Just Getting Started

So my run though began at 01:30 PDT after the login issues that affected so many of us. I played for a couple hours and then went to bed to be ready for an early-ish start at 07:00. Again played for a couple hours before running a few errands, and came back to the server maintainence which is ongoing as I write.

Playing my clearance strategy with Magic Find seems to be paying off, I have about 15% MF and 5%GF from items quired in the game, no money spent yet on the AH. I have a stock of 70+ Subtle Essences and 20+ Fallen Teeth, and 20k gold.

Currently I'm just watching the markets at approximately 3 hour intervals, 6,9,12,3,6,9 and so far the prices have fallen from around 30g at 6am to 30g at 9am, with the miday inspection to follow the writing of this post. This downwad trend is not unexpected.as I imagine most people are busy playing and throwing a few subtle essences at the AH undercutting whatever is there while few people are buying to craft anything. Unlike Beta no-one is going to be making big bucks from crafting level 1 to 13 gear. So I'm revising my strategy to biding my time to craft when I have the blacksmith ready for Normal-Nighmare transition gear, so magic items and rares in the 25-30 bracket.

What I have done is list a few of the better items I have found with +main stats, + magic find, +gold find and +exp in 7 of my 10 slots, including the 2 rares that dropped from my first SK kill. Although neither are boasting top end DPS or stats I kept the price low for quick sales, banking on the vanityappeal of being in all rares and having the character sheet tinged with yellow which there are sure to be ignorant players willing to part with gold for! I was also somewhat lucky in getting a 3rd Rare which was a mid range DPS bow for my Scoundrel who has joined me for the remainder of Act 1.

Meanwhile in other news of note I found a quest in the Lost Mine which is a dungeon in the Fields of Misery area you are sent to after killing the Skeleton King. The quest giver is our old friend Tashun, the first Vendor we met in Tristram. Completeing his quest involves exploring the mine which for me was loaded with rare and champion packs, and the reward is 50% off his items, making finding him a real bonus in that we are able to re-sell those items on the AH. I was yet to have a shoulder set and he convieniently provided a +11 strenght (max affix) with 2yrd+range on pickup (Weak), so I am using one pair and flipping the other on the AH.

I also found Scouting Rings of Wounding (3% MF which is mid range for the item level) which should have reasnable resale value when I upgrade, more than vendor price at least, and Adventuring Rings of Wounding (6% Exp which is top of the range for item level) which will fetch an even better return, again following an upgrade.

A note on switching companions though. Make sure you take your rings/amulet from your old companion before asking a new companion to join, or it's a trip back to Tristram to retrieve them!