Leveling Armor

winged_tortoise

Hi. This is the third of my struggling new player posts. The first two asked about upping my DPS and using the games block and dodge mechanics. This one asks about armor.

A few days ago I hit level 15 and now I can’t finish any of my quests. I’m trying to figure out what to do differently. I this post I hope to address where to find good armor and how good of armor I will need to progress.

So far I’ve gotten all of my armor from questing. That’s the best way, right? Right now I’m questing in Daggerfall. Earlier I cleared Stross m’Kai and Beknikh. Does this sound good?

Is there a better way to get armor? How good of armor do I need? I’m currently level 15. Some of my armor is still level 6. I assume this is normal.

Also, as a Stamina Dragon Knight I should focus on Stamina Gear, right? have one heavy piece, one light piece and the rest medium? Should put my heavy in the chest, head or legs? And should have my light in the hand or belt, right? Should I do anything else?

Thanks for the help!

VaranisArano

Its fine to get your armor from questing, but be aware that you will get more benefits from armor that's close to your level. Between 5 to 10 levels below, I tend to start feeling very squishy.

Other ways to get armor include running group dungeons, opening chests, killing delve bosses, and crafting. Which way is "best" depends on how you like to play.

As a Stamina DK, you'll want to wear mostly medium armor, but don't sweat wearing heavy and light pieces. It can be handy to have those lines leveled if you later decide to tank or be a MagDK instead.

malistorr

There is no right or wrong here IMO. What worked for me was just spending all of my time as a pre-level 50 character just running around doing single player quests. Whatever armor I found along the way I would wear. As you level, so will your gear. Once you hit level 50 you will start earning your champion points. And once you're at Chamption level 160 you hit the gear cap. That means any gear you get after that point will be equal no matter your Champion Point (CP) level. At that point it's worth spending the time to farm dungeons and trials for whatever gear you think is best. Many people just feel it's not worth the time and effort to farm gear that will quickly become under-powered as you are leveling up. Save all your materials for crafting and by the time you hit level 50 and CP 160, you get a couple nice sets and hopefully you have enough materials and skill in crafting to be able to improve the gear to at least purple and maybe even gold (like for the weapon). I really had fun prior to being CP 160 just doing single player quests and staying away from 4-player dungeons and trials. If you try to do a quest and you're failing badly, you can group up with other players or just come back to it later when you're more powerful. I think I did just the single player content on Summerset and ran around killing everything along the way and by the time I was done I was CP 160 and ready to go explore the rest of the ESO world, start doing 4-player dungeons, and farming real gear sets and improving them.

JumpmanLane

Always wear at least 1 of each armor type so it’s 50 when you hit level 50.

Get someone to craft you some level appropriate Hunding’s Rage training gear. Run whatever trash else you pick up because until you hit cp 160 and stop outleveling your gear it won’t matter much.

winged_tortoise

Thanks!
You all bring up another question. I always have a heavy piece if armor on. So far my Heavy Armir skill tree has not leveled. Is this normal. My Light and Medium trees are humming along, but my Heavy is still stuck at level 1. Is wearing a heavy piece of armor enough to advance the Heavy Armor Skill Tree?

Hookgrin

You need to equip 3 pieces of the same armor type to "unlock" the tree, but it has been leveling the whole time you have been wearing at least one.

winged_tortoise

Awesome, thanks Hook! I’ll look for some heavy gear!

zvavi

Join a guild and ask them to craft you two low lvl sets, ez.

winged_tortoise

Thanks!
I’m working on my ability to craft Hunding’s. Question, what trait should I put on each of the pieces?

Would it make sense to confine my research to those traits so that I can make Stamina DPS Armor?

Would it also make sense to research training so I can gear my alts?

I’m currently level 24

Cundu_Ertur

I bought a chest and keep 5 different levels of a full set of gear in it (armor, weapons, jewelry). Starting at about level 8 I start using those sets instead of whatever garbage I come across. The first several levels go quickly enough, it isn't a problem. Maybe eventually I'll whip up a full set of gear for level 4 or so, but it's a pretty low priority for me.

For the under 50 armor, I put training on everything except the weapons and jewelry. Weapons I would do different things just to try things out, I forget what exactly. My main is over SP160, so I didn't bother with any CP armor at all -- each toon gets their own custom set once they hit 50 since they are at armor cap at that point.

It's a pretty good idea to get a craft main or primary alt to make your own stuff; but it isn't terribly hard to find people who will make stuff for you.

AcadianPaladin

One reason many players wear 5 of their primary armor and 1 each of the other two types is to optimize the top level Undaunted skill line passive which gives you more attributes for wearing multiple types of armor.

'Big' pieces of armor (chest, legs, head) pack more 'armor' so I'd put the one heavy piece on chest or legs (leaving the head available for more flexibility when it comes to monster helm sets later.

Those big pieces also give you more value for your enchantments so many PvE folks trait big pieces with infused. Divines is a very good trait so many PvE players trait all the rest of their armor with that.

idk

VaranisArano wrote: »

Its fine to get your armor from questing, but be aware that you will get more benefits from armor that's close to your level. Between 5 to 10 levels below, I tend to start feeling very squishy.

Other ways to get armor include running group dungeons, opening chests, killing delve bosses, and crafting. Which way is "best" depends on how you like to play.

As a Stamina DK, you'll want to wear mostly medium armor, but don't sweat wearing heavy and light pieces. It can be handy to have those lines leveled if you later decide to tank or be a MagDK instead.

From a new player perspective I suggest this advice. As an experienced player I tend to craft armor 3x and go about 20 levels before crafting again then about 10 more because I am going into PvP at that point.

