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Trace's Guide to AD Creation and Wealth Building
degraafination
Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
Hey all,
If you're a free-to-play player like myself, you're probably wondering what is a good way to make Astral Diamonds besides the usual farming & selling technique. Although this can be very profitable, it is often time consuming and monotonous.
I created this guide to discuss other means of obtaining AD. Although there are people out there who make much, much more than I do, I wanted to share with you a few ways I use to create a decent amount of wealth.
I currently have two mains with all Rank 8 enchantments, BiS weapons and armor, two Perfect Vorpals, 110% speed mount for all characters, 6 Epic Artifacts, two cats, and two Greater Bags of Holding. I'm currently working on improving my Normal and Greater Soulforge, maxing out my Artifacts, and increasing my Enchantments to Rank 9. And yes, I'm 100% stubbornly free-to-play.
Lingo I use:
AH: Auction House
RAD: Rough Astral Diamonds
ROI: Return on Investment (Profit/Initial investment amount)
ZAX: Zen/AD Exchange
And finally, I want to say thank you for to my guild mates in Essence of Aggression, former EoA members in Dulce, and my other great friends in NW for helping me come so far on my characters.
AH Etiquette
Before we get into some means to make AD, let me discuss a few manners I appreciate when working the AH.
1) Undercutting is common in the AH. It happens all the time. It can get really nasty, but it's a part of the game.
2) That being said, it is considered very poor etiquette to undercut by 1 AD. If that's the case, buy from the person above that seller.
3) I try my best never to undercut a guildie. If I'm selling the same item around their price range, I'll match it.
Method #1 Good Old Leadership
I'm going to start with the most obvious, somewhat tedious, but patiently effective method of AD wealth-building, and that is the Leadership Skill.
Pros: Consistent, steady income.
Cons: Heavy time investment, weeks/months to reach peak AD creation, and logging on at least twice a day. RAD instead of AD.
As I mentioned, I have two mains, but I also have eight alts (all extra characters slots were bought with AD converted to Zen when slots were on sale). Although only six are level 60, and only half of them have Leadership maxed out, all of them will eventually max out their character and skill levels. So let's do some basic math.
10 characters, seven skill slots open, checking skills twice per day, and logging on seven days a week. We'll also say you use Destroy Enemy camp (1600 AD), Fight Off Spellplague (400 AD), and Battle Undead (400 AD)
That's 10 x 6400 AD x 2 x 7 = 896,000 AD per week. Keep in mind, this does not include Rare Leadership tasks that require materials like Diamond Shipment or Collecting Taxes (which I often use), or AD from invoking. Using the Zen/AD exchange, I can easily pool that onto my two main characters. A member of my guild is doing this (and only this) for AD creation, using 20 characters! That's a bit much for me, but he's never short of AD and has amazing gear on his main characters.
"C'mon, Trace! Who has the time to get 10 characters to level 60?" All you need to do is get them to Level 11 to start invoking. Personally, I like to take a couple days to get them to Level 30 for the extra skill slot and to collect all three, free bags given via quests.
Again, not everyone has the patience or time for this method, but it's nice having a steady source of AD. Who wouldn't want about one million AD per week?
Finally, have you heard about the Gateway? You really should check it out, because you can update all of yours skills without even logging on. Snazzy, huh?
Method #2 Gold to AD
Pros: Easy AD with a quick turnaround time. Minimal time required.
Cons: Extra gold required. Undercutting is common.
So, got a few alts leveling Leadership? Do you have extra gold lying around? Did you know that stacks Potions of Major (99) healing sell for around 6k AD each? I have multiple characters with over 200 gold on them. 7.5 gold (99 potions) will get you 6,000 AD. 20 gold will get you 14,000 AD by selling stacks of Major Healing Kits (99 kits).
That makes the Healing Kits slightly more profitable, and they sell much quicker. 75 gold is a bit costly for 60k AD, but hey, it's not RAD, and if you have the extra coin lying around, why not put it to good use?
Method #3 Flipping Items From Zen Store Sales
So far we've talked about some pretty measly ways to make AD. Let's get to the first money maker: Flipping discounted items from the Zen Store. Every week, the Zen Store has new sales. Some are better than others, so let's get down to it.
Pros: Great prices, new sales every week, and some insanely high returns if you have patience.
Cons: Flipping these items may have a long turnaround time. Many people use this method to make AD, and there is significantly less demand for these items after a sale.
This is one of my favorite means of making AD. Why? Rule #1 for flipping items: The profit is made when you buy. Zen Store sales, especially the really, really good ones, give you immediately discounted items. Not long ago Preservation Wards were 50% off! That means people were buying 10 P.Wards for approximately 20,000 AD. Only a couple weeks later and the prices are back up to around 36,000 AD. Even after the nasty 10% AH cut, that's 12,400 profit! That's a 62% ROI (Return on Investment)! Excuse me? Amazing! Mind you, sometimes it takes longer for the supply to dry up.
My only hint to this method is to be mindful of what you purchase. I'd only purchase high demand items at discounted prices. The bigger the sale, the more I'll invest.
Method #4 Working the ZAX (Zen/AD Exchange)
Okay, peeps, it's time for Method #4. Someone mentioned the idea of working the Zen/AD Market, so let's jump ahead to discuss that.
Pros: Minimal time and investment is needed to work the ZAX. Generally safe if you understand the normal buying and selling range of the ZAX (385-425 is somewhat "normal"). You can set your own "buy" prices and wait, unlike the AH. Although there is no 10% AH cut, there is a spread you must overcome.
Cons: Timing is crucial, as the ZAX can be prone to low volatility, especially during the weekdays. Overcoming the spread is your second challenge. Being caught on the wrong side of the trade can either result in a loss or tie up your investment pool for quite some time. Returns can be fairly low unless there is extreme volatility.
So a few comments...
1) By far the best time to buy into the ZAX is slightly before the release of new content. Why? Because that's when many players return or new players enter into the game. New lockboxes are also released, and keys are Cryptic's #1 selling item. At the release of Module 2 the ZAX spiked from 390 to 500, the highest it can go. It has not been that high since Open Beta.
2) The second best time to buy is at the beginning of a really, really good sale (such as the companion sale we recently had). Why? Better the Zen Store sales, the more people will convert AD into Zen, and the higher the price will spike. It can be hard to get in on a good buy price, as many people will purchase Zen quickly when a great sale starts.
3) The good news is that Cryptic wants (and will do much in their power) to keep the ZAX high. Why? It encourages players to buy Zen with real money and convert it to AD. If the ZAX is low, real money buyers are getting less for their cash, and will more likely keep their wallets closed. That means a good support level for the ZAX is around 375-385. Anything in this range is fairly safe to buy, but isn't guaranteed. Point in case, I purchased my 110% speed mount when Zen was sub-300 not long after Open Beta. I haven't seen those prices since, but they can happen.
4) Please be mindful of the spread. If you can buy Zen at, let's say 390, it may only be selling for 380 at the time. If for whatever reason you needed that AD back soon, or if the market goes even further south and you need to liquidate, you'll be taking a loss. 10 points is a decent range of the ZAX spread.
5) Now, unless there's a great sale or the release of new content, expect your returns to be fairly modest. Buying at 5000 Zen at 385 (costing you 1,925,000 AD) and selling 500 Zen at 415 will only result in gain of 150,000. That's only a 7.7% ROI, which isn't bad. However, I normally aim toward a minimum of a 10% ROI working the AH.
6) The ZAX is now available on Neverwinter Gateway.
7) Syndra is amazing for making up this awesome ZAX tracker and charting tool.
Method #5 No-Bid Gap Flipping
Let's talk about one of my favorite methods of working the AH, the no-bid gap flip. It's best explained by this example. The cheapest Ioun Stone of Allure is selling for 600,000 AD buyout. The next cheapest is 750,000 AD. You buy the cheaper Ioun Stone of Allure and immediately repost it for, let's say, 740,000 AD. After the 10% AH cut (74,000), you net 66,000 AD. Not bad, huh? 11% ROI for doing... just about nothing. I did this very thing four times this weekend (with a different item). Three netted me 100,000 AD each, and I broke even on the fourth after a repost (I wanted the AD for a different flip).
