The lockout I am mostly referring to is needing Thornmarch EX and Whorleater EX in order to move on to Striking Tree EX. That is a lock out.

But not many want to do battles like Thornmarch EX. It drops a i100 neck easily replaced quickly with hunts unless it specifically has stats you want. May be its just my server, but Leviathan server treats this primal with a pessimism like none seen before. Its very hard to get a group together. In DF at peak hours I will wait upwards to 40 mins just to get a group formed.

However people LOVE weapons, so its very easy to get LEX completed.

In other words, Thornmarch EX has become very undesirable and its stupid that is a unlock requirement to advance to The Striking Tree EX.