Old Man Gigas' Guide to Twinking v. 2.0
Gigas' Guide to Everything Twink v. 2.0
This is my new progressive guide to help everyone from casual players just trying to get by, to hardcore twinkers making that uber PvP/Dungeon Twink.
Table of Contents
1. Useful Links
2. Computer Literacy
3. Implants
4. Armor
5. Weapons
6. The Great Unknown (Detailed on the next page)
1. Useful Links
-Anarchy Online Search Engine - If it's not here, it's probably somewhere else already.
-Rustot's Skill Emulator - Never guess again.
-Anarchy Mainframe - Your best source for item information and configuration.
-Anarchy Arcanum - Armor tradeskilling made easy.
-Unity of the Rose: AggDeff Calculator - Weapons too slow? Find out why.
-Shadowlands Library - Everything Shadowlands.
2. Computer Literacy
Before anything else, you need NCU to accomplish anything in AO. You can simply never have enough.
General Comp Lit Buffing items:
-Computer Literacy Expertise (General Nano): +20 (The only Non-Self Trader buff)
-Salesman's Hat: +5
-Ql 44Galahad Inc T70 Beyer: +20 Each
-NCU Extension Perks: +10 Total at Perk 1 - +90 Total At Perk 8
-Pioneer Backpack+Tutoring Device: 10+ (Dependant on Tutoring Skill)
-Comp Lit Implants: +136 with Ql 125 Head/Eye/Right Hand Implants
-Intelligence Trickle Down: ~15
---Intelligence Boost (General nano): +12 Intel
---Neural Stimulator (NT Nano): +20 Intel
---Virral Triumvirate Egg: +15 Intel Each
---Ear Implant: Intelligence, Faded: +2-22
---Ql 1Second-Hand Old English Trading Co: +5 Intel Each
3. Implants - Implant Configurator
Once you have enough NCU, you can do almost anything, inluding the most important aspect of succesful play: Implants. Implants allow for better weapons, armor, and even more importantly, nano skills. There are two main aspects to equipping implants: treatment and base abilities.
3a. Treatment
Treatment is the most flexible skill in AO, having the most items and buffs for it. However, it's also one of the highest requirements of anything in the game.
Treatment Buffing Items and Nanos:
-Omni-Med Suit: +78
-Biomech Armor Boots/Helm/Cloak: +4-10
-Superior First Aid (Doctor Nano): +80
-Treatment Expertise (General Nano): +20
-Stationary Sugery Clinic: +100 (Found in all General Shops and Backyards)
-Ql 22 OT-Windchaser M06 Quartz: +10
-Shadowlands Garden Keys: +2-14
-Physician's Cap: +3-6
-Universal Advantage - Medical Expertise: Dependant on Ql and lvl
-Treatment Library: +2-18
-First Aid Perks: +10 Total At Perk 1 to +100 Total at Perk 4
-Treatment Implants: +136 with Ql 125 Head/Eye/Right Hand
-Diviner's Helper: +1-15
-Wondrous Gold Ring of Ocra Lux & Sun Ring of Eckel Roch: +5
-Intelligence/Agilty/Sense Trickle Down: ~10
---Neural Stim: +20 Intel
---Feline Grace: +25 Agi
---Enhanced Senses: +15 Sense
---Composite Attribute Boost (General Shadowlands Nano): +12 Intel/Agi/Sense
---Virral Triumverate Egg: +15 Intel Each
---Ring of Divine Teardrops: 2+
3b. Abilities
IF you can, implants should always be tweaked to require Stamina, Agility, or sometimes Strength, as these abilities are typically maxed for most players and also easier to buff than any others. Implant requirements can be changed by changing cluster combinations
Ability Buffing items and Nanos:
-Composite Attribute Boost (General Shadowlands Nano): +12 Sta/Str/Agi
-Essence of Behemoth (Enforcer Nano): +27 Sta/Str
-Iron Circle (Doctor Nano): +20 Sta/Str
-Ql 10 Concrete Cushions:+8 Each
-Prodigious Strength (Enforcer Nano): +40 Str
-Feline Grace (Agent Nano): +25 Agi
-Ql 40 Tsakachumi PTO-HV.2 Counter-Sniper Rifle: +20 Agi
-Ring of Divine Teardrops: 10+ Agi
-Ergo Quest Rings: +1-8 to Various Abilities
-Complete List of Other Buffing Items
4. Armor - Equipment Configurator
There are lots of different choices for armor, each having their own strengths and weakness, for different level ranges. Here are a few of the better and more common armor types.
4a. Armor Sets
-Omni/Storm Carbonum Plate Armor
Carbonum is probably THE best armor for the everyday leveler, due to its excellent mods, good ACs, low price, and high availability. It has great ACs except Energy and Radiation which are horribly low. All Carb adds Max Nano, Nano Init, and NCU. The Omni Version also adds Max Health, while the Clan (Storm) version adds Nano Resist. Carb is excellent for PvM, but it sufferes in PvP from its low Energy AC.
