To FoW armor, or to not? - Guild Wars Forums

Kiluna · Jun 16, 2009, 09:23 PM // 21:23

That's the question.

Recently i've acquired ectos/shards needed for any of the FoW armor sets (the 4 part ones which is only 105e 105s) with little over 100k cash in storage, so like 70% of my money is on those mats.

Instead of rushing in, paying for forgemaster run and getting my first fow set (after 2+ years of playing with breaks here and there) - i've thinking, should i?

First comes the characters, i got Monk, Dervish, Ranger, Para, War and Mesmer.

Monk being my oldest character and also most played. However i some time a go got little bored of it and decided to salvage all but the farming armors and sell the normal weapon sets (got 30 ectos from chaos gloves

) - and been only using her as farmer for the last 2-3 weeks now, with the odd pvp-only monk char here and there (i still enjoy monking, though it isn't that rewarding anymore in ra/ta/cm/ab as that's my end-game pvp in my solo guild...). Also Monk FoW must be the most common FoW armor out there, and in my eyes isn't even the best looking armor set for monk.

Dervish, well i don't play her anymore, so it's a nono. As well as the armor isn't that good looking.

Ranger, i also enjoy the role of ranger, not my most played profession though. and FoW is just plain ugly in my eyes.

Para, a little boring to play in both, PvE and PvP. And again i wouldn't rate FoW as a best looking set.

Warrior, well i liked it at start, but lately she have been untouched. And Vabbian set looks better than FoW in my eyes. (which she had at one point, but in need of more storage i salvaged it for 4 rubys...)

Then my newest creation, the mesmer. Really having a blast on my pvp-only mesmer (all the curses in local when i power block that RoJ monk/fire ele in cm/ab <3). And in general the shutdown mechanics of the profession is interesting compared to the standart WoW style classes (~3 years of WoW). Mesmer FoW is in my eyes the best looking FoW armor out of all the professions, but also some of the 15k sets look more or less equally good in my opinion (could buy few of them with alot of left over money for good lookin skins for weapon sets).

So i've been using Grenth's Balance for some time now trying to decide between getting a FoW on my Mesmer or using all the money on more usefull stuff. For example sets of weapon for all my characters to be able to use all the builds effectively, or at least the most common ones (40/40 sets for casters, zealous/sundering/vampiric sets for warrior etc.) as well as runes for ALL heroes along with cheap'ish greens and weapons for them.
One thing that makes it hard decicion is that i'm not 100% sure will i stay with my Mesmer (half way through NF currently), or will my healer insticts kick back in make me want to play monk yet again. Or will i get bored of both? As well as being able to sell weapons and stuff and getting most or more of your money back, while with FoW armor the money will stay there.

Well yeah, what would you do if you were me? Go get the FoW and farm more money to be able to buy weapon sets, rune up heroes etc. Or just ignore the FoW armor and go for the good looking 15k armors with collection of weapon sets? etc.

Ps. The points of this thread is not to brag about money (i know for sure that i'm far from rich compared to many people out there) - just a simple "help me, need advice" thread.

Sorry if it's in wrong section and for all the typos (english isn't my native language)

TIA!

Picuso · Jun 16, 2009, 09:32 PM // 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiluna

Well yeah, what would you do if you were me? Go get the FoW and farm more money to be able to buy weapon sets, rune up heroes etc. Or just ignore the FoW armor and go for the good looking 15k armors with collection of weapon sets? etc.

I don't like any FoW Armor. And there are very good 15k armors. So I would buy weapon sets (with skins I like, not "uberleetomgpwnz" skins like Crystalline), and full-mod them.

my 0.02$

sportacus · Jun 16, 2009, 09:35 PM // 21:35

What really matters is 'Do you want Prestige Armor that most players seem to have already? or do you want armor that looks good?'

Martin Alvito · Jun 16, 2009, 09:45 PM // 21:45

It depends on what else you own and what else you want, really.

If you don't see any gear, miniatures, tonics or other frivolous stuff you prefer, buy the mesmer FoW.

If there's other stuff out there you'd rather have, or you'd rather have the purchasing ability to address that problem if your preferences change, don't buy the FoW.

