You can unlock and slot the first alpha enhancement in about 3-6 hours. That's running Ramiel's arc, two TFs and buying a component with Vangaurd merits.
Of course, you could get lucky with Shards drops and skip a TF or two.
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Assuming you have enough merits.
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Chief Hamster of the Fist of Justice / Shadows of Victory
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If one of the TFs you run is a LGTF, you should come out with enough merits. Only takes 150 to craft a component, but you can only do it every 18 hours.
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Originally Posted by Satanic_Hamster
Assuming you have enough merits.
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When has anyone gotten 150 merits on a LGTF? Even on a clear all LGTF, you might get... What, 30 merits at bet? The drop rate is ******* horrible.|
Originally Posted by Desmodos
If one of the TFs you run is a LGTF, you should come out with enough merits. Only takes 150 to craft a component, but you can only do it every 18 hours.
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Chief Hamster of the Fist of Justice / Shadows of Victory
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we should run a ship raid or two this weekend, then? Seems like the obvious course of action...
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Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze
I hate to be the bringer of bad news... but Willpower sucks!!! you're better off rolling a regen
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^Professional Katana/regen build thread
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Would give you enough time to get 150 on one or two characters, depending on how busy the zone is and if you can get back in. Hmmmm.. I really regret buying random vanguard costume parts that I never intended to use. :0|
Originally Posted by Elegost
we should run a ship raid or two this weekend, then? Seems like the obvious course of action...
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Chief Hamster of the Fist of Justice / Shadows of Victory
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Quote:
Okay here is the point the Desmodos is trying to make.. Run a Lady Grey TF and you will be awarded a Hero 1 DNA sample at the end in addition to whatever shards you earn. Run and ITF and you will get an Ancient Nictus Fragment plus whatever shards you earn. You now have X number of shards plus 2 of the three elements needed to craft a Cardiac Boost. IF you have 150 Vanguard Merits you can then use them to buy the third a Gr'ai Matter and without using ANY of your shards you just crafted the Cardiac Boost. If not after running those two TFs you have enough shards to build a Gr'ai Matter and you are slotted.|
Originally Posted by Satanic_Hamster
When has anyone gotten 150 merits on a LGTF? Even on a clear all LGTF, you might get... What, 30 merits at bet? The drop rate is ******* horrible.
________________ Currently listening Dio's Holy Diver |
Take note: Speed runs on these TFs defeat the purpose since the more minons, lieutenants, bosses, EBs and AVs you defeat the better chance you have of getting shards. I ran an ITF that was KILL ALL and in 1:40 minutes we finished and I left with 11 shards.. That's enough to craft 2 common elements with three more left over. That same day I did a LGFT and while we skipped some mobs I emerged with 8 more shards. In one day, and in about 3 hours of game time I had created Muscular Boost and a Muscualr Radial Boost on my Tanker. So I was not only slotted but had already reached the second level. And that was without using Vanguard merits to purchase anything.
I strongly recommend NOT trying an Apex or Tin Mage TF without your Alpha slotted. As mentioned you will basically be trying to battle with an 8 level disadvantage. You'll be lucky if any attack you have hits and when it does the damage will be very minor. From chat I have seen in Beta many players are already forming the opinion that if they are team leaders they won't allow anyone on their team if it not slotted and if they aren't the leader they won't join a team that has anyone on board that isn't slotted. So if you don't want to stand around for an hour trying to recruit only to flail away helplessly at level 54s attacking you.. SLOT your Alpha before you try the TF. :-D
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Ah, thought Des was implying you could run LGTF as a meaningful source of merits. 
Oh, agree on alpha's being required. Can you tell if a teammate has them? Look at their power list?
Can you sell alpha enhancements?
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Chief Hamster of the Fist of Justice / Shadows of Victory
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Quote:
Well...you could get lucky |
Originally Posted by Satanic_Hamster
Ah, thought Des was implying you could run LGTF as a meaningful source of merits.
