Curse

Ringsgold · Feb 27, 2011, 03:17 PM // 15:17

So I was wondering what's the fastest way to get ectos nowadays. I know there have probably been a hundred threads like this but couldn't find any in pages 1-5 (going back to november '10) and older ones are probably outdated because of updates.

I've been running a SoS Rt which is very easy to use and can clear pretty much anything, however smites take a long time (have to get lucky with spirits focusing one smite) I usually clear everything up to dune burrowers/smites and then resign because I feel killing beyond that takes too much time, and also I get bored

. Anyway using Rt you end up killing a lot of graspings and enemies that don't drop ecto.

I've also geared up my warrior to try the W/Me (too late for rending aura

) smite farming, which seems a little faster since you kill more mobs that drop ecto in a short time.

So, which is generally considered fastest? I'm only talking solo builds and preferably short runs. I have access to every campaign, skill and profession.

Zanagi Kazuhiko · Feb 27, 2011, 04:56 PM // 16:56

I don't think there are really anymore really profitable solo runs. You could always try perma sin in topk.... I heard its pretty good there.

gremlin · Feb 27, 2011, 05:02 PM // 17:02

current game design and drop rates leads me to suspect the only really fast way is to buy them.

Farm for money not items.

Star_Jewel · Feb 27, 2011, 06:22 PM // 18:22

I also do the spirit-spam UW ecto farm, and like you, I leave the smite crawlers because they're too much trouble. I'll sometimes drag my alt ele in with something like this (the warrior skills aren't really needed for the smites -- they're to get past the stuff I clear with my spirit spammer anyway) or this.
But:
1. It sucks against Skeletons and Nights (nights don't drop ecto, anyway, but they get in the way).
2. It kills everything at once, and I'm a firm believer in getting more drops if you kill things individually.
3. Isn't the common belief that Smite Crawlers have a 2% chance to drop an ecto, while Aatxes have a 4% chance? I'm not sure if going after the smites is really worth it.

It takes me about 1/2 hour to spirit-spam the Labyrinth, and I usually average about 3 ectos a run. That seems pretty fast to me. Other than that, ToPK ledge farming with an assassin seems to work pretty well for a friend of mine. I find it too boring, though, and my personal success rate there doesn't compare to UW.

RedDog91 · Feb 27, 2011, 06:39 PM // 18:39

The fastest, as in gets its job done the fastest, is R/A in ToPK.
Fastest as in usually gets drops more often is SoS rit in UW.

Ringsgold · Feb 27, 2011, 07:27 PM // 19:27

thx for the replies, I guess I should stick to clearing the labyrinth with my SoS Rt then. Though I'll also try the W/Me for some variation.

michielboonstra · Mar 17, 2011, 11:18 AM // 11:18

try heading to the chaos planes+pits+pools with your Rt after doing lab, its fun and I usually get about 4-8ectos per hour while farming there

Liselle Morrow · Mar 21, 2011, 09:48 PM // 21:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by michielboonstra

try heading to the chaos planes+pits+pools with your Rt after doing lab, its fun and I usually get about 4-8ectos per hour while farming there

I second this. I tend to clear the lab first, grab the skeletons/mindblades in the vale and then head straight through the mountains to the plains and just farm the waves of mindblades that spawn there. It's not the fastest farm, but the droprate seems to be a lot higher there, making it a worthwhile time investment compared to the lab.

Also if I'm feeling a bit rusty or my connection is bad I usually bring a team of heroes and keep them flagged out of range, then pull them in if I need a rez or a speedclear up the mountains.