Aard Buying Guide

Disclaimer : The advice and levels given below are based on player experience. This guide was written to help you decide what level you want to buy your Aard items at. Keep in mind those are just recommendations, and the choice is always yours.

Where do I buy my Aard items?

You buy your aard items from any questor. Use quest list to see the list of items. 

     +----------------------------------------------------------+
     | Quest Item Menu - See 'Help Quest Items' for Details     |
     +----------------------------------------------------------+ 
     | *MISC* ........ Wishes - See 'help wishes'               |
     | 2500qp ........ Aardwolf Aura of Sanctuary               |
     | 2250qp ........ Aardwolf Gloves of Dexterity             |
     | 2000qp ........ Aardwolf Breastplate of Magic Resistance |
     | 1750qp ........ Aardwolf Bracers of Iron Grip            |
     | 1500qp ........ Bag of Aardwolf                          |
     | 1300qp ........ Aardwolf Boots of Speed                  |
     | 1100qp ........ Aardwolf Helm of True Sight              |
     | 1000qp ........ Aardwolf Ring of Regeneration            |
     | 1000qp ........ Sword of Aardwolf                        |
     | 1000qp ........ Axe of Aardwolf                          |
     | 1000qp ........ Staff of Aardwolf                        |
     | 1000qp ........ Halberd of Aardwolf                      |
     | 1000qp ........ Whip of Aardwolf                         |
     | 1000qp ........ Dagger of Aardwolf                       |
     | 1000qp ........ Mace of Aardwolf                         |
     | 1000qp ........ Flail of Aardwolf                        |
     | 1000qp ........ Bow of Aardwolf                          |
     |  800qp ........ Wings of Aardwolf                        |
     |  750qp ........ Amulet of Aardwolf                       |
     |  750qp ........ Shield of Aardwolf                       |
     |  550qp ........ Decanter of Endless Water                |
     |  500qp ........ Aardwolf Ring of Invisibility            |
     |  500qp ........ Add a stat to any wearable item          |
     |  500qp ........ Lower the level of an item               |
     |  325qp ........ 10 Training Sessions                     |
     |  150qp ........ 1 Trivia Point                           |
     |   40qp ........ 1 Training Session                       |
     +----------------------------------------------------------+
     * To buy an item, type 'quest buy <item>'.
     * Type 'quest buy' with no arguments to see item keywords.

What level should I buy my Aard items at?

This is a very common question, and also something really critical for the future of your character. Buying Aard items at wrong levels will lower a lot the resale value of your item, and will also often decrease the range of levels you can use them at.

  • Items that get stat bonuses based on the level you buy them at: 
Aura of Sanctuary, Gloves of Dexterity, Breastplate of Magic Resistance, Bracers of Iron Grip, Shield of Aardwolf, Weapons, and 
Rings of Regeneration.
It's really critical to choose wisely at which level you buy those pieces, for example: A level 29 Ring of Regeneration has exactly the same stats as a level 1 one. A level 30 Ring of Regeneration will have more stats than the level 29 one!
  • Items that get no stat bonuses based on their level:
Helm of True Sight, Boots of Speed, Wings of Aardwolf, Amulet of Aardwolf, and the Ring of Invisibility.
It's even more critical to buy those items at level 1. Getting those items at a level other than level 1 will be a problem for you, since you won't be able to use them immediately after a remort. For example, if you buy an Aard Amulet at level 75, when you remort, you won't be able to use the item from level 1 to 74. Rauction of such items usually means a really big loss of quest points.

Recommended levels to buy each item at

Again, keep in mind that those are levels recommended, which doesn't mean that all the item MUST be bought, but that items bought at other levels are generally a waste of quest points.

Gloves of Dexterity, Breastplate of Magic Resistance, Bracers of Iron Grip, Aura of Sanctuary, and Shield of Aardwolf: level 1, 50, 100, 150, 200-201, 251, 291

Weapons: Every multiple of 20, starting at 80 (80, 100, 120, etc). Aard weapons get a significant damage boost at level 80.

Helm of True Sight, Boots of Speed, Wings of Aardwolf, Amulet of Aardwolf, Ring of Invisibility, and Ring of Regeneration : level 1

Best levels to buy items

There is of course a list of items that are considered as 'best levels'. This list is also a matter of personal choices, and in no way the unique way to buy Aard equipment.

  • Level 1:
The best items to get at level 1 are Aura of Sanctuary, Gloves of Dexterity, Breastplate of Magic Resistance, Bracers of Iron Grip, Helm of True Sight, Boots of Speed, Wings of Aardwolf, Amulet of Aardwolf, Ring of Invisibility, Ring of Regeneration
  • Level 80:
The best level to start with weapons. Before level 80, the average damage of Aard weapons is 2.5*level, it becomes 3*level at level 80. Remember that Axes and Daggers are the most used weapons, for the Dagger can be used dually when using the Axe as the primary weapon, and dagger gets a bonus for backstab. A level 80 Dagger is probably your best pick, since the weapon can easily become a dual later if you buy an Axe (See level 120)
  • Level 100:
The stats push on the Breastplate makes this a really good pick at level 100. Usually, low tiers will prefer using stats gear for hands/arms at level 100, instead of the Aard Gloves and Bracers (Unless you don't have dual wield skill, then the Gloves stay the best pick).
  • Level 120:
A new weapon will help greatly in the higher levels. I would recommend getting a level 120 Axe, so you can dual a Dagger.
  • Level 150:
With the increasing needs of stats, getting a level 150 Breastplate is a good idea !
  • Level 160 and higher:
A new weapon at level 160 is good to have. If you can afford, buy even two, an Axe and a Dagger.

Other thoughts about Aard gear

  • Bags of Aardwolf are a huge help in storing items. The items put into those bags get their weight lowered by 80%, and the bag has almost no limit in terms of items. The negative weight modifier on the bag itself makes it very useful if you have weight issues, and each bag will benefit you more.
  • Your goal with weapons will probably be two weapons every 20 levels. Start with 1 weapon every 40 levels, then complete to get one every 20, then a second weapon for every 40 levels, then get a second weapon every 20.
  • The higher your tier, the more you'll be in need of DR/HR and less in need of stats (since you can use higher level items ten levels earlier per tier, stats become less of an issue), so you'll get into buying more bracers/gloves at higher levels.
  • Higher tiers can sometimes buy your 'weird level' items. For example, a tier 9 can use level 91 gear at level 1. If you have a level 47 Amulet of Aardwolf, they might want to buy it, and sell their level 1 piece. If you're planning to resell such items, its a good idea to post a note on the forsale board, and wait for prebids. In any case, you WILL lose quest points by selling such an item, unlike if it was an item of a preferable level. But some tier players don't mind getting those pieces, and will resell their own gear for more, so it benefits them, and you will lose less quest points than by just randomly rauctioning such pieces.