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Seriously, how are you out Vanguard merits? On Desmodas Siazar I've purchased every costume piece, the salvage extension and numerous HVAS....I'm still sitting on a stockpile of 2500 Vanguard merits.
Did you buy a HVAS every day?
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The more you team in larger teams, the higher chance of success you get for an IS (Incarnate Shard) drop.
Not a guarantee - ran Tin Mage last and only got one IS drop the whole time.
Ham, if the alpha slot stuff remains the same, all the salvage, etc., is character locked, but not locked in to your alpha slot.
I dunno. Might see if we can run a raid Saturday night to get some merits together for people. Think Grey Pilgrim is sitting on a fair amount now (don't really bother with HVAS, and he got the salvage boost a long while ago), but I'm sure I wouldn't mind getting more. Or I might try getting more on the Scrapper or Blaster I'm going to try to get an alpha slot.
*added*
Here's some info from poster Cende in the Open Beta page, about costs and what things unlock. Also an FYI, we can only unlock the first two Alpha slot levels with what is in I19 now.
There are no "rare salvage materials." It's all Shards. Shards drop from any enemy of level 50 or higher (NOT "they con better than grey to my level 50" but MUST BE level 50 or higher).
4 Shards combine into 1 common Component. You can also get common Components as rewards from certain high-level task forces or, for one, through purchase with Vanguard Merits (each piece may only be earned once every 18 hours).
Uncommon Components require 1 common Component + 8 Shards.
One common Boost requires 3 common Components. One uncommon Boost requires a common Boost, 1 uncommon Component and 2 common Components.
I forget offhand what the rares and ultra-rares require, but it's along those same lines.
You may have 1 of each Component, and swap them in and out whenever you'd like, as long as (a) you weren't JUST in battle (there is a cool-down), (b) you are not CURRENTLY in battle, or (c) you didn't just change one out (must wait 5 minutes between Component swaps).
So that's the long answer to the question.
The short answer is: Yeah, no problem, you can earn the salvage for the rares and ultra-rares and store it all up.
Oh, also - the Shards and Components are Bonded on Acquisition, so no trading.
Guide: Tanking, Wall of Fire Style (Updated for I19!), and the Four Rules of Tanking
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Grey Pilgrim: Fire/Fire Tanker (50), Victory
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Eh. Haven't done a huge number of ship raids that I should have, I suppose. Still have ten or so level 50's that need the vanguard sack.
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Originally Posted by Desmodos
Well...you could get lucky
Seriously, how are you out Vanguard merits? On Desmodas Siazar I've purchased every costume piece, the salvage extension and numerous HVAS....I'm still sitting on a stockpile of 2500 Vanguard merits. Did you buy a HVAS every day? |
Chief Hamster of the Fist of Justice / Shadows of Victory
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I'm actually looking at this from the other direction... so, if you're at a -4 level debuff, do you earn that discrepancy in rewards? If so, this would really help to ease the grind for my final inf badge... $_$
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Originally Posted by Wicked_Wendy
I strongly recommend NOT trying an Apex or Tin Mage TF without your Alpha slotted. As mentioned you will basically be trying to battle with an 8 level disadvantage.
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Main Hero: Chad Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1396 Badges
Main Villain: Evil Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1193 Badges
Mission Architect arcs: Doctor Brainstorm's An Experiment Gone Awry, Arc ID 2093
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Originally Posted by Nethergoat
it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!
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Note to self: Don't team with Chad on these.|
Originally Posted by Chad Gulzow-Man
I'm actually looking at this from the other direction... so, if you're at a -4 level debuff, do you earn that discrepancy in rewards? If so, this would really help to ease the grind for my final inf badge... $_$
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I've already forgotten about most of you
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Fixed. Don't worry about my Scrapper, he's going to be Alpha Boost slotted like crazy ASAP. |
Originally Posted by VoodooCompany
Note to self: Don't team with Chad's Stalker on these until he gets the Leader badge.
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... Not that you'd team with a Stalker on a TF anyway.
