Everquest 65/70+ Gear Upgrades
This page here is to go over the importance of getting rid of your Defiant Gear past a certain level. Defiant Gear is some of the best gear you can level with in the entire game until a certain point and then it becomes some of the worst gear you can level with in the entire game. This guide here is going to go over when that change occurs and give you an idea of some pieces of gear you can buy to replace the increasingly bad Defiant Gear.
Most of the gear we are going to be replacing the Defiant Gear with is Attunable gear from The Bazaar. Since the Defiant Gear is Attunable as well there isn't much new here and there is no reason for me to go over what Attunable gear is. Alright so, starting at about level 65 to 70 is when the Defiant Gear starts to take a turn for the worse. It's still nice gear to use but there is so much better gear out there which will make a gigantic difference when it comes to leveling. Especially if you're a tank as the Defiant Gear lacks greatly in AC.
A lot of the early Attunable gear we're going to buy comes from the named mobs in Dragonscale Hills. For these earlier levels most of the Attunable gear we're going to be buying will be off pieces. It isn't until around 75 and higher when all of the visible pieces of gear start coming into the BoE (Bind on Equip) market. For this guide I am going to break down the gear into level brackets starting with 65 and working my way up 5 levels at a time. I apologize if I am missing a few pieces of gear, EQ is a big game I can't get absolutely everything documented!
Level 65 - 70 Attunable Gear
If you are short on money at all and can't afford a lot of this gear I strongly recommend you follow some of my Everquest Farming Guides for a few hours and make the plat you need. If you can't run a Trader to sell the loot you farm then I recommend the following locations:
Each of these locations will offer you a great amount of plat from mob kills alone and vendor trash whereas a lot of the other locations offer items you will be primarily be selling in The Bazaar rather than to vendors.
(Back) Moonlight Cape
This is an extremely popular cape for these levels as it is pretty much better than anything else you can use here for these levels. Since it is so easy to get it is also always extremely cheap in The Bazaar, usually only going for 2k tops which will be more than affordable to players around this level.
(Back) Moonfire Cape of Ages
Much like the Moonlight Cape; this is an extremely popular cape for these levels as it is pretty much better than anything else you can use here for these levels. Since it is so easy to get it is also always extremely cheap in The Bazaar, usually only going for 2k tops which will be more than affordable to players around this level.
(Weapon) Flail of Redemption
This is a weapon used by Clerics, Druids and Shamans so it won't be that expensive in The Bazaar (if it is even listed). It's still worth mentioning though as it is much better than the Defiant Weapons for this level.
(Range) Badge of the Resolute Defender
This is a "stat stick" item. That means you can't throw it or use it at all it's just there specifically for it's stats. This badge is typically very cheap in The Bazaar and it's also very good for all of the classes that can use it.
(Neck) Adornment of Frenzy
This necklace and it's "brother" necklace Gorget of Ferocity are probably the best necklaces you can use for levels 65 - 70. Unlike the other pieces of gear these necklaces actually can get a bit pricey because people know their worth and how good they are compared to what else is out there.
(Neck) Gorget of Ferocity
This necklace and it's "brother" necklace Adornment of Frenzy are probably the best necklaces you can use for levels 65 - 70. Unlike the other pieces of gear these necklaces actually can get a bit pricey because people know their worth and how good they are compared to what else is out there.
(Hand to Hand) Dawnlight Fistwraps
(2H Piercing) Dawnlight Zweihander
(Charm) Vestal Insignia
Gains power during hours of daylight
(Charm) Emblem of Vestal Grace
Gains power during hours of daylight
(Shoulders) Blood Soaked Pauldrons
(Neck) Chillform Choker
(Neck) Necklace of Living Ice
(Shoulders) Stonewall Pauldrons
(Ring) Gilded Signet of Valarine
(Ring) Inscirbed Signet of Valarine
(Range) Fangbreaker Hunting Fetish
(Range) Fangbreaker Stalking Beads
(Secondary) Gilded Targe of Kulthar
(Secondary) Targe of Kulthar
Level 70 - 75 Gear
This level range will be the first level range where you can fill pretty much every single slot on your character with a piece of Attunable gear that is much better than whatever Defiant Gear would normally go in that slot. The most important pieces out of all this gear that you can buy is the Archaic gear which comes from named mobs in the SoD (Seeds of Destruction) Expansion. Each piece of the Archaic gear usually goes for 1 - 3k tops in The Bazaar making it extremely affordable for how much it will help you.
As with before; if you are short on money at all and can't afford a lot of this gear I strongly recommend you follow some of my Everquest Farming Guides for a few hours and make the plat you need. If you can't run a Trader to sell the loot you farm then I recommend the following locations:
Each of these locations will offer you a great amount of plat from mob kills alone and vendor trash whereas a lot of the other locations offer items you will be primarily be selling in The Bazaar rather than to vendors.
(Visible Slots) Archaic Cloth/Leather/Chain/Plate
(Face) Guide of the Blighted
(Face) Masquerade
(Shoulders) Hardened Wolfhide Epaulettes
(Shoulders) Spaulders of Resolution
(Finger) Signet of Snakemaster Graxos
(Finger) Snakehandler Signet
(Range) Mother's Watchful Eye
(Range) Petrified Grizzly Eye
Level 75 - 80 Gear
Alloy-linked
Level 80 - 85 Gear
Underfoot era drops
Search for Abstruse in The Bazaar. You will find a ton of items that are attuneable which you will be able to use for your character.
Level 85 - 90 Gear
House of Thule era drops
Level 90 - 95 Gear
Veil of Alaris era drops