Scarab Drops

I am trying to obtain the desert collectors sword at the mo, It requires five jade mandibles which are dropped by those pesky scarabs. In the last few days i have taken countless trips out of amnoon oasis (the exit near the henchies) and eliminated every scarab i can find, So far i have collected 1 mandible???!!

Is there anything i can do to increase drops ( do a rain dance or something) or is there anywhere else where they drop more frequently?
Next i'm gonna go get a sheild which requires 5 massive jawbones which sand giants drop and i hope i'm not gonna have the same problem.

you could just buy the collector materials

Just go out and get poisoned more. You should get your share of them.

Like always, to increase the drops, go with as few henchmen possible. And if your with people ask them before to give you the jade mandible drops in return of your drop.

The CCS in the desert needs 5 bleached shells, not massive jawbones.

The Stance CCS isnt the only shield in the desert.

Anyway - GO out with as few henchies as possible to kill them. FEwer people means more of the drops are allocated to you.

The hexed one outside of Rankor is much easier to get.

Its the hexed sheild i'm going after not the bleached shells enchanted one, hence the need for massive jawbones.

Five griffon wings at Rankor gets you the same shield.

best advice.. go look around all the dessert places..and just kill in that one place.if nothing is dropping or to the second populated place..or go into a town wanting to buy em

Best place for massive jawbones is at the beginning of the Thirsty River mission. There's 4 sand giants right near the beginning, once you dispatch of a few devourers.

There is also a batch of scarabs north east of Seekers, where the belated betrothal and the crafter quests are. It is a pretty easy run up there, just hae to fight a few hydras and storm riders. Over by the wooden stairs or go through the hole on the left hand side of the middle wood wall and you can safely get to a bunch of scarabs there by the portal.

If you have the "Monk's Path" quest, its only a short hop from Elona to an entire nest of Scarabs...

Thanks for the input everyone, I may try taking less henchies but i just hate those scarab's filthy little necro paws all over me.

As for griffon wings i got plenty of them! Now where is rankor again? i get confused sometimes

Is that wings from the desert or wings from the mountains - 2 different items. Camp Rankor is north of Droknar's Forge.

If you were farming the same place over and over you may have been reducing the drop rate, a little device Anet put in to discourage farming.

kc - I see that you are a W/Mo. The best way to kill the scarabs solo (without henchmen) is to (1) wear the lieutenants helm from Henge of Denravi to reduce the duration of their hexes; (2) do NOT bring any skills that create conditions such as bleeding or deep wound (because they will put them back on you with Plague Touch (3) do not put on any enchantments, such as mending, etc. because they will strip them and do damage to you with chilibains and (4) bring a few healing spells, such as healing signet, orison of healing, etc.

You'll find that these guys are actually not that hard if you make sure you take away their primary weapons, which are plague touch and chilibains.

Aaahh that'll be frosted griffon wings then! Ah think ah'll stick to me massive jawbones in that case.

And Jetdoc... The leiutenants helm....Thats a good idea..i like that one!

Rock scarabs also drop Jade Mandibles, and they're much easier to kill than their necro brethren. Lots can be found outside Thirsty River and are easy to solo.

As for Massive Jawbones, I like to exit Destiny Gorge towards Thirsty River, take a left past all the griffons and kill all the sand giants along the sand dunes. About 20 or so there, and they usually travel in groups of three.