Main Hero: Chad Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1396 Badges
Main Villain: Evil Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1193 Badges
Mission Architect arcs: Doctor Brainstorm's An Experiment Gone Awry, Arc ID 2093
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Nethergoat
it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!
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You know, another thought:
This is going to gut the living **** out of the Ham-O market, cutting out one of the last easy non-farming/exploiting/flipping ways to make a good amount of money.
__________________
Currently listening to Modern Rock 1986-1987[/i] by Time Life Music
Chief Hamster of the Fist of Justice / Shadows of Victory
Victory Server: Join Victory Forum for team forming and general game chat and IRC Chat: irc.hashmark.net #victory for offline chatting.
Rock, rock on Hamster.
Quote:
Maybe I'm dense, but you're gonna hafta explain that one to me. No more people choosing Hami-Os at the end of STFs? I assume you're referring to the Synthetic-Os anyways..
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Originally Posted by Satanic_Hamster
You know, another thought:
This is going to gut the living **** out of the Ham-O market, cutting out one of the last easy non-farming/exploiting/flipping ways to make a good amount of money. __________________ Currently listening to Modern Rock 1986-1987[/i] by Time Life Music |
Dusty Trophies
No, I did not get a chance to run the TFs.......but I was not under the impression you had to choose the shard as part of the reward?
I've already forgotten about most of you
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No. Look at the recipes; STF/LRSF is common to most of them. As I said, it's going to flood the market with Ham-O's.
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Originally Posted by _Ryxx_
Maybe I'm dense, but you're gonna hafta explain that one to me. No more people choosing Hami-Os at the end of STFs? I assume you're referring to the Synthetic-Os anyways..
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Chief Hamster of the Fist of Justice / Shadows of Victory
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So then, does the Essence of the Incarnate drop 100% of the time from LR/Statesman, or is it a reward option? It still makes me sad to see people choosing merits on STF, and even if more people are running STF, that only makes me more happy to have more supply on HOs. Although I mourn your loss of great income if you were profiting on this. 
Dusty Trophies
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Reward option on beta.
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Originally Posted by _Ryxx_
So then, does the Essence of the Incarnate drop 100% of the time from LR/Statesman, or is it a reward option? (
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O'rly. That changes things a bit.... Only for that, or for all the TF's, including Kaaaahahhhnnnn?
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Originally Posted by Desmodos
Reward option on beta.
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Chief Hamster of the Fist of Justice / Shadows of Victory
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Quote:
I did not run them all in beta, but LGTF and ITF both had a reward choice upon completion, merits or component. Component had a 18 hour lock out. Merits were subject to DR. With STF and LRSF you'll have three choices Synthetic HO, Merits, component.|
Originally Posted by Satanic_Hamster
O'rly. That changes things a bit.... Only for that, or for all the TF's, including Kaaaahahhhnnnn?
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ATF did not offer a component, but is guaranteed to grant 2 shards plus any you may have picked up off a random mob.
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You're all gonna love 'em.
Hey all, was just popping around test checking out I19 and reading Zombies guides. I started looking at what its going to take to run the new TFs and theyre going to take some prep work to unlock them. Right off the bat you have to have your alpha slot unlocked to even get in (which means 50s only.) To unlock the alpha slot you have to run Mender Ramiels Elite Boss heavy arc.
Cardiac BoostsMusculature BoostsNerve BoostsSpiritual BoostsOnce youve got the alpha slot youre going to want to slot it with a boost for the TF. You dont have to to get in but youll really be screwing the team if you dont. Theres a damping field that drops players with empty alpha slots 4 levels making them 46s and the NPCs are 54s.
Each common boost takes 3 components to make and an uncommon boost takes a common bost, two common components, and an uncommon component. Heres a list of what components they take and where to get them:
The Special Tasks have their own Common Component associated with them. Task/Strike Forces give them out as a choosable reward table (along with Merits or a special Enhancement). There is an 18 hour cooldown on obtaining a specific component from the same Special Task.
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