Guild Wars 2

I’m getting a little frustrated trying to find fun back-item skins for characters. Every time I start working on one, it turns out that some component is no longer available (Spinal blades, mawdrey, and so forth).

There’s the crafters backpacks, which I’ve done for the stats but don’t care for the skins that much. Don’t know what else there is after that.

So, as of June 2, 2015, what fun back item skins CAN be had for us adventurous and vain folk?

You can still get spinal blades, but the grinding is not favorable among most.

Spinal blades are still possible and so is Mawdrey. For mawdrey, you specifically need Dragonsreach parts 1 and 2 out of Living Story season 2. For the spinal blades, you can do the TA Aetherblade path or get some from the Aetherblade fractal. With that, you can use the MF to make more if you get sprockets from the pick or TP.

Here are some that are pretty cheap. https://www.gw2tp.com/search?name=Backpack
There is another, the holographic dragon wings but they are about 180 gold. The laurel vendor sells a couple, fervid censor and sclerite karka shell.

Mawdrey is completely possible if you can buy 2 Episodes of S2. Even the different items you need crafted on different professions can be bought. Almost all of it can be bought except for Luck and Bloodstone dust, which you should have more than enough of.

A lot of the backpieces are still possible, they’ve just became much, muuuch more grindy now, sadly.

For the Spinal Blades (the one I got really frustrated with because I want them so bad), how do I get to the TA Atherblade path?

As for S2 (for Mawdrey), how do I buy only 2 episodes? The only thing I see on the black lion is the whole season.

Thanks all! You’re getting my hopes back up!

Apart from the plush backpacks all of the good ones will take a fair bit of grinding and/or gold.

Wings of Dwayna and Shadow of Grenth are pricey but relatively simple to obtain.

Also, there is the Fractal back item, it looks pretty nice imo.

Here are some suggestions that haven’t been mentioned yet:

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Mystic_Forge/Equipment#Backpieces
Ascended mystic forge backpieces- some look like books, others look like quivers.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Crafter%27s_backpack
A huge selection here (and some look pretty sweet/novel), these are all fairly cheap providing you have 400 in your desired crafting discipline.

Elias.3204:

For the Spinal Blades (the one I got really frustrated with because I want them so bad), how do I get to the TA Atherblade path?

As for S2 (for Mawdrey), how do I buy only 2 episodes? The only thing I see on the black lion is the whole season.

Thanks all! You’re getting my hopes back up!

You should be able to unlock specific individual episodes through your Hero Panel/Living Story tab.

Good luck.

Elias.3204:

For the Spinal Blades (the one I got really frustrated with because I want them so bad), how do I get to the TA Atherblade path?

Thanks all! You’re getting my hopes back up!

You just open TA and choose the level 80 option (the first Npc question that pops up).

It’s still going to take a while. Honestly I get maybe 6 blade shards in TA, and that can take up to an hour to run depending on the group. The aetherblade jumping puzzle rewards blade shards, so get an alt parked there to open it daily. Also look into the mystic forge recipe for producing blade shards. And choose your core if you want a colored one, those things are expensive now.

ITheNormalPerson.9275:

A lot of the backpieces are still possible, they’ve just became much, muuuch more grindy now, sadly.

Mawdrey’s probably a lot cheaper to make now, since the price of foxfire has fallen a lot over time.

And for spinal blades you can also get some in the not so secret jumping puzzle. just have one of your characters do it and leave it near the end chest and go there every day to collect it.

You can buy single chapters from the story journal.
press “H”
Go to the story journal
Select season two, and the appropiate chapter.
Now you can click a button to unlock it and it will ask you if you want to pay the amount of gems.

Elias.3204:

For the Spinal Blades (the one I got really frustrated with because I want them so bad), how do I get to the TA Atherblade path?

As for S2 (for Mawdrey), how do I buy only 2 episodes? The only thing I see on the black lion is the whole season.

Thanks all! You’re getting my hopes back up!

