What to do with looted armor?

[Dizzy]

I'm coming back to play part time, and need some direction. What do I do with nice monster loot?

Generally I like to t-hunt. Then my crafter unravels everything and keeps the essence.

I picked up this item in a dungeon:

Animated Chainmail Tunic of Restoration
Poison Eater 12%
Prized
Dex Bonus 2
Stamina Regen 3
Mana Regen 1
Physical Resist 9%
Fire Resist 9%
Cold Resist 19%
Poison Resist 6%
Energy Resist 17%
Durability 57/57
Greater Magic Item

This is far better than anything my swordsman wears. What exactly can my crafter do with it to make it better? I have resources, some runic hammers, POF, ancient hammers, etc. Imbue / Reforge / ??? I really haven't played much in many years, so I'm not sure where to go from here.

 

[Tuan]

That piece isn't even all that nice. Take a look in the traders hall at what's being sold in there. Read up on the new loot generator.

I would say that every greater dragon has at least 1 item on it like this or better... even at 0 luck.

You could easily reforge and imbue something much nicer than this. If for no other reason than poison eater isn't all that useful, as eaters go.

 

[Dizzy]

Well, ok, but it's still the nicest piece I have. I don't play much, so I'm asking for advice. Can't afford to buy anything nicer, so I make do with what I can find.

So I reforge this first, then I imbue it?

 

[Christina Kardos]

If you play on atl you can find a lot of stuff for less than 100k better than that. If you cant afford it or if you dont want to buy gear and only use what you find (which I respect and think its fun) I cant help ya!

 

[azmodanb]

just use it as is till ya find something even better.. then unravel it.. you can do much if anything cuz it already is over imbue cap

 

[DJAd]

So I reforge this first, then I imbue it?

Nope I doubt there is room to imbue any more mods on that (5 max if imbuing). You can only reforge items that have been crafted from plain materials.

 

[Tuan]

Nope I doubt there is room to imbue any more mods on that (5 max if imbuing). You can only reforge items that have been crafted from plain materials.

... and are non-magic. You can't, for instance, craft something with a runic hammer, and then reforge.

I know the feeling. I came back about 15 months or so ago after only barely having played for a few years, and I had a lot of learning to do. I found out that the suit that I'd spent probably a year, and many many many millions of gold, building was now useless, because reforged armor is just so much better.

Just like before, most loot is more or less junk - worth more in a salvage bag or unraveled than as real loot. It just takes a while to kinda get the "feel" for what is worth picking up and thinking about incorporating into a suit, and what isn't.

In some cases, a Lesser Magic Item that is just plain Swing Speed Increase: 10%, Stamina increase: 5, (used to make 210 stamina, max SSI archer suits) is worth more than a Major Artifact with stats that are all over the place.

 

[Basara]

On the side of keeping it, do note that in the last few years, changes occurred that improved the resists amounts that enhancing the piece gives, and that non-med armor gives innate LMC for a dexxer.

Enhance it, use it if it survives, and keep looking for better. I wouldn't waste a forged metal tool (for 100% success on enhance), but if it's the best you got, you might as well use it.

IMO, some people forget why people make/use stuff. It's not about just selling stuff.

 

[Dizzy]

<<I know the feeling. I came back about 15 months or so ago after only barely having played for a few years, and I had a lot of learning to do. I found out that the suit that I'd spent probably a year, and many many many millions of gold, building was now useless, because reforged armor is just so much better. >>

That's a big part of thereasonI don't want to buy something. I don't play enough to max out a suit and get the benefit - I want to build from own from t-hunting or dungeon crawling, then use my crafter to make the best pieces better. Recycle the rest.

<<IMO, some people forget why people make/use stuff. It's not about just selling stuff.>>

I don't have a vendor. I wish UO had ebay so I could just puit it up for bid, log in the next week and see what it sold for.

<<Enhance it, use it if it survives, and keep looking for better. I wouldn't waste a forged metal tool (for 100% success on enhance), but if it's the best you got, you might as well use it.>>

I generally keep the the best pieces as-is, and try to improve the 2nd best pieces if I think I can make it better than the first. Keeps gold costs down. I gather that this isn't a very good piece, but it's the best I have.

And I'm so incredibly rusty, it's been years. So "enhance" is a good word. Is that using a regular hammer and the right ingots to improve resists?

When do I enhance vs reforge vs imbue?

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

Either unravel it, or drop it in a trash can to collect the cleanup points...la

 

[Dizzy]

No. This is the Crafter's forum, not the dumpster forum.

 

[Basara]

And I'm so incredibly rusty, it's been years. So "enhance" is a good word. Is that using a regular hammer and the right ingots to improve resists?

When do I enhance vs reforge vs imbue?

Yes, enhancing is adding colored metal or leather to the items.

Reforging starts with an exceptional normal item made of base iron or leather.

Reforging and imbuing works nice when you have the runics.
When you have loot that actually has the room for imbuing, imbuing stuff is only rarely worth it (say, you get an item with 1 or 2 properties overcapped, and no other properties)

Enhancing is an option for stuff after reforging/imbuing, or for loot. You definitely don't want to do it before imbuing, as enhancing adds to the property weights. But, if successful, can make a so-so armor item much nicer, especially after the increases to the resist levels the materials add.