How many ectos are normal for a solo UW smites only run?

Ascalon Chariot

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Dec 2005

W/

16 Jan 2007 at 04:17 - 41

Ive probably done about 25 smite runs so far...Only got 1 ecto...Profitable? I think not. At least not for me.

tballz

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jul 2006

16 Jan 2007 at 05:19 - 42

Well , there is one cool thing about the lornar's pass underworld entrance. You can enter it at any time , it doesnt matter who has favor it will always be lit if you have 1 euro character and 1 american character.

The entrance is so far though that's its not really worth the time and effort just to do that and your better off just making 2 ritualist's 1 on euro and the other american and you'll get the same benefit.

Real1ty

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Oct 2006

Australia

Unlikely Hero

W/

16 Jan 2007 at 05:40 - 43

Quote:

Originally Posted by raps4life

the ecto drop rate from smites is less than .2%

the ecto drop rate from aataxes is 4%

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Bladed_Aatxe
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Smite_Crawler Those stats might be correct, BUT, you also need to take into account how many smites there are in comparison to Aatxes, and the extra time it takes to farm both.
Smites only Clearly wins.
Ive farmed both with Nec,Monk and now Warrior and Smites only is way better.

Railin

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2006

16 Jan 2007 at 08:42 - 44

2 days ago I did about 10~12 smite runs and got no ectos, just 1 key. But the day after I did around 15 runs and found 15 ectos. o_o I guess it's just luck

Cebe

The 5th Celestial Boss

Join Date: Jul 2006

Inverness, Scotland

The Cult of Scaro [WHO]

E/

16 Jan 2007 at 09:15 - 45

Originally Posted by dont feel no pain

I'll give you a scale of good luck t0 bad luck

43322222111111111111110000000000000000
<--- Uber Luck ----- Lucky ----- Normal --->

if that makes sense lol haha That makes perfect sense. Couldn't have said it better myself. You get a lot of "0"s and "1"s....the not too often much above that.

Riceboi

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2005

16 Jan 2007 at 10:46 - 46

On a smite run I did this afternoon I actually had 5 ecto drop for me. I was literally jumping out of my chair. lol

Gonzo

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2006

Netherlands

Defenders of the Blackblade [DotB]

W/

16 Jan 2007 at 10:57 - 47

I've done about 6 runs, gotten 4 ectos and 1 black dye.

ACreator

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Sep 2006

Mo/

16 Jan 2007 at 13:37 - 48

personaly I get much more ectos from aataxes than smites, even through they are much more in numbers..

Shadows Assasin X

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Dec 2006

Clarksville, TN

We Came From Candy [Land]

A/E

16 Jan 2007 at 14:42 - 49

Yeah, me and my guildee run a dual monk build we made. We normally get one ecto (per person) per run. So 2 ectos usually drop for us. Last night we did 4 runs and got 0 ectos so yeah i guess it is random.

Straegaard

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Oct 2006

Me/

16 Jan 2007 at 15:19 - 50

Originally Posted by Dmevi

I ve Done UW alot,,,

ive made runs with duo monk / SS / trapper / fasttrap / warrior....

al i ever got was 8 ectos iin a bout 45 runs:\\\

That sucked like hell!

but now for some reason i made the SS ele and i get sometimes 3 other runs 2 and sometimes 1 and 0 f course, but i had 0 for a veeery long time.. and now ive farmed 34 ecto and 130k in 4 days UW farming (just after school)

w00t

i can see my money pile rise and my fow armor getting closer.

My advice is: Keep on trying.. worked at me (though my friend is 2 FOW armors ahead of me now.....)
I'd be more than happy to get 8ectos in 45 minutes. Yesterday I solo farmed smites with my ritualist for an hour (about 4 runs) and got 1, ONE -,-, ecto out of it >_> now THAT sucks

DRGN

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Nov 2005

In Memorium [iBot]

Mo/A

16 Jan 2007 at 18:37 - 51

Originally Posted by raps4life

the ecto drop rate from smites is less than .2%

the ecto drop rate from aataxes is 4%

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Bladed_Aatxe
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Smite_Crawler First of all, the smite drop rate is less than 2%, not .2% as you said(not nitpicking, but you made it look 10 times lower than it actually is). Second, think about how many smites there are in contrast to the number of Aatxes, especially in terms of accessibility. There's usually 13-14 in the main chamber, 4 on the way to the smites, and 5-6 scattered around, usually mixed with Darkness and (sometimes multiple) Nightmares. The Ice Wastes usually has something in the neighborhood of 30-40 Smites on a bad/good spawn(these are going by my memory of spawn points of these mobs. You can sometimes get more/less smites depending on if you can get to the mob where they usually kill each other, if the Colds kill the smites or vice-versa(Colds usually win this because its typically Smites + Colds vs random smites)) Third, Aatxes have somewhere around 1100-1200 HP, perma-Mending, and 80 AL. Smites have 60 AL, about 550-600 HP, and no natural regen. The smites' power is easily wiped out with an SV/AV, whereas Aatxes still have their high armor, health, and regen.

While it may or may not be true that Aatxe drop ecto at a higher rate, it takes significantly more effort to farm them. As was previously mentioned, Wiki =/= absolute word. If you look at the drop rates more closely, the Smite rate is based of for 2,234 smites and 1498 Aatxe: with an average of 30-40 smites a run, that's about 56-76 runs; that's hardly a definitive study in relation to the hundreds of people who farm UW each day for multiple runs a night. Hell, if we all judged the profitability of it by evilsod's data I think the smites would do /wrists out of sheer loneliness.

One final note about the drop rate articles: If you look closely at them, you'll see that it's hardly an extensive study. ONE PERSON submitted 83% of the drop rate for smites. 83%. Maybe he just has extended bad luck like many other people around here seem to. One person's(and I do mean that quite literally) drop rate is not enough to render pages upon pages of people's thoughts obsolete just because it has the nice little Wiki formatting to it.