Hey, I've been running 14-17 on tier 2 and I make a decent profit. It's not outstanding, but it's rewarding. I'm wondering if tier 3 also provides the crowns needed to net a profit. I know you usually make more crowns half-way through any tier, but how half-way is that?
So does tier 3 also provide enough crowns to make a profit?
And what depths in tier 3 make the most crowns?
Currently yes.
I don't run any t2 anymore for crowns/recipe. Before it was great for heat (crafting 5* for other people) and you net a small CR profit (minus gate cost) + Jelly Gems. Now? Heat not needed, Gem not needed. Mats are pathetic unless its mass craft mats.
I think they even nerfed T3 5* Mat drops. I've been running lots of T3 to elevator and hardly any 5* mats drop at all. Only 2-3 runs out of like 10+ I would get one. The only saving grace is the 5* recipes go for decent amount for now (until they level off....).
FSC has the highest crowns/energy spent of any stage currently. Add in in-demand drops like trojan horseshoes, flame souls, and blaze peppers and you've got an even higher profit.
The general answer of is T3 more profitable is a thousand times yes, with a really big asterisk noting only if you can handle it. If you aren't used to t3 yet, you will easily chew up your extra profits reviving.
You should generally be able to solo t2 without ever dieing including round 3 arena and danger rooms before you can tread water in t3. Add in some time to get used to the new attack patterns and if you want crowns its all you'll ever go :) I've finally got where I can solo a lot of t3 danger rooms (soloing firestorm sans duke is way easier than danger rooms :D)
Time isn't an ideal representation of profit here as crowns/energy spent is more useful. When you look at 100 mist spent and realize you can sometimes get up to 300 or more adding in materials worth of energy from your profit, you'll lubs it. Just don't die :P
FSC is predictable enough (HINT: THERE'S LOTS OF FIRE), but outside of that, in T3, it's largely a part of knowing what you're going against and being ready for it.
Personally, I'd avoid shock strata in T3 at all costs. Quicksilvers are #$*&^#*%&#.
@OP It has seemed less profitable to me. I haven't done FSC yet thought. I have gotten rare mats you simply can't on t2 (or don't) shadow steel, sun silver, several reaper ribs, etc and have not sold them or tried to yet.
But definitely you have to play to your strengths strata-wise. However 1 thing i'd suggest to help your "profitability" in t3 is to play strata that have a chance to drop the mats you NEED!!!!!!! Especially before you have your full 5 star set.
This is kind of a hidden profit i'd say. But it is much easier to save yourself 20k by finding 2 flame souls you need in crafting than it is to find 2 flame souls and sell for 20k. Etc for all rare mats. Also mats that need flame souls often need blaze peppers, and strata that drop flame soul also drop blaze peppers (in general sort of way), etc.
When you are all 5* focus hard on profits.
Pre-5* focus also on savings, and view them as profits. You need those 5* equip before you can focus on just revenue as profit.
And of course, 5* recipe basils are in t3, so he can be both a necessity (if you need a recipe and AH doesn't have it) and a profit center himself (if you have crowns and moxy to invest).
Lastly, the back half of the run is more profitable, but the 1st half of the t3 run feels less useless as you really need those vitapods, remedies, healpots, and other vials to help you be successful when you start out. And personally, it always takes me a minute to adjust to the increased difficulty of t3 after doing t2, so the 1st few floors are a reminder to play cautious.
Hope it helps :)
Thanks for your replies! I've taken them into deep consideration and I've decided that I won't be trying to profit from tier 3 until I'm in *5 armor, lol.
Elegies is absolutely correct; quicksilvers and beryl (shock) greavers are an absolute pain in T3.
You can probably do Tier 3 with any two pieces of 5* armor (helmet + armor, armor + shield, helmet + shield) and a main 5* weapon (Levi, CIV, DVS, etc).
Just don't be stupid like me and end up making 6 other 5* weapons before you get your missing piece of armor if you plan on doing Tier 3 regularly. :x
Just like Tier 2, Tier 3 has a subtown halfway though, in this case at Depth 23. So Depths 24-28 will rake in the big coin.
I don't think it is much more profitable though unless you can tear through Tier 3. Tier 2 is easy and thus faster to complete, also one should die less often and even if you do die (say, when soloing) revs are cheaper. Also, since Tier 2 is much more populated, it should be easier to skip down to the subtown via friends/guild to get to the juicy depths.
Generally people descend into Tier 3 to search for 5* recipes, for FSC or for the challenge rather than purely for profit from Crowns.