Revered to Exalted on Argent Dawn

[TheWesson]

Getting to Revered for Argent Dawn is a matter of killing regular or elite undead and running UD instances (and saving Scourgestones and Valor Tokens until revered.)

Killing Invasion mobs was a very fast way to Revered

The usual method for getting from Revered to Exalted is grinding the cauldron at Gahron's Withering (so I understand.)

I wanted to add a couple things, and I hope for further contributions on the Revered -> Exalted grind.

Good reference:
http://www.wowwiki.com/Argent_Dawn

First, all first turnins of Savage Fronds, Dark Iron Scrap, Cryptstalker parts, Bone Fragments, and Core of the Elements are each worth 200 AD rep. Getting the Craftsman's Writ (first time) is worth 200 rep. So you should definitely do all of these at least once at revered (after burning your saved Scourgestones.)

Subsequent turnins of critter components are worth 10 rep, but subsequent Craftsman's Writs are worth 50 rep.

On my server, fulfilling a writ will cost at least 10-15g in AH materials and perhaps much more. Since you can get a 30-stack of Core of Elements (= 1 Argent Dawn Insignia) for less than 10g on my server, buying the writs and the materials for the writ is most useful for Scarlet Crusade Insignias.

Some of the writs are pretty easy (Major Healing Potions or Thorium grenades) and might be done for about 10g in AH cost if you looked for good prices.

So if you ARE going to be doing Writs for your epics from insignias, best get them done before Exalted, so the 50 rep doesn't go to waste.

Getting the parts at the AH: The Scarlet critter parts (cryptstalker parts, bone fragments) are near 30g/30 for me, but the Savage Fronds run around 15g/30, and can be used for either SC or AD insignia.

The cryptstalkers are found in the tunnel in NW EPL and are a blast to farm with 2 people; gets exciting when the elite Nerubian Overseer shows up. Rep/hr is not very good though you do get some Minions/Invaders scourgestones.

Next, Grinding (the real subject):

I'm a Dark Pact warlock with blues and a few purples, about +350 spelldmg (slightly more vs UD.)

I find that as a warlock Dalson's Tears is the best. I can dot until out of my mana (and with the imp's mana run dry via Dark Pact) and be killing 2-4 zombies at any given time. When I'm out of mana there's a dozen (re) dead zombies around my feet. Counting scourgestones and Argent Dawn tokens, I can do 300 rep/hr or better this way. These drop Somatic Intensifiers (25 rep for 5) and Minion's Scourgestones (2.5 rep).

At Gahrron's Withering, I have trouble working with a bigger multi-pull (> 3). Most of these mobs drop Minion's Scourgestones as well, except for the Haunting Visions which drop Invader's Scourgestones. The Ectoplasmic Resonators are slightly better (25 rep for 4) but all in all the rep throughput seems less.

But Gahrron's Withering, worked out very well last night working with a mage and a druid,. I would pull 8+ mobs with Siphon Life (only), while the mage and druid were drinking, and the health returned would be enough to keep me alive for some time. The DoT'ed mobs would stick to me pretty well, usually through the druid's heals and the mage's Blizzard. They would stick to me like glue if I added aggro by self-heals through Death Coil or a healthstone. So the Siphon Life pull is a good option for farming. Kept the mage from dying :) Could've worked without the Druid, perhaps, if I were willing to burn a healthstone every pull.

I don't know if a more experienced mage would've just been OK pulling eight mobs by himself, haven't got a 60 mage.

Anyhow, this occurred to me because I just saw the top post with a pic from farming at Dalson's Tears -- other people like this the best as well? Any further farming suggestions besides the obvious "bring a pet mage" and "have your group donate all scourgestones to you."

I can only imagine the grind to Exalted would be severely painful for a class restricted to mostly single-target damage (Warrior? Rogue? Hunter?) Perhaps doing repeated boss runs in Scholo/Strat would be the way to go?

I saw a Paladin doing very well at Dalson's Tears using some AoE paladin thing, though!

[Xanthix]

The prices on all the materials for the 30-items-for-an-insignia are still dropping on the auction house. I have seen many for 25s per item, or 7.5g per set of 30. I believe buying them is the best way to get the new blue and purple items, but it's a slow way to get rep at only 10 rep per turnin.

The prices for writ components will likely not go down, since they all require materials used for a ton of other things.