Clearly the question is one of opportunity cost. I don't know your preferences and so I cannot answer that question for you. You'll have to figure that one out for yourself.

gw_poster · Jun 16, 2009, 09:47 PM // 21:47

are you title-grinding? If so, you may want to wait on buying FoW armor until you get that title you've been working on as a reward to that toon. Instead, consider spending that money on some titles that you may want/need, like booze/sweets/party, or buying unid'ed weapons, or even lockpicks for treasure hunter. If you are considering migrating your account to GW2 then you may want to fill your HoM with Destroyer/Torment weapons and minipets, if you haven't already. It might save you some time toward the end of your grind. I've been living at GW poverty level since day 1 playing as I always spend my money on something before I actually get enough to buy something decent - so I'm sure I might be looking at this from a different perspective than yours...but GL with your financial endeavor!

Bryant Again · Jun 16, 2009, 09:49 PM // 21:49

I'd go with your Mesmer, especially if it's female.

In general, though, you should really only be asking yourself this. Don't take that the wrong way, I'm just saying you'll get a 100% mixed bag here.

upier · Jun 16, 2009, 09:58 PM // 21:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryant Again

I'd go with your Mesmer, especially if it's female.

Better yet - get it ONLY if you have a female mesmer. No guy should wear that piece of crap that is male mesmer FoW.

On topic:
Meh. I was thinking the same thing, gathering ecto, shards and money and now - but now I just can't be bothered to buy it.
I think I'll just waste everything on the Rings instead.

Kiluna · Jun 16, 2009, 10:10 PM // 22:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryant Again

In general, though, you should really only be asking yourself this. Don't take that the wrong way, I'm just saying you'll get a 100% mixed bag here.

I'm aware of that. But i also (might) get points of views that i didn't think of. But i think the first 2 replys are good questions.

Expensive good looking armor set without much other stuff.
versus
Cheap (10k & 15k's) good looking armor sets with lots of other stuff.

But in general i've always gone for items/armor that i like the most, not the most expensive (though i wont deny that voltaic spear, tormented shields, BDS etc. wouldn't look good)

Oh and i'm not that much into the titles (never been).

Konker2020 · Jun 16, 2009, 10:22 PM // 22:22

It seems as if you have already given yourself more than enough justification to not buy it, and personally, I dislike every FoW armor set, all in all though, the choice is yours...

Just my opinion.

Arduin · Jun 16, 2009, 10:30 PM // 22:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiluna

Ranger, i also enjoy the role of ranger, not my most played profession though. and FoW is just plain ugly in my eyes.

I think FoW on a female Ranger is one of the best looking armors.

FengShuiDove · Jun 16, 2009, 10:32 PM // 22:32

I've got a set of FoW armor on my oldest (not main) character, who is an Elementalist. It's nice 'cause since the account-wide HoM update it lets me see any character in it that I want and it makes me feel like I've honored my oldest character that got me started on GW. It's more of a sentimental thing than an "omg I love fow armer" though I do like the armor.

Find your own reason to get it or not get it, and don't let people say it's stupid no matter what angle you choose. However, if I was undecided, I would wait. You want to be sure before buying the most consistently expensive thing in the game, especially if it drains out so much of your cash.

Loki Seiguro · Jun 16, 2009, 10:56 PM // 22:56

Like you stated it up to personal taste. I hate the look of most of the monk FoW armor but it has good parts. Whom is to stop you from only buying 1 or 2 parts?

Xerum · Jun 16, 2009, 11:02 PM // 23:02

I prioritize functionality over vanity. Max armor is max armor no matter what it looks like. Same with weapons, max weapons with the mods I want are good be it collector's, crafted, dropped, whatever.

If you have the money to buy vanity items after you're all fully equipped to your desire then go for it. I go for weapons first before armor (after getting max armor), armor will always be there while some weapons may show up once in awhile. There's always money to be gained in either pve or pvp right now and all it's doing is accumulating uselessly.

aoeclald · Jun 16, 2009, 11:04 PM // 23:04

As FengShuiDove stated, FoW is a good investment especially for the account-wide HoM that was implemented. Though only one character gets to wear it, you can view what all of your characters look in it anyway. Also, as she stated, the FoW armor is not a way to blend in with the crowd, but a way to say "I love this character, he/she's my favorite and I think she deserves to wear something that I put work into."

