I kind of floated it around on vent, and now I'm going to want to put something together for the guild to use as an all around guide to Presearing. I have yet to do a death level and I'm still in the early stages of leveling, so I'm definitely going to need some help. As a pre noob, I really don't know the ins and outs of where to farm, what's the best way to farm, how much stuff costs and a bunch of other stuff. It'll take some time to get it just the way I want, so bear with me.

I'll need some help from others in the guild that have experience with Pre.
What I need:
1) Where can I find info on the best way to set up a death level?
2) Are the prices in pre consistent enough that I could post a single price guide? or should I reference a price guide that is somewhere else? Where is it?
3) What are some tips that you would offer a pre noob to help in the quest for LDoA? i.e. At what point do you venture into Charr land?
4) Anything else you would want to add that I'm not thinking of?

Things I can research:
1) Where is the best location to farm each item for Nick? I'll include maps and paths.
2) What is the best way to get all the armor upgrades? I'll also include maps on this.
3) Ale farming guide (if anyone seems remotely interested) with maps and Bear locations

I know there is an entire community devoted to pre at www.presearing.com, but for me, that site doesn't really give a lot of info to the pre noobs out there like myself. It's not very intuitive. So I'll be doing this as an all encompassing guide just for Ectos and Hush.

As someone who has vast experience in pre and his own LDoA I feel I can probably be one of the largest source's of info to this threads Noble cause.

1) Where can I find info on the best way to set up a death level?
Although there have been videos posted on Pre-Searing and You-tube alike, I feel like the best way to learn something like this is to watch and listen as someone does it. It helps vastly however, if one knows the essence and ideaof Death-leveling first. I'm on nearly everynight and am more than willing to take half an hour to show how it's done(For something like this though it's going to be nearly mandatory that you're on Vent).

2) Are the prices in Pre consistent enough that I could post a single price guide? or should I reference a price guide that is somewhere else? Where is it?
I feel like in general that there is enough of a consistent price base that you could write up a quick pricing guide for people. Dyes other than Black/White are largely up to what someone is willing to sell/buy at. Runes are fairly constant. Charr bags should never be more than 800g, Charr kits never more than 5k at the full 5/5 uses and for a use it's typically 1k/use. Items that can be seen as rare are best posted on Pre-Searing's forums which still has a decently active member base. Minis are also best checked on Pre-Searing forums as well.

3) What are some tips that you would offer a pre noob to help in the quest for LDoA? i.e. At what point do you venture into Charr land?
This can be a bit more difficult depending on the player themselves.
Tips could include, but are not limited to:
1) Only take the reward for the initial quest, all other skills are given without the need for taking quest rewards.
2) It is Not needed to take a secondary before death-leveling but it can help.
3) If you decide to take a secondary, do all secondary quests from all secondary professions!

For the second half of the question it depends largely on the players individual skill. Personally, back in my Pre hayday, I took my level 3 Mesmer out and was able to kill all but the bosses. I wouldn't expect this from anyone who is new to Pre at all though. It takes large knowledge of spawns, Charr routes, and proper use of walls to become this skilled. I'd have to say it also depends on your profession and how smart you can play it. As with everything in GW it takes practice and personal trials to become good at anything. My favorite saying is that anyone can load a build but only half can run it well.

4) Anything else you would want to add that I'm not thinking of?
PRE IS NOT POST!!! Do NOT go into Pre with a Post mentality. Pre is Pre and that's that. You will get bored, you will get frustrated. Disconnects WILL happen during Death-Leveling, unless you're living in you ISP's building.

Please, please ask questions. I'm not afraid to say that I know a lot and I am always glad to help out and give advice. It's been a while since I've done runs too so I'd be more than happy to come along!

yeah John Home Boy is a proooooooo. I would be glad to let you hang with me to set up a death level.

You can start by reading the GuildWiki's Legendary Defender Of Ascalon page. There are a bunch of tips and general strategies.

As someone with the same knowledge and a person that has gone through the endeavor of achieving ldoa, I strongly agree with everything that patrick said


Just one a side note, with the recent jump in pre activity lately, i would also like to toss my hat in the ring to help anyone and everyone that wishes to learn "the ways of the pre-sear" If you do need help JUST ASK anyone will have patrick and myself fighting over the opportunity to help you in any way we possibly can. I am on almost all the time, except the daytimes during the week in which i have school to attend :/.

The strongest thing that i can only hope to express enough that patrick has already said, and that is that pre is not post. All i can tell you is what i know pre as. Pre a place where you can escape. A place where the atmosphere is free of assholes and elitists that think they are god.(for the most part) Pre is the place where charr hunting feels like doing DoA solo. You will get bored, you will hate grinding out those levels. you will get frustrated by disconnects and bad death level spawns. BUT it is all worth it in the end, the last boss you kill that gives you exp, the experience you gain when you kill a successful death level, the random pm's you get when you finally achieve the most prestigious title in pre-searing and the pride it feels to accomplish it.

The point of my little pre rant, is that pre is what you make it of it. It will be either a ten minute pass through in making a new character. Or it will be a few month commitment that has its own rewards in the end.

Awesome hit me up in game and i will get you started.

What class did you make?

thats to many quests, you should have done only one quest. all that means is a few extra days death leveling in the end tho.

Great info, guys. This is the kind of thing that I'll need when charting out this guide. Exactly WHICH quest to take the reward on, and which quests to take the quest, but not the reward (for skills and such).

Well, thanks for stealing my thunder, Steve. I'll be sure to plagerize your work

with the char at the gate quest i let rurick kill 3 of the four char then warp out to town, that way i don't have to abandon the quest run up to him and take it again. it doesn;t seem like a lot of time, but believe me the time it takes to run up and retake the quest then leave town is worth one less char each time.

it really does add up, imo its much faster to do the three over and over. if you add the time to run and kill the bull that's even more added on to it. from a pure time to exp ratio i think my way is much much faster.

I don't even remember doing Charr at the Gate. I think I just got sick of it and went to kill other stuff. It's all personal preference.

thats cool i wanna make a pre character... i had one a while ago but i got rid of her cause i messed up on the quests...

My GOD, it's been that long since I posted this?! Damn, I need to get on the ball. Well, I'm done typing it up (5 pages), I just need to gather all the links and photos and put the finishing touches on it. Won't be able to do it this weekend (Easter egg hunting FTW!), but I'm teaching my wife Pre so she can farm me the Nick gifts daily so I'll take lots of pics while doing that. Shouldn't be too much longer.

FML I'm away for easter.

I already have some maps for pre farming.

Gargoyle skulls (enter from Ashford Abbey, if there are no gargoyles left, simply rezone using the north-west exit):



Icy lodestones:



Skeletal limbs:

Perfect, Thanks Peter. This is exactly how I was going to do it.

Anyone know what level I can start fighting charr? Lvl 7 ranger atm w/ pet & imp.

Also wondering how possible it is to find runes?