Getting a better Red Katana

Well - aside from training a fair amount more than I used to do, I have been a little consumed with the desire to improve the weapon I am using. Darius gave me this 100atk, +7 str katana a few weeks ago and I have to admit it is a lot better than my khan ever was. That said - I know I'll want to replace it and, more importantly, need to replace it in order to meet the greater knockback requirements of the level 90+ monsters.

I found one in the FM last night - a 107 atk, +15 str katana (5 10%/30%s worked) - but it was well out of my price range at 50mil. Red Katanas are of course pretty rare and well sought after. In the mean time, I am going to attempt to scroll my own katana - with the hope that I'll be able to pick up 85+atk clean ones and scroll them with 10%s/30%s until I get something better. It would be perfect to get something around 110+ because that would effectively give me an end-game weapon - something I would never need to replace.

Anyway - that's my current goal as it is something I can afford right now - I have close to 40 1-handed scrolls already - so I just need the swords to scroll. I can still look into improving my glove to a 10+ atk glove - but at 20+mil - and for only a +2 atk improvement - I'm not too crazy about it. Likewise, I could go for a pink adventurer cape - but a 4atk one of those is up there in price too.

The common theme here of course is that I need money. Training at duals is still costing me some money, but it is getting better with each level. Drops have been keeping me afloat with a nice variety:

2 gold hinkels (80atk, 84atk)
3 Dark Pireta hats (avg - one already sold for 320k - just need to find the buyer)
3 Dark Stud tops (one sold for 800k, one was below avg (NPCed), the last I traded for a blue stud top with a guildmate - the blue top currently has 500k bid on it)
Dark Stud pants (currently has a 700k bid on it)
2 Metal Heart earrings (avg sold for 300k; 62mdef sold for 500k)
2 sets of Steelys (sold to a guildmate)
2 60% polearm scrolls (sold to a guildmate)

and the list goes on with a bunch of NPCable items.

Right now, I've got ~11 mil in cash on hand. At 90 - I'll sell my current boots for, hopefully 15+mil.

If anyone reads this happens to have clean 85+atk red katanas and would like to help me in my quest - contact me in game, here, on sleepywood or on basil.

Thar be Pirates!

Well - not much has changed in recent days. I've been working at duals for the better part of the last week (with some forays to kill some spirit vikings for the repeatable quest), and it has continued to be solid exp and, although I lose money without drops - I have actually been making some money there due to a nice selection of above average drops.

Now I'm level 88 and have 70% - so I'm well on my way to 89. The zakum helm has really helped in a number of ways - reducing the damage I take, providing a minimal damage increase, reducing the number of hits I take. I suspect that with a minimal improvement in my damage dealing capabilities - I might be able to make duals a purely profitable area without drops.

I spent a small amount of time looking through the FM for red katanas to scroll, but was unable to find one at a reasonable price. Likewise Basil has been void of them for the better part of a week...

My guildmates have been more keen on doing boss runs lately and I'm inclined to make a showing for them if they make it at a time I can make. Right now, I wouldn't be much help versus Papulatus's 2nd form (2% hit rate with bless), but I might be some help... We'll see the next time it comes up though. There's also been a push for GPQ lately and I'd like to help that along in what way I can. So far it hasn't been a strong push though - so we'll see if it lasts.

In other news, I haven't had a real good week of poker - but that happens from time to time. Some bad play on my part, some coolers, some crazy crap that just happens on occasion. Blah. I expect it will pick up soon though.

I guess that's enough for now.