Most Efficient Levelling Route

[old.Wildfire]

Those who know me will know that I have 3 alts - a 29 mercenary, 23 cabalist and 17 sorceress (soon* necro as well).

My question is this - What is generally agreed to be the fastest and most efficient route to 50 in Albion? It's been quite a while since I levelled Wildfire, and at the time I was presented with a few unique opportunities to exp with higher level characters where someone would normally be out of their depth.

1-3 = local mobs
4 = killtasks
5-8 = camelot hills
9-13 = salisbury plains (mobs close to west downs)
14-20 = salisbury plains killtasks
20-24 = keltoi fogou (ant room)
24-29 = darkness falls solo* (have done this with pyrous dont think its too quick though)
30-37 = pygmy goblins ???? (gap in memory here)
37-44 = tanglers
44-50 = witherwoodes

Anyone got any better plans? I exp'd a bit in darkness falls groups as WF at 49 and frankly it was pretty naff, even slower than witherwoodes and not much more interesting. Please take into account that I have no interest in "vulnerable" or "resistant" mobs for particular classes.

 

[old.Kerosene]

I'd argue that from 40+, if you can get a DF group then..

40-45 - Shredders/Mahrs
45+ Inqs/Hulks

provides better xp.

 

[old.Wildfire]

I thought at up until around 43 tanglers still conned red/orange and because they came in huge numbers should give better exp than smaller numbers of purple-con shredders/mahrs ?

 

[old.Kerosene]

True, but the problem with Tanglers is the downtime trying to find a group (and one with a sorc/ice CC'er). You could have killed 200 mahrs before you even think about killing a gobbo.

 

[Jarahl Valinor]

I generally agree with you WF... would prolly set out with the Killtasks at lvl 10 tho... 10-20 = Kill tasks... Then Keltoi, and if you get a good group, u can actually stay there to lvl 25...

Then there is a huge gap, cus when I last lvl'ed a char to 50 (My main, havent bothered since, took up crafting ) I went to Catacombs, but catacombs are deserted now a day Which is a shame, cus its been itemized now, and with a decent sorc (My alt is a sorc ) its fairly safe...

Single gobo pulls are from around lvl 32, but if u r lucky, u get a group at 30-31... then I would agree with u, gobos and tanglers untill lvl 44, but then I would chance a bit... WItherwoods untill lvl 48... After that alot of the Witherwoods cons red, and sharing red exp with 8 others kinda sucks

What I found to be the most efficient proved to be Inquis... 4 person group actually... 1 Pally, 1 Arms (Both shield specced), 1 Theurg (8 sec pbt, rest ice) and 1 cleric... we got the cleric 1.3 bubs in 1 hour and she was lvl 49

Theurg ran 8 sec pbt, rooted an inqie, an add came (only 1 add when 4 in group) and tanks took him down with a bit assistance from the theurg... then rest untill root went out and then killed the rooted one... same all over again, almost zero downtime You should try it, it rocks

 

[old.Odysseus]

level 1-10:
Get a theurg, its really not worth wasting time here (and get it done before 1.55)

10-12:
Mithras

12-20:
Killtasks, dont even think about grouping.

20-28:
Keltoi (some do Tepoks, never xp'd there personally)

28-37:
pygmies

37-43:
tanglers

43+:
trees and Dartmoor
Legion raids are good xp too

Generally:
DF sux! downtime is immense if u wipe, traveltime sux, getting access is a hassle. In short, the xp gained by the easier xp in DF than other places is lost by far in downtime.

Dartmoor is good xp, but you have to use your brains. find a good safe spot (yes, contrary to general belief they do exist). Only trouble is that there is no rez for wipes.

edit:
forgot catas and barrows, never went there much with the theurg, was there a lot with the scout.

 

[Puppetmistress]

Don't think DF should be in the list from 24-29. You're on Excalibur and it's really hard to get in DF from the Albion-side. We have it like 10% of the time

I would suggest levelling from 20-24 in Keltoi, take 25-30 in Catacombs and 30-40 pygmy-goblins/Barrows, 40-45 tanglers

Caster-classes can do most of it a bit sooner (support-class)

 

[Ckiller ofDust]

list of killtasks??

is there one?? really would like to know

 

[old.Wildfire]

Ah yes catacombs and barrows... now that I think back, I did 27-28 in cats with Pyrous as I was able to find a group there, and the exp is (as it was with WF) very good. However, for some reason people just don't exp there ??? madness.

