Guide talk:Gearing on a Budget

With how insanely expensive some common runes/insignias have become, I thought I guide describing how to efficiently gear your 7-hero team without literally spending 1000+ plat would be very useful. Feedback welcome! --Xanshiz (talk) 06:49, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
 * The main issue is that prices keep fluctuating and within two weeks the page content might be completely off. For example, it used to be that you'd be able to equip mesmer heroes much less expensively with superior compared to minor domination magic. Without updating the prices on this page regularly I doubt that it can be kept with a good consciousness. Less than 24 after you've submitted the post prodigy insignias have already increased in 1k/piece and the superior vigor moved by 5k.
 * Meta thoughts aside, I still suggest this as a budget domination magic hero:


 * While they're technically not doing the same, domination keystone and energy surge have enough common ground to fill the same role in most teams. Due to having better base armour and taking less health penalty from attribute runes you can simply suggest to go for minor vigor (and possibly drop the vitaes altogether – results in 440hp, perfect). Heck, if you equipped your ritualist hero, which really is the highest priority one, you can drop the vigor rune, too, and cut down the cost to (current trader prices) 980 gold pieces per mesmer hero and still get pretty good results. Weapons don't really matter that much anyway, so any random item should do the trick. That one's really low budget. --Krschkr (talk) 13:01, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Don't you think the price fluctuations you point out don't actually matter? Absolute values don't matter much, only relative values do. Superior vigor will always be the premium vigor, and I'd confidently bet that Prodigy's will remain more expensive than radiant/survivor's for the rest of GW's lifetime. Even if the prices shift significantly, I feel that the purpose of the article is still relevant.
 * Also, your budget bar would be a welcome addition to the article if you decide that it should be kept. Perhaps, if absolute values vary too much, the general principles will remain relevant and the specific mesmer example can be dropped. Although I feel doing this would cause the guide would lose a lot of value. --Xanshiz (talk) 18:10, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
 * If people have limited resources they need to know how their team build works and which equipment is going to have the greatest impact on the team performance. In case of a caster player's mesmerway with BiP heal and communing prot it's roughly
 * (1) +4 communing
 * (2) +3/4 domination magic
 * (3) Staying above 400 health points (~400 to 440 seems to be the sweet spot with shelter)
 * (4) Hitting 13 fast casting with either +2 or +3
 * (5) Armour insignias
 * (6) Remaining damage attribute runes
 * (7) Weaponry
 * (8) Other runes
 * With this in mind people can start spending their money on the important things first and then continue with the less important parts. In case of the domination magic runes +1+2 is not as good as +1+3, but still a lot better than no bonus at all.
 * Depending on the type of team build and player build you have at hands, the priorities change. A paragon player provides a defense-over, so you can start with everything that improves your offense and do the defensive parts later. If you play a melee you want the 14+ splinter weapon right after getting a good communing prot. And if you play something other than the described mesmerway things can change quite a bit, as you'll want to operate with other health thresholds, get your armour ratings up sooner than later and can't go for maximum offense right away. Maybe a little addendum to the equipment guide about common team build types and where their equipment priorities are could help with gearing on a budget questions. Either that or a subsection on each (team) build page. --Krschkr (talk) 15:02, 26 December 2020 (UTC)