Black Dye usage?

A trip through the Screenshot Exposition led to this curiosity of mine:

What do you do with your Black Dyes?

I've seen people use them on Krytan armor (Pre-Searing), basic Max armors, Elite max armors, Prestige armors...

And then there are those who NEVER use them, instead selling them for massive amounts of gold.

I've been stockpiling mine for years, along with white dye, because I still haven't gotten an armor set I felt was valuable enough to warrant using the most expensive dyes.
Instead, I've used silver dye combinations on Elite max armors.

Though after getting EOTN, and the massive amount of work required to be ABLE to buy the max armors (to say nothing of the crafting materials and price), I think these warrant usage of my black dye.


What about ya'll?

I hardly ever use mine, and when I do, I use them in dye combinations on prestige armor with other color dyes. Plain black is boring.

I feel the same way as you do. I'm just holding on to them until there comes an armor that is really deserving of it.

Why do people feel the need to have super expensive armor before they dye it black? If I have the dyes, and it looks good, I'll dye any(max AL) armor any color I want. My ranger so far is the only char I have with black dyed armor - it's Krytan. The starter armor. Just max AL. What's wrong with that?

I use black dye if I like the way it looks, plain and simple. If I get a new set of armor I always mess around with dye combos a whole bunch, seeing all the multiple dye combinations to see if I like something before I make up my mind. A few times I've dyed something black or white, decided to change it to something else, not liked it and re dyed it with expensive stuff all over again. After all, it's just a game and gold isn't real. If you like it, do it.

I find that very few armors actually look good in plain black or white. They both tend to obscure and wash out details.

I've got a few of both hanging around in my storage. I don't know if I'll ever use them, or if I'll just sell them. The only set I could ever consider using them on that I currently have is my Dervish's Primeval, because black+red would make an awesome deep blood-red shade that I really want on my armor, but I need more black dyes to do that and I'm not going to buy any myself. I would possibly use the white on my Dervish's Vabbian, but I redye that armor a lot so it'd end up being wasted.

So we'll see. They're being held on to for now.

I don't use black dye. It defeats the purpose of me saving up and buying pretty armors. Black usually wipes all traces of texture and detail from the cloth and, small details are what I buy armor for.

Besides, having black armor (Obsidian or otherwise) doesn't make you any more special or expensive than the other ninety-billion people with black elite armor (obsidian or otherwise.)

I prefer to cut my own path and don't follow the black sheep blindly.

I usually use mixtures of colors. I like purples and blues.

I keep them for when I feel the need to use them. Believe it or not I've only dyed 2 armor sets black in the years I've been playing. 1k Kurzick for male assassin and 1k canthan for female monk only because I think it makes those sets look even better than they are and I like them, none of my 15k sets have been dyed with anything expensive.

Currently Assassin & Monk 1k sets...
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/p...&pictureid=885
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/p...&pictureid=888

I'm so happy to see so many replies above that match my feelings!

1) Plain black is far too overdone and often looks, to me, just wrong on a lot of things.
2) You're the one that will spend the most time looking at your armor. You should dye it something you like to look at.

As for me, I've been as sick of things dyed plain black as I am sick of towns full of characters that all have pale, Caucasian skin tones ... since I started playing.

There are a few things I have that I think look good in plain black, but I still just can't manage to do it on principle. I always save any black dye drops I get rather than selling it. I have no reservations about using black in mixes if I can afford it or I have it handy. Some of my gear is dyed with mixes that contain black (black and yellow on a Tyrian-skin Serpent axe is nice!) I don't often notice other people's colors, but still every once in a while I see someone with armor dyed in a combo that contains black - I always try to stop and compliment them when I think it looks good.

A recent example that pops to mind is seeing a Dervish with some black+silver+? combo. That looked really good to me - dark and foreboding and shadowy instead of plain black which winds up looking like a graphical glitch usually.

I put black dye on my Ritualist Elite Kurzick armour and on my bandana; nothing besides that.

I only have pure black on upper body tats for my monk. The rest I pack-rat away or have used with other color combinations.

because it kinda redundent to dye your armor with dye more expensive then your entire armor set. black dyes running at 8k per now, and a normal set runs for 5k+mats( which usually dont cost more than 3k)

as for me: i used to sell but lately i've been saving because i've been dying more and more stuff.

Armor doesn't have to be elite to dye it black. I have 5 characters that are levels 1-6 with black dye on their armor. Its all about personal taste really.

I usually just hold on to them but I do Love the black&white combo so my first armor that just looked better dyed black was my para's, wich had non-dyeable parts white, and on top of that I had a shadow shield for her that matched perfect.
Second time I used black was a coincidence really. My friend had dyed her armor white and I really liked it and made almost the same armor but as I was trying all sort of combinations, I tried a plain black on the top. Now our mesmers look like sisters, mine being the "evil" one.
Oh and I almost forgot - value ingame... doesn't really mean anything lol, I have 2 obsi pices combined with shing jea 1k armor (max AL of course) just because it looks better that way. :P

If you like it and can afford it, use it. Pretty straightforward.

I've dyed quite a few armors black even some in pre, if it looks good I'll do it...

just hold on to them in case i ever feel like dying an armor black. prefer white most of the time though

My ranger,rit and mesmer have the classic black from the old square bottles on their Obsidian, but I haven't used a black dye in years. I just sell them as soon as they drop.

the new dark is to black so its merch food for me.

Used a crapload on my mesmer's armor, some on my sin's armor. As for white...that's all for my warrior. I think I have 6 full sets without helms dyed white.