Each chapter is 200 gems. The sale has all chapters for 320 gems. It would be silly NOT to go with the deal and get all chapters at once. The Twilight Arbor Aetherblade path is a dungeon. You need 4 more people willing to do it with you. It takes more effort than the average dungeon, but it does give slightly better rewards and is the only reliable method of getting spinal blades currently.

Ralanost.8913:

Elias.3204:

For the Spinal Blades (the one I got really frustrated with because I want them so bad), how do I get to the TA Atherblade path?

As for S2 (for Mawdrey), how do I buy only 2 episodes? The only thing I see on the black lion is the whole season.

Thanks all! You’re getting my hopes back up!

Each chapter is 200 gems. The sale has all chapters for 320 gems. It would be silly NOT to go with the deal and get all chapters at once. The Twilight Arbor Aetherblade path is a dungeon. You need 4 more people willing to do it with you. It takes more effort than the average dungeon, but it does give slightly better rewards and is the only reliable method of getting spinal blades currently.

Not the only reliable method. There is a roundabout but reliable way to get them. The laurel merchant sells the Sprocket generator. You can put 50 sprockets and a blade shard in the mystic forge (and a couple of dust) to get blade shards from that.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Gift_of_Sprockets
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Blade_Shard

Ralanost.8913:

Elias.3204:

For the Spinal Blades (the one I got really frustrated with because I want them so bad), how do I get to the TA Atherblade path?

As for S2 (for Mawdrey), how do I buy only 2 episodes? The only thing I see on the black lion is the whole season.

Thanks all! You’re getting my hopes back up!

Each chapter is 200 gems. The sale has all chapters for 320 gems. It would be silly NOT to go with the deal and get all chapters at once. The Twilight Arbor Aetherblade path is a dungeon. You need 4 more people willing to do it with you. It takes more effort than the average dungeon, but it does give slightly better rewards and is the only reliable method of getting spinal blades currently.

I am pretty sure you can not get all 8 chapters for 320 Gems. It is more along the lines of 1280 Gems for all 8 with the 20% discount.

I just park a couple of characters at the Aetherblade JP and mine my sprocket generator. The blade shards add up.

I saw only one person has suggested it so far so ill reiterate that the fractal backpiece is really cool and can’t be bought so i feel like it still has some prestige. Good bit of grinding to get it to look nice though.

Elias.3204:

For the Spinal Blades (the one I got really frustrated with because I want them so bad), how do I get to the TA Atherblade path?

As for S2 (for Mawdrey), how do I buy only 2 episodes? The only thing I see on the black lion is the whole season.

Thanks all! You’re getting my hopes back up!

Well for the colored ones be ready to pay 100 to 200 gold for the Power Cores alone.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Tempered_Spinal_Blades

Anet really should add some sort of very rare drop of these items somewhere. Not to drop the price to some silver but to keep it at reasonable prices.

Elias.3204:

For the Spinal Blades (the one I got really frustrated with because I want them so bad), how do I get to the TA Atherblade path?

You have an option of joining Caithe when you enter Twilight Arbor. That sets you on Aetherpath. It’s a poor option for farming though. Your best bet is to go after the aetherblades in Edge of the Mists. Better still, just get some spockets and convert them into shards at the mystic forge.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Ralanost.8913:

Elias.3204:

For the Spinal Blades (the one I got really frustrated with because I want them so bad), how do I get to the TA Atherblade path?

As for S2 (for Mawdrey), how do I buy only 2 episodes? The only thing I see on the black lion is the whole season.

Thanks all! You’re getting my hopes back up!

Each chapter is 200 gems. The sale has all chapters for 320 gems. It would be silly NOT to go with the deal and get all chapters at once. The Twilight Arbor Aetherblade path is a dungeon. You need 4 more people willing to do it with you. It takes more effort than the average dungeon, but it does give slightly better rewards and is the only reliable method of getting spinal blades currently.

I am pretty sure you can not get all 8 chapters for 320 Gems. It is more along the lines of 1280 Gems for all 8 with the 20% discount.

Ah, didn’t notice it was adjusted based on what parts you own already. My bad. So for me personally it is just 320.