Serpent Axe Drops...

Stealth Assassin

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2006

Florida

Rt/Me

12 May 2007 at 04:18 - 1

Serpent Axes are a very rare drop, like an Ele Sword, and also they drop pretty randomly, no specific area as Wiki states.

Let's try to to break it it down... Hard mode has opened many doors into the farming world. Colossal Scimitars, a rare skinned weapon used to hardly ever drop, now has a relatively high drop rate compared to it's droprate before HM. Additionally, the gold drop rate is higher. So, no doubt that you'd be using HM to even have a chance of getting one of these.

So what does this rare weapon drop from? Well according to Wiki, a variety of monsters drop this weapon:

Afflicted Warrior
Naga
Sickened Guard (Warrior)

I don't know about you, but what really stands out to me is the Sickened Guard. Remember those guys on n00b island while doing the missions? Well, if you haven't caught it yet.. some of them actually wield a Serpent Axe. This assures me that they could have a chance of dropping that weapon. The area that I have found alot of these guys is in the explorable part of Minister Cho's Estate. On Hard Mode, there might be a chance for these guards to drop their Serpent Axe. Not to mention, this is probably an easy area to solo. There's a hell lot of melee, so most of the solo builds will work.

Quoted from Wiki: Quote:

Serpent Axes are a random drop. While they do not seem to drop in any specific area, they are one of the rarest items in the game. Serpent Axes usually drop at or near max damage.

Lower level Serpent axes (white and blue) drop often on the Shing Jea Island. Once again, here's where HM comes into play, those whites and non max's could become a gold max dmg drop in HM.

The other enemies I'm not sure about, but I'm definently going to look into this area, as it could potentially have some nice stuff. If anyone has any info on Serpent Axes, especially any confirmation on enemies that actually dropped one, please post!

Julia-Louis Dreyfus

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2007

12 May 2007 at 04:20 - 2

i heard of people trying minister cho's estate on hard mode, i tried it myself with no luck. not sure if its the mission, or explorable though

ShadowsRequiem

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Oct 2005

Inde is Smoking [Hawt] *ToA*

W/E

12 May 2007 at 04:30 - 3

yes they do drop, same with max dmg gold crude axes which were never found with max dmg before.

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

12 May 2007 at 04:53 - 4

Yeah, sickened guards in the mission drop them. I haven't gotten a good one yet, but max yes.

Geishe

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

The Agonized

Rt/Mo

12 May 2007 at 05:08 - 5

I got a Req. 9 Serpent Axe from minister cho's estate. So yes, its possible.

terrible mods though >.<

??iljo

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2006

12 May 2007 at 06:51 - 6

gold?
Care to give a screenshot?

Geishe

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

The Agonized

Rt/Mo

12 May 2007 at 07:29 - 7

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10156156

I have it on the price check forum currently if you want to take a look.

??iljo

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2006

12 May 2007 at 08:37 - 8

i meant a screenshot of a monster dropping it...

lacasner

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jun 2006

12 May 2007 at 11:18 - 9

I've been soloing most of minister cho's estate and getting rubish so far, although I did get spiked clubs and white serpent axes

Diddy bow

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Oct 2006

Jawsome!!!!!!!!!!!

looking for one :p

A/D

12 May 2007 at 12:43 - 10

I got ONE gold serpent axe from a sickend dude, but it was rubbish

Geishe

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

The Agonized

Rt/Mo

12 May 2007 at 15:17 - 11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Šiljo

i meant a screenshot of a monster dropping it... Well I didnt take one, guess you just have to trust me, don't you?

Brute Swords, Daodao Swords, PLENTY of runes...

Minister Cho's Estate is a fairly good place to farm. Just farming the little temple area takes around 4 minutes.

I use VwK.

chessyang

Not far from Elite

Join Date: Apr 2006

Florida

12 May 2007 at 16:26 - 12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Šiljo

i meant a screenshot of a monster dropping it... ya it's normal mode. plz don't ask what i was doing

. Trying hard mode atm
sorry to lazy to crop it and make it fit so click here for original picture

ReVel4tion

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2006

12 May 2007 at 23:19 - 13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geishe

Well I didnt take one, guess you just have to trust me, don't you?

Brute Swords, Daodao Swords, PLENTY of runes...

Minister Cho's Estate is a fairly good place to farm. Just farming the little temple area takes around 4 minutes.

I use VwK.
mission or explorable area?

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

12 May 2007 at 23:39 - 14

not gold, but...

Geishe

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

The Agonized

Rt/Mo

13 May 2007 at 01:44 - 15

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReVel4tion

mission or explorable area? explorable

1234

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

13 May 2007 at 07:25 - 16

mines from mission

MetalMan

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2007

Some Guild.

W/Mo

13 May 2007 at 09:04 - 17

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowsRequiem

yes they do drop, same with max dmg gold crude axes which were never found with max dmg before. Are max damage gold crude axes rare then? I think i still have one...