-CAS Symbiotic Armor
CAS has slightly better overal ACs than Carb, but with less significant mods. It's weak AC is Cold, which with the increase of cold damage based weapons is becoming an issue. Probably better for a twink than Carb due to ACs but not quite as good in PvM. CAS is generally harder to acquire than Carbonum.
-Metallic Mantis Armor
Mantis armor is generally considered to be one of the better twink armors due to it's all around good ACs and large HP boost from the breastplate. It is, however, relatively expensive and difficult to get. The biggest problem is, that it rarely can be found higher than ql 145, so it loses it's effectiveness at higher lvls.
-First Tier (Enforcer) Armor
First Tier Proffesional Armor *can* be better than any other armor available for a huge portion of the game. The ACs on it is very well rounded, so there are no AC holes to present a weakness. The mods for each piece can also be rather nice, specifically the breastplate. For combat proffesions, such as Enforcers, MAs and Soldiers, the ACs will be largely superior to anything else available till 175+ For other proffesions, you are probably better off going with one of the other sets. However, this armor, compared to the other sets, is by far the most expensive and difficult to get.
4b. Back Armor
Regardless of which armor set you choose, none of them provide any back armor, so you'll have to look elsewhere for this.
Here are some of the common (and uncommon) back pieces:
-Exarch Robe - Common drop from Temple of Three Winds
-Ql 100 Modernized ICC InternOps Cloak - Upgraded Fixer Shop Cloak
-Guardian Tank Armor - Rare drop from Temple of Three Winds
-Albrecht Heavy Tank Armor - Uncommon Boss Drop
-Overtuned High-Quality Heavy Omni-Tek Tank Armor - Tradeskill Tank; Best ACs of anything available for Twinks.
5. Weapons
The most common level for twinks, especially enforcers, are lvls 10-90. The lower you are, the more relatively "twinked" you can get. There is very little twinking that a high lvl character can do, but low lvls you have a wide variety of options. This section of the guide is specifically focused on Enforcer twinks, but perhaps it will be of some use to everyone.
Here's a list from the most basic, to the most effective weapons:
There are other choices, but these are the most commonly used, and the more effective.
*Note, some weapons are available in lower qls. I'll only post the highest qls*
-Stygian Desolator - The bread and butter weapon of 2he twinks, hold the butter. While it might be ok for very casual leveling, in today's arena, don't even bother approaching with a Stygian in Hand. Available in Temple of Three Winds end boss.
-Frost Scythe of the Legionnaire - Arguably worse than the Stygian, the Frost Scythe is slower, but the consistant damage. Because of it's consistant damage it *can* do better in PvP than a Stygian, and most certainly does better in Shadowlands PvM. Available in Temple of Three Winds Legionnaire tunnel.
-Skull of Woe - A semi-decent 1hb weapon depending on your lvl (the lower the better). It's damage range is rather low, so it will perform very poorly at the lvl 60 range. I don't suggest it unless you just plan on leveling with it in order to upgrade later on. Available from Lien the Memorystalker in the Temple of Three Winds.
-Frozen Tear of Uklesh - A slightly better 1he equivalent to the Skulls. It's a little slower, but with higher min damage. Howevr, it is a poor choice simply because of it's horrid droprate from Uklesh.
-Serious Gravity - A decent 2hb weapon. It's rather slow, but with the two enforcer mainstay specials Fast Attack, and Brawl, and it's got some serious damage. Available from Dyna-Camp Bosses.
-Prickly Tangleblade - A very slow 2he weapon with an even better kick than the Gravity. Despite it's high damage, the slow speed really drags it down in terms of PvP. Available from Dyna-Camp Bosses.
-Staff of the Tempest - A new "Turn Spirit" weapon, there is one available for both clan and omni (The Clan version is called the Skull Smasher with identical stats). I can't say whether these are better than the other two handed weapons. but it is definately a viable alternative. Available as a tradeskill weapon from Shadowlands items.
-Cuspidal Corpse Cutter - Generally considered the best weapon for enforcer twinks. It's relatively fast, with great damage. It is the most expensive enforcer twink weapon, so not everyone can get one. Available from Dyna-Camp Bosses.
-Chef Cleaver - A relatively new weapon introduced with Shadowlands. Cleavers, when dual-wielded, are by far the most devestating weapon for twinks, and even effective at the far reaches of lvl 200+. Even when only using one, they are arguably comparable to a Corpse Cutter due to similar damage, but faster speed. These are rather expensive, especially if you buy two, and very difficult to get. Available from Adonis Dryad Bosses. **I will detail how to equip two at lvls 60-70 Later**