I'm about halfway through the animus books (5/9) and I'm considering putting it on hold and just getting a soldiery weapon, especially now they are throwing out sands all over the place.

Ideally I would get Novus and spend soldiery on gear, but at the pace I am going at 2.4 will be out before I get my animus. It seems like it is much easier to just get whatever new weapons are added with updates rather than the long process of the relic quest.