I am saving up for obby now myself and am about 2/3 of the way there, and I am getting it for my male elementalist. Not only are all 15K sets pretty ugly for male elementalists, but he is my main character and he is oh so deserving of the set. At first, I didn't think I would finish saving up for it, but through the vanqing and title grinding I've done with him, I've definitely managed to get the majority of my funds in little under a month. Though elementalist FoW is popular and, in my opinion, one of the better FoW armors, I decided to buy it because I love playing my elementalist.

Ultimately, though, I think you should go with your gut instinct. Most likely you (and myself included) will get bored of wearing it and think it's just like any other set, but in the back of your mind you will have the pride in saying you earned it. In the event that 15K armors are what you prefer, they are hell of a lot cheaper than obby and getting money for that won't be nearly as hard as what it took for you to finally purchase obsidian armor.

ogre_jd · Jun 16, 2009, 11:07 PM // 23:07

Since you state that you don't actually like any of them, except maybe for Mesmer (personally, of the male FoW armors, Mesmer male's the only one I personally like since it looks like it'd go well with the Imposing Mask (my favorite), were I able to play a Mesmer in any manner other than [[Parasitic Bond] + [[Necrosis] blasting :P), obviously you shouldn't get it...

Bayushi Kyo · Jun 16, 2009, 11:36 PM // 23:36

Everyone views the money sink that is Obsidian Armor differently, some hate obi cause they won't ever afford it, some love it cause its "leet" and they have to buy it cause its expensive, some don't like Obi cause its got the old proph low poly count, some buy Obi because they like what it looks like( not cause its "leet")...and many other reasons PRO and CON. What you have to decide is whether you like the Obi Armor on the ur character or if ur just wanting Obi because its "rare, expensive, leet, etc" IMO if you get Obi cause you like it then you'll enjoy the armor despite the money sink it costs but if you don't like how Obi looks and get it simply to look "leet" then you wont be happy with your investment and regret will set it..but thats just IMO.

I honestly treat armors and most stuff in GW like this; If i like it and i think it looks good on one of my characters then no matter the cost...I'll find a way to buy, or farm it. This policy goes for the cheap ol' Greater Highlander Blades i've been in love with since EOTN came out all the way up to my FoW armor sets on my favorite toons...and like others have stated maybe you think only part of an Obi set looks good especially when mixed with another set you like...then MIX...

Warvic · Jun 16, 2009, 11:37 PM // 23:37

Its a game. If u do stuff u dont like. ur not smart. I play this game since release. I have 0 fow sets! And I laugh at everyone who is doing uwsc and such. coz farming is the most boring thing u can do in games (IMO) so don't waste your money on armors u don't like. but want anyway coz its leet. it ain't leet anymore tbh, coz almost everyone is walking with FoW these days. OT, I do like some of the fow armors.

my "only buy fow for these" list

male warrior
male/female ritu
male necro
male/female mesmer
male/female paragon

but serious, u need alot more money :P u need about 3 helmets for every atribute(sword/axe/hammer)(channeling/resto/communing) etc. good luck with your choice

Helix Dreadlock · Jun 16, 2009, 11:45 PM // 23:45

IMO FoW armor is a big money waste, and I don't think I can afford it. Only some toons look good with it, but some aren't so great. It's what you think. IMO, it seems like you don't play the game much. It's what you think, but MY OPINION, is to get a better prestige armor, that not many play with. *(vabbi, fow, and ancient are nice for war)*

dilan155 · Jun 16, 2009, 11:59 PM // 23:59

here is the thing, if you buy FoW now your not gonna get nearly the same amount back if you salvage etc etc, on the other hand if you hold on to them and/ or buy weapons your gonna be able to sell them for near what you paid for. Also there really isnt much prestige in FoW anymore, everyone has it.That and the fact about getting back any money is why i didnt buy fow for my monk, instead i bought a 15k set and it looks just as good if not better.

tuna-fish_sushi · Jun 17, 2009, 12:21 AM // 00:21

It seems like you like to make pvp-only characters, I recommend you buy weapons/shields (that look good) for them because you can always trade them back for equal (or more or less) value and you still look good (or rich if that's what your going for).