From what I have seen, I think AOE farming at Gahrron's Withering is the fastest option. A group with some AOE and some survivability can continuously pull the entire farm, and get Invader's stones and the mats for the cauldron quest. It's unfortunate that this is still the best way to get to exalted, and more unfortunate that classes with no AOE have to slowwwwly grind the farm mobs one at a time to do this.

But I suppose it's good that there is any way to solo- or duo-grind to exalted; with many factions buying your way to exalted is the only practical option.

[Skandranon]

If you have a capable group of running 45-minute Baron reliably and repeatedly, it's by far the best way to rep up for all five of you (one person farming at Gahrron's might beat it, but five people farming at Gahrron's uses up the spawns too fast). Even assuming no rare spawns, you get +25 reputation from each of Baroness Anastari, Nerub'enkan, Maleki the Pallid, Magistrate Barthilas, and Ramstein, +50 rep from killing the Baron, and a bonus +150 for completing the run in 45 minutes (which you get even if you have no quest to do so). That's 325 reputation for everyone in your party, so 1625 reputation over around 40 minutes - hard to beat with cauldron runs. In addition to that, each run yields a number of Invader's Scourgestones (around 30) and six Corruptor's Scourgestones, which is another 450 reputation total for turnin+token. Not only that, you get a mass of blues (shards, if nothing else) and money, instead of blowing cash on Arcane Quickeners.

A full Scholo clear including Vectus and Marduk also yields 325 global rep and more scourgestones, but it's my experience that Scholo tends to be a far longer run. I imagine for a five-man party it's probably still superior to outdoor farming.

[Derek]

A full Scholo clear including Vectus and Marduk also yields 325 global rep and more scourgestones, but it's my experience that Scholo tends to be a far longer run. I imagine for a five-man party it's probably still superior to outdoor farming.

The last time I hit Scholo, it took a bit under two hours to clear, including Marduk/Vectus, Kirtonos, and Jandice, and the time to run out of the instance twice to turn in stages of the Kirtonos questline. 3 of the 5 party members were very overgeared for the instance, though.

So, figure about twice as long as a Baron run for 13 bosses instead of 6 and no 150 rep time bonus.

[Zarathustra]

The last time I hit Scholo, it took a bit under two hours to clear, including Marduk/Vectus, Kirtonos, and Jandice, and the time to run out of the instance twice to turn in stages of the Kirtonos questline. 3 of the 5 party members were very overgeared for the instance, though.

So, figure about twice as long as a Baron run for 13 bosses instead of 6 and no 150 rep time bonus.

I've say an hour and a half is normal for my Scholo runs I've been doing with alts. The big thing I like about Scholo is the room with the plagued whelps, though. They each have a chance to drop a Healthy Scale after you've done the quest to kill 20 of them. Pick the scale up but dont' start the quest yet. This way you can pick another up, and another. I've had runs where not a single scale dropped. I've also had runs where 4 dropped. Each quest turnin is 50 rep.

[TheWesson]

By the way, does anyone know if you have to complete the 10-token "+5 resistance one element on shoulder" before getting the 25-token "+5 resistance all on shoulder"?

I guess it doesn't matter that much (I will have 25 tokens saved when I hit exalted) but I wonder if I should save 25 or 35 ... I want to optimize my ascension to exalted as much as possible, and do as little grind in Exalted as humanly possible, for understandable reasons.

[Xanthix]

By the way, does anyone know if you have to complete the 10-token "+5 resistance one element on shoulder" before getting the 25-token "+5 resistance all on shoulder"?

I am not sure, but since you get the +5 resist to one element at revered, and it takes so long to get to exalted, normally people do the 10-token turnin so they can at least put something on their shoulders for resistance-heavy fights in the meantime.

[Zarathustra]

I'd like to echo the idea of just getting the +5 single resist to hold yourself over. In my experience, any resistance-heavy fights you encounter early on are fire. And after that, the variations usually necessitate a new pair of shoulders to go along with that enchant, so having the +5 resist all isn't as much of a boon as one would think.

I'm at exalted, and instead opted to put the Healing and Spell Power enchants from the Zandalar tribe on my respective shoulders, and then individual resistance enchants on my Cenarion (shadow) or Sylvan (nature) shoulders. Just worked out better that way.