 

[Moody]

Re: list of killtasks??

Originally posted by Ckiller ofDust
is there one?? really would like to know

I think its random. Eg with my scout alt i got a lvl8 killtasks from Cemmeth Budgwold. With my Arms I got them from him at lvl7.

I also xp´d a lot in Llyn Barfog. Mostly when I felt like soloing because there are about 30 Albs on Excal who know how to get there In groups its nice to do the Gorgers and Feeders as they are a challenge since they baf.

Dartmoor is good xp AND fun AND drops if you know what you are doing and where. Trouble here is indeed no rezzes and your group has to be formed outside, no one can leave if you are in a bit deeper. If you find the right spots with quick spawns you can practically chain again like the good old days with the pally bubbling another as soon as you are on the last giant.

DF is a place to xp in frenzy mode, meaning constantly moving around killing on the way except the inquis/hulks etc obvious camp spots. You`ll be amazed how many mobs there are if you enter DF after its been free of players for a while. A few good groups can empty DF quick of mahrs, NMs and Succs really.

As a last note, I dont think I want to level 4 Lvl 50 chars on gobbos, tanglers and tweeees. You´ve been playing Dark Age of Lyonesse then instead of DAoC.

 

[Puppetmistress]

Originally posted by old.Wildfire
Ah yes catacombs and barrows... now that I think back, I did 27-28 in cats with Pyrous as I was able to find a group there, and the exp is (as it was with WF) very good. However, for some reason people just don't exp there ??? madness.

Blame Mythic for it

I mean, why do Catacombs and Barrows if you can go DF, farm up on seals and stock yourself up with Über-DF-gear (it's Über for a level 30).

Darkness Falls is actually quite stupid if you think about it. You can BUY very good gear for a low price. There's no need to go camp a spot somewhere in Cornwall for 2 days to get that drop you want. Just run into DF, type /y wanna buy <kinda> seals, throw in ammount of money, walk to Bobo (or whatever) and buy it.

You can find some sweet stuff in Barrows (really!) but why bother going there if you can get if faster and saver in DF ?

Thank you Mythic....

 

[Draylor]

24-29 catacombs is best if you can get a group. Add me to the list of people confused about why people dont go there anymore. Alternatively you see the odd group doing ponies in Dartmoor at these levels. Very safe - but non-BAFing mobs are never the best xp.

At 30 your too low for pygmy goblins. Either a few levels in Barrows or a group doing the lower level stuff in Lyonesse (clerks, dunters, hamadryads - all that crap) works ok.

44+ trees are the most reliable way. Its slow - but its easy to replace group members, no travel time, rez available easily if/when group wipes. DF works well if it happens to be open - particularly if your only playing for relatively short sessions. The time wasted replacing group members gets very annoying very quickly.

Good luck trying to get through 'tangler hell' again. It is by far the fastest way to level - but there seems to be a never ending supply of people there that have no idea how to play their characters Sadly almost all groups have at least 1 such person - they'd be funny if it didnt result in their group getting slaughtered. (I think Ill probably crack up completely the next time I see a tank who refuses to use guard/protect/intercept)

 

[amphetamine]

i wish we could make use of dartmoor for xping, i xp'd a runie to lv50 in middy and there dragon zone from 38-50 took just over a week.

 

[hotrat]

I mean, why do Catacombs and Barrows if you can go DF, farm up on seals and stock yourself up with Über-DF-gear (it's Über for a level 30).

If you include the full set of 100% quality armor you get at level 50 as well there is almost no point going to dartmoor or llyn barfog either. These days you can get everything you need from your epic quest and darkness falls
Exception being the Cornwall giant bracers, troll hide belt (ellyll), stone of evil emantations (barrows) and for me i like to wear ircon leggins (Dartmoor) and ichor leggins (Fester, LB).

As for my exp spots:
Once you hit level 6 mithra is pretty fast xp if you can get a group that isn't new to the game.
At level 10 its time for plains and kill tasks, i think around lvl 13 i got a very good group at the undead things found at the southern part of the plains, red//purple mobs that BaF.
Then keltoi at about lvl 17, ant room asap till lvl 22.
After that cornwall, moor boogeys, then catacombs or ponies till lvl 28.
Clerks are excellent xp then, again red//purple mobs that BaF.
32 onwards is pygmes, 39 onwards is tanglers. Or you can go the barrows road, vigilant souls and later Wights.
At lvl 44 its pretty much time for tree's, or small tangler groups (wizz//sorc combo, caba//wizz combo etc). Danonain soldiers used to be nice becuase they dropped af98 armor, but epic is way better
Cleric or air theurg can solo well at wizard room in barrows after lvl 45.
DF is also apparently nice xp, although i have only ever been there with lvl 50's

 

[Puppetmistress]

Originally posted by Draylor
24-29 catacombs is best if you can get a group. Add me to the list of people confused about why people dont go there anymore. Alternatively you see the odd group doing ponies in Dartmoor at these levels. Very safe - but non-BAFing mobs are never the best xp.

