Mod 6 Preview & Analysis – The Leadership Profession

The leadership extension to level 25 has been greatly anticipated by most and the PTS has it since last week. Let’s get one thing out of the way right now: The profession has not been nerfed. Yes, two of the major RAD producing tasks, Protect Diamond Shipment and Destroy Enemy Camp, have received longer durations, and it will take some time to get to max level again, but overall most players should benefit from the changes.

First of all, let’s talk RAD production. So far, counting out rare tasks and those that need additional consumables to make things easier, you are able to make 800 RAD/h on level 20 Leadership with basic assets and at full capacity. On March 17, that number will drop to 700 RAD/h. That’s -12.5%, but on level 25 you’ll be able to get to 750 RAD/h again for a minor loss of -6.25%.
That’s still a nerf but these are unreachable numbers anyway, because a 24/7 Leadership rotation involves starting tasks every six hours or so which is technically impossible for a human being. So most of us will start tasks once or twice a day and actually get more RAD from Leadership. Currently, again counting out rare tasks and those with additional consumables, you would start 3x Destroy Enemy Camp, Fight Off Spellplagued, Battle Undead once (7200 RAD) or twice (14400 RAD) per day. In the future you would start 3x Battle Elemental Cultists once and 3x Destroy Enemy Camp, Fight Off Spellplagued once (12000 RAD) or twice (18000 RAD) per day. That’s +66.66% and +25.00% respectively. The one thing you have to do if starting tasks twice per day is get Destroy Enemy Camp under 12 hours which is at least a +35% speed boost (Adventurer and Man-at-Arms). That might be an investment now, but it will pay off long term.
Longer tasks that net more RADs do benefit the players, so the change is welcomed.

Second, refinement chests. This is great. You might say well, if I run refinement stuff on Leadership I won’t produce AD, but nowadays most ADs go into RP anyway and the RP amount that drops from the chests is worth much more than what you would get running RAD tasks. You might want to monitor how the RP market develops in M6, especially since currently all RPs from the chests are unbound and can be sold, but for your toons there is a decent chance that the RP tasks do make a lot more sense than the RAD tasks.
Furthermore, toons now finally have an option if overcapped with RADs, because you can switch to producing RPs. That shouldn’t be underestimated. Salvaging and some event boxes that drop RADs have been devalued majorly by the fact that most toons were already producing more than they could refine and the new tasks will provide relief.

Overall the changes are decent. It sucks a bit that you have to climb all the way to 25 until you see an upgrade, but across the board players should be getting more from the profession in the future. Last but not least, here’s your task order for maximized RAD production at level 25:

Task AD/h Consumes Produces
Hunt down an escaped Experiment 166.67 Wand of Detect Demons, Wand of Detect Aberrant
Deliver Metals 150.00 3x Mining Claim
Recover Large Mineral Claim 133.33 3x Mark of Gratitude, Mining Claim District Map, Mark of Gratitude, Mining Claim
Protect Diamond Shipment 114.29 Mining Claim
Destroy Enemy Camp 100.00 District Map, Mark of Gratitude, Mining Claim
Collect Taxes 100.00 District Map
Kill a Young Dragon 83.33 Scroll of Mass Protection from Dragons
Battle Elemental Cultists 83.33 Scroll of Mass Protection from Dragons, Wand of Detect Demons, Wand of Detect Aberrant
Fight Off Spellplagued 66.67 District Map

j0Shi

j0Shi plays the Neverwinter MMORPG since the open BETA in 2013 and is a regular contributor to the blog and the whole UN:Project. Originally a Guardian Fighter, he has built up ALTs of all classes and plays on BIS/near-BIS level.