Guild Wars 2

A BLSK has an average return rate of 0.9 ectos per use. (See research on the wiki and other sources)

25 uses * 0.9 ectos per salvage = 22.5 ectos

Cost per salvage of the kit: 300 gems = 5.82g/25 uses = 23s per use

ectos cost about 25s-15% = 21.25s

you are LOSING an average of 1.75s per salvage over just straight up selling the gems plus losing additional money over what you could have been making from just selling the rares.

For your total loss:

sell 300 gems = 4.2g
sell 25 rares (ave of 25s ea) = 5.3g

total profit: 9.5g

buy BLSK, no gems to sell = 0s
salvage for 22.5 ectos and sell for: 4.78g

total profit: 4.78g

so every time you buy a BLSK you are losing 4.7g on what you could of gotten from selling the rares and gems and buying no kit.

edit math errors

BLSKs are best used to retrieve high value sigils and runes. That’s when they should be used.

As for ectos, as you’ve said, it’s silly to use them for that.

This is assuming you are buying BL kits and not getting them from in-game rewards or in-game keys.

But yes, I do find BL kits useless unless you want a sigil that sells for more on the outpost than the item itself.

Of course not, but BLSK drop reasonably often from dailies. Ever since the laurels have come out, I’ve gotten 3 BLSK from the dailies, which is not too shabby.

Omer.5096:

Of course not, but BLSK drop reasonably often from dailies. Ever since the laurels have come out, I’ve gotten 3 BLSK from the dailies, which is not too shabby.

I think your luck with dailies is better than most, well possibly I just have bad luck. I think I’ve had 1 blsk bonus from dailies since launch and I’ve only missed 1 daily.

Back to OP, I agree with others the main thing to use them for is the runes/sigils of high value.

Would be really nice if they stacked like the pvp ones.

I only use BL salvage kits for rares, have had good luck with them. Should you buy them solely for this? No. But if you get them free go ahead. If you purchased them, use for getting those expensive sigils/runes back.

I’m not sure where this 0.9 ecto/salvage figure has suddenly popped up from. My data that I’ve been tracking shows me to net 1.25 ectos/salvage. Of course, I’m only salvaging level 76 and above items (only salvage my own drops/forge products) while I’ve seen people doing mass salvage on items as low as level 68. Can anyone provide any data at all to support this 0.9 figure that appears to have suddenly popped up in the past couple days?

Syeria.4812:

I’m not sure where this 0.9 ecto/salvage figure has suddenly popped up from. My data that I’ve been tracking shows me to net 1.25 ectos/salvage. Of course, I’m only salvaging level 76 and above items (only salvage my own drops/forge products) while I’ve seen people doing mass salvage on items as low as level 68. Can anyone provide any data at all to support this 0.9 figure that appears to have suddenly popped up in the past couple days?

99% of all online statistics aren’t :P

Also, you’re completely ignoring the value of sigils, runes, and crafting mats. With a black lion kit there’s a 100% chance of getting any sigil or rune on the item back (assuming rares, this is 3s-7s per salvage) and a 50% chance for 1-3 T6 common mats (0.2s-5s per salvage).

While the conclusion (based on your assumptions) would still be the same, the actual numbers are very very very different. When talking about rares with 7s value runes and made out of cloth, salvaging would result in about 7g not the 4.78g you list.

You don’t buy a BLSK for ectos, you buy them to retrieve the upgrade. Ectos are just a side-benefit.

Crude 15 0% small
Basic 25 10% 20%
Fine 25 15% 40%
Journe 25 20% 60%
Master’s 25 25% 80%
Black Lion 25 50% 100%
Type>qty>%of rarer materials>%chance of upgrade.
Think I copied this right lol You can see the differences here http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Salvage_kit

Its a personal option to buy these for salvaging, I wouldn’t do it for ectos alone though. You can get these as rewards and from BL chests, if you got them free then theres really no loss whether or not you get an ecto. For expensive upgrades though definitely want to get those back :P

I read the title and thought “uh…duh”

I think you also get them from map completion no?

Ethics.4519:

I read the title and thought “uh…duh”

I think you also get them from map completion no?

Gem Store
Black Lion Chest
Daily Achievements
Map completion

Word of advise for the OP: Use your BLSK on items with a rune or sigil that you really want. The potential ecto drops are just bonus.

Syeria.4812:

I’m not sure where this 0.9 ecto/salvage figure has suddenly popped up from. My data that I’ve been tracking shows me to net 1.25 ectos/salvage. Of course, I’m only salvaging level 76 and above items (only salvage my own drops/forge products) while I’ve seen people doing mass salvage on items as low as level 68. Can anyone provide any data at all to support this 0.9 figure that appears to have suddenly popped up in the past couple days?

Indeed, I’d seen multiple tests say BLSK has a higher ecto return rate, I don’t know where people are getting this stat from research-wise.

I am not 100% sure, but I think John Smith dismissed the 0,9 ectos per try.

0.9 would be figure for master/mystic salvage kit averange return.
1.25 is closer for bltc salvage kit.

(0,911 mystic, 0,892 master and 1,261 bltc for my personal data)

Zumy.6318:

I am not 100% sure, but I think John Smith dismissed the 0,9 ectos per try.

He did not. He has very consistently maintained his (and presumably ANet’s) policy of not providing information about specific game mechanics except in extenuating circumstances.

When asked for exact numbers, or to confirm ballpark numbers, or even to provide any semblance of information on if BLSK provides Ecto rates than other kits, he has stated that policy and provided no information.

Edit: he does sometimes provide information about the game (e.g. ‘can this happen?’: yes|no, ‘did this change?’: yes|no), and even gets a bit snarky, but it is his policy to not explain the specific mechanics of the game.

Akaji.1296:

and even gets a bit snarky,

This is why he is one of my favorite devs to read, along with Robert. Robert because of his honesty and helpfulness, Jon because of his I don’t care what you tell HR attitude =)

And back on topic:

Geotherma.2395:

Ethics.4519:

I read the title and thought “uh…duh”

I think you also get them from map completion no?

Gem Store
Black Lion Chest
Daily Achievements
Map completion

Yes, I know
Yes, I know
Yes, I know
Okay ty, as this was the only thing I asked