But, back to the point, i've only ever had a couple serpent axe drops, only ever white and in minister cho's so it seems a good place to start.

SolusX

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2007

Mo/

13 May 2007 at 12:32 - 18

Crude are not rare.

fb2000

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

13 May 2007 at 13:03 - 19

Crude Canthan skin are..

you can get such drops in cantha now :
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s...00/serpent.jpg
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s...2000/crude.jpg

badasschris

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2007

13 May 2007 at 21:03 - 20

fb2000 may i ask where thoes dropped? ive tried for ages in minister cho's estate and best was a 6-25 white serpent.

ockwell

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2006

[ITIL]

14 May 2007 at 01:32 - 21

Quote:

Originally Posted by SolusX

Crude are not rare. And so aren't Serpent Axes.

Dropped from Cho.

But the thing with non-inscribable items is that people can flock-farm the mobs that drop them and they still have a decent value as long as the skin is desirable (talking about 15^50 low req). Cus not everyone will get a 15^50 with low req.
Maybe not as high anymore, but still decent.

Btw, this serpent still sold for 100k after HM was already out.

Cho is an awful place to farm tho, money is awful, only 500-1k per 8 minutes run.

But this place drop some of the rarest item in game (well, before HM came out) like mammoth, broadsword, and tribal.

Another:

I don't think this one is sell-able tho, gonna customize it for Koss

General DS

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Sep 2006

pie land

Fate Worse than Death

14 May 2007 at 01:59 - 22

If only i knew these were rare sooner...

I found 2 gold req 9, 1 with 15>50, 1 with +5 energy
and 2 other gold req 10 and req 12.

I could be pretty rich compared to my usual standards right now...

I found these while vanquishing shing jea, 1 from mantid, 1 from sickened guard, 1 from naga, 1 from locked chest.

it doesnt say they drop from mantid/mantis ( i cant remember what 1 is on shing jea), but they do

Denetor Pl

Academy Page

Join Date: Mar 2006

MGG

Mo/N

16 May 2007 at 08:35 - 23

Drop for me in Minister Cho's Estate

http://img503.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dfradflx8.jpg

Tsunami Rain

mmmmmmmm pie.

Join Date: Aug 2005

Honolulu, Hawaii

Favorable Winds [Gust]

Mo/

16 May 2007 at 09:31 - 24

I've been doing a little testing about a week ago for serpant axes. It seems I'm always tagged for farming so maybe someone can come out and give me a clear report if anything else drops.

heres the two areas:

start off in tsumei village (on hard mode)
go out to Panjiang peninsula and head south east to the cave (near by the bridge near the southern most point). In that cave are a bunch of naga. I've farmed them with my 55 monk/dervish build (will talk about that later) but they've only droped purples (then again I've been tagged for farming).

The other spot is this:

You start in tsumei village (hard mode) and have the naga source mission with you. Head to the mission objective area (that other cave-like area) out in sunqua vale. There you will find another large group of naga (they have mesmers and such). Now I havent tried THIS exact farm because my monk already did the naga source mission. It just occured to me that it may work.

Anyway heres the build:

55 Monk Dervish

smite 16
prot 12
divine 8
earth 8

ps, soa, mystic regen, soj, blessed sig, essence bond, balthazar's spirit, blessed aura

Owok4wPJUtiT94uyeNIpE9h8AgA

not saying this will drop a gold serpant axe but if nagas do drop them this may work.

Pyro maniac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

16 May 2007 at 10:02 - 25

I have been doing the 'cave' run for a while in Panjiang peninsula

in about 20 runs, I only got a non-max white serpent axe.
Build I used was a SoA 55 hp with either SS or SV.

AscalonWarrior

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2006

Kokkola, Finland

Mo/

16 May 2007 at 11:36 - 26

I've done few runs in Cave and in Sunqua Vale, nothing amazing yet, few gold Sunqua Blades.

PS. SS is alot faster than SoJ

onerabbit

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Mar 2006

Thanks to all the guru [mods]

16 May 2007 at 20:33 - 27

Erm .. i did my 1st run fine .. even got a crude Axe.

so i ent wout again and my enchants started being stripped =o

did i do something wrong or is there enimies u got to skip

{Chos estate Explorable}

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

16 May 2007 at 20:48 - 28

onerabbit

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Mar 2006

Thanks to all the guru [mods]

16 May 2007 at 21:06 - 29

I did the mission, but togo died -.-

managed 2 kill ~20 foes thhough .. i guess its easier and quicker.

Avatar Exico

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2006

Way to Cold at Home:Illnois and School:Iowa.

