LIVE INTERVIEW

Chill, Chatty & Musical – A Royal Paladin on Antica

A relaxed Q&A with Zamino (“Zami”) about chicken farming, Northport nostalgia, Above guild life, and why taking it slow might be the best way to enjoy Tibia.

Guest: Zamino (“Zami”)
World: Antica
Vocation: Royal Paladin
Level: 340 (at time of interview)
Server type: Open PvP
1. Quick intro & playstyle Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s your main character’s name, vocation, level, and server?

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ZaminoAnswer

Hello, I'm Zamino, but you can call me Zami. I'm level 340 and play a Royal Paladin on Antica, which is an Open PvP server!

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

How did you first discover Tibia, and what made you stick with it?

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ZaminoAnswer

My brother showed me the game in 2008 when I was 11, and now I'm only 16 which is crazy. At the time Tibia was the only game that would run on our computer, so that’s all we played all day.

Over time I tried other games, but I realised there’s nothing quite like Tibia. I took many breaks since 2008. Whenever I came back I never stayed long, because I’d make friends and then they’d stop playing and so would I.

This time around I joined a guild called Above, and if it wasn’t for them I would have stopped long ago.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Do you play mostly solo, duo, or in a team — and why?

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ZaminoAnswer

I used to play in a trio, then it became a duo and now I mostly play solo. I like to play at my own pace and I don’t always find someone I click with where I don’t feel like I’m rushing or slowing them down.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

If you had to describe your playstyle in three words, what would they be?

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ZaminoAnswer

Chill, chatty and musical!

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s your current long-term goal in Tibia?

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ZaminoAnswer

For a while now my short and long term goals have been related to Above, our community. I want to help it grow, be more active, present, fun and enjoyable for everyone in it and those around us.

2. Character & progression Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What made you choose your current vocation, and have you swapped mains before?

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ZaminoAnswer

My first ever main was a knight back in 2008, but I never got past level 45 with him. I switched to Paladin because I’ve always liked ranged vocations in every game I play — it’s just more my style, even though I always tank on my Paladin now...

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s a “milestone moment” you’re proud of?

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ZaminoAnswer

Getting level 219 on my Paladin. A while back I used to play on Solidera and I reached level 218 on a Paladin after several years, so getting 219 on Antica surrounded by friends was special.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What does a typical session look like for you?

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ZaminoAnswer

It usually consists of sitting in our guild hall for hours talking to people while I do other things, then going on a quick 30-minute to one-hour hunt somewhere chill.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Which hunting spot do you return to the most, and what makes it special?

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ZaminoAnswer

Northport for sure!! I used to sit there hunting chickens all day while studying for my college exams. I have around 50k chicken kills!

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s your favourite type of content: XP grinding, profit, bosses, quests, PvP, achievements…?

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ZaminoAnswer

Grinding XP can be very fun if I'm in the right mood. Lately I've been having a lot of fun doing tasks. They get me to see new spawns and places I had never been to before, because I usually pick one spawn not many people go to and hunt there forever. Tasks have been a nice change!

3. Hunting, profit & routines Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s your “go-to” money-making method right now, and what do you enjoy about it?

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ZaminoAnswer

I suck at making money. Luckily you can sell pretty much anything on the Market now, but before that I would farm... don't laugh at me... I used to farm chicken feathers! I had well over 5k feathers!

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

How do you balance XP and profit?

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ZaminoAnswer

Profit hunts are usually my go-to since I don’t care too much about XP. Leveling fast has never been my goal. Every now and then when I try some new or harder hunt, profit takes a back seat.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s your current equipment setup, and what upgrade are you chasing next?

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ZaminoAnswer

Current setup: Lion Spangenhelm, Ghost Chestplate, Falcon Greaves, Naga Quiver, Winged Boots and a Rending Inferniarch Bow.

Right now I'm scared of getting level 400 because the gear is way too expensive! I have to start saving but I also want Gnome Armor. Way too much gear to get...

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

How do you approach imbuements?

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ZaminoAnswer

I always keep my main gear imbued, and I have a second weaker set without imbues to hunt low-level monsters for Bestiary.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Are you into Bestiary and Charms? Which charms do you rely on the most?

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ZaminoAnswer

I ignored it for a while since I hunted the same couple of spawns for almost 200 levels. Recently I’ve been switching spawns as soon as I finish the Bestiary to keep things fresh and get some charms.

I use Freeze, Zap and Divine Wrath the most because they’re great against most monsters.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

How do you use Prey and the Wheel of Destiny in your day-to-day gameplay?

