Best Starting City for a Monk?

[OnionWarrior]

I've decided that i can't wait until March for the PS2 version to be mailed to me (I was a beta tester) so I'm going to buy a computer(Dell, Gamer's Delight!). Problem is, during my time in the beta I never really played as a monk so I have a few questions.
1) I was just wondering which city would be the best to start in for a monk. I know Bastok is good for theives because of the equipment, and Windurst for mages for obvious reasons, but what about the city for monks?
2) Is it true that WIndurst has good conquest items for Monks? I hear that at level 13 you get a Power Gi, but is there anything else really other then that?
I really don't care about what race I am. I just want to make sure that I start in a city which will provide me with the best monk equipment so that I don't have to cobble together tsome crappy defensive mishmash. A hume in Windurst? Big deal, only thing I lose is some cracker-jack ring. I know that the armor for monks is pretty weak as it is, and I also know that I can't afford to lose any more defnse because of inadeuatqe equipment. You guys understand, lol.
Thanks for your time in advance. Any input would be GREATLY appreciated.

[OnionWarrior]

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[Kei]

1.) IMO, Bastok. It's not too huge of a deal though. Also you have to take into consideration that on each server at different times, different cities have different economies. When you think about it too, there are a lot a Hume/Galka Monks, and they both live in Bastok!

2.)I have no idea.

[OnionWarrior]

awesome thanks man. anyone else have an opinion?

[OnionWarrior]

please.... lol.

[OnionWarrior]

bukmp**

[Khaelis]

I am from Bastok and I can say that there are no conquest items that are beneficial to monks at high levels. In early levels, they have decent equipment for monks such as the Legionaire Harness, Legionaire Gauntlets, and Legionaire Knuckles. These are good, but you can easily buy them in the AH. Later on, the equipment they offer are directed more towards Warriors such as the Scale type armors.

Keep in mind that I'm on the Midgardsormr server, and Bastok is currently ranked #2 in conquest. Hope that helps.

[OnionWarrior]

yeah, thats awesome man. i had an idea about bastok since taht was where i was during the beta, but what about widnurst, does anyone know?

[Zeth]

Not that I've looked much at conquest items yet, but there are quite a few Mnk/Nin/Sam only items in Windurst if I remember rightly. I also find that Monk items in the auction houses in Windurst are usually quite cheap. Just one example is, I picked up a purple belt for 17k earlier, when I've heard in the other cities, it can go as high as 30k.

I dunno if that helps.

[OnionWarrior]

from what i've seen so far i tend to agree with you. thanks for everyone's input and if anyone has anythign else to say please say it. you can never have too much info!

[TehTpyoKing]

well when you consider bastok is more mining driven (blacksmithing and goldsmithing as a result) while windurst is more harvesting driven (and weaving as a result) the prices on monk clothes would probably tend to be lower, and the items themselves more plentiful.

however you may or may not have an easier time with the weapons in bastok, i dont think it will make much of a difference. not like armor.

[GT Racer]

When you think about it too, there are a lot a Hume/Galka Monks, and they both live in Bastok!

Actually, that would probably workout in your advantage. When i started there was a huge influx of monks in the town, and so prices in the AH for everything were high, while supplies were low. Since you'd be behind most of htem, you could catch some of the hand-me-downs from monks that are moving up to better equipment.
I know i didnt get nearly what i paid for alot of my equipment between 8-15

[METDeath]

dunno if this reaches you early enough or what... but windy is good for mnks for CP items... hell from 20-30 i had pretty much the same gear (couldn't get a martial slacks drop, and couldn't afford a purple belt) only thing that changed was i ended up picking up some evasion gear...

anyway, pretty much you need to pick up the power gi quest at 13, find some light soleas (dunno where they come from), and at 14 the run to sandy for some battle gloves (ranp tomb chest), a traveller's mantle from spook while you're there, and strike baghnakhs (gelsheba, orcish wallbreacher drop), also buy a sardonyx and amethyst ring, and then at 20 you should get the following CP equip the head gear, the gi, and the leg equip, and stick with those... and some cougar baghnakhs (quest in sandy i think... gee... odd how that works...) after that around 24 go camping in Ranp's Tomb (don't remember the exact NM name) for the Martial Slacks or not as you please, but i do highly recommend getting lynx baghnakhs (again from sandy chest i think... maybe i have them and cougar confused though) i didn't have too much trouble making it to 30 w/o the slacks. then just get the mrc cpt headgear, the doublet, and the hose, seeing as from 30 on you really don't want to take too many hits imo... i'm leveling thf for subbing instead now... figure SA works better than Berserk since there isn't a penalty... and uh avoid the urge to buy poison cesti... they suck compared to cougar/lynx

but that's just my input... from my current play experience...

[leii]

i had a level 10 monk in 1 day and i started a windurst. and i got a really cheap yet powerful weapon called cat bangladesh. u used it until level 11 then i got brass bangladesh. and armor is fairly cheap too for a monk. so windurst all the way!

and at level 10 or so u can use ur conquest points to buy an armor called a power gi. if i remember right its a 12 defense armor with +1 to strength.

[Thark601]

IMO this all depends on what race you wanna be...

Galka monks own and if you choose Galka start in Bastok...
Mithran monks are also pretty good cause of there awsome accuracy and if that's your route start in Windurst...

I'm a firm beleiver in playing your characters home nation