Pros: Great potential for 10% or more gains. Minimal time needed. No massive amount of AD needed, as gaps can be found throughout many items and price ranges. No annoying AH bidding and checking on items.
Cons: Undercutting is common in this game, especially for higher end items or items with heavy supply, such as enchantments. Cheaper items are very quickly bought up, so a little luck is involved and those items are easy to miss.
So, let's talk about some basics.
1) The profit is made when you buy. I've said it before and I'll say it again and again and again. Profit is made from significantly discounted items. Some people, such as in the example above, want fast sales. They opened a lock box, got a snazzy item they don't want or already have, and would rather immediately turn it into AD. You love these people, because they make you AD.
2) Never try to flip an item you don't want. This is so hugely important that I'll say it again: Never flip an item you don't want and may not eventually use. Why? Because undercutting is nasty in the AH. If you haven't felt it, you'll feel it soon. You put up an item for 100,000 AD, the cheapest on the AH. A quick sale, right? Yay! Five minutes later ten more of the same items are posted for 80,000-90,000 AD. Then the sellers above you get impatient, take their posts down, and undercut those people. Nasty, nasty, nasty. Each repost costs your initial posting fee, which means a 2% loss for you. Now you're on in a holding pattern, hoping and praying that there will be more buyers than sellers, but who knows. Meanwhile, another discounted item comes up and your AD is wrapped up in a trade. In five days when the auction expires, it could be back in your pocket. So, shall I say it again? Never flip an item you don't want.
3) Never post a flip for 1 AD Bid. "But it saves me the initial posting fee." Yeah, well, it could also cost you the Ancient Ring you just bought for 100,000 AD. Your choice. I personally post with a bid price just above my breakeven.
4) Only flip high demand items. Why? High demand items move fast and people want them. You may find a steal of a deal on an Owlbear, but sadly they went out of style a month after Sharandar was released. Oh, and don't forget rule #2.
5) Moderately priced items move faster. By this I mean items priced between 99,000-1,000,000 AD. Many players have this amount of AD and items in this price range tend to flip well. Now, that Shard of Valindra Crown selling for 7,000,000 AD. Sure you can try to flip it for 9,000,000, but there are far fewer buyers at that level, and undercutting is a beast (not to mention the initial posting fee).
Method #6 Salvaging Seal Items
This may be obvious to most people, but others may not know that items bought with Seals and Coins (Drake Seal, Unicorn Seal, GG Coins, VT Shards, etc.) can be salvaged. Although technically you have to run PVE to get these, I'm including this method because many people don't specifically farm these items (although some may). They just have them sitting in their inventory from a run here or there.
Pros: Bonus AD from normal gaming. Easy to purchase and salvage. Increases your collection points. Some items look cool for transmuting. No initial AD investment required.
Cons: RAD instead of AD. Must run PVE content to get them. Only works on active characters.
Very little to comment on here. Just don't forget to turn those Seals and such in for items to salvage. Wanted to put a shout-out to an amazing guildie, Stox, for reminding me of this today. I use this method quite often, but it's one of them I took for granted.
Method# 7 One Minute in Guantlygrym
Got a minute to spare? Is Guantlygrym in the first phase? Did you check the Neverember Daily quest? Is it GG PVE? You're in luck! Why not go get some quick RAD?
Pros: This takes less than a minute, literally.
Cons: RAD instead of AD. Lots of RAD. Only useable once per day. Small amount of AD unless you run the full GG.
So, did you know that if are simply in the PVE area of GG when it switches over from the PVE to the PVP phase, you get credit for your Daily GG PVE. Crazy, right? You don't even need to participate to get the AD. You simply need to be in the area (Note: keep in mind that you need at least one point to get the Iron Tabernacle Share, if that's what you're going for). A few more ideas to consider...
1. Check with Neverember. Once a week or so, the Neverember Daily is GG PVE (or PVP). It's only an extra 2k RAD, but heck, it's free! So why not take it.
2. Got some time to spare? Let's say, a half-hour? Turn in one piece of lumber to a catapult and you get credit for the second portion. What I do is turn in a piece of lumber (or a boulder), and then go afk and get stuff done around my house (prep dinner, clean up the kitchen, take out the trash, check on the dogs, that sort of thing). Just make sure you come back and move your mouse around every ten minutes or you'll be kicked and lose your points.
3. In a great guild? Got another half-hour to spare? Did your side win the overall GG PVP? Why not run The Dwarf King Crypt! This is one of the only PVE I recommend to acquire AD. I know this is technically farming, but I don't care because it's triple-profitable. How is it triple profitable? Let's go through the list.
A) More than one run is easily managed by running DKC legitimately, increasing your chances of getting a drop. These drops are guaranteed Epic (no sissy blues), although some are better than others. Shards drop as well (today I got a Vorpal! Instant 45k AD)! Whoo-hoo!
You get RAD from finishing Daily GG Dungeon (and possible RAD from Neverember daily? Or is that only PVE/PVP? Need to confirm this).
C) GG Seals drop for each run, which can be traded for items to salvage.
Simple stuff, right? Who knew making AD was so easy? Just don't forget to get those daily quests!
Method #8 Range Trading
Okay, people, let's talk about one of my other favorite ways to make AD via the AH: Range Trading. Certain items have something of a range, or lows and highs where they are bought and sold. Let's take, for example, an Azure Enchantment, Rank 7. Their normal trading range is around 100,000 AD to 125,000 AD. That means is a very strong bet if I buy AE R7 at 100,000 AD, and repost it for 120,000 AD, there's a good chance it will be sold in a day or two (possible less or more), netting me a small gain.
Pros: Nearly anyone can do this, because many items of different prices have somewhat consistent ranges. Minimal time needed once you understand certain items and their trading ranges.
Cons: Unlike gap-flipping, this can take much longer if there is little volatility. Sometime my range trades can sit on the AH for many days, tying up my trading capital.
So, a few things to consider:
1) What's the first rule of trading? The profit is made when you buy.
2) And the second rule? Never trade an item you may not want or could eventually use. You never know when a massive amount of supply will come into the market, meaning your trade doesn't sell. If this is the case, you have to ask yourself if it is worth playing the undercutting game. Most of the time, I do not.
3) Only certain items have consistent ranges. Enchantments are a great example of this, because there is something of a fixed cost to create them, creating a good range of lows and highs. When the price gets to high, people figure out it's cheaper to make the enchant. When prices go very low, they're often bought up because some people are selling them at cost (or below) to create them.
4) Other items no NOT have fixed ranges. Take, for instance, Battlefield Skulker Boots (T2 GG PVP item). I've seen them as low as 100,000 AD and as high as 2,000,000 AD. Although these would make a great gap-flip, they're not ideal for range trading.
Happy trading!
Method #9 Mass Buyout
Let's talk about a more risky way of trading I honestly never use, but know people who do. I call it the mass buyout. Although it offers strong AD gain, it's a bit too risky for my taste. It's best explained by this example. There are four Battlefield Skulker Helms on sale in the AH for around 250,000 AD a piece. Feeling bold, you buyout all four, and repost them for 500,000 each.
Pros: 100% or more ROI is possible. Minimal time invested.
Cons: Sometimes large AD pools are required to use this method. More supply may immediately come into the market, pushing back your sale and tying up your AD investment pool. Possibility of having multiple items that you may not use.
So, a few comments...
1) Supply is theoretically infinite in Neverwinter. New items simply appear out of nowhere, similar to the US banking system, where money is just magically created from nothing. This means that the stack of items you just bought out may immediately reappear in the AH.
2) This method does not work well for flipping items like enchantments, because they have something of fixed cost to create them. We'll say it takes around 90k to 110k to create a Rank 7 Enchantment (decent, ballpark figure). So buying out all of the Rank 7s and reposting them for 200k a piece is a really, really bad idea.
3) Meaning, this method tends to work best for rare, high demand items. Perhaps some new HR gear or something similar.
4) Also, can you can see why I don't like this method of trading? Because it violates Trace's first two rules of trading. First, the profit is made when you buy. In this case, you're hoping for a profit when you sell. It also violates my second rule, which is..