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ZaminoAnswer

I hardly ever pay for Preys. If I randomly get a good one I'll use it, but buying Preys and XP boosts isn’t really my style. It adds a bit of pressure that I don’t care for.

I do like messing with the Wheel of Destiny though. There’s not a whole lot I can do yet, but the grenade is very fun to use!

4. Bosses, risk & memorable moments Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s the hardest boss fight you’ve done, and what did you learn from it?

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ZaminoAnswer

It was many years ago while I still played on my little Knight on Chimera (which doesn’t exist anymore). I randomly found Grorlam under Mount Sternum and a few of us who were hunting ghouls there killed him together. It was my first ever boss!

It taught me a valuable lesson… that I shouldn’t have done it, because I wasted all my potions — and back then I couldn’t afford them!

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s your most painful death story (or funniest “how did that happen?” moment)?

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ZaminoAnswer

All the deaths before blessings! It was the worst, dying and losing days’ worth of progress. Thankfully I was only level 45!

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Do you prefer chill hunts or high-risk hunts — and what’s your favourite “danger zone”?

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ZaminoAnswer

I'm all for chill hunts! I’d much rather take 2 or 3 hours to level somewhere super chill than 1 hour in a stressful hunt.

My favourite danger zone isn’t even dangerous — it’s the Glooth Tower in west Oramond!

5. Social life, guild & PvP Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

How important is community to you — guild life, Discord, helping newer players?

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ZaminoAnswer

Above is the reason I keep playing. If I didn’t have anyone to chat and play with I would have quit a long time ago. My favourite part of the game is the community and getting to meet new people.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Have you ever been involved in PvP? What’s your take on the PvP scene?

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ZaminoAnswer

I'm not really a fan of PvP, but playing around with a group of friends killing each other is super fun!

6. Opinions, tips & reflections Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s one underrated strategy or habit you think more players should adopt?

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ZaminoAnswer

Switching spawn when you're done with the monsters’ Bestiary. It keeps the game fresh and you work on Charms as you go, so you don’t have to go back to Trolls at level 300!

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s one mistake you see many mid-level players make, and how can they avoid it?

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ZaminoAnswer

Always and only going for meta spawns. There are so many good spawns that are empty because everyone has to hunt in the same two spots.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

If you could change one thing in Tibia today, what would it be?

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ZaminoAnswer

I’d make it so we can see guildies and party members on the map!

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s your favourite update era or feature Tibia has ever introduced — and why?

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ZaminoAnswer

Mounts!! I remember when they introduced the Rented Horse and I could finally have a mount, because back then I was facc.

I loved walking around with my first ever mount but had no idea it only lasted 24h. I was very sad when I tried to use it again the next day and couldn’t find it or rent another horse because they “ran away”!

7. Challenge corner – Ironman & Nomad Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Do you follow any personal rules or challenges?

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ZaminoAnswer

I have two personal rules on my main, but they’re not related to Ironman or the Nomad playstyle.

I won’t let myself hunt Glooth Bandits or at the Glooth Tower anymore! I spent way too long at both of those spawns, so I just don’t allow myself to go anywhere near them now.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Have you tried Ironman-style gameplay? What was the biggest challenge?

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ZaminoAnswer

I played it for a little while. I had a Sorcerer and the hardest part was being able to afford any potions. That, plus people giving up on their Ironman, were the reasons I stopped.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Have you tried a “Nomad” run? What made it fun or frustrating?

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ZaminoAnswer

I do play Nomad from time to time and managed to go way further on my Nomad Sorcerer than on my Ironman Sorcerer!

Affording stuff wasn’t an issue anymore — except for spells — since I wasn’t allowed to buy anything from NPCs. The best part is playing with my friends, going on hunts together that end up being way harder than usual because we have very little supplies, and also how exciting it is to drop gear upgrades!

8. Outro & final advice Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s your next big goal from this point onward?

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ZaminoAnswer

My goal is to help Above grow into an even bigger and better community and, over time, to reach level 500!

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

If a new or returning player asked you for one single tip — what would you tell them?

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ZaminoAnswer

Take it slow. Tibia is a huge game nowadays. There’s something for everyone and there’s no rush to learn and do everything right away.

And never turn PvP mode on if someone asks you to!!

LIVE INTERVIEW

7+ Years of Ironman in Tibia

A direct Q&A with Nefroti about Ironman rules, grind, routines, community, and why “even little progress might bring you joy.”

Guest: Nefroti
World: Antica
Main: Nefroti Ironman
Level: 437 (at time of interview)
Background Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Who are you in Tibia, and how would you like to introduce yourself to the readers?

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NefrotiAnswer

Hi, I am Nefroti, most know me by name on Antica "Nefroti Ironman" or my reddit username "Nefroti".

