Shaiya Money Making Guide

Shaiya Money Making Guide by hypnos34

So you want to make money? You want good gear? You want level 5 lapis socketted in everything you own, but its SO EXPENSIVE! I have put together a guide to help others make the most of the market. You won’t have to spend hours in dungeons waiting for spawns. You won’t have to do anything but afk in Apulune and set up shop. By reviewing the information below, being active in trade chat, and shopping smart you too can rack up millions in gold.

This will be a three-part guide:
A. Lapis buying & selling guide
B. Weapons / Armor buying & selling guide
C. AP Items buying & selling guide

Part A: Lapis buying and selling guide
1. How do I know if something is a good buy?
2. Will I be able to resell it and make a profit?
3. Can I influence the market?
4. Are there good deals to found in the bootleggers area?
5. How do I know what’s popular or will become popular?

So you just junked your three “cooler loops” on a vendor and collected a cool million gold for your time.

Hmm, what to buy?
What do I need?
How far can I stretch this gold?

You now have a million gold burning a hole in your pocket and don’t know what to do with it.

How do I know if something is a good buy?
There are few teachers that are better than time and experience, but I will pass along a few tips I picked up along the way.

~Level 1 & 2 lapis are worth almost nothing… passing on them for the time being.
~The next patch is to have crafting implemented (we hope), but until then don’t hold onto crafting materials unless you’re waiting for.
~Buying AP Items from another player can be tricky business. Shaiya is always having specials and events, which can burn you easily, so proceed with caution. This will be addressed in Part 3.
~Unless your new to Shaiya and making your way through normal mode, plain weapons and armor (ones without slots) are junk and should be vendor material.

I know I said earlier that level 2 lapis is worthless, but some people will want it to top off a piece of gear. They will put a level 4,3, and 2 lapis of the same type in to maximize a stat, which create a small market for level 2 lapis. The more sought after ones include Str/Rec/Int that will cash in for 100 – 150k a piece. Only certain people who have taken hardcore consideration in template structure will actively seek out such lapis.

*sfossil has brought to my attention that there has been a small but decent market developing for certain types of level 2 lapis such as Str, Rec, and Int. These are being valued at 250k and inching up slightly depending on popularity. If you have a good 20-30 farming toon try making a run on PvP Map2 dungeon and see what it nets you.

Moving on to level 3 and level 4 lapis:

Level 3 lapis is definitely the most popular considering cost and quantity. Level 3 Str/Rec/Int command the highest prices at 200 – 400k. Level 3 Dex floats in the middle for 250k while Luc/Wis bring up the rear for 150 -200k.

Level 4 lapis follows a similar suit as Level 3, but with increased cost. Popularity of level 4 Str/Rec/Int run from 1.3 – 1.8mil. Level 4 Dex sits in the middle at 1.3mil while Luc/Wis round out the bottom for 1mil each.

*Prices on level 4 lapis still hold close to original values. Some people do sell these for 2Mil, but you can find them cheaper with a little time and searching.

Level 5 Lapis:

Level 5 lapis is still a developing market as there isn’t enough floating around for a stable market. I have seen pieces range from 5 – 15mil each. The level 5 lapis market has changed over the past weeks.

Level 5 Str/Rec/Int/Dex used to appraise at 8 -10mil, but not closer to 10 – 12Mil with Wis commanding 9 – 10Mil, which is up a Mil. Level 5 Luc, which I almost never see, yields a much higher market value as Luc builds begin to shine with higher levels and demand increasing greatly. Luc 5 runs to the tune of 12 Mil and sells frequently. The increase in these prices has come from the progressive leveling and increased demand.

* The market has started its adjustment process and through supply and demand has sprouted some regular prices. Level 5 Rec / Str / Int have prices around 16 – 18Mil. Level 5 Luc / Dex sit in the middle at 12 – 16Mil and Wis still brings in the rear at 9 – 10Mil. These prices are a result of inflation and operator hammers actually making it more feasible to slap one of these in a piece of gear.

Additional Lapis:

Deceive & Forbid:

While both are decent lapis in their own right, they aren’t as desirable as other lapis and as a result won’t fetch those prices. Level 3 might get you 150k and level 4 600 – 800k (might be too generous). Level 5 Forbid/Deceive might command 2 – 4Mil, but only to the right buyer. Specialized templates could seek these out, but it’s a tough market for this pair.

* Only change of note is level 5 Forbid sells for 6 – 8 Mil as it has found some new uses in recent templates.

Mental & Vigor:

Vigor and Mental lapis sit close as per need and use. You probably don’t have much need for them and would rather use a stat lapis instead. On the plus side they do give a significant amount of max SP/MP. The goal is to stack them and get more bang for your buck. Vigor and Mental lapis have the ability to be placed in rings, armlets, and helms. If you are lucky enough to have a Best ring/armlet with two slots then by all means “Get’r done”.

If you Stack a Level 4 & 3 Mental/Vigor lapis (280 + 200) = 480 MP/SP per Ring/Armlet
X2 Best Rings = 960 MP/SP
+ 1 Best Armlet = 480 MP/SP
Total = 1440 MP/SP

Due to these rings and armlets being uncommon market prices on Vigor and Mental lapis aren’t too bad. Level 3 Mental/Vigor will sell for 150k while level 4 will next 500k for Vigor and 700k for Mental. Level 5 Mental/Vigor should run 3 -4 Mil if you can find them.

* level 4 Vigor and Mental can be found below 500k without too much searching. Their level 5 versions still sit as originally projected.