5) Never try to flip an item you may not want. What is my CW going to do with three HR offhands if they don't sell? I either breakeven or take a loss selling them, because I'm certainly not going to use them.
6) Finally, the higher the price, the fewer the buyers. Lots of people have 100,000-1,000,000 AD. Not as many have much more than that, and many of them are financially savvy, and won't buy in at such high prices.
Method #10 Dude-I'm-Totally-Broke Method
We all need to start somewhere. Let's say you're a new character with no coin and only a scrap of AD to your name. Where do you start? You start here.
Pros: Anyone can do this once you hit level 11-16 or so. Repeatable.
Cons: Very boring and offers slim returns (though a great ROI).
1. Get your character to level 11-15 or so. Invoke, do a Daily Skirmish or PVP. Anything to get a scrap of AD. 2k-3k RAD should suffice.
2. Refine it and buy out the cheapest potions you can find in the AH with minimal AD. Normally Lesser Potions of Healing work well for this. They sell for 2-3 AD a piece. Buy lots and sell them to a vendor for silver until you have 7.5 gold (this will cost you around 2k-3k AD).
3. Now, scroll back up to Method #2 and review it. Congratulations, you have no reason to be broke ever again. This method will actually net you over 50% ROI if the prices are in your favor. A shame it only nets you 2k-3k AD.
Method #11 The Bidding Wars
Let's talk about, by far, the most profitable (and most frustrating) way of working the AH, buying out items at a steal often during the last minute of an auction. Best explained by this example. Some genius put up a C. Ward on the AH for 1 AD bid, 300k buyout. He's either stupid, very generous, or hopes that someone will accidently click "buyout" instead of "bid", netting him a big return. Regardless, it's down the last two minutes, and the C. Ward is going for 50k AD, still a steal! Can you get it?!
Pros: Insanely high ROI, sometimes over 1000%, if you can snipe the right item and flip it. Low bid prices mean most players have access to this method.
Cons: Competition is fierce. AH is known for being both buggy and inconsistent. Can be very time consuming.
Here are a few thoughts to consider if you decide to snipe auctions.
1) Competition is insanely fierce in this game. If a C. Ward has a current bid of 50,000 with three minutes left, know that dozens of players are waiting for the last minute to put in a bid as well.
2) Get used to frustration. I tried this game for about a week and gave up because I was so frustrated at losing on these amazingly low priced items.
3) The AH is known to be very inconsistent. You may not be allowed to bid on a certain item during the last 60 seconds, but others may be able to.
4) Know what you're buying. 50k may be a great deal on a C. Ward, but a terrible bid price on a stack of Lesser Marks of Power. Here's a good rule of thumb: If there is no "starting bid," meaning no one has bid on it before you, and it's almost guaranteed to be overpriced.
5) Another challenge of this method is that auctions may end during strange times, perhaps when you're at work, at school, or asleep. Sorting items by Time Expired is a good way to avoid this hassle.
6) My personal recommendation is to pick something you like to trade (Ancients, Enchantments, C. Wards, Refining Stones, Companions, whatever), and focus in that area. With this method of trading you can very easily become overwhelmed by trading to bid on items in too many areas.
If you're a free-to-play player like myself, you're probably wondering what is a good way to make Astral Diamonds besides the usual farming & selling technique. Although this can be very profitable, it is often time consuming and monotonous.
I created this guide to discuss other means of obtaining AD. Although there are people out there who make much, much more than I do, I wanted to share with you a few ways I use to create a decent amount of wealth.
I currently have two mains with all Rank 8 enchantments, BiS weapons and armor, two Perfect Vorpals, 110% speed mount for all characters, 6 Epic Artifacts, two cats, and two Greater Bags of Holding. I'm currently working on improving my Normal and Greater Soulforge, maxing out my Artifacts, and increasing my Enchantments to Rank 9. And yes, I'm 100% stubbornly free-to-play.
Lingo I use:
AH: Auction House
RAD: Rough Astral Diamonds
ROI: Return on Investment (Profit/Initial investment amount)
ZAX: Zen/AD Exchange
And finally, I want to say thank you for to my guild mates in Essence of Aggression, former EoA members in Dulce, and my other great friends in NW for helping me come so far on my characters.
AH Etiquette
Before we get into some means to make AD, let me discuss a few manners I appreciate when working the AH.
1) Undercutting is common in the AH. It happens all the time. It can get really nasty, but it's a part of the game.
2) That being said, it is considered very poor etiquette to undercut by 1 AD. If that's the case, buy from the person above that seller.
3) I try my best never to undercut a guildie. If I'm selling the same item around their price range, I'll match it.
Method #1 Good Old Leadership
I'm going to start with the most obvious, somewhat tedious, but patiently effective method of AD wealth-building, and that is the Leadership Skill.
Pros: Consistent, steady income.
Cons: Heavy time investment, weeks/months to reach peak AD creation, and logging on at least twice a day. RAD instead of AD.
As I mentioned, I have two mains, but I also have eight alts (all extra characters slots were bought with AD converted to Zen when slots were on sale). Although only six are level 60, and only half of them have Leadership maxed out, all of them will eventually max out their character and skill levels. So let's do some basic math.
10 characters, seven skill slots open, checking skills twice per day, and logging on seven days a week. We'll also say you use Destroy Enemy camp (1600 AD), Fight Off Spellplague (400 AD), and Battle Undead (400 AD)
That's 10 x 6400 AD x 2 x 7 = 896,000 AD per week. Keep in mind, this does not include Rare Leadership tasks that require materials like Diamond Shipment or Collecting Taxes (which I often use), or AD from invoking. Using the Zen/AD exchange, I can easily pool that onto my two main characters. A member of my guild is doing this (and only this) for AD creation, using 20 characters! That's a bit much for me, but he's never short of AD and has amazing gear on his main characters.
"C'mon, Trace! Who has the time to get 10 characters to level 60?" All you need to do is get them to Level 11 to start invoking. Personally, I like to take a couple days to get them to Level 30 for the extra skill slot and to collect all three, free bags given via quests.
Again, not everyone has the patience or time for this method, but it's nice having a steady source of AD. Who wouldn't want about one million AD per week?
Finally, have you heard about the Gateway? You really should check it out, because you can update all of yours skills without even logging on. Snazzy, huh?
Method #2 Gold to AD
Pros: Easy AD with a quick turnaround time. Minimal time required.
Cons: Extra gold required. Undercutting is common.
So, got a few alts leveling Leadership? Do you have extra gold lying around? Did you know that stacks Potions of Major (99) healing sell for around 6k AD each? I have multiple characters with over 200 gold on them. 7.5 gold (99 potions) will get you 6,000 AD. 20 gold will get you 14,000 AD by selling stacks of Major Healing Kits (99 kits).
That makes the Healing Kits slightly more profitable, and they sell much quicker. 75 gold is a bit costly for 60k AD, but hey, it's not RAD, and if you have the extra coin lying around, why not put it to good use?
Method #3 Flipping Items From Zen Store Sales
So far we've talked about some pretty measly ways to make AD. Let's get to the first money maker: Flipping discounted items from the Zen Store. Every week, the Zen Store has new sales. Some are better than others, so let's get down to it.
Pros: Great prices, new sales every week, and some insanely high returns if you have patience.
Cons: Flipping these items may have a long turnaround time. Many people use this method to make AD, and there is significantly less demand for these items after a sale.
This is one of my favorite means of making AD. Why? Rule #1 for flipping items: The profit is made when you buy. Zen Store sales, especially the really, really good ones, give you immediately discounted items. Not long ago Preservation Wards were 50% off! That means people were buying 10 P.Wards for approximately 20,000 AD. Only a couple weeks later and the prices are back up to around 36,000 AD. Even after the nasty 10% AH cut, that's 12,400 profit! That's a 62% ROI (Return on Investment)! Excuse me? Amazing! Mind you, sometimes it takes longer for the supply to dry up.
My only hint to this method is to be mindful of what you purchase. I'd only purchase high demand items at discounted prices. The bigger the sale, the more I'll invest.