I have leveled up characters without the benefit of CP on the alt server and alt account which is closest to a new player experience as I can achieve at this point. I wore what dropped and nothing more the entire experience which was pretty much like I leveled up for the first time 5 years ago.

What you can do though is join a good social guild. Farm the materials needed and ask someone to craft some armor for you (training trait for XP bonus) and that will help keep you in fresh armor with a set bonus of your choice. Hundings rage for stam and Juliao for magicka are goof 5 pc to start with. If magicka I would suggest either 5 pc Gift of Magnus or Armor of the Seducer. Both have good sustain which you will find lacking without CP. You can get cheap enchantments at many enchanting locations from an NPC nearby.

Just my thoughts.

winged_tortoise

Thanks, IDK!

Question, should I just learn 5 traits and craft the armor myself? Is that 5 traits total or 5 traits per piece of armor?

Also, what item level should I go for? Blue (Superior)?

Wolfpaw

Have you taken advantage of crafting yet? Especially cooking, enchanter, & alchemy. Always have food buff going as it will help a lot, & make up the difference of lower level gear you have yet replaced.

Also equip armor that's an upgrade even if it doesn't follow 5m, 1h, 1L.

Imo leveling is a great time to level skills of all kind, armor, & try new things out. Since everything can be changed for a small amount of gold you can't screw anything up.

I wouldnt bother crafting a 5set pre 160cp. When you get to low lvl dungeon running just farm out sets..easy xp.

Gl

idk

winged_tortoise wrote: »

Thanks, IDK!

Question, should I just learn 5 traits and craft the armor myself? Is that 5 traits total or 5 traits per piece of armor?

Also, what item level should I go for? Blue (Superior)?

I suggest you learn all the traits. Use one character for armor and weapons (since motifs are locked to one character for crafting) and another character for potions, provisioning and enchanting. Any character for jewelry but it is better used for changing traits.

But in the meantime you can work to get someone else to help with crafting. Often in guilds there is someone willing to craft you armor for just the cost of matts. I have received some tips but never worried about it. That same guild can be a great source for other areas of the game such as doing dungeons. Avoid GF as that is a dice roll as to who you will get.

winged_tortoise

Thanks idk!

GF?
What do you mean by locked motifs?

Right now I have one character. He does writs for all crafts. Is that counter productive? I just figured I would have to find a lot of shards for the skill points.

Cundu_Ertur

idk wrote: »

winged_tortoise wrote: »

Thanks, IDK!

Question, should I just learn 5 traits and craft the armor myself? Is that 5 traits total or 5 traits per piece of armor?

Also, what item level should I go for? Blue (Superior)?

I suggest you learn all the traits. Use one character for armor and weapons (since motifs are locked to one character for crafting) and another character for potions, provisioning and enchanting. Any character for jewelry but it is better used for changing traits.

But in the meantime you can work to get someone else to help with crafting. Often in guilds there is someone willing to craft you armor for just the cost of matts. I have received some tips but never worried about it. That same guild can be a great source for other areas of the game such as doing dungeons. Avoid GF as that is a dice roll as to who you will get.

I would suggest putting all crafts on one char. Yes, the skill cost is fairly high, but a lot of the furnishing recipes use multiple crafts. There's enough skill points floating around to manage it without being crippled.

For a 5-trait craftable set, you need to know 5 traits for each separate item. If you have 3 or four traits known for everything except greaves, and you know 5 traits for that, you can only make the greaves with a 5-trait bonus.

Wolfpaw

Group finder-

I don't play alts, so my main is my master crafter, a preference is all.

winged_tortoise

Great! Thanks, idk...oh, ok, I get the motifs part, thanks!

Awesome, Cundu! Time to research!

idk

Cundu_Ertur wrote: »

idk wrote: »

winged_tortoise wrote: »

Thanks, IDK!

Question, should I just learn 5 traits and craft the armor myself? Is that 5 traits total or 5 traits per piece of armor?

Also, what item level should I go for? Blue (Superior)?

I suggest you learn all the traits. Use one character for armor and weapons (since motifs are locked to one character for crafting) and another character for potions, provisioning and enchanting. Any character for jewelry but it is better used for changing traits.

But in the meantime you can work to get someone else to help with crafting. Often in guilds there is someone willing to craft you armor for just the cost of matts. I have received some tips but never worried about it. That same guild can be a great source for other areas of the game such as doing dungeons. Avoid GF as that is a dice roll as to who you will get.

I would suggest putting all crafts on one char. Yes, the skill cost is fairly high, but a lot of the furnishing recipes use multiple crafts. There's enough skill points floating around to manage it without being crippled.

For a 5-trait craftable set, you need to know 5 traits for each separate item. If you have 3 or four traits known for everything except greaves, and you know 5 traits for that, you can only make the greaves with a 5-trait bonus.

In the beginning it is a challenge that can impede other areas of development which is why I suggested otherwise. From experience starting day one 5 years ago I did try leveling all up and found it to be more costly than it was worth.

Considering the low cost of most crafted food I focused on armor and weapons on the first character and consumables on the others. Granted, I eventually gained far more SP than I was using and now have all crafts on all characters but would never suggest someone limited themselves in actual game play early on.

winged_tortoise

Excited! A guild mate is making me my first research set of gear! I’ve farmed the mats and am ready to step up the research part of my game.

No swanky gear yet, but I’m more focused on being ready for the end game. Over the last week I’ve learned a lot about surviving and seem a little less fragile.

Thanks for all the help!