*It was brought to my attention that mana is life for some classes i.e. priests. They have a spell (Health Assist) that allows the caster to use mana as HP. We can all see the value in that, which will place more importance on Mental lapis than I had speculated. ~thnx Damphire

Life Lapis:

Who doesn’t want more health? Either for leveling or PvP Life lapis is desirable. It reaches new heights when considering PvP environments. More HP on the battlefield is more survivability when you’re running for your life. Because of PvP and “Twinks” the price on Life lapis reaches considerable prices. In 1 – 15 PvP with a set of noble gear (4 pieces) and level 4 (240hp) Life lapis you can gain and extra 960hp. This doubles the health of many and even triples some casters. Level 4 Life lapis will run 1 – 1.3mil because of its applicability in 1 – 15. You can find level 3 (180hp) Life lapis more easily with a cheaper price tag of 200 – 250k. While I have rarely seen level 5 (360hp) Life lapis, I suspect it will sell for 10mil or more for those who want to have a leg up on the competition. Life lapis is still effective in 20-30 PvP, but not to the extent of 1 – 15 PvP.

*I don’t often see level 5 Life lapis, but when its at the market it sells in the neighborhood of 8Mil which is better than my original speculations.

Assault Lapis:

I think this lapis is very misunderstood in what it really does. If you’re a melee class you can see the obvious effects of damage increase, but it affects casters just the same. The Attack Power of a casters weapon influences the dmg of their spells. Most casters don’t value the attack power of a weapon and more about the stats it gives. If you take a level 11 caster dagger and compare it to the level 11 staff you will notice that the staff has higher attack power. Your magic attack power will change based upon the weapon attack power. With that being said, Assault lapis directly affects your weapons attack power. Assault level 3 adds 8pts, level 4 adds 16pts, and level 5 adds 24pts. The trick here is that Assault level 4 can almost double the attack power of a level 11 -13 weapon. The added attack power is a real plus in PvP and leveling alike. Assault 3 lapis runs 200 – 300k while level 4 jumps to 1.2 – 1.5 mil.

Assault level 5, a luxury item, used to cost in the neighborhood of 8 – 10mil is now commanding 15 Mil and sells like hotcakes. It truly is the *hottest lapis* out there atm.

*Assault lapis while still good has been pushed down some by the new Duals, which allow you to add 9Pts of Luc or Rec and add +11 to atk power. This has a nice appeal and will reflect on normal Assault lapis. I would expect to see a minor drop in price on the level 3 / 4 Assault Lapis, but the level 5 Assault will hold its ground.

Wit Lapis:
These are Lapis that are only socketed in helmets. Since there are only a handful or two of level 30 Dread Helms in the game the market for Wit lapis is reflectively small. Level 1,2, and 3 you would have problems giving away. Level 4 sits on most shops for 400 -500k and Level 5 pops up once in a while for 3 – 6 Mil.

*Rumors are rampant that in the next episode these dread helms will become more common. I don’t know if this means they will be available from a vendor or just a rare drop from a boss spawn. Time will tell, but we might see an increase in Wit lapis in the near future.

It’s my hope that the above can serve as a benchmark in determining the value of lapis. Please understand that markets grow and change constantly. What’s hot now might not be tomorrow. For instance, I recall [GS]Galahard being the first or one of the first to have the Silverhorn HM Rare mount. At that time, you could sell a HM rare mount for up to 250mil, but today you see them being sold for 90 – 100mil. People will continue to get HM rare mounts in Uber Mystery Boxes and keeping chipping at that gold value. The more there are… the less valuable they become.

Lets continue…

Will I be able to resell and make a profit?

I hate to answer a question with another, but there are many factors one has to take into account when answering that question. Some to keep in mind:

1. What’s the popularity of the item?
2. Will there be in game events that might affect the value of set item?
3. If it’s an expensive item, will it take time to sell?
4. Will I be able to get this item again?
5. How much am I hoping to make by selling set item?
6. Is the item of value to a PvPer or leveling player or both?

Remember, there is always another deal around the corner. If your reluctant its okay.

Flooding/Restricting the market:

Yes, it is possible, but can be costly. The best example I can give you involves Deceitful of Fate. Most of us can recall a time when Deceitful sold 7day exp stones for 5.5mil driving market prices way down on all exp stones. In fact, prices were so low those Furies made accounts on the light side to purchase exp stones for their Furies’ toons. Today, the market for 7day exp stones has stabilized at 6.5mil. I remember those prosperous days. Glomps Deceitful (R.I.P. Yahoon)

The Bootleggery Area:

Find it! Use it! Love it! There are some spectacular deals to be had underneath the streets of Apulune. Don’t be afraid to lower yourself down there and purchase items from unsavory characters. Furies will give you some of your best finds making you considerable profits and vice versa.

I scan the markets multiple times throughout the day. It takes time and practice to develop and eye for good deals, but they are there. Closely watching trade chats and quick deals in Apulune can net you some sizeable profits.

Mr. Apulune’s future predictions~

Your biggest Lapis moneymakers will be Life 4 and Assault 4. You can find some selling these for 600 – 800k. You can practically double your money from a good deal by one of these lapis.

We are still months away from a Level 5 lapis market, but if you can buy some for cheap and hold them for later… do it. Once we move into daily level 5 lapis in the market place, linking hammers will be required for best chance of success. Cash in on them.

Future Updates:

B. Armor & Weapons
C. AP Items

*This guide is just some generalities I have found while “wheeling and dealing “ in Apulune that I have found over the past few months. I hope that it can benefit some and shed some light, no pun intended, on how to best make use of the markets for your own use.