[TheWesson]

I'd like to echo the idea of just getting the +5 single resist to hold yourself over. In my experience, any resistance-heavy fights you encounter early on are fire. And after that, the variations usually necessitate a new pair of shoulders to go along with that enchant, so having the +5 resist all isn't as much of a boon as one would think.

I'm at exalted, and instead opted to put the Healing and Spell Power enchants from the Zandalar tribe on my respective shoulders, and then individual resistance enchants on my Cenarion (shadow) or Sylvan (nature) shoulders. Just worked out better that way.

Thanks for the comments.

I've just been steamrolling my way to exalted, ignoring my guild, friends, etc, and at 300 rep/hr (when I'm really going) 21,000 rep is only 70 hrs overall, and there's been a big boost from saved Scourgestones/tokens as well as another 1000+ rep from doing the critter-parts turnins and the initial craftsman's quest, so it's not actually that long.

by the way, the really fantastic combination is a priest + affliction warlock. With a bit of a boost from Siphon Life and Dark Pact, the priest can easily keep the warlock (me) at full health AND full mana (via Life Tap). My priest friend also has Spirit Tap, so he can knock off an afflicted nearly-dead undead and get mana regen.

This is truly a combination for eternal grinding; no need to ever stop except to loot. We're putting out 300-600 dps (net) continually for 10-15 minutes at a time, since at any given time 2-4 mobs are afflicted. We are nearly at the point of grinding ghosts faster than Gahrron's Withering respawns.

I don't usually get to have a pet priest, though:)

[MongoJerry]

I'd like to echo the idea of just getting the +5 single resist to hold yourself over. In my experience, any resistance-heavy fights you encounter early on are fire. And after that, the variations usually necessitate a new pair of shoulders to go along with that enchant, so having the +5 resist all isn't as much of a boon as one would think.

Faerlina in Naxxramas is the first time I've seen two different elements used heavily, and consequently, I enchanted a set of NR shoulders with +5 resist all. Until that point, though a single resistance is usually sufficient.

[Flymo]

By the way, does anyone know if you have to complete the 10-token "+5 resistance one element on shoulder" before getting the 25-token "+5 resistance all on shoulder"?

Yes you do. Don't get Exalted and then pass on Corruptor's Scourgestones as I did because you've already got 25 tokens in the bank; you need 35 in total to get the mantle.

[TheWesson]

Faerlina in Naxxramas is the first time I've seen two different elements used heavily, and consequently, I enchanted a set of NR shoulders with +5 resist all. Until that point, though a single resistance is usually sufficient.

Quite, quite. Unfortunately I am just a 'casual' and am likely to be wearing the same Deadwalker's Mantle shoulders wherever I go, which makes the "+5 all" attractive to me. Overall I'll have "+18 all" resistance base, which suffices to trim away a little damage (~5%). Oh who do I kid? I'm just doing this for the ego-boost; nobody has ever "exalted" me before.

Yes you do. Don't get Exalted and then pass on Corruptor's Scourgestones as I did because you've already got 25 tokens in the bank; you need 35 in total to get the mantle.

Ok thanks! I am so advised!

[Hedon]

Faerlina in Naxxramas is the first time I've seen two different elements used heavily, and consequently, I enchanted a set of NR shoulders with +5 resist all. Until that point, though a single resistance is usually sufficient.

Which brings up the question, why would anyone want to purposefully grind up exalted status with Argent Dawn anyway? Especially with cauldron runs :wacko:

I mean the +5 resistance to all schools of magic enchantment is surely nice, but it really doesn't seem to be worth the effort. Even if you grind up with Scholo/Strat runs, you better have to REALLY like to doing those instances to reach exalted and achieving this with Cauldron runs seems to be only an option for the very bored or very masochistic ;)

If you hit exalted by doing regulary Naxx and the occasional Strat/Scholo farming run then it is fine, but grinding this reputation beyond revered on purpose doesn't really seem to pay out.

[Xanthix]

Which brings up the question, why would anyone want to purposefully grind up exalted status with Argent Dawn anyway?

Prior to the last patch, I would agree. But now getting exalted also reduces the amount of insignias you need for Aramaments of the Dawn purples by quite a bit. At revered you need 90 insignias; at exalted you need 45 (iirc).

So if you are going for a purple or three, it could be easier to grind exalted than grind/buy all the mats for extra insignias.