We Trip Hard On [AcID]

16 May 2007 at 21:19 - 30

Quote:

Originally Posted by lennymon

Minister Cho's explorable has afflicted mesmers, which strip enchants...afflicted necros which have order of apostasy (which strips enchants) AND sickened servants with starburst (which goes through prots). Enjoy those guys. Rt VWK?
Personally I just do the mission... Those Allicted Memers on Hard Mode dont have Stip Skill. Iv 55 there about 5 times alrdy and they dont use any Strip Skill because it Noob Island Monsters Skils just Buff up with a Elite addded in is all. So 55 Mo/N works awsome in Minster Cho's Explored Area they die faster with SS.

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

16 May 2007 at 21:38 - 31

ah, neato, perhaps Ill play around there just for the plagueborn stuf. Anyways, the sickened guards are gonna drop the serpent axes primarily I think, and there are about 20 in the first part of the mission. The only trick to it is to aggro well ahead of togo...

edit: I should also add fyi, the [wiki]Afflicted Horror[/wiki] drops plagueborn mauls about half the time if yer into those.

Avatar Exico

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2006

Way to Cold at Home:Illnois and School:Iowa.

We Trip Hard On [AcID]

16 May 2007 at 21:50 - 32

I like to Farm the Explored Area is easier and been careful what you see to take on and it awsome Xp when you get to the Sickened Pets.

TarjaTeOrteyn

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2007

Death By [Emo]

16 May 2007 at 22:26 - 33

I've been farming both Mission and Explorable...in explorable it seems to me that there arn't enough sickened gaurds to make it worthwhile...I did however get a gold req 11 15% in stance serpant in the mission...only problem it seems it that what drops depends heavily on who lands the killing blow...if Togo or Yigo do you get either a white or nothing 99% of the time imo...any input would be appreciated

6am3 Fana71c

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Oct 2006

16 May 2007 at 23:27 - 34

I did Estate yesterday, got 8 gold items, but all of em were crap... and no Serpents

I did it again today, no gold items AT ALL.... only purples, bunch of purples... this is gettin overfarmed i guess...gonna try that cave lol

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

17 May 2007 at 00:01 - 35

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarjaTeOrteyn

I've noticed a similar trend, but don't have enough data to support a real theory there yet. I run SV and vamp gaze though and the damage togo and yijo put out is pathetic so they really need to get lucky to kill something.

bodyboarder

retired

Join Date: Jun 2006

18 May 2007 at 14:13 - 36

ok so i was doing the urgoz farm ( like everyone

) and then this dropped..

its only white and was only 5-25 but these guy must have the potential to drop max golds ones...anyone else had one drop in urgoz?

QoH

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Nov 2005

Divine Beings

18 May 2007 at 16:48 - 37

i got 2 serpents so far in Urgoz, one white non max crap and one blue non max crap

warpedheat101

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2006

Knights In The Garage [BEEP]

Mo/A

18 May 2007 at 17:01 - 38

Quote:

Originally Posted by lennymon

Minister Cho's explorable has afflicted mesmers, which strip enchants...afflicted necros which have order of apostasy (which strips enchants) AND sickened servants with starburst (which goes through prots). Enjoy those guys. Rt VWK?
Personally I just do the mission... i've farmed there more than 70 times and mesmers dont strip enchants...necros are easy hide behind a wall and cast ss on him then you wont be stripped...and starburst hasnt gone through prots any of the times i've done it

Marth Reynolds

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2006

The Netherlands

The Lore Enforcers

Me/A

18 May 2007 at 18:05 - 39

Quote:

Originally Posted by warpedheat101

i've farmed there more than 70 times and mesmers dont strip enchants...necros are easy hide behind a wall and cast ss on him then you wont be stripped...and starburst hasnt gone through prots any of the times i've done it [skill]shield of judgment[/skill][skill]stone striker[/skill][skill]shielding hands[/skill][skill]protective spirit[/skill][skill]restful breeze[/skill][skill]essence bond[/skill][skill]balthazar's spirit[/skill][skill]blessed aura[/skill]
This works pretty decent for the estate (explorable), stone striker is only needed vs afflicted necromancers, it can't kill the afflicted ele + necromancers groups tough to much degen.
Drops are decent here but the sickend gaurds with bows often drop the best for me.
Essence bond and stone striker don't work together to well it seems, does anyone know a way around essonce bond most of the times not triggering with stone striker on?

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

18 May 2007 at 18:34 - 40

I find the necro/ele pairs not too bad with the SV nec, but I run spirit bond, healing breeze AND vamp gaze. As long as you go in with full energy that is since the degen is horrific. Spirit bond triggers a LOT in those fights

FYI: Starburst issue, resolved at least for the exploreable, and I see now that the Cho mesmers dont carry the full skillset (thank goodness). Starburst in the mission (there's a servant immediately following the menagerie who I've tested this on): I hit PS, aggro well ahead of Togo/Yijo and he comes right for me and starbursts every time. Every time I've died... with prot spirit, without Togo/Yijo close enough to trigger Star Burst's aoe. It seems normal in the explorable though.