Method #4 Working the ZAX (Zen/AD Exchange)
Okay, peeps, it's time for Method #4. Someone mentioned the idea of working the Zen/AD Market, so let's jump ahead to discuss that.
Pros: Minimal time and investment is needed to work the ZAX. Generally safe if you understand the normal buying and selling range of the ZAX (385-425 is somewhat "normal"). You can set your own "buy" prices and wait, unlike the AH. Although there is no 10% AH cut, there is a spread you must overcome.
Cons: Timing is crucial, as the ZAX can be prone to low volatility, especially during the weekdays. Overcoming the spread is your second challenge. Being caught on the wrong side of the trade can either result in a loss or tie up your investment pool for quite some time. Returns can be fairly low unless there is extreme volatility.
So a few comments...
1) By far the best time to buy into the ZAX is slightly before the release of new content. Why? Because that's when many players return or new players enter into the game. New lockboxes are also released, and keys are Cryptic's #1 selling item. At the release of Module 2 the ZAX spiked from 390 to 500, the highest it can go. It has not been that high since Open Beta.
2) The second best time to buy is at the beginning of a really, really good sale (such as the companion sale we recently had). Why? Better the Zen Store sales, the more people will convert AD into Zen, and the higher the price will spike. It can be hard to get in on a good buy price, as many people will purchase Zen quickly when a great sale starts.
3) The good news is that Cryptic wants (and will do much in their power) to keep the ZAX high. Why? It encourages players to buy Zen with real money and convert it to AD. If the ZAX is low, real money buyers are getting less for their cash, and will more likely keep their wallets closed. That means a good support level for the ZAX is around 375-385. Anything in this range is fairly safe to buy, but isn't guaranteed. Point in case, I purchased my 110% speed mount when Zen was sub-300 not long after Open Beta. I haven't seen those prices since, but they can happen.
4) Please be mindful of the spread. If you can buy Zen at, let's say 390, it may only be selling for 380 at the time. If for whatever reason you needed that AD back soon, or if the market goes even further south and you need to liquidate, you'll be taking a loss. 10 points is a decent range of the ZAX spread.
5) Now, unless there's a great sale or the release of new content, expect your returns to be fairly modest. Buying at 5000 Zen at 385 (costing you 1,925,000 AD) and selling 500 Zen at 415 will only result in gain of 150,000. That's only a 7.7% ROI, which isn't bad. However, I normally aim toward a minimum of a 10% ROI working the AH.
6) The ZAX is now available on Neverwinter Gateway.
7) Syndra is amazing for making up this awesome ZAX tracker and charting tool.
Method #5 No-Bid Gap Flipping
Let's talk about one of my favorite methods of working the AH, the no-bid gap flip. It's best explained by this example. The cheapest Ioun Stone of Allure is selling for 600,000 AD buyout. The next cheapest is 750,000 AD. You buy the cheaper Ioun Stone of Allure and immediately repost it for, let's say, 740,000 AD. After the 10% AH cut (74,000), you net 66,000 AD. Not bad, huh? 11% ROI for doing... just about nothing. I did this very thing four times this weekend (with a different item). Three netted me 100,000 AD each, and I broke even on the fourth after a repost (I wanted the AD for a different flip).
Pros: Great potential for 10% or more gains. Minimal time needed. No massive amount of AD needed, as gaps can be found throughout many items and price ranges. No annoying AH bidding and checking on items.
Cons: Undercutting is common in this game, especially for higher end items or items with heavy supply, such as enchantments. Cheaper items are very quickly bought up, so a little luck is involved and those items are easy to miss.
So, let's talk about some basics.
1) The profit is made when you buy. I've said it before and I'll say it again and again and again. Profit is made from significantly discounted items. Some people, such as in the example above, want fast sales. They opened a lock box, got a snazzy item they don't want or already have, and would rather immediately turn it into AD. You love these people, because they make you AD.
2) Never try to flip an item you don't want. This is so hugely important that I'll say it again: Never flip an item you don't want and may not eventually use. Why? Because undercutting is nasty in the AH. If you haven't felt it, you'll feel it soon. You put up an item for 100,000 AD, the cheapest on the AH. A quick sale, right? Yay! Five minutes later ten more of the same items are posted for 80,000-90,000 AD. Then the sellers above you get impatient, take their posts down, and undercut those people. Nasty, nasty, nasty. Each repost costs your initial posting fee, which means a 2% loss for you. Now you're on in a holding pattern, hoping and praying that there will be more buyers than sellers, but who knows. Meanwhile, another discounted item comes up and your AD is wrapped up in a trade. In five days when the auction expires, it could be back in your pocket. So, shall I say it again? Never flip an item you don't want.
3) Never post a flip for 1 AD Bid. "But it saves me the initial posting fee." Yeah, well, it could also cost you the Ancient Ring you just bought for 100,000 AD. Your choice. I personally post with a bid price just above my breakeven.
4) Only flip high demand items. Why? High demand items move fast and people want them. You may find a steal of a deal on an Owlbear, but sadly they went out of style a month after Sharandar was released. Oh, and don't forget rule #2.
5) Moderately priced items move faster. By this I mean items priced between 99,000-1,000,000 AD. Many players have this amount of AD and items in this price range tend to flip well. Now, that Shard of Valindra Crown selling for 7,000,000 AD. Sure you can try to flip it for 9,000,000, but there are far fewer buyers at that level, and undercutting is a beast (not to mention the initial posting fee).
Method #6 Salvaging Seal Items
This may be obvious to most people, but others may not know that items bought with Seals and Coins (Drake Seal, Unicorn Seal, GG Coins, VT Shards, etc.) can be salvaged. Although technically you have to run PVE to get these, I'm including this method because many people don't specifically farm these items (although some may). They just have them sitting in their inventory from a run here or there.
Pros: Bonus AD from normal gaming. Easy to purchase and salvage. Increases your collection points. Some items look cool for transmuting. No initial AD investment required.
Cons: RAD instead of AD. Must run PVE content to get them. Only works on active characters.
Very little to comment on here. Just don't forget to turn those Seals and such in for items to salvage. Wanted to put a shout-out to an amazing guildie, Stox, for reminding me of this today. I use this method quite often, but it's one of them I took for granted.
Method# 7 One Minute in Guantlygrym
Got a minute to spare? Is Guantlygrym in the first phase? Did you check the Neverember Daily quest? Is it GG PVE? You're in luck! Why not go get some quick RAD?
Pros: This takes less than a minute, literally.
Cons: RAD instead of AD. Lots of RAD. Only useable once per day. Small amount of AD unless you run the full GG.
So, did you know that if are simply in the PVE area of GG when it switches over from the PVE to the PVP phase, you get credit for your Daily GG PVE. Crazy, right? You don't even need to participate to get the AD. You simply need to be in the area (Note: keep in mind that you need at least one point to get the Iron Tabernacle Share, if that's what you're going for). A few more ideas to consider...
1. Check with Neverember. Once a week or so, the Neverember Daily is GG PVE (or PVP). It's only an extra 2k RAD, but heck, it's free! So why not take it.
2. Got some time to spare? Let's say, a half-hour? Turn in one piece of lumber to a catapult and you get credit for the second portion. What I do is turn in a piece of lumber (or a boulder), and then go afk and get stuff done around my house (prep dinner, clean up the kitchen, take out the trash, check on the dogs, that sort of thing). Just make sure you come back and move your mouse around every ten minutes or you'll be kicked and lose your points.
3. In a great guild? Got another half-hour to spare? Did your side win the overall GG PVP? Why not run The Dwarf King Crypt! This is one of the only PVE I recommend to acquire AD. I know this is technically farming, but I don't care because it's triple-profitable. How is it triple profitable? Let's go through the list.
A) More than one run is easily managed by running DKC legitimately, increasing your chances of getting a drop. These drops are guaranteed Epic (no sissy blues), although some are better than others. Shards drop as well (today I got a Vorpal! Instant 45k AD)! Whoo-hoo!
You get RAD from finishing Daily GG Dungeon (and possible RAD from Neverember daily? Or is that only PVE/PVP? Need to confirm this).C) GG Seals drop for each run, which can be traded for items to salvage.
