Reforged AF - Blocked on Step 1?

[Karah]

You really have to have beaten CoP to reforge the AF gear?

Why is such a random requirement in place? "Go do this really old content, all of it, in order to prepare yourself for current content, even if you already have the items"

If you don't have sea access, then you don't have limbus access, which means you DON'T have the items.

Consider yourself lucky that you can skip the limbus step, even though you have to have access to it. They should've FORCED people to have the +1 gear already.