Elder Scrolls Online: Are These Golden Vendor Items Worth Acquiring?
In the sprawling world of The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), the Golden Vendor is a pivotal NPC, offering a curated selection of items every weekend. From jewelry to monster pieces, her inventory provides players the chance to snag powerful or unique gear without farming dungeons or trials. However, the question remains: which of these items truly deserve your hard-earned gold or Alliance Points? Let’s dive into ESO Gold her offerings this week and determine what’s worth investing in.
Where to Find the Golden Vendor?
The Golden Vendor, known as Adhazabi Aba-daro, resides in Cyrodiil, the game's central PvP area. Her location varies depending on your faction:
Blue Team: Near The Stables at Northern High Rock Gate.
Yellow Team: Close to the bank at Western Elsweyr Gate.
Red Team: Positioned at Southern Morrowind Gate.
She appears every Friday at 00:00 UTC and departs on Monday at the same time, making her a weekend-exclusive feature. To reach her, you’ll need to enter Cyrodiil, which means braving a PvP zone—stay vigilant, or use travel tools to avoid conflict.
What Does the Golden Vendor Sell?
Each week, the Golden Vendor offers a selection of jewelry and monster set pieces, as well as occasional furnishing plans. These items can be bought using gold or Alliance Points, providing a way to bolster your builds without relying on RNG drops.
Let’s evaluate this week’s offerings and see which are worth acquiring.
Jewelry: Strengths and Weaknesses
1. Queen’s Elegance Set
The Queen’s Elegance jewelry isn’t exactly a standout option. Designed for heavy attack-focused builds, it grants a power boost upon performing a fully charged heavy attack. While this may seem useful, better alternatives exist for maximizing heavy attack damage. Sets like Sergeant’s Mail or Noble Duelist offer more robust benefits for such builds.
Best for: Players starting with heavy attack builds who lack access to meta sets.
Verdict: Skip this unless you’re desperate for a filler set or are experimenting with heavy attack mechanics.
2. Heirloom Necklace
The Heirloom Necklace provides stamina sustain, making it a situationally viable option for healers in PvE content. It’s not groundbreaking but can enhance stamina recovery for group play. For healers looking to experiment with stamina-heavy mechanics, this piece is worth picking up.
Best for: PvE healers looking to enhance group stamina recovery.
Verdict: Acquire one if you have the resources and want to diversify your healer builds.
3. Unleashed Amulet (Unleashed Terror Set)
Once a top-tier item, the Unleashed Terror set has been nerfed over time, reducing its appeal. While it remains viable for damage-over-time (DoT) builds, it’s far from the powerhouse it once was. However, collecting the amulet can still be worthwhile if you’re working on your Sticker Book (a system for reconstructing set pieces).
Best for: Players filling out their collections or running niche DoT builds.
Verdict: Grab it for collection purposes, but don’t prioritize it for end-game builds.
Monster Pieces: To Buy or Not to Buy?
1. Lady Thorn Set
The Lady Thorn set originates from a DLC dungeon and is a decent pick if you’re looking to save yourself the trouble of farming. While the set has its uses, especially in niche builds requiring debuffs, its overall performance is middling. Unless you’re specifically targeting a build that uses Lady Thorn, this item is best acquired to complete your Sticker Book.
Best for: Sticker Book collectors or niche debuff builds.
Verdict: Skip unless you want to avoid farming the dungeon.
2. Slimeclaw
The Slimeclaw set is a standout piece for stamina-based PvE content. With bonuses that enhance weapon critical, it’s a staple for many stamina DPS builds. While it’s possible to farm this piece, doing so can be time-consuming due to RNG mechanics associated with shoulder drops.
Best for: PvE stamina characters looking to optimize damage output.
Verdict: A strong buy for PvE players. While its PvP performance isn’t exceptional, it’s a must-have for PvE enthusiasts.
Infinite Archive: Mythic Leads and Furnishings
The Infinite Archive offers another avenue for obtaining rare items, particularly Mythic Leads and furnishings. This week’s standout item is a gold lead for Dwarven Hinges, a component needed for a Mythic Item. These leads can be notoriously difficult to farm, making them a worthwhile investment if you’re working toward specific Mythics.
Additionally, the Infinite Archive is selling a blue furniture item. While not as critical, collectors or decorators may find it appealing.
Best for: Players focused on Mythic acquisition or home decoration.
Verdict: Prioritize the Dwarven Hinges lead; skip the furniture unless you’re a collector.
Should You Invest Gold or Alliance Points?
When buying from the Golden Vendor, you have the option to spend gold or Alliance Points. Which currency you use depends on your circumstances:
Gold: Ideal for players with surplus wealth who prefer saving their Alliance Points for other purposes.
Alliance Points: Better for PvP-focused players who accumulate points regularly.
Keep in mind that Alliance Points can also be used to purchase siege equipment, repair kits, and other PvP necessities, so spend wisely.
Maximizing Profit: Using the Golden Vendor as a Gold Source
Items bought from the Golden Vendor can sometimes be flipped for profit on the player market, especially monster pieces and rare jewelry. To leverage this as a gold-making method:
Research Demand: Check which sets are in demand within your server’s economy.
Sticker Book Value: Items that complete difficult-to-farm sets tend to sell for a premium.
Rarity of the Item: DLC sets or Mythic Leads often fetch higher prices due to limited availability.
By investing in popular items and reselling them, you can turn the Golden Vendor into a lucrative income source.
Final Recommendations
This week’s Golden Vendor items cater to a mix of niche and general utility builds. Here’s a summarized verdict for each:
Queen’s Elegance: Skip unless you’re desperate for a filler heavy attack set.
Heirloom Necklace: Worth buying for PvE stamina healers.
Unleashed Amulet: Good for Sticker Book completion, less so for practical use.
Lady Thorn: Grab for collection purposes; otherwise, skip.
Slimeclaw: A must-buy for PvE stamina DPS builds.
Dwarven Hinges Lead: Essential for Mythic hunters; buy it.
By choosing wisely, you can optimize your gameplay, boost your builds, and even make some gold on the side. Happy hunting, and cheap ESO Gold may your investments pay off in The Elder Scrolls Online!