Simple stuff, right? Who knew making AD was so easy? Just don't forget to get those daily quests!
Method #8 Range Trading
Okay, people, let's talk about one of my other favorite ways to make AD via the AH: Range Trading. Certain items have something of a range, or lows and highs where they are bought and sold. Let's take, for example, an Azure Enchantment, Rank 7. Their normal trading range is around 100,000 AD to 125,000 AD. That means is a very strong bet if I buy AE R7 at 100,000 AD, and repost it for 120,000 AD, there's a good chance it will be sold in a day or two (possible less or more), netting me a small gain.
Pros: Nearly anyone can do this, because many items of different prices have somewhat consistent ranges. Minimal time needed once you understand certain items and their trading ranges.
Cons: Unlike gap-flipping, this can take much longer if there is little volatility. Sometime my range trades can sit on the AH for many days, tying up my trading capital.
So, a few things to consider:
1) What's the first rule of trading? The profit is made when you buy.
2) And the second rule? Never trade an item you may not want or could eventually use. You never know when a massive amount of supply will come into the market, meaning your trade doesn't sell. If this is the case, you have to ask yourself if it is worth playing the undercutting game. Most of the time, I do not.
3) Only certain items have consistent ranges. Enchantments are a great example of this, because there is something of a fixed cost to create them, creating a good range of lows and highs. When the price gets to high, people figure out it's cheaper to make the enchant. When prices go very low, they're often bought up because some people are selling them at cost (or below) to create them.
4) Other items no NOT have fixed ranges. Take, for instance, Battlefield Skulker Boots (T2 GG PVP item). I've seen them as low as 100,000 AD and as high as 2,000,000 AD. Although these would make a great gap-flip, they're not ideal for range trading.
Happy trading!
Method #9 Mass Buyout
Let's talk about a more risky way of trading I honestly never use, but know people who do. I call it the mass buyout. Although it offers strong AD gain, it's a bit too risky for my taste. It's best explained by this example. There are four Battlefield Skulker Helms on sale in the AH for around 250,000 AD a piece. Feeling bold, you buyout all four, and repost them for 500,000 each.
Pros: 100% or more ROI is possible. Minimal time invested.
Cons: Sometimes large AD pools are required to use this method. More supply may immediately come into the market, pushing back your sale and tying up your AD investment pool. Possibility of having multiple items that you may not use.
So, a few comments...
1) Supply is theoretically infinite in Neverwinter. New items simply appear out of nowhere, similar to the US banking system, where money is just magically created from nothing. This means that the stack of items you just bought out may immediately reappear in the AH.
2) This method does not work well for flipping items like enchantments, because they have something of fixed cost to create them. We'll say it takes around 90k to 110k to create a Rank 7 Enchantment (decent, ballpark figure). So buying out all of the Rank 7s and reposting them for 200k a piece is a really, really bad idea.
3) Meaning, this method tends to work best for rare, high demand items. Perhaps some new HR gear or something similar.
4) Also, can you can see why I don't like this method of trading? Because it violates Trace's first two rules of trading. First, the profit is made when you buy. In this case, you're hoping for a profit when you sell. It also violates my second rule, which is..
5) Never try to flip an item you may not want. What is my CW going to do with three HR offhands if they don't sell? I either breakeven or take a loss selling them, because I'm certainly not going to use them.
6) Finally, the higher the price, the fewer the buyers. Lots of people have 100,000-1,000,000 AD. Not as many have much more than that, and many of them are financially savvy, and won't buy in at such high prices.
Method #10 Dude-I'm-Totally-Broke Method
We all need to start somewhere. Let's say you're a new character with no coin and only a scrap of AD to your name. Where do you start? You start here.
Pros: Anyone can do this once you hit level 11-16 or so. Repeatable.
Cons: Very boring and offers slim returns (though a great ROI).
1. Get your character to level 11-15 or so. Invoke, do a Daily Skirmish or PVP. Anything to get a scrap of AD. 2k-3k RAD should suffice.
2. Refine it and buy out the cheapest potions you can find in the AH with minimal AD. Normally Lesser Potions of Healing work well for this. They sell for 2-3 AD a piece. Buy lots and sell them to a vendor for silver until you have 7.5 gold (this will cost you around 2k-3k AD).
3. Now, scroll back up to Method #2 and review it. Congratulations, you have no reason to be broke ever again. This method will actually net you over 50% ROI if the prices are in your favor. A shame it only nets you 2k-3k AD.
Method #11 The Bidding Wars
Let's talk about, by far, the most profitable (and most frustrating) way of working the AH, buying out items at a steal often during the last minute of an auction. Best explained by this example. Some genius put up a C. Ward on the AH for 1 AD bid, 300k buyout. He's either stupid, very generous, or hopes that someone will accidently click "buyout" instead of "bid", netting him a big return. Regardless, it's down the last two minutes, and the C. Ward is going for 50k AD, still a steal! Can you get it?!
Pros: Insanely high ROI, sometimes over 1000%, if you can snipe the right item and flip it. Low bid prices mean most players have access to this method.
Cons: Competition is fierce. AH is known for being both buggy and inconsistent. Can be very time consuming.
Here are a few thoughts to consider if you decide to snipe auctions.
1) Competition is insanely fierce in this game. If a C. Ward has a current bid of 50,000 with three minutes left, know that dozens of players are waiting for the last minute to put in a bid as well.
2) Get used to frustration. I tried this game for about a week and gave up because I was so frustrated at losing on these amazingly low priced items.
3) The AH is known to be very inconsistent. You may not be allowed to bid on a certain item during the last 60 seconds, but others may be able to.
4) Know what you're buying. 50k may be a great deal on a C. Ward, but a terrible bid price on a stack of Lesser Marks of Power. Here's a good rule of thumb: If there is no "starting bid," meaning no one has bid on it before you, and it's almost guaranteed to be overpriced.
5) Another challenge of this method is that auctions may end during strange times, perhaps when you're at work, at school, or asleep. Sorting items by Time Expired is a good way to avoid this hassle.
6) My personal recommendation is to pick something you like to trade (Ancients, Enchantments, C. Wards, Refining Stones, Companions, whatever), and focus in that area. With this method of trading you can very easily become overwhelmed by trading to bid on items in too many areas.
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If you're an active player, you most likely invoke on your characters every day. Since reward boxes are now account bound, it limits to how you can profit from praying. Fortunately, there are a couple ways to do it. You can either put your Feywild Sparks to use to create and sell a Fey Blessing Enchantment, or try your luck on obtaining a Coalescent Ward and creating a Lesser Enchantment to sell.
Pros: Anyone can do it once they hit level 11. Accounts with multiple characters can benefit from multiple boxes.
Cons: Must invoke every 30 hours Celestial Coins are lost. If you're creating a Fey Blessing Enchantment, running Sharandar PVE content is required. If you're trying your luck on obtaining a C. Ward, the drop rate is very low.
1) First, you can choose to Sharandar treasure chest to help create a Fey Blessing Enchantment (although the chest is not required). The Sharandar chest is advantageous in two ways. First, it requires six Celestial Coins instead of seven, with each box giving you 30 FW Sparks. The challenge is that to get a Lesser Fey Blessing Enchantment, it requires completing a total of six daily quests in each Sharandar area (for six blades, six seeds, and six charms), and additional sparks as well. After that and a couple days to create the Fey Blessing Enchantment, you can auction it off for around 50k-75k AD. So to get your AD, you have to put in the time. If you're currently leveling a companion or working on your Sharandar boons, this is not a bad choice. For me, it's far too much effort for that little AD.
2) The second way is to save all seven Celestial Coins to get the final chest. The good news is that there is no PVE content to run. The bad news is that the chances of getting the cherished Coalescent Ward is quite slim (I've yet to get one). When and if you do acquire a precious C. Ward, what do you do now that it is account-bound? You have two options: Keep it for yourself ("My precious!"), or create a Lesser Enchantment (which is not account bound), and sell it on the AH. I recommend creating a Lesser Vorpal or Soulforge, as they tend to be the most popular. You will have to sport some AD to get the Mark of Potency required, but in the end it will result in a profit if it's priced right.
