1) Merits yes (individual purchase), tickets no. I've not tried merit rolls.
2) Market or make a new character. (personal experience says a claw/fire SOed brute at level 35 can tackle a -1x8 (with bosses) fire ambush with no problem, giving just about 1400-1500 (capped from 1600) tix per run. I assume a SS/fire should do just as well)
3) Alternatively, just bring more inspirations to compensate.
It depends on the set you want. For example if you;re running /dark /fire or /elec you might be building for s/l defense in which case you want kinetic combat and those max out at level 35 anyway so you just roll in the 35-39 range (or 30-34) and any kinetic's you generate will be level 35.
If you purchase anything directly with A-Merits or regular merits you can select the level you wish.
Otherwise you're looking on the market. I also recommend anything you really can't find you post in the market forum. They have a group specifically for generating mid-level recipes who might be able to help you. Fulmens is the leader but there's a bunch of people involved.
Personally, I don't sweat it in most cases. Anything from 30-37 is "good enough" for a character that will exemp alot. Anything 40+ is "good enough" for anyone who won't. I start equipping IOs immediately. I don't use any DOs or SOs on any character anymore. Pure IOs either sets or commons from level 7 through 50.
"Hmm, I guess I'm not as omniscient as I thought" -Gavin Runeblade.
I can be found, outside of paragon city here.
Thank you everyone at Paragon and on Virtue. When the lights go out in November, you'll find me on Razor Bunny.
My brutes have 2 builds: one for lowbie strikeforces, lvls 20-40 and the other for lvl 50 content.
My lowbie build is low cost and uses common/uncommon cheap IOs. I try not to spend more than 50k per recipe and avoid recipes that require 2+ mil salvage. Most of the IOs are between lvl 20-28. Higher lvl IOs are used for powers that are taken at lvl 30+. Powers over lvl 43 are not slotted.
So for 80 slots at around 200k per slot, I spent about 18 mil. I got all of the recipes from the market.
You're 42 now, so if you roll random recipes in AE and don't move the slider, you will get lvl 42 recipes. You can try moving the slider to 30 and hope for recipes that are capped at lvl 30. I suggest doing either bronze or silver recipe rolls.
My lvl 50 build was slotted with recipes from the market and purchase via Reward Merits since I slotted it before Going Rogue came out. I spent around 1 bill inf.
Here are 2 posts I replied about slotting. Link1 Link2
Thanks for the responses all!
I had forgotten about the 2nd build that we can switch to on our toons. I'm going to do what crayhal did and make one for 20-40 stuff with generic/cheap IOs/sets (basically what the brute has now) and then when I hit 47 I'll start slotting the other build with the high end IO sets.
That is a great way to make an end-game build affordable by spreading the price out over time. I give that advice out alot.
We actually have a third build now that unlocks after you get your alpha slot.
"Hmm, I guess I'm not as omniscient as I thought" -Gavin Runeblade.
I can be found, outside of paragon city here.
Thank you everyone at Paragon and on Virtue. When the lights go out in November, you'll find me on Razor Bunny.
Hi all,
I just hit 42 on my brute, and I've been planning on waiting until 47 to start buying recipes for my IO sets. I just recently read that set bonuses don't function once you exemplar down past -3 levels of the IO.
Assuming that's correct (and I didn't misread it), I'm guessing 35s would be most useful, as I'm not likely to exemplar down past that point for SFs/teams. So, what are my options for obtaining level 35 IOs as a 42? Can they still be purchased with Merits/AMerits/AE Ticket rolls, or is my only option going to be via the Market?
Thanks in advance!
vrk