It shouldn't be a too big issue to get a group out there, I think. Last time I was in Catacombs is 2 weeks ago and I had a group quite fast.

Just know what you can handle is good for starters and try to find a group where YOU can make a difference. In a group of lvl 30 tanks and wizzys a lvl 27 theurgist can still make a difference with his PBT, for instance.

At 30 your too low for pygmy goblins. Either a few levels in Barrows or a group doing the lower level stuff in Lyonesse (clerks, dunters, hamadryads - all that crap) works ok.

I agree. At 30 the pygmy's con purple to you and if you're a tank, you're almost useless overthere. A wizzy, mincer or theurg could be OK there at lvl 30 though. Sorcs can mezz them quite nice at lvl 35 I think. Before that, don't even try to mezz them, you get skyrocketed resists.


I would try to 'change' every now and then. Take a level tanglers, if you're bored, go Barrows for some XP, return to tanglers, do a little DF when it's open and stuff like that.

It's not the fastest way to level, but I think it's the best way without getting bored

 

[-Wedge-]

A wizzie has no chance in hell of hitting a pygmy at 30... Their atleast 13 levels higher... Ever tried hitting epic mobs with a wizz... (lets just say, he wont hit them a whole lot)

You run OOP and you've hit it for 2 or 3 times...

A tank has a larger chance of surviving at Pygmy's then a Wizard has... (A tank has a bigger chance at hitting and with an earthen buff, in the end does more damage then the wizard)

A theurg is different (since he has Pbt he could contribute instead of damage)... Same type of difference for a minstrel/cleric... (both classes can join groups sooner if its for power/healing)

Best you can do is try and find a nice small PBAoE team together... Level 31 in 8 afternoons (13.00 cet to 17.00 cet), first 10 levels where 'skipped' but 1 afternoon was spent in the BG's...

But it'll be hard getting a good PBAoE group going since Ice wizards are 'hard to find', but the tanks (preferable, paladins) are even in shorter supply... We did Ant-room at 16, Catacombs at 20, Clerks at 26, PBAoE POWER

We are going to get the Ice-Wizards up to level 32 before we venture into Pygmy 'space', but I'm sure we'll kill them 10 times faster then any group there

But enough about PBAoE for normal leveling, 32-34 is really minimum for Pygmy's... I'd suggest Clerks till 32-33 (in smaller and smaller groups)...

(and Kill-tasking from 10-20 all depends on the group situation, if you are leveling in a group of friends, who play good etc, then XP'ing could be faster)

 

[-Wedge-]

Oh, and 44+, dont forget Dartmoor... Stonelords etc... Very good and stable XP, but its more dangerous then Witherwoodes....

(and who knows what the new area's are like, and the new dungeon(s))

 

[Glottis_Xanadu]

1-3 = local mobs
4-12 = killtasks
13-17 = salisbury plains (mobs close to west downs)
17-22 = keltoi fogou (ant room)
24-28 = Catacombs
28-33 = Danoian Clerks
33-37 = pygmy goblins
37-42 = tanglers

Depends on playing class really. If caster class
42-46 = 4 person tangler group
46-48 = 3 person tangler group
48-49 = 2 person tangler group

At 48 my sorc gets about 1 bubble per 45 minutes, about the same at lvl 49.
Regards, Glottis

 

[alithiel50]

I can't see how people manage to level quicker with kill tasks than in groups at any level, except perhaps if you play a class with a self speed buff.

After getting some monumentally stupid tasks like
"It's 7am game-time, go and kill a mob that only spawns after dark"
and
"Travel across 3 zones to kill a mob and then come back to get 25% of the xp you could have earned by soloing for the same amount of time"
I gave up on kill tasks altogether and levelled nice and quickly without them!

