Artefact Help

Drauka

I'm almost level 83 and an Apostate. With goals of bashing with some combat later, I am unsure which may be a better solution.

Should I get a Shield of Absorption (negates some attacks), Level 2 Crit pendant (allows for slightly more criticals and higher critical damage percent), or the Lyre (zomg hide and regen up).

SoA gives a 15% chance to block an attack with 20/20 shield, which is nice.

Level 2 crit pendant is 4% and I already chose the Lucky trait, so should be around the 24% mark at level 83 with those. http://www.achaea.com/forum/critical-hit-guide I used for reference.

Lyre just would be handy in the "OH CRAP!" moments. I have a level 2 health regen ring.

Would also really like the Diadem or Wings, but I'm trying to stick to a 500-600 credit budget. I thought the SoA would be a no-brainer here, but I've seen the awesomeness that criticals can do to drop mobs quickly, so figure if I can kill them quicker, I won't need to block their attacks and I can move to the next mob faster, increasing exp and gold income per hour.

If at some time in the future I get tired of Apostate, I'll switch over to Magi, most likely (same int and eq priorities and can stay in the same House [don't ever plan on leaving ever again]).

Cahin

SoA is a great artefact as is a diadem, but that appears to be out of your price range. Both are awesome as both an Apostate and a Magi.

Don't get a crit pendant unless you are really serious about bashing.  Lyre is another great artefact, but it's really one of those that you get after you get some of the other staple arties.

I would recommend the SoA unless you think you can pull the credits together for a diadem.  Quick witted + diadem + mind warden is pretty strong for bashing Eleusis, and will also speed up your denizen bashing.

SoA will give bashing tanking advantage as well as be useful for pvp when you decide you want to do that.  

Iocun

Agreed with Cahin. If you want it to be both of use for bashing and combat and can't afford a diadem yet, SoA is really the most obvious choice.

Mishgul

I agree with Iocun

Achilles

I'm surprised Carmain didn't say level 1 crit pendant (200cr) and a flowerpot

I'd also recommend a health sip ring or a hunters belt.  

Eld

Achilles said:

I'm surprised Carmain didn't say level 1 crit pendant (200cr) and a flowerpot

I'd also recommend a health sip ring or a hunters belt.  

And somehow no Ashtani have jumped in to say Ring of Flying.

Nellaundra

If you're a class that can make use of it, you can -never- go wrong with an SoA.  But, I think a sip ring would be handy as well, but I'd put the diadem and SoA first.

Cahin

Eld said:

Achilles said:

I'm surprised Carmain didn't say level 1 crit pendant (200cr) and a flowerpot

I'd also recommend a health sip ring or a hunters belt.  

And somehow no Ashtani have jumped in to say Ring of Flying.

Hey now, ring of flying isn't that bad of a pickup for an Apostate.  Flying + Blackwind > Groundwatch + Flash.  It's just not as choice as something like a flowerpot.

Kyrra

Ring of Flying.

SoA are absolutely awesome though and can make a huge difference in both bashing and combat.

Drauka

Thanks you all. 

Nizaris

SoA. As an apostate, you already get: putrefaction (for added convenience, I recommend a permanent boar tattoo, and gagging the putre line and the subsequent prompt), demon armour, ringmail (I have 55/20), apathy, and vigour. Add in an SoA, plus trans avoidance ... and well, I found out one time that I got to ignore something like 86% of cutting damage (including average SoA proc). It's probably a bit lower than that, however, since denizens can still get in a couple of attacks while you're off eq waiting to renew apathy, however (I tested damage reduction of having putrefaction, demon armour, trans avoidance, wielding an SoA, and wearing my armour, versus not. Then, I multiplied the resulting percentage by 0.85 to simulate average damage reduction of SoA absorbing 15% of hits, and then 0.60 to simulate reduction due to apathy. I did not add simply add up resistances and assume that those were the same as reduction percentages. )