Dwarf, or a Halfling.

As to why Clerics get to use it... well, there are lots and lots of Robes that a Cleric can wear. There's no reason they shouldn't be able to. A Robe is a very Priestly rainment.