3) You can extend the 30 hours via gateway by playing the short sword coast adventures quest "the temple of reflection".
Method #13 Buying for Salvage
Since this method has already been mentioned, let's go ahead and put it on this list. This is another starting AD method. Let's say you're starting with very little AD, and you're not making enough RAD per day to refine your 24,000 allotment. You simply bid or buyout items on the AH below the refining value, and salvage them for RAD.
Pros: Very little AD required. Minimal time required. Go for players sub-level 60 who do not have access to as many daily quests that give RAD.
Cons: Limit to refine 24,000 RAD per day. Some competition, as this is a popular way to make your daily RAD limit. Must know refining prices. Not suitable for characters with large RAD pools.
Just a couple of comments on this method.
1) Know your refining prices. For instance, Grand Necklaces salvage for 6,000 RAD. T1 Rings salvage for 3,000 RAD. A generic list can be found here. Please keep in mind this does not include unique items dropped by certain bosses.
2) Bid beats Buyout in this game, and you can easily get 100% ROI or more if you can bid out an item for 2k-3k AD and salvage it for 6,000 RAD. It depends if you want to play the bidding wars or not. Even if you don't many players sell items under salvage prices because they would rather have AD over RAD.
Method #14 Lockbox Gambling
Since Beta, I can say I've only opened 200-300 lockboxes, if that. Some people open thousands. That's a bit much for me. But you can always open lockboxes and sell the items on the AH. Ideally, you're looking for a few big ticket items in short amount of time to sell on the AH (a fancy mount, artifact, or companion).
Pros: Boxes are dirt cheap and easy to acquire. Anyone can open them if they have keys. Chance of getting a sweet item. Offers rare items you cannot acquire elsewhere.
Cons: No guaranteed results or items. Can easily burn through AD, as opening boxes can be addictive. Larger AD pool needed to purchase at least 10 keys.
So, a few comments on opening lockboxes.
1) 10%-15% off sales of keys is the ideal time to buy them. However, because keys are Cryptic's #1 selling item, the ZAX often spikes as a result, negating a lot of the discount. Buying 10 keys at 15% off (956 Zen) when the ZAX is at 425 costs 406,300 AD. If you buy keys normally (1125 Zen per 10), even if the ZAX is as low as 375, it will still cost you more (421,875 AD). So if you love opening lockboxes and you're waiting for a key sale, get in early.
2) If you're not into key sales, buying Zen immediately after a sale is announced is a great time to work the ZAX.
3) From the people I've talked to who open insane amounts of lockboxes, at the end of the day they say they break even. I'm sure there are a fortunate few people who have made loads of AD from opening boxes and selling items. I simply have met any.
4) You can actually pass off some of the RNG to your customers by selling the boxes within the Packs within the lockboxes (Artifact Packs, Leadership Profession Packs, etc.) They tend to sell for something of a mean price between the better and lesser items in the pack.
5) Don't forget about your Talmurine Bars. 200 will buy you a C. Ward, which sells for around 150,000 AD.
Method #15 Wholesale to Retail
Let's talk about another of my favorite ways to trade, buying a bulk amount of items and selling them individually for a higher price. Consider this example: A stack of ten Shard of Vorpal Enchantments is selling for 375,000 AD. The lowest single Shard of Vorpal Enchantment is selling for 45,000 AD. You buy the stack and put them up individually for 44,000, netting you a small gain after the AH cut.
Pros: Available to most players, as stacks exist in various items and price ranges. 10%+ ROI is not uncommon with this method. Possible fast turnaround times with the right items.
Cons: Undercutting is extremely common with this method.
Only a few comments here.
1) Trace's first rule of trading: The profit is made when you buy. I love this method because you're looking for well-priced items in bulk.
2) Never trade an item you may not want or could possible use. Have I said that enough yet?
3) This method works best with items that have a strong price floor, like enchantments. I made the mistake of doing this with Marks of Power and Marks of Union when Shadowmantle was released and got insanely burned, watching the price plummet as more supply entered the AH. Although I put those items to use, I paid way, way too much for them. This is what actually sparked my second rule of trading.
4) I shoot for at least a 10% ROI after the AH cut. Certain items can net 20% ROI or more on good days.
Method # 16 Trading the News
When big news or changes happen in Neverwinter, some people attempt to speculate to make AD. A good example of this is when word got out that Coalescent Wards from invoking would be account bound and no longer sellable on the AH. Many people bought out the lower priced ones for around 100k AD, and the price has now stablized at around 150k AD. 50% ROI. Not too shabby.
Pros: Everyone can hear about upcoming changes to Neverwinter.
Cons: Big news doesn't happen too often. AD requirements may vary. May be sometime for markets to stabilize at new prices. Must get in quickly as news spreads fast and good deals may be bought up.
Very little to comment on because ways to make AD may vary. The Preview Shard Release Notes is your new home if you're one for juicy gossip about what is coming out next. Nearly all changes are both announced here and implemented here first.
Method #17 Creating a Foundry
Love creating content? May as well make a Foundry and earn a little extra AD. People can tip up to 500 AD per player per day.
Pros: Not many, too be honest.
Cons: Strong competition. Heavy time invested to create Foundry. NW no longer features certain foundries.
1) There are thousands of foundries now, and getting players into yours and making it good enough to tip you can be difficult.
2) Creating even a short foundry, from what I've heard from players in my guild, takes a long, long time.
3) One guildy in EoA has created a few foundries. He's made a total of around 25k AD. Weak sauce.
4) Max tip amount for a foundry is 500 AD per handle per day.
Method #18 Enchanting
A very popular method to make AD is to create Enchantments. This was my primary way to make AD before Module 2, but I've taken a step back from it since. For others, is a decent way to make AD.
Pros: Very easy to do once you understand the new enchanting system. A moderate amount of AD is needed for start-up.
Cons: Lots of competition. Enchanting some items may result in a loss if supply is too heavy and you need to sell. Some time involved. Slim profit margins.
1) Know your price ranges if you're going to use this method. There's nothing worse than spending 800k AD on an enchantment to see that the cheapest is going for 600k AD.
2) Know all of your costs: Marks of Potency, Coalescent Wards, Shards, Refining Points, Preservation Wards, AH posting fee and the 10% cut. If, after all of the math, you see a profit, go for it. A 5%-10% profit margin is decent when enchanting.
3) Know which items are high demand. There's nothing worse than spending all this time enchanting only watch your sale sit there for five days as undercutting begins. Radiant, Dark, Vorpal and Soulforge are the more in demand enchantments.
4) Look for steals on crafting materials, such as P. Wards and enchantments used for refining. Often you can net much more profit by reducing your costs.
5) RNGs for P. Wards can be brutal. From making R6-R7s I've had 7-8 successes in a row, and over 20 failures in a row.
Method #19 Trade Chat: Buying for Gold
Got extra gold lying around? Why not offer to buy items in Trade Chat for gold and then post them on the AH for AD?
Pros: No AD required, minimal gold needed for certain trades.
Cons: Haggling, may take time to find buyers who will sell for gold. Need to know the AD/gold ratio.
1) This is an alternative method to working the Trade channel. Now that enchantments are removable with gold, gold is in higher demand. Many people will sell items for gold instead of AD (often to purchase potions and kits, or to use for enchantment switching between characters).
2) The number you need to know is the AD/gold ratio. The higher the better. Let's say someone is selling a Thickgristle Belt for 5 gold. This item will auction for around 5k-6k AD, which means you're getting a 1:1 ratio. Not bad. A Frostpelt Gridle will sell for around 9k-10k AD. If you pick up that for 5 gold, you get more bang for your buck.
3) Offer strong undercuts. If they ask you for 20 gold, offer 7, and slowly move up if they're in the mood for bargaining. If it's not a motivated seller, they may not be worth your time.
Method #20 Working the Trade Chat
If you like to haggle, this method is for you. There's an entire chat channel dedicated to trading items.
Pros: Anyone can jump on and see what people are buying/selling. Chances to make insane ROI if getting the right item at the right price. No AH cut.
