Gear or Zodiac?

[Alipoprocks]

weapon>gear. And since you're not doing any coil, the best weapon besides fully upgraded relic that you can get is Shiva's. I would get all the WoD gear and focus on finishing relic. Then upgrade gear.

Also, on the maps, try to get one person to help you. Maps are quick and easy so most people you ask will probably help.

[FranSeara]

I am currently trying to upgrade my relic weapon - the lovely alexandrite phase - and as I participate in hunts and buy maps with tomes and the daily (I've lost three maps trying to solo the treasure mobs), I'm starting to wonder if spending allied seals on alexandrite is worth it at this point. I would much rather use those allied seals to get carbon twine to upgrade my ironworks gear.
Any thoughts?

With nerfs to fates, you could easily get 3 to 5 alexs a day just by doing fates. Also, Ex Df gives 1 map. If you have extra sol, you could just buy alex maps. I'd say use your Allied seals on Cardon Twine. The game gives out alex like its candy now. "Rembeber just my opinion"

[PArcher]

If you're not doing coil and don't really intend to, get the relic done. An upgraded piece of gear isn't going to help you a lot outside coil, but an upgraded weapon can (or, at least a lot more than gear will)

[Sessurea]

Seals on gears, sold on maps. Ur just gonna want to hunt all over again when ur weap is done to get gears 130, that's how gearing works...(mentally)

And believe me, hunting sux enough that u don't wanna do it twice. 75 a ranks for a twine....I got one since 2.5 and I am done. Cba anymore.

[Kaizlu]

How are you guys getting Alexandrite from FATEs? Do we have to do a separate quest or something?

I've done at least 50 FATEs these past few days and I haven't seen a single Alexandrite drop, and yes I'm using the correct weapon.

[Kazumac]

How are you guys getting Alexandrite from FATEs? Do we have to do a separate quest or something?

I've done at least 50 FATEs these past few days and I haven't seen a single Alexandrite drop, and yes I'm using the correct weapon.

It's a low drop chance or it was... I'm not a fan of grinding fates for low drop chances so I took the more consistent soldiery grind method. All your roulette a per day nets a decent chunk of soldiery.

[Sounders]

How are you guys getting Alexandrite from FATEs? Do we have to do a separate quest or something?

I've done at least 50 FATEs these past few days and I haven't seen a single Alexandrite drop, and yes I'm using the correct weapon.

This is a joke right? I'm currently 20+/0. The 25 or 26 (whichever I'm on) Alexandrites I've gotten, have all been through my purchase/maps.

I've gotten 3 from around 15 FATES and I wasn't even trying. Just chilling around North Thanalan with my Last Resort.

[LineageRazor]

The daily map quest provides a steady influx of Alexandrite, even if you take into account the occasional lost fight.

There is no method to obtain a steady influx of Carbontwine, however, unless you're part of a Coil group that divides up Carbontwine drops evenly.

If you exclude Allied Seals, the rate of incoming Alexandrite is nonzero. The rate of incoming Carbontwine is zero. The amount of time to acquire Novus is finite. The amount of time to acquire Augmented Ironworks is infinite.

Spend your seals on Carbontwine, is my recommendation. Also remember that Soldiery Tomestones can be exchanged for Alexandrite maps, and they can drop from FATEs as well. Several ways to get Alex, just one (outside of Coil) to get Carbontwine.

If you're not doing coil and don't really intend to, get the relic done.

As always, this argument is irrelevant. The purpose behind getting the best gear is not in order be able to accomplish something you otherwise couldn't but rather to accomplish things you can do anyway better and faster. Or, often, not even that - for many, the sole purpose for having the best gear is simply to have the best gear, end of line.

[Azper]

I'd say spend them on Alexandrite. Your weapon is probably your single most important upgrade to keep up to date. As for the gear, I'd honestly hold off for now unless you're dying to grind hunts. I foresee them adding the Carbontwine to the weekly CT/ST/WoD quest or at least making it drop in WoD, thus making it much easier to upgrade gear at that point.

[FranSeara]

The Alex drop rate fom Fates isnt all that bad. Its way better then it ever was in the past. Its still RNG. I've gotten two within two fates so far. I average about 3-4 from fates every day. This is while waiting for the Q to pop and the fates help me light farm. I have 40 alexs right now, with 18 going from fates since the nerfs. I only buy map to waste Sol. No joke.