Easiest Destroyer Core Farm - Glints Challenge - All Professions [+W/RT-HM]

I have also done it with my monk, not sure if I have a screenie =D, I'll check asap

Quote:

This build rocks, got like 15 destroyer cores in 20 min.

I’m hesitant to start a new thread for this, as I think it fits so well with the original topic. Don't Feel No Pain, I’m sorry if this hijacks your thread, but I got to wondering if EoE actually did decrease the number of drops. So I put together a little test to find out, and here are the results.

The purpose of this experiment is threefold:

(1. I was bored and needed something to do in between the “Time to Start: 30 seconds” waits

(2. To prove or disprove that using EoE significantly affects the rate at which items drop

(3. To establish average drop rates for items while farming Glint’s Challenge

Here’s the technical stuff. Ignore this if you don’t care about statistics

Equipment: To test, I'm using a Lvl 20 R/Rt with full Pyrebound Norn Armor, and no other upgrades.

My skill bar is, from left to right: Vengeful Was Khanhei, Vengeful Weapon, Storm Chaser, and “I Am Unstoppable!" at Norn Rank 6. My character wields an Ebon Summit Axe of Enchanting w/ +5 Energy and a Victo’s Bulwark (-2 Damage while in Stance, HP +30).

Pyre Fierceshot is wearing no armor upgrades except for a Superior Wilderness Survival. He is equipped w/ Quickening Zephyr, Conflagration, Greater Conflagration, and Serpents Quickness. For 25 runs, he will be equipped with Edge of Extinction; for the remaining 25 runs this skill will be disabled.

The Method: See OP's original guide for technique. A run is considered successful only if the First Wave is completed. Incomplete runs were not logged.
At about 4.5 minutes per run, one sample spans a little less than two hours. In my opinion, this is the minimum sample required to give a baseline comparison. I would have liked to go longer, but this literally took over 10 hours to finish - I simply don't have the time. I will, however, continue to populate my sheet over time.

Data fields being recorded are as follows - White Items, Blue Items, Purple Items, Gold Items, Destroyer Cores, Gold Pieces, Dyes, and Lock picks. (I believe that separating the Lock picks and Dyes into their own categories is important, as it should be a separate drop system from collectible/martial drops.)

Gold dropped is also tabulated. Please note that this is gold which was dropped by foes, not earned from the challenge, and the quantity is prior to pickup, i.e. has not been divided among the party.


This is being tested in NM - I don't know how this would change in HM!!!

On to the non-boring stuff, please!

Raw Data -
With EoE (Sample A):
Average Number of Destroyer Core Drops: 1.6 per run
Average Number of White Items: 3.56 per run
Average Number of Blue Items: 1.24 per run
Average Number of Purple Items: .16 per run
Average Number of Gold Items: .08 per run
Average Number of Lockpicks: .08 per run
Average Gold Pieces per run: 25.64g

Without EoE (Sample B):
Average Number of Destroyer Core Drops: 1.76 per run
Average Number of White Items: 3.52 per run
Average Number of Blue Items: 1.04 per run
Average Number of Purple Items: .2 per run
Average Number of Gold Items:.08 per run
Average number of Lockpicks: .0 per run
Average Gold Pieces per run: 34.08g

TOTALS:
With EoE:
Total Number of White Drops: 89
Total Number of Blue Drops: 31
Total Number of Purple Drops: 4
Total Number of Gold Drops: 2
Total Number of Lock Picks: 2
Total Number of Destroyer Cores: 40
Total Number of Dyes: 10
Total Number of Gold Pieces: 641

Without EoE:
Total Number of White Drops: 88
Total Number of Blue Drops: 26
Total Number of Purple Drops: 5
Total Number of Gold Drops: 2
Total Number of Lock Picks: 0
Total Number of Destroyer Cores: 44
Total Number of Dyes: 4
Total Number of Gold Pieces: 852

Analysis:
The data is pretty self-explanatory. 25 runs using EoE netted 40 Destroyer cores or an average of 1.6 per run, while not using EoE earned me 44 cores at 1.76 per run, a difference of only .16 per run. Although the sample B runs did return 4 more cores, I’m sure that with further testing this would flatten out, and was a the result of a small sample group.

While item drops themselves were almost exactly the same (121 without EoE / 126 with EoE) the number of Dyes and lock picks were significantly higher while using EoE. As with the minor difference in Destroyer Cores, I believe that this is caused by the small sample group.

From these statistics, we can assume that the general trend followed by the two sample groups will continue, and that EoE does NOT significantly affect drop rates. I did find that I was able to clear the groups slightly faster, and there was a noticeable difference in overall pressure as the large group at the beginning was quickly destroyed. However, having EoE equipped did not seem to make a drastic change; this may be different in some other builds that have a different profession or method.

Bottom line: use EoE if you'd like or if it makes it easier for you. I don't believe that it would reduce the number of drops. As stated earlier, this data is for NM only, and may change in HM.

I welcome any and all comments and criticism, and I would be happy to send my original sheets to anyone who would like to review it themselves.

Got stupid question, we farm all of it ? or only first wave ?

Second, to necro players, do you ever come to use those necro death magic skills ? Couse I barely have energy to spam the veng weapon, i'm unstopable and vwk xD

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EDIT
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I will now try to go 14 soul reaping + 12 restor -> no energy problem, will tell ya how it went.

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EDIT2
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Yep, better strategy for Necro (N/Rt) is to go soul reaping.

I got like this:
12 Restoration
12+1+1 Soul Reaping

Eq:
Herald's Insignia on whole armor
3*Rune of vitae
1*Major Vigor
1*Minor Soul Reaping
Weapon axe/sword/spear +5e+30hp
Shield +30hp

Skill template: OAhiYwhMZxQ8UVRTiTCAAAAAAA

Skills:
VWK, Vengeful Weapon, Signet of Lost Souls, "I am Unstopable!", Feel no pain.

Hero goes:
Wildernes 16
Expertise 13 (dunno what for xD)

Skill template: OgAScZMHIf7RHAAAAAAA


Skills:
Serpent Quickness, Quickening Zephyr, Greater Conflagration (also dunno what for couse necro dont get any armor for ele dmg xD )

Will make movie if anyone would like to see.