Cons: Many bad deals to sift through. Need to interact with other players. Time consuming. Item desired to be bought or sold may not move for a long time unless you make a deal.
1) I'd say most of the people in trade chat have an item they don't want, cannot sell for a profit, or at least are trying to break even. Always ask the question, "Why are you getting rid of this item?"
2) Low-ball like crazy. Many people in trade chat are motivated sellers. Offer other items, or better yet, offer to pay in gold.
3) Know the AH value and the range of items. For instance, Radiant Enchantments are worth more than Darks are worth more than Azures are worth more than Silveries.
Method #21 Crafting Gemmed Pants/Shirts
An officer in my guild makes about 750k-1,000k AD a week by making gemmed pants and shirts.
Pros: Minimal time invested. Passive ability. Consistent income. Moderate competition.
Cons: Extremely high start-up costs. Only 60% chance to make gemmed item. It is a rare crafting skill so the gemmed shirt/pants is not always available.
1) Your biggest issue with this strategy is acquiring four purple tools of the same type. You can either buy boxes from the Zen Store, or buy them at the AH. Either way, it's going to cost you a few million to get started.
2) Leatherworking offers the best ROI. The skill offers shirts to two of the most popular classes (HR and TR).
3) From what I understand, blue gemmed shirt/pants are more profitable to create than purples. Why? Dragon Eggs are pricey, and with a maximum of 60% chance to succeed, you lose a lot more initial investment if you craft purples and fail.
4) Because of the high start up costs, there's actually only a moderate amount of competition. Shirts and pants are a top selling item and move quickly.
Method#22 Cleaning House
Got too much stuff in your inventory? What about your crafting inventory? Short on AD? How about you sell ...everything?
Pros: Anyone can do this, anytime. You often have more than you realize.
Cons: Tedious, very tedious. Sales take up precious AH slots. Undercutting can be common.
Very little to comment on here. This is another method when you're down to nothing. It's more useful on characters who've been adventuring awhile and have stacks of 99 of items (often crafting materials).
Method #23 Limited Edition Item Flipping/Farming
Is there a special event going on? Can you get any unique items? Perhaps you want to hang on to a few and sell them later.
Pros: Anyone can do this, either by farming or flipping. Possbility of great ROIs.
Cons: Generally a longer waiting period (weeks or more) to collect returns.
1) My primary recommendation is not to tie up too much AD with these trades. Sometimes it takes quite a few weeks or more to see a solid return.
2) Got alts? Why not have them all do the skill/crafting for the event (like Light Catching skills). All the extra currency farmed can be used acquire limited edition items to sell!
Method #24 Peanut Labs
Got some time to kill? Why not work the Peanut Labs for some free Zen? I got my 110% mount this way shortly after Beta.
Pros: Available to anyone. Possibility for a decent amount of Zen with the right offers.
Cons: Not all offers are free. Some offers have different requirements. Free offers may not issue Zen. Risk of cookies on your computer or giving away personal information.
1) People have mixed reviews of Peanut Labs. Use it at your own risk.
2) Often the offers that give more Zen have certain requirements you need to meet, like signing up for a free trial of a service and submitting credit card information.
3) In my limited experience with PL, not all offers dished out the Zen they were supposed to.
4) You can either convert Zen to AD or purchase items from the Zen Store to sell or keep.
Method #25 PVP
Like PVP? Bored? Why not get some RAD? Don't forget to check Neverember to see if PVP is the NE Daily.
No PVE. Access anytime
Cons: RAD. Best to use on mains and not alts. High GS and good guild/party suggested for best results. Only two PVP maps.
1) I'm in a PVP-focused guild, so this is a common method I use for a little extra RAD. If you hate PVP or are not in a PVP guild, I'd shy away.
2) With the new ELO system, you can find yourself in very long matches. Sometimes queuing with parties of two or three offer faster matches.
3) Don't forget your NE Daily. He offers an extra 8k RAD once a week. Also, don't forget to turn in your daily PVP to Rhix.
4) The new ToB quest gives you an extra 4k RAD. You also earn Glory. It can be used to buy PVP gear to salvage for RAD or for other items like the BCRS Artifact.
Method #26 Finding the Gap
I use this method often in conjunction with Range Trading, or if I come across a nice drop in PVE.
Pros: Simple. Can be done with almost any item or stack of items. Good ROI if placed correctly.
Cons: Undercutting. Longer turnaround times.
Here's an example of how this works. Let say you have a High Vizier Helm to flip or sell. In the AH, you see many prices for that item. They look like this:
550,000
569,775
575,000
680,500
695,000
705,999
If you're not interested in a fast sale and want a little more AD, what's a good sell price? How about pricing it at 675,000, right below the large gap in prices.
1) Expect undercutting.
2) I've found this method works best with high demand items, like enchantments or refining materials. Although it can work for other items, you never know when increased supply will come into the market.
3) Don't forget the two rules of trading. Items posted this way may not sell as fast.
Method #27 Short Selling
What is short selling? Selling something you borrow, buying it back later at a lesser price, and returning the item to the owner. It's best explained by this example: You notice Radiant 7s are selling for 139,000 AD each. You've seen them for as low as 90,000 AD. Borrowing one from a friend, you sell the enchantment. Two days later, R7s are selling for 110,000 AD. You purchase it, give the item back to your friend, and keep the difference.
Pros: Great ROI.
Cons: Only works during certain times of the week. Need to find a lender for the item. If items don't go back down in price, possibility for a loss if lender needs the item back.
1) Short selling is not easily done in-game, because it demands a trusted lender who has these items liquid. If you can find such a person, you're in luck!
2) The weekends are the best time for short selling, as that is when the prices move the highest on items.
3) This method works best for items with a range, such as enchantments or refining point items.
4) Lack of supply is the entry point in this method, and heavy supply is the exit point.
Method #28 Crafting With Other Skills
Maxed out Leatherworking? Mailsmithing? Alchemy? How about you put those skills to use! Some people pay good AD to purchase blue gear as they're leveling. I personally, have spent a bit of AD on blue gear leveling my Hunter Ranger.
Pros: Very easy to level these skills. Little competition. AD instead of RAD.
Cons: Tools required for best results, although not required. High demand required for AD gain to outpace Leadership AD creation. Must work the AH as well as your skills, so a little more effort is involved.
1) Pick your skill wisely. High demand skills are Leatherworking (covers HR and TR), Artificing (CW and DC) and Weaponsmithing (HR, GWF, TR and GF). Those are all good bets.
2) Blue items sell the best, specifically socketed ones.
3) Timing can make this skill very profitable. When HRs hit the scene, everyone was playing one. If you had Weaponsmithing or Leatherworking maxed, you could have made quite a bit of AD.
4) Do your math to see if this method is more profitable than Leadership. I personally don't use this method because it's more active than passive, and I'm busy enough being married, working a full time job, and running a guild.
Method #29 Putting Ardent Coins to Work
If you're an active player, you most likely invoke on your characters every day. Every time you invoke, you get an Ardent Coin and a Celestial Coin. Ardent Coins can be traded for items and sold on the AH. Popular items are different types of Elixirs and the Angel companion.
Pros: Anyone can do it once they hit level 11. Accounts with multiple characters can strongly benefit from this method. AD instead of RAD. Ardent Coins are not lost if you don't invoke, unlike Celestial Coins.
Cons: Undercutting is common when selling items like Exilirs or companions.
So which is more profitable? Angels or Elixirs? Well, let's do some math. Elixirs cost 2 Ardent Coins, and the Angel Companion costs 360. Angels are (currently) selling for 890,000. We'll round that down to taking home 800,000 AD after the AH fee. 800,000/360 = 2222 AD per coin. Currently, Elixirs can sell for 5,000+ AD. After AH fees, that's 2250 per Ardent Coin (4500 AD/2 Ardent coins).
Not only does this make Elixirs slightly more profitable, but you get the AD sooner. Why is this an issue? Because currency has what's called a "time value." AD in my pocket today can be invested to make more AD tomorrow. Mind you, this can all change if Elixir prices plummet and Angels become scarce. You'll have to do the math.
