Neutral Neck Items

Neutrals are often mistakenly assumed to have no good items to wear in the neck slot. While this is generaly true when compared to the power of higher level sided Token Boards, it some times means people assume that they have no neck items. This list is a compilation of the items that Neutrals can wear in their neck slot with some short commentary as well as locations where they are found and level ranges they should be used in before finding something new. This is not a comprehensive list of every single item though, and only covers items that characters might be expected to wear in the course of normal play. Some of these items are marked with a SL tag, which means that you must have the Shadowlands expansion to use them.

ID NOT FOUND

SoltoyZ Intimate Helper Level: 40-100 Location: Fixer Shop Comments: This item is only found in the fabled Fixer Shop and is extremely expensive to boot for the meager bonuses it gives. If you were going to skip any sort of neck item, this would be the one to skip. The upside though, is that it gives similar bonuses to the lower level token boards.

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All-Match Augmented Bow Tie Level: 20-100 Location: Biomare Comments: The bowtie is normaly considered to be a tradeskiller's neck item, and for good reason: it primarily adds points to many tradeskills. This hides the true value of the bowtie because it also adds to Health and Nano Pool to a much higher degree than the Intimate Helper, unfortunately it requires a lot of Psychology skill to use which makes it only really appealing to Engineers, Traders, Beurucrats, Soldiers, and Enforcers who need those skills anyway. This item is made through a tradeskill process and comes is varying QLs, which also effect the requirements to wear and the bonuses it gives.

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Collar of Amplification Level: 80-120 Location: Biomare Comments: This collar was introduced with the Biomare upgrades and is sometimes thought of as a lower level version of the Cyborg board because it adds treatment. This primary uses for this item is to boost nanoskills, NCU, and treatment, but this is not so awesome unless you really need nano skills in one area or do not have the CoH collar which adds to more combat oriented areas. This item is procured through a long quest series for a sided benefactor and the collar can be right clicked to change the nano skill it boosts.

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Collar Casero de la Cripta Level: 50-200 Location: Crypt of Home Comments: This is one of the solid gold items of the Neutral neck item progression and for many character will take them up to level 200. This item is an extremely common drop from the Crypt of Home, so much so that you can go there and kill mobs right in the first rooms without enter the crypt proper and find one. The vast array of bonuses make this item extremely valuable not only the neutrals but also sided folks who need the ini or NCU. The only reason to -not- have this item is if you are too low of a level to get the buffs and implants to equip this item normaly.

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Deformed Mantidae Prothorax Soldier Only Level: 90-125 Location: Smuggler's Den Mantai Comments: This weird little item drops from level 100ish Mantai in the Smuggler's den and presents an interesting choice for a Soldier. It gives more health than the CoH collar, as well as FA, weapon range, and AC bonuses that could be extremely helpful, but it would require that the character give up the +30 NCU from the collar.

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Profiteer's Helper Level: 150-220 Location: Hollow Island Weed Comments: The Profiteer's Helper is the Holy Grail of tradeskilling and is only usable by Neutral characters. While it is not an amazing find for the vast majority of the Neutral populace since it doesn't add super combat bonuses, the Helper gives a large bump to the same major areas the Cyborg board does but even more. To get this item you need to run the raid at Hollow Island.

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Experimental Cyborg Token Board Level: 190-210 Location: Uncommon Cyborg drop on Rubi-Ka Comments: Often considered the classic Neutral neck item, the cyborg board was introduced after a Role-Play series with the org RUR and is now saught after by Neutrals and Sided players alike for its treatment buffs. For players with free accounts, this item will be one of the last major neck item they will see beyond the helper and the new Smuggled boards and will add a lot of needed run speed, Comp Lit, and Nano Programming.

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Smuggled Combat Merit Board Base Level: 190-220 Location: Random Drop from Meched Dreadloch Bosses Comments: Holy cow! This new board was introduced in patch 17.2 with the new sided camps and its crazy! The fact that it resembles an actual token board is beyond thinking for many Neutrals, and it adds a prodigous amount of health, nano, and other super combat stats like damage add. The only major problem here is that the board does not add to Projectile or Melee damage so it is largely useless to those professions whouse those damage types, which is everybody with the new Lost Eden weapon sets! It can be very useful to professions who need the AAD or AAO though, and the XP% bonus is much needed by the Neutral player base.

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Smuggled Nanite Merit Board Base Level: 190-220 Location: Random Drop from Meched Dreadloch Bosses Comments: This board is truly unique over even its brother, the Smuggled Combat board, because it adds nano damage and healing enhancements. While some of the outright combat components of the board are muted, this board tyhat was introduced with the 17.2 patch cycle adds some unique values that are higherly sought after by healers and nukers alike to help push that damage or healing up into the next threshold. Completely essential for all players who would benefit from the bonuses.

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Bigot's Necklace of Sacrifice - SL Nano-Technition Only Level: 190-215 Location: ??? Comments: This item is truly awesome for a NT just crossing into the Shadow Level range since it adds scands of health over any other item, the only problem comes in when compared to the new Smuggled boards: do you pick up the extra health or do you pick up the nano damage add. Obviously this is a personal choice, but a well prepared NT can have the best of both worlds if they have enough Intellegence and Psychic to hotswap the two items.

--Berael 20:26, 13 May 2007 (PDT)