Jun 16, 2009, 09:23 PM // 21:23	#1
Kiluna Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: May 2007 Location: Finland Profession: Mo/	To FoW armor, or to not? That's the question. Recently i've acquired ectos/shards needed for any of the FoW armor sets (the 4 part ones which is only 105e 105s) with little over 100k cash in storage, so like 70% of my money is on those mats. Instead of rushing in, paying for forgemaster run and getting my first fow set (after 2+ years of playing with breaks here and there) - i've thinking, should i? First comes the characters, i got Monk, Dervish, Ranger, Para, War and Mesmer. Monk being my oldest character and also most played. However i some time a go got little bored of it and decided to salvage all but the farming armors and sell the normal weapon sets (got 30 ectos from chaos gloves ) - and been only using her as farmer for the last 2-3 weeks now, with the odd pvp-only monk char here and there (i still enjoy monking, though it isn't that rewarding anymore in ra/ta/cm/ab as that's my end-game pvp in my solo guild...). Also Monk FoW must be the most common FoW armor out there, and in my eyes isn't even the best looking armor set for monk. Dervish, well i don't play her anymore, so it's a nono. As well as the armor isn't that good looking. Ranger, i also enjoy the role of ranger, not my most played profession though. and FoW is just plain ugly in my eyes. Para, a little boring to play in both, PvE and PvP. And again i wouldn't rate FoW as a best looking set. Warrior, well i liked it at start, but lately she have been untouched. And Vabbian set looks better than FoW in my eyes. (which she had at one point, but in need of more storage i salvaged it for 4 rubys...) Then my newest creation, the mesmer. Really having a blast on my pvp-only mesmer (all the curses in local when i power block that RoJ monk/fire ele in cm/ab <3). And in general the shutdown mechanics of the profession is interesting compared to the standart WoW style classes (~3 years of WoW). Mesmer FoW is in my eyes the best looking FoW armor out of all the professions, but also some of the 15k sets look more or less equally good in my opinion (could buy few of them with alot of left over money for good lookin skins for weapon sets). So i've been using Grenth's Balance for some time now trying to decide between getting a FoW on my Mesmer or using all the money on more usefull stuff. For example sets of weapon for all my characters to be able to use all the builds effectively, or at least the most common ones (40/40 sets for casters, zealous/sundering/vampiric sets for warrior etc.) as well as runes for ALL heroes along with cheap'ish greens and weapons for them. One thing that makes it hard decicion is that i'm not 100% sure will i stay with my Mesmer (half way through NF currently), or will my healer insticts kick back in make me want to play monk yet again. Or will i get bored of both? As well as being able to sell weapons and stuff and getting most or more of your money back, while with FoW armor the money will stay there. Well yeah, what would you do if you were me? Go get the FoW and farm more money to be able to buy weapon sets, rune up heroes etc. Or just ignore the FoW armor and go for the good looking 15k armors with collection of weapon sets? etc. Ps. The points of this thread is not to brag about money (i know for sure that i'm far from rich compared to many people out there) - just a simple "help me, need advice" thread. Sorry if it's in wrong section and for all the typos (english isn't my native language) TIA!

Jun 16, 2009, 09:35 PM // 21:35	#3
sportacus Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Jul 2008 Guild: Burninating the countryside Profession: D/	What really matters is 'Do you want Prestige Armor that most players seem to have already? or do you want armor that looks good?'

Jun 16, 2009, 09:45 PM // 21:45	#4
Martin Alvito Older Than God (1) Join Date: Aug 2006 Guild: Clan Dethryche [dth]	It depends on what else you own and what else you want, really. If you don't see any gear, miniatures, tonics or other frivolous stuff you prefer, buy the mesmer FoW. If there's other stuff out there you'd rather have, or you'd rather have the purchasing ability to address that problem if your preferences change, don't buy the FoW. Clearly the question is one of opportunity cost. I don't know your preferences and so I cannot answer that question for you. You'll have to figure that one out for yourself.