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With your 10 characters that would be 280k AD per week. Of course you need to keep in mind that this also shares the 24k Refining Cap that your Leadership Rough AD produce, so your return might be closer to 3k AD per day = 210k AD per week.
If you don't mind a lot of time investment there's also the Sharandar dailies to make 1 Fey Blessing per day (closer to 2 per week unless you have lots of saved up Sparks like I do).
Cost to make: 20k AD, 5 G.
Sells: 65k-80k AD depending on demand on AH, -10% AH cut.
I think you can get sparks from the 6 day invocation chest too. Just checked - it gives 30 sparks.
So running arcane reservoir, getting this and running the six (twice three) sets of quests needed over four days will get you 120 sparks, enough to get two Fey blessings a week without too much work.
On the flipside, I sell gear below the salvage value so people will buy it and I get AD direct since I'm well above the RAD limit.
So very much this....
On a full night of playing I'll hit refine cap from dailies + a few skirms easily and sometimes be part of the way thru the next days from salvaging things I couldn't sell on the ah.
Selling things on the ah regardless of what their salvage value is is great for me as it's already refined ad.
I wanted to write briefly about a few truths I've found over my time trading and building wealth on MMOs.
"You must be filthy rich in game!" Not really. There are times when my nearly all of AD is tied up in trades that I have to result to some pretty meager methods to even post something on the AH. It's a rare day that I have all of my trading capital liquid. Also, you'd be amazed how often a trade does not sell. I try my best to end up breaking even, but it's not uncommon to take a loss.
"You must be ripping people off selling items for so much AD!" I try to keep my returns very modest, to be honest. 5%-15% gain per trade is more than fine by me. The trick is buying very, very cheaply, and selling just above retail. I like modest selling prices because it turns my trading capital over more quickly, meaning I can use it for another trade.
"What's the best trade you've ever made?" The best trade I've ever made was trading and flipping an item for about 1,000,000 AD. It's happened once, and only because I bought the item insanely cheap.
"What's the worst trade you've ever made?" The worst trade I've made was buying around 1,000,000 AD worth of Marks of Power when Module 2 was initially released. I got excited flipping these early because there was such a great return and they were moving very quickly. Then supply flooded into the market and my trade went hell in hand basket.
"What's the dumbest thing you've ever done?" I've deleted around 1,500,000 AD worth of items accidently in my mailbox (not all at the same time), mainly because it's more challenging to see if you have an item via Gateway. I've learned the hard way about using my mailbox as storage.
"What's your best source of income?" Leadership, Range Trading, Wholesale to Retail, and No-Bid Gap Flipping. Keep in mind, there's a member of my guild worth over 20kk AD, and all he does is work the ZAX. The wealthiest player I've met in game has well over 100kk AD (same account, multiple characters), and all he does is The Bidding Wars. I just don't have the patience for that. Pick a few strategies you like and go with it.
"What's the most common mistake you make as a trader?" Buying too soon and posting too soon. Undercutting is a beast and many of my trades can hang on the AH for days collecting cyber-dust.
"What's one thing you wish you would have done earlier?" I wish I would have started my Leadership and prayer toons earlier. Such a wonderful, steady source of income.
"What's your goal with all this trading?" My next goal is to upgrade my Rank 8s to Rank 9s, make my Normal Soulforge into a Greater, and max out my Artifacts. I can't imagine going to all the trouble to make Rank 10s for such a minimal difference. And it's fun. If it ever becomes a second job to me, I'll quit.
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This right here is how I have been able to make a good bit of AD already though I just recently started a month ago. I buy items that I know will salvage for 4k AD and buy them at a significant discount. I am willing to go up to 80% of the cost to buy the item. It does take some micro management as you have to place a bid then wait for the item. You may not get what you want as you are competing against players that are buying it for the look or to actually use and therefore value it higher than the refinement cost. However it is a good steady income. On a good day where I log on consistently to check near the end of the auction I win at least 55 to 60 percent of my bids. On a bad day it can go as low as 10 percent. However making money is making money whether it' slow or fast. It takes time investment. Your mileage may vary of course.
anybody got any tips on how to best level up leadership? Or should i just focus on AD giving tasks instead of going for leveling as fast as i can?
Sadly, slow and steady wins the race here. But here are a few hints:
1. If I'm playing all day (like a Saturday), I'll do shorter Leadership tasks (2h-4h). Overnight I'll do the longer ones.
2. Buy yourself Rank 3 Man-At-Arms. They're very cheap and will save you so much time normally spent recruiting and combining your own.
3. Unlock the 100% Speed Bonus slot by buying four blue Artificers and doing a low-level task with all of them.
4. For prayer-bots: Keep in mind both the Leadership Experience and the normal Experience. Some Leadership tasks may give you measly Leadership Experience, but very high normal Experience. This can help level your player more quickly to 30 and 60 to unlock the extra slots.
Please see the first post. The point of this thread was to talk about ways to make AD outside of the normal DD farming routine.
Method #3 is up, by the way. Enjoy!
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Can be risky though.
Was going to comment on this in a day or so as well. It'll be up on the Methods thread when I get a chance to write it up.
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Once you have access to professions, unlock the speed slot (4 cheap blue crafters of any kind) and the profession to level 3 slot as fast as possible. Having more slots open helps, so getting to level 30 by questing (and getting your last bag) is also good.
Start grinding leadership. As said, if possible, invest in buying rank 3 personnel rather than training them up, as it saves an enormous amount of time. With leadership packs in the current lockboxes, they're far more affordable than they have been since Nightmare boxes were replaced. How much speed boost benefits you depends on how often you're prepared to change tasks. But even men-at-arms allow some time flex in getting 12-hour tasks done twice per day.
Chart region generates the most Leadership XP per hour of all, but since it's a 2-hour task, you need to stay on top of switching it to be efficient. Consolidate your local maps, crunch them, and use the district maps for collecting taxes on a fully levelled AD-producer (because the XP per hour is poor, but the AD is very good).
Once you achieve level 13 in Leadership, which is actually pretty doable, all you need to do is grind the same few tasks over and over again. If you're able to keep up with switching tasks, keep charting region and patrolling the mines, which generates items you'll be able to use to earn AD. If you need to leave things run for longer periods, then use war games and tactical training, which maximize leadership xp gained while you're offline, though you get nothing else from them. My compromise when I'm using Gateway and don't want to fiddle with it so often is a mix of war games training and patrol the mines (3x each if I have the slots unlocked for it). I throw in the rare task to protect diamond shipment if it comes up when I am changing over, unless it's going to complete in the middle of the night, in which case I'll still prioritize the xp.
It still takes weeks to full level leadership this way, but once you do, destroying enemy camps is solid income one you have access to it.
Any character that I am levelling leadership on is a designated salvager. Buying a couple of items below salvage value per day is a few thousand AD you wouldn't have otherwise, on a character that isn't generating a lot of rough AD by other means. I only do this on anyone that isn't going to get anywhere near their refining cap otherwise, since it ties up regular AD. It's simply that small amounts do add up if you're consistent.
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I also find that the barrel of goods from 'Fight off Spellplagued' drop pretty useful items, so I can often sell stacks of 99 healing potions, and have enough regional maps to run 'Collect Taxes' often.
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Some people AH the crafting materials they get from leadership boxes as well, but I actually use them.
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Reposted for 500k and didn't sell. Checked next day and there were 2 pages of 300-350k fragments -.-
And now of course they are down to about 100k each.
Also bought a few extra Dread fragments before the patch that fixed the VT exploit thinking that the prices would go up. Nope, they went down even further and are still dropping right now.
I've done the exact same thing... so many times. Malabog Fragments, Marks of Power/Union. The list goes on. All of what I posted are the lessons I learned the hard way.
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Just a simple addition.
When you're kicked from the game because you're afk you don't actually loose your points that you have acquired for any event/contest but you have to join the same instance in order to get them back.
So, if you know you're going to be afk for more than 10-15 minutes just take note of the number of the instance you're in and then try to move to that instance when you're back.
But be warned that you need 1 minute before you can manully change your instance and that, sometimes, instance get so croweded that you cannot join them anymore.
Hope this may help someone
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