Why Capture Signet so early?

I've had the Signet of Capture quest in my questbook for a week or so now once I reached LA and am now currently running around Maguuma. I've looked up boss/elite skill lists here on the boards and elsewhere and, unless I'm mistaken, get the impression that most Warrior Elite skills don't show up until later in the game (Isle of Fire, desert, etc.). My question is then, why give the capture quest so early? Unless I'm misinterpreting the lists and there really are Warrior skills hanging out in the areas before LA (Ascalon, Shiverpeaks, etc.), it just seems odd to give the quest so long before Elite skills are available.

So... Am I going crazy and I really *do* need to wait longer, or am I just somehow not finding them anywhere? Like I said, I've searched skill/boss lists and don't see any mention of locations I recognize up to the point where I am in the game.

m19

Good question..

Only reason I could put forward would be to remember that the Signet isn't ONLY for capturing elite skills, even though that's all people seem to talk about using them for. They can also be used to capture regular skills. Meaning that one could steal a skill from a boss which they liked and did not currenly possess, even though it wasn't one of the elites.

Only good reason I can think of... damn good question.

Well, it used to be there were a lot of skills you could capture in that area of the game. For some reason they took those out and put the elite skills farther into the story - not sure why, perhaps there was an imbalance in the different classes' capturable skills or something.

It seems a little pointless to make the best skills available only in the latest parts of the game.

Hundred Blades is a good example. You don't get to capture this sword skill until very very late in the game (practically at the end) and the skill is best mainly against mobs of creatures, at a point where the PvE game is almost over. And the skill is almost useless in PvP. So you're left using this after you're already done with the game and just want to get more items for PvP.

That sounds like a skill intended for farming for better items. Grinding.

Anybody have info to the contrary?

Hundred Blades used to be on a Charr hero. As far as I know that hero got smacked hard with the ol' nerf bat.

Guess they figured skills like that didn't belong in the hands of children.. Too bad it was nerfed.

I also saw all the sites listing elites, and they all were past ascension.
I dont know if it changed with the last patch or not, but they do have elite skills in the crystal desert now.

the dunes mission, has a boss with elites.
I captured marksmans shot, and some elementalist elite, im a ranger so i dont remember what it was.
but there were more there, umm some "vampire something" is the only other one I remember.

The worst part is I passed an area with 2-3 bosses in it, trying to get there, and cant remember where to check em for more elites.

How exactly do you capture a skill. Do you just use it on the boss or does the boss have to be casting the spell you wish to capture? And once you capture it is it yours or do you have to go somewhere to buy/apply the skill?

Use the capture signet right after the boss uses the skill you want. It will come up saying "Capturing Blankety-blank Skill" and a bar showing progress. Once the capture is complete, that skill replaces the capture signet on your skill bar.

And if I understand right, does it use up the Signet permanently and you have to get another one, or does it just disappear for that mission and cost you 1 skill point (ie. You can only capture a new skill if you have a skill point to do it with...)

it uses it up.
I got 5-6 of them at once, so I dont have to keep going back.

Yeah, but i guess maybe not all the elite locations have been found, so i mean....you never really know...coulda been an elite like the charr warrior, but just got nerfed, but kept sig capture...i like it that early...build up skills w/o costin me munny

All lower level elite powers were removed from bosses in one of the updates. This was mentioned in another thread a while ago.

*Hint* Its a good way to save SP's *Hint*

OK. I also just got to the place with signet of capture. I bought 2 and thought it was odd that that was possible until I read this thread. However, a couple of more questions: if you try to use it when a monster has used a skill that you cannot capture, does it still count as using your signet? also, once you capture the skill, can you move it around as you please like any other skill you have purchased or earned?

It only counts as used up when succesful. Once its captured it's yours for good like any skill you purchase or earn through quests.

Uhh, no. Buying an SoC uses up a skill point.

You dont have to buy them, the quest ones dont take up sp's, there are two free ones you can obtain.

I used about 6+ capture signet with my elementalist. Only 4 of them were elite skills.
Many bosses use skills that you can only find later in the game. So its a good way to get them earlier.

My friend captured the Bone Fiend skill as soon as he reached Lion's Arch and done the quest for the signet.
He also wanted Death Nova so we hunted the Skeleton Warlock boss in D'Alessio Seaboard mission.

I just recieved the capture signet and before i use it i have a question, once i use the capture signet, do i loose it for good or does it remain in my skill list for permanently?