Jun 16, 2009, 09:47 PM // 21:47	#5
gw_poster Desert Nomad Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: so cal Profession: R/	are you title-grinding? If so, you may want to wait on buying FoW armor until you get that title you've been working on as a reward to that toon. Instead, consider spending that money on some titles that you may want/need, like booze/sweets/party, or buying unid'ed weapons, or even lockpicks for treasure hunter. If you are considering migrating your account to GW2 then you may want to fill your HoM with Destroyer/Torment weapons and minipets, if you haven't already. It might save you some time toward the end of your grind. I've been living at GW poverty level since day 1 playing as I always spend my money on something before I actually get enough to buy something decent - so I'm sure I might be looking at this from a different perspective than yours...but GL with your financial endeavor!

Jun 16, 2009, 09:49 PM // 21:49	#6
Bryant Again Hall Hero Join Date: Feb 2006	I'd go with your Mesmer, especially if it's female. In general, though, you should really only be asking yourself this. Don't take that the wrong way, I'm just saying you'll get a 100% mixed bag here.

Jun 16, 2009, 10:22 PM // 22:22	#9
Konker2020 Krytan Explorer Join Date: Jan 2009 Guild: Exiled Forcez [Ex]	It seems as if you have already given yourself more than enough justification to not buy it, and personally, I dislike every FoW armor set, all in all though, the choice is yours... Just my opinion.

Jun 16, 2009, 10:32 PM // 22:32	#11
FengShuiDove Forge Runner Join Date: Sep 2007 Guild: Trinity of the Ascended [ToA] Profession: A/	I've got a set of FoW armor on my oldest (not main) character, who is an Elementalist. It's nice 'cause since the account-wide HoM update it lets me see any character in it that I want and it makes me feel like I've honored my oldest character that got me started on GW. It's more of a sentimental thing than an "omg I love fow armer" though I do like the armor. Find your own reason to get it or not get it, and don't let people say it's stupid no matter what angle you choose. However, if I was undecided, I would wait. You want to be sure before buying the most consistently expensive thing in the game, especially if it drains out so much of your cash.

Jun 16, 2009, 10:56 PM // 22:56	#12
Loki Seiguro Desert Nomad Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: IGN: Scarlet Test Ace Guild: We play Isketch in [HoH] Profession: E/	Like you stated it up to personal taste. I hate the look of most of the monk FoW armor but it has good parts. Whom is to stop you from only buying 1 or 2 parts?

Jun 16, 2009, 11:02 PM // 23:02	#13
Xerum Academy Page Join Date: Jul 2008	I prioritize functionality over vanity. Max armor is max armor no matter what it looks like. Same with weapons, max weapons with the mods I want are good be it collector's, crafted, dropped, whatever. If you have the money to buy vanity items after you're all fully equipped to your desire then go for it. I go for weapons first before armor (after getting max armor), armor will always be there while some weapons may show up once in awhile. There's always money to be gained in either pve or pvp right now and all it's doing is accumulating uselessly.

Jun 16, 2009, 11:04 PM // 23:04	#14
aoeclald Academy Page Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: United States Guild: Pillars of the Earth [ROCK] Profession: E/	As FengShuiDove stated, FoW is a good investment especially for the account-wide HoM that was implemented. Though only one character gets to wear it, you can view what all of your characters look in it anyway. Also, as she stated, the FoW armor is not a way to blend in with the crowd, but a way to say "I love this character, he/she's my favorite and I think she deserves to wear something that I put work into." I am saving up for obby now myself and am about 2/3 of the way there, and I am getting it for my male elementalist. Not only are all 15K sets pretty ugly for male elementalists, but he is my main character and he is oh so deserving of the set. At first, I didn't think I would finish saving up for it, but through the vanqing and title grinding I've done with him, I've definitely managed to get the majority of my funds in little under a month. Though elementalist FoW is popular and, in my opinion, one of the better FoW armors, I decided to buy it because I love playing my elementalist. Ultimately, though, I think you should go with your gut instinct. Most likely you (and myself included) will get bored of wearing it and think it's just like any other set, but in the back of your mind you will have the pride in saying you earned it. In the event that 15K armors are what you prefer, they are hell of a lot cheaper than obby and getting money for that won't be nearly as hard as what it took for you to finally purchase obsidian armor.

