Exceptional->Masterwork->Socket->Enchant...

Thanks to the community here I think I have all the info I need! Few questions linger in my quest to make some nice gear!

As I understand it for Masterwork (anything - say weapons) I only need to get it to level 32?
Does Masterwork Weapon skill gains also increase Masterwork and Smithing?
So Don't MW (or Enchant) anything more than x4...realistically only twice maybe 3 times?
How do people get these +15 items if so?

Exceptional weapon = +1
MW weapon first time = +2 (?) for total +3
MW weapon second time = +2 for total +5
MW weapon third time because you feel lucky = +2 for total +7
Socket = +1 (?) for total +8
Enchant Weapon first time = +2 (?) for total +10
Enchant Weapon second time = +2 for total +12
And no way would I risk enchanting again unless I had gold coming out of my ears....

Is this right? Not sure how people get these crazy numbers on enchants...

Is it true that the list of options enchants before socketing and after socketing changes?

I burned 70k exp to get 50 in enchanting last night so almost ready to take the plunge into MW enchant weapon / armor. Can I get confirmation that I 'only' need skill 32 in each to 'get the best options'? Obviously I will want a higher skill level to increase my chances, but at 32 I feel I can finally make my own gear...and it will be easier to get 32 in weapons and switch to 32 in armor.... same for Masterworking.

Thanks again for the help!!!
#NoobEnchanter

 

I know for sure the available enchantments is augmented by the type of gem socketed. So earth gems have the potential to grant earth magic-related powers and bonuses, etc.

 

I'm not sure if 32 is the minimum or maximum you need to get "all" the choices, but it is true that if you socket before you enchant you will get more choices.

I don't think socketing first has any affect on masterworking, so your path of Exceptional -> MW -> Socket -> Enchant is the typical route that people go to end up with the best items (and the least amount of wasted material). You can take your chances on that 3rd MW and if it blows up, you didn't waste the mats to socket/enchant it first. Thankfully, the Enchant succuss does not consider how many MW you have added.

I think those with the +15 are very rare and extremely hard to get, requiring considerable luck. These will also only be on things like chest pieces because of the durability loss on each extra stat. Don't expect to get more than 2 MW and 2 Enchants (plus socket) on things like hats/gloves/boots simply because they don't have enough starting durability to add more than that.

To give you some perspective, I've tried crafting GOD items in Offline mode (where I can edit the saved game files and make all my crafting skills 200). Even with saving my game after each successful MW/Ench (and reloading the save file if it fails)... it still takes a hundreds of attempts to get something to +15. That's with virtually unlimited resources and the best possible odds (that can never be obtained in the Online version).

So, if you see something that is +13 to +15, consider that to be very rare and extremely lucky to have been crafted... even by the top grinders in the game!

Also, if you are starting to craft your own stuff, you may want to check out this great list of MW/Enchant options:
https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f...nchant-and-masterwork-list.61125/#post-642177

 

Some enchants give higher + numbers... for instance the durability enchants and masterworks give +3.

Yes, 32 and you get max enchants.

 

its all in the percentages. you need the top skill levels to CONSISTENTLY make +12 or higher stuff. some buffs add +3 at a bigger durability cost.
btw, max masterwork or enchant is 5x. i have succeeded at it twice so far in grinding with enough dura left for a 6th try. wont let you do 6.

the chance of success in 5x is 1 in 296. ahah

 

Masterwork you want to take to GM.

This will give you access to every level in Options.
For example Blades:
Masterwork 1- 20 will give you minor stats
Masterwork 20- 29 ???
Masterwork 30- 39 will give you ability to also add Thrust and Riposte stats
Masterwork 40- 59 Double Slash and Rend
Masterwork 60 -79 Whirling Blades and normal stats
Masterwork 80+ Coupe De Grace ???

Also the affects of the enchants get stronger as you get higher. minor, normal, major to things like dexterity, focus, strength etc. So stopping at 32 is no Bueno.

Some of my numbers in levels may be off... like it might actually start at 32 etc.... but this should give you a good idea..
If you are (alchemy) Enchanting weapons, shields or chest pieces... ALWAYS socket them first. You may not think On Hit's effects are worth it... but in my opinion they are, and some of the other non On Hit effects you get are just beautiful.

Again the higher it is, the better affects you get.

 

The higher your enchanting skill is, the better your success %s get. My enchanting is currently at 121 and my success %s are 95% for first tear, 85% second, 48% third, and 15% fourth. So to make something with 3 enchants, the success rate at that level is about 39%, which isn't too bad.

Just looking at the + numbers on items doesn't really say much, in my opinion, because some enchants are much better than others. Some are so bad that items are actually better without them. Most stuff you see on vendors with really high + numbers have a pretty random assortment of enchantments, because either the maker was trying for a different and more desirable combo and failed, or they were just enchanting stuff to raise skill.

 

I don't really go out of my way to get the higher number of enchants/Masterworks.

I make 10 suits of armour. About a quarter of them have the +1 extra durability. Then I start masterworking, looking for certain stats. After a while I end up with some pieces that I don't care about because they don't quite have the Masterworks I want on them...so I masterwork them a third time.

I then lay on the enchants....same thing....I may end up with pieces I don't care about..so I risk nothing putting a third enchant on it.

Occasionally I end up with something with three enchants and three MW on it.

But if I get what I want in the two attempts...I leave it at that.

 

Is it worth locking masterwork or enchanting at a certain level for a better selection of choices? Are the single skill enhancements (like Riposte) better than stats like strength, dex, or intelligence?

 

Since MW/Ench or the various specialty MW/Ench skills either increase the chance of success or potency of the successful bonus, you can't feasibly limit the selection enough to beat out the aforementioned benefits of raising the skills IMO.

 

Im primarily melee and i find i recieve much more benifit from skill enhancmment bonuses than from stats. Im also starting to lean twards Health bonuses over strength.

 

I`m an archer, for me masterwork is the extremely important too, enchant not...