Before LEaving Pre...

OK.

I am a level 6 W/N

What should I have acomplished and what should I have on me before leaving the training grounds?

The most important is to get the res signet and a belt pouch, both available to the left right outside Ascalon. That's about it, I left at level 7.

That's about it?!? Those things are important, but they can be aquired as soon as you hit post-searing as well. The most important thing is get all the skills for your proffessions that you can dig up. I've heard many a sad tale about people who missed skills in pre-searing and couldn't get them until MUCH later in the game.

You should generally do the following before leaving....

- Complete all skill quests for both your primary and secondary classes. You will have 2 trainers for each. Generally you can find where the second one is by asking the first one. You should have about 5-7 skills for your primary and secondary class before you leave Pre-searing.

- Do the pouch quest from collector right by ascalon door.

- Do every quest that Vonda or whatever her name (sorry havent had coffee yet and forget her name) is down in Ashford Abbey. She has one quest called "Tithe for Ashford Abbey" that gives you a free skill point. Do it before leaving.

- You should probably run the Charr in Catacombs quest before leaving. You get it from Prince Rurik (sp?) in Ascalon city. You get 100 gold which helps on a new character.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/content...lon-id1264.php

Honestly, as long as your level 7+ with all the skills you can get from the quests in Pre-Searing, I don't think there is anything else you really 'need' to do.

That's enough to make sure that you can play successfully in the Post-Searing section. The people who come across at level 3 tend to be very upset with the difficulty level.

Pre-searing in a nutshell:

When you start, don't complete any quests, except the ones that you need to get all skills for your primary and secondary profession. (Note: You may start the quest and complete all objectives, but do not collect the EXP reward!) This way you'll earn more EXP for killing monsters.

Once you have 2 professions and all skills for these, go and kill many monsters to rack up exp until you've reached level 7. From level 7 on gaining exp from killing monsters is very slow, but the quests still give you full EXP.

Now complete quests until you get bored. Preferably pick the quests that give you lots of EXP. (No shít, Sherlock ...) Note: There is that one quest "Tithe for Ashford Abbey" from Devona that gives you 1 additional skill point. Very easy to obtain. Make sure you complete that one!

In the process of completing quest and killing monsters, consider to get the belt pouch and armor pieces for you profession from the various collectors. Also, get some nice weapons and items, but don't waste too much time on farming them, cos in post-searing you'll find better stuff much easier.

That's not exactly correct.

You can choose to skip a bunch of your pre-searing skills, and then just purchase them from the Skills trainer (Belkin?) in Aslcalon, post-searing.

If you cleared out all your skills in pre-searing, that skills trainer should have nothing for you (or maybe one skill, total).

The key word here is "purchase". At the cost of skill points. In pre-searing those skills are basically free. You better save those skill points for later.

If that's true, I've met plenty of morons. I've always had all my skills from pre-searing, so it never mattered to me, but I've heard at least a dozen people lament skills missed in pre as they couldn't find them anywhere in post for quite some time, sometimes even late game. If they were available in ascalon the whole time, well that just makes me sadistically happy indeed. Still better to find them then buy them, though methinks.

fair enough.

Apparantly you have met a ton of morons then. :P

Like I had said, if you do every quest possible, in pre-searing, that skills trainer in Ascalon (post searing) should either have ZERO skills to sell you... or he may have 1, depending on which class/combo you have.

I know, as my necro/ranger, I did every single quest possible in pre-searing, and that skills trainer had zip for me.

My ranger/mesmer did every possible quest in pre-searing, and that trainer had one mesmer skill to teach me (I don't think I missed any mesmer trainers in pre-searing, so I'm not sure why that one skill carried-over... but whatever.)

For clarity, you can only get skills that are in your primary or secondary professions right? Or are there neutral skills across all professions like the res sigil one?

Just the Resurrection Signet

However, if you 'try' all the secondary professions you'll unlock those skills for PvP characters (even thouhg you don't get to keep them with your RP charcter).

Ahhhhh Frell!!!!!

Oh well next char I make I'll do that

Not true there are 3 trainers for each class. One is hidden.

I also find it pretty useful to stock up on resources that you will be needing for the armor you will be needing post-sear. Resources are easier to obtain pre-sear.

Also I think its a good idea to have plenty of crafting materials and gold so you can get decent armor crafted in post searing. I told a friend of mine to have at least 1000g and he came with only 500g, I ended up giving him another 800g and materials so he could get outfitted.

Wow. Great thread. I've stumbled my way through all of the quests in the new player areas excepting the Old Mack/Devourer Egg one, because I didn't think to hang onto the 2nd egg. But I think there is a collector by the healer that will give one, so I'm going to check that out tomorrow, along with the 'Hunter's Ale' one for experience. I'm almost 8, and this really helped me -- I'll camp up materials for armor post-searing! Thanks!

Update -- you can't get the Old Mack quest after you choose your second profession, as it is a quest that occurs as a result of doing the first half of the Mesmer profession (e.g., A Mesmer's Burden) and even then, you have to leave the area and return to see Old Mack.

The Bear Quest bugs out if you're grouped.

Other than this, I have now done them all. Thanks again!

I know this is a thread of opinions, so here is mine. Get your primary and secondary skills, res sig, skill point from Devona, and a belt pouch. That's all that is necessary. I went through at level 5 as a Monk and had no problem at all, even if I wish to run with a henchman warrior to begin with. I don't see a problem with crossing over at level 4, 3 may get a bit difficult, but you gain levels fairly quickly at those low levels.

You absolutly don't need to kill monsters up to level 7 and then do quests to level up. What will happen is that you will basically have a character that is high enough level above people you are fighting that you will gain no experience for a while, and you won't be learning anything as no strategy will be required to kill monsters 1/3 your level. The game is setup to take you along and teach you what you need to know as you play. Not only that, the higher level you enter post-searing at, the less time you will have to play in the arena. And who do you think will have an advantage, a level 9 player with only pre searing skills and upgraded armor? Or a level 9 who has nearly double the skills to choose from, the same or better armor (depending on things like fur squares) and a better weapon?

Matt