 

[Flimgoblin]

Originally posted by -Wedge-

We are going to get the Ice-Wizards up to level 32 before we venture into Pygmy 'space', but I'm sure we'll kill them 10 times faster then any group there

pygmys have ice-resist...

go kill danaoin fishermen and then farmers, easier by far

 

[-Wedge-]

Yes I know they have Ice resist... But we have 3 Ice-Wizards per group, if in 2 PBAoE's, 3 (in total) are resisted, you still have 3 dead goblins... Because the 3 spells that wherent resisted hit for 250+ damage...

Even with 30% ice resist, they'll go down fast (seeing PBAoE at 26 does 200ish damage)... And (in this patch) they do not have a lot of HP...

But we'll see... Might not be this weekend, since all healers seem to be unavailable...

 

[Puppetmistress]

Originally posted by -Wedge-
Yes I know they have Ice resist... But we have 3 Ice-Wizards per group, if in 2 PBAoE's, 3 (in total) are resisted, you still have 3 dead goblins... Because the 3 spells that wherent resisted hit for 250+ damage...

Even with 30% ice resist, they'll go down fast (seeing PBAoE at 26 does 200ish damage)... And (in this patch) they do not have a lot of HP...

But we'll see... Might not be this weekend, since all healers seem to be unavailable...

I've been in your PB-guild group once (in Catacombs) and was impressed by the speed you nuke them out. But why do gobbies if you can do about the same in Barrows a lot safer without the loads of resists (and thus casualties) in your group ?

But what worries me more: You say PBAoE does 200ish damage at level 26. But don't you think it does far less on a mob with ice-resists and conning purple to you? I hit a yellow con mob with my nuke for around 300 (spirit-based) but that lowers to a sorry 20 if the mob is 'really purple'

I am curious and it's a try-out thing, try it out and you know if it's possible. Lemme know if it works, I am curious

 

[Flimgoblin]

Originally posted by Puppetmistress


I've been in your PB-guild group once (in Catacombs) and was impressed by the speed you nuke them out. But why do gobbies if you can do about the same in Barrows a lot safer without the loads of resists (and thus casualties) in your group ?

But what worries me more: You say PBAoE does 200ish damage at level 26. But don't you think it does far less on a mob with ice-resists and conning purple to you? I hit a yellow con mob with my nuke for around 300 (spirit-based) but that lowers to a sorry 20 if the mob is 'really purple'

I am curious and it's a try-out thing, try it out and you know if it's possible. Lemme know if it works, I am curious

my (admittedly only level 20) pbaoe was doing about 40(-10) on pygmy goblins at level 30, at level 34 it was doing 150(-30) or thereabouts... so pygmys might be just that little bit too purple at 30...

fishermen are slightly lower level so will take more damage anyway, farmers are around pygmy level (maybe a level or two higher at the top end? not sure)

that and you get 210(+30) mauhuaha or 320 (+60) in your case

 

[Draylor]

Originally posted by alithiel50
I can't see how people manage to level quicker with kill tasks than in groups at any level, except perhaps if you play a class with a self speed buff.

Because Salisbury Plains is a truly evil zone for low-level grouping. There are some safe spots - and if you get a decent group in the right spot youll do well. Sadly at that level one unexpected add can and usually does lead to wipeout. If the group is silly enough to pull purple-con mobs theyll inevitablly die.

In my opinion its not worth grouping at those levels unless youve a decent group of people you already know. With a combination of tasking and soloing those levels can be very fast and very easy.

 

[Jiggs]

1-50

sit on my arse run pbt in wedge's pbaoe group



PS for Friars try the echo skellies solo at 43-45 and cliff crawlers north of excalibur 45+ because you can solo them orange pretty easy (they are weak versus crush) sure as hell beats hanging around lyon waiting for a group

just make sure if you solo in frontier its at off peak times, i used to go there sat/sun mornings and never even once met an hib/mid

 

[-Wedge-]

Well, the reason we are waiting till 32 to do goblins is fairly simple... Next level of PBAoE

I'm really not sure for how much HP the wizzies nuke... But its a lot, at level 24, they where nuking Preatorian Guards for 180-200 damage... And they where still (low) purple at 26ish when we left Catacombs...

I just looked up the spell damages, might be that they where hitting 250+ on Clerks

Really no clue, I hit them with my paladin for 10ish damage with 19 damage from EB.. And they hit me for 150-180 damage...

Anyways, at level 32, they go from a 176-base damage spell to 214-base damage spell... You can compare the damage of PBAoE with that of Bolts...

We might skip Barrows, since its easier for tanks to pickup mobs out in the open... As not picking up a mob causes the most whipeouts (wizards dead == everyone dead)...