[Lissa]

Scholo for grinding out the rep to Exalted from Revered isn't bad. Once you have completed the Plagued Hatchlings quest and have blown up the Viewing Room, Scholo nets close to 500 rep per run. Not bad for about an hour and half and it's a chance to get some LBSes and some cash.

Just killing the bosses will get you 300 Rep. You'll get another 50 from Corruptor Scourge Stones, about 25 from mid level Scourge stones, and usually 50 to 100 from the Healthy Scales (usually 1 drops, sometimes more). If you use the tokens from the stones to get rep, that should net you a further 75 rep.

[TheWesson]

Prior to the last patch, I would agree. But now getting exalted also reduces the amount of insignias you need for Aramaments of the Dawn purples by quite a bit. At revered you need 90 insignias; at exalted you need 45 (iirc).

So if you are going for a purple or three, it could be easier to grind exalted than grind/buy all the mats for extra insignias.

Well let's see. Suppose you wanted 2 epics from Armaments of the Dawn, and wanted Naxx entry as well.

At revered you need 45 AD and 45 SC insig for 1 epic. 90 AD and 90 SC for 2 epics.
At exalted, you need 27/27. 54 AD and 54 SC for 2 epics.

Exalted rep saves you 36 AD insig and 36 SC insig.

Let's say (semi realistically)
An AD insig costs you 30 x 0.25 gold buying Core of Elements (= 7.5 g)
A SC insig costs you 30 x 0.50 gold buying Savage Fronds. (= 15g)

So Exalted saves you 36 x 7.5 + 36 x 15 gold = 270 + 540 = 810 g on your two epics.

Add in the Naxx ingredients necessary at Revered, (attunement is free for exalted) which we will lowball at 100g.

Assuming you spent 40 hrs grinding cauldrons (because you had a lot of scourgestones/valortokens saved up), this would be a equivalent pay rate of 22.75g/hr for your grinding. Not too bad, but not great. These cauldron UD aren't worthless for loot either, they'll drop runecloth and silver and vendor-grays and the occasional world epic. So ....

So the grind to Exalted is kind of "meh" if you're getting two epics. Getting one epic and not caring yet about Naxx (like me) and it's really utter folly! Spend the time grinding out some cash and just buy mats for the extra 18 AD and extra 18 SC insignias needed (probably only about 400g.)

[Quark]

So the grind to Exalted is kind of "meh" if you're getting two epics. Getting one epic and not caring yet about Naxx (like me) and it's really utter folly! Spend the time grinding out some cash and just buy mats for the extra 18 AD and extra 18 SC insignias needed (probably only about 400g.)

Don't forget that running a place like Gahrron's Withering makes you money in addition to the rep. I get money from coins, nice drops (vendor + AH or DE), and tons of Runecloth.

[Tuftears]

Tuftears dinged Exalted with AD last night.:) Naxx attuned for free!

[kerosion]

Don't forget that running a place like Gahrron's Withering makes you money in addition to the rep. I get money from coins, nice drops (vendor + AH or DE), and tons of Runecloth.

Just out of curiosity roughly how much are you pulling per hour once all drops and runecloth are liquidated and added to the coin? Curious whether it's a respectable chunk or negligable when put in perspective with other ventures. =)

[TheWesson]

Just out of curiosity roughly how much are you pulling per hour once all drops and runecloth are liquidated and added to the coin? Curious whether it's a respectable chunk or negligable when put in perspective with other ventures. =)

Before I say anything else, congrats to Tuftears! It's a bit of a slog, isn't it.

I'm exalted now too:)

Anyhow, the money is neither ridiculously bad nor very good. Don't have any exact figures. After a evening's grind, I might have a couple of stacks of runecloth and some white/gray items worth 0.50 to 1.50 and a couple of misc greens. In my entire AD grind, I think I saw 1 or 2 world drop epics, unfortunately not ones anybody wanted much. Miscellaneous cards, a libram or two ...

Don't forget the arcane quickener costs 0.45 and doing the cauldron eats a bit of runecloth too.

By the way, I think for some area-effect class soloing AD rep, the zombies (Dalson's Tears) are better than the ghosts (Gahrron's Withering). The payoff is a little less per mob, but lvl 53-55 mobs hurt you much less than lvl 57-60 mobs, so you both kill faster and have less downtime.

But if I were a single-target toon, I would probably like Gahrron's Withering better.