Jun 16, 2009, 11:07 PM // 23:07	#15
ogre_jd Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Canadia Profession: W/	Since you state that you don't actually like any of them, except maybe for Mesmer (personally, of the male FoW armors, Mesmer male's the only one I personally like since it looks like it'd go well with the Imposing Mask (my favorite), were I able to play a Mesmer in any manner other than [[Parasitic Bond] + [[Necrosis] blasting :P), obviously you shouldn't get it...

Jun 16, 2009, 11:36 PM // 23:36	#16
Bayushi Kyo Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Jul 2006 Guild: Bayushi Shinobi	Everyone views the money sink that is Obsidian Armor differently, some hate obi cause they won't ever afford it, some love it cause its "leet" and they have to buy it cause its expensive, some don't like Obi cause its got the old proph low poly count, some buy Obi because they like what it looks like( not cause its "leet")...and many other reasons PRO and CON. What you have to decide is whether you like the Obi Armor on the ur character or if ur just wanting Obi because its "rare, expensive, leet, etc" IMO if you get Obi cause you like it then you'll enjoy the armor despite the money sink it costs but if you don't like how Obi looks and get it simply to look "leet" then you wont be happy with your investment and regret will set it..but thats just IMO. I honestly treat armors and most stuff in GW like this; If i like it and i think it looks good on one of my characters then no matter the cost...I'll find a way to buy, or farm it. This policy goes for the cheap ol' Greater Highlander Blades i've been in love with since EOTN came out all the way up to my FoW armor sets on my favorite toons...and like others have stated maybe you think only part of an Obi set looks good especially when mixed with another set you like...then MIX...

Jun 16, 2009, 11:37 PM // 23:37	#17
Warvic Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Netherlands Profession: A/W	Its a game. If u do stuff u dont like. ur not smart. I play this game since release. I have 0 fow sets! And I laugh at everyone who is doing uwsc and such. coz farming is the most boring thing u can do in games (IMO) so don't waste your money on armors u don't like. but want anyway coz its leet. it ain't leet anymore tbh, coz almost everyone is walking with FoW these days. OT, I do like some of the fow armors. my "only buy fow for these" list male warrior male/female ritu male necro male/female mesmer male/female paragon but serious, u need alot more money :P u need about 3 helmets for every atribute(sword/axe/hammer)(channeling/resto/communing) etc. good luck with your choice

Jun 16, 2009, 11:45 PM // 23:45	#18
Helix Dreadlock Jungle Guide Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Imperial Sanctum Guild: Legendary Drunken Masters [DUI] Profession: E/Me	IMO FoW armor is a big money waste, and I don't think I can afford it. Only some toons look good with it, but some aren't so great. It's what you think. IMO, it seems like you don't play the game much. It's what you think, but MY OPINION, is to get a better prestige armor, that not many play with. (vabbi, fow, and ancient are nice for war)

Jun 16, 2009, 11:59 PM // 23:59	#19
dilan155 Desert Nomad Join Date: May 2007 Location: living room Profession: N/	here is the thing, if you buy FoW now your not gonna get nearly the same amount back if you salvage etc etc, on the other hand if you hold on to them and/ or buy weapons your gonna be able to sell them for near what you paid for. Also there really isnt much prestige in FoW anymore, everyone has it.That and the fact about getting back any money is why i didnt buy fow for my monk, instead i bought a 15k set and it looks just as good if not better.

Jun 17, 2009, 12:21 AM // 00:21	#20
tuna-fish_sushi Desert Nomad Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: California Profession: E/A	It seems like you like to make pvp-only characters, I recommend you buy weapons/shields (that look good) for them because you can always trade them back for equal (or more or less) value and you still look good (or rich if that's what your going for).