Anyways, its getting a bit off-topic

PBAoE is the fastest way to level (it even beats powerleveling), in the correct group that is... Continuesly pulling low-purples with very little downtime... There's an occasional group-whipeout though

You have to see it to believe it though

(oh and if you compare 'normal' nukes to pbaoe nukes, pbaoe does rougly 2x-3x the damage of a normal nuke, and with good tanks gets a wizzie less agro)

 

[Puppetmistress]

Originally posted by Jiggs
1-50

sit on my arse run pbt in wedge's pbaoe group

Hmm, well make that 26-50 for starters

And that's the ONLY thing you do? For sure? Men you're gonna suck as a theurg, hehehe

Well to be honest, it can be tempting to play a theurgist like that, but I decided not to do it like that. I did spec 26 in earth because a theurgist without PBT is useless IN THE EYES OF THE FELLOW GROUP MEMBERS. Which ain't true, but if you don't have it, you're a wizzy and not a theurg. People get frustrated coz 'you don't have PBT, you suck etc etc'.

But I have PBT now (10 sec. only) and I am refusing to spec more in earth for a shorter PBT. I am not gonna play 'the 2nd mincer in the group', I wanna participate in the group and actually do something besides sitting on the ground, doing my PBT-trick.

I sometimes get 'why is your PBT only 10 seconds and not 8 or 6' thrown in my face and to be honest I would tell them 'STFU go make your own theurg' but because I am easy going I don't do that. And once they see my damage-output (lvl 40 theurg specced 26 earth / rest air does 250-300 damage/swing on a yellow con) they just see me a wizzy with a little less damage output but with PBT, EB+haste and mezz. OK, my mezz is crappy (short duration and AoE range is only 5 feet) but it's a sweet backup if things go wrong and I saved myself and my group more then a few times with it.

I know a theurg around my level who is full-earth and has a shorter PBT. But the only thing he does is PBT and sit on his ass. If you ask him to help nuking (with that crappy baseline nuke 'cold') he's out of power in 7 nukes with crappy damage-output. Real fun for the tanks in his group to benefit from his PBT but men it's gonna suck for the dude playing the theurg

 

[Puppetmistress]

Originally posted by -Wedge-
Well, the reason we are waiting till 32 to do goblins is fairly simple... Next level of PBAoE

PBAoE is the fastest way to level (it even beats powerleveling), in the correct group that is... Continuesly pulling low-purples with very little downtime... There's an occasional group-whipeout though

Dunno, I did a few levels of PBAoE levelling with you guys (in Catacombs, remember me?) but you weren't pulling the good mobs at that time (I think you told me it was the 2nd sunday you played, so you weren't probably aware of your capabilities yet ) and I was 2 levels higher than most of you at that time

You have to see it to believe it though

I've seen it, and I was impressed, true. Still I am a bit worried for you guys hitting gobbies at lvl 32. They baf, are like 13 levels higher and I dunno if the pallies can withstand the constant beating of the gobbies on their asses for the time you finish them off. Gonna be tricky, but only one way to find out, I think

(oh and if you compare 'normal' nukes to pbaoe nukes, pbaoe does rougly 2x-3x the damage of a normal nuke, and with good tanks gets a wizzie less agro)

True, but gobbies resist a lot of cold-damage, I already tried it with my baseline-nuke (cold as well) and I think I had at level 37 around 30% resists on it. Compare that to my spirit-nuke who has around 5-10% resists on a gobby.

Still I hope it will work, coz you guys gave me a good time that sunday and I wish you guys all luck in the world !

 

[Jiggs]

i really dont care how you play your theurgist, mine is specced to be a pure support class. I enjoy the fact that my abilities enable other classes to do the real damage, which is what having a specialist group is all about.

incidentally if i wanted a versatile nuker i'd make a body or matter cabbie or a body sorcerer both of which have a far more effective variety of tools that any theurgist.

 

[Glottis_Xanadu]

Jiggs is part of a master plan.
Cause we all know that Ice wizzes will get a castable stun also, just like the hib casters get. Why you ask? Well, cause that would only be fair...
Ah damn, you guys got me there... lets not even up things up for the Albs
We will get resists at lvl 32, I agree, but with my soc I did pull of some mezzes at lvl 32, this is when I started pygmy's. My aoe mezzes were good enough at lvl 36 to be main mezzer in a tangler group (did 36 to 40 in one day). So I think we will kill those goblins at lvl 32
Regards, Glottis