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

How long have you played Tibia overall, and what made you stay with the game?

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NefrotiAnswer

I am currently 28, my cousin first introduced me to Tibia at age 4, if you can believe it, started playing when I turned 5. He wanted to use me as his UH maker and play Druid, but things didn't turn out the way he'd hoped. He was a great mentor to me, as he was in the top 25 on his server, if I remember correctly.

When I was younger, I wasn't very social; I just loved grinding. My reasons for staying with Tibia have changed over the years. From being obsessed with rankings, I now care more about being part of a community, which has made me come back after every break.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Which vocations have you played the most, and what made you choose your main vocation?

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NefrotiAnswer

First, I played Druid till level 60. At the time, druids were a pretty bad vocation to level with, but during my time as UH maker, I also got EK that I had skilled for over a year, and after that, I started playing EK. I reached level 100 on it at age 7 and 200 at around age 10.

Later, I was sadly forced to sell that EK, due to dominando on my server, and I started playing RP. I have been RP main ever since, with my highest being 800 around when Falcons were added. Playing RP actually surprised a lot of people, since I was known for blocking Orshabaal on my old EK and being the reliable tank.

My choice of playing RP is actually pretty weird. I fell in love with the items "The Devileye" and "Molten Plate", I wanted to become an RP that can randomly 1-shot something. I also loved the idea of collecting rares, and RP has always been the best vocation to solo bosses with. I collected a lot of rares during my time, including those 2 items I mentioned.

Ironman Today Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What does your Ironman character look like today (vocation, level, and your biggest milestones so far)?

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NefrotiAnswer

I have multiple Ironman chars I currently play, but my main is obviously Nefroti Ironman. At the time of us speaking, I am level 437 on him. He was created on August 27, 2020, but I didn’t start playing him till 2022. So I've been playing him for 3 years now.

As for the biggest Achievement, it’s hard to say. There are so many things I am proud of, like: completing Demon Task, looting rares like Dwarven armor, Falon Bow, Falcon Coif, Turtle Amulet or Cobra Amulet, getting extremely hard achievements like “Forbidden Fruit”, or “Umbral Harbinger”.

But if I was to choose 1, it wouldn’t be anything I did on my char, it would be my contributions towards the Ironman community as a whole. I think I brought on a lot of new players to the “Dark Side” who now share the love of this mode. I love seeing the achievements of people who started playing, because I introduced them to this mode.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

When did you start playing Ironman, and what was the main reason you began?

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Rules & Systems Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What does “Ironman” mean to you in Tibia—how do you personally define it?

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NefrotiAnswer

It’s a mode where you play with no market or trading, as simple as that. It’s a challenge meant to see what you can achieve yourself. Some players put other restrictions on it, but that’s how I define it.

There's a Minecraft server called “Hypixel”; they have a mode called Skyblock, it’s an MMO with playerbase numbers similar to Tibia, they have added probably the best Ironman mode I’ve seen, and from what I remember, around 30-40% of players main it since the implementation of it. I actually base my Ironman around their rules. I want to explore every part of the game, just like any other player would.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Which game systems do you allow or avoid (for example: boosts, prey, imbuements, exercise weapons), and why?

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NefrotiAnswer

I see them as part of the game, even though I am not the biggest fan of Tibia’s P2W aspects. As an Ironman player, I can buy exercise weapons, which is actually how I spend most of the spare money I earn.

When it comes to stuff like boosts or prey from the store, I made a rule based on “Hypixel Skyblock”, I can buy Tibia Coins, but I can’t sell them. So if I wanted to buy stuff like exp boosts or prey cards, I will have to pay the extremely high price for it.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Do you have any special house rules or personal restrictions that you’re proud of?

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NefrotiAnswer

Oh, it depends on which Ironman play-through we are talking about. I usually don’t buy blessings till level 100, for example. On one Ironman play-through, I didn’t use offline training till level 100.

I honestly abandoned those extra restrictions, cause no matter if I use offline training, I will never be able to compete with someone who can buy lvl 8 with 120 distance fighting, while my current distance fighting without loyalty is 109 on lvl 437.

Commitment & Breaks Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What was the first moment where you felt: “Okay, I’m fully committed to this Ironman run”?

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NefrotiAnswer

On my RP, probably getting level 200 and reaction to it or creating Crossbow of Destruction. It’s funny looking back at how hard it was to get the first 50 gold tokens, when now I can easily loot 20 a day without breaking a sweat.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Have you ever been close to quitting? If yes—what happened, and what made you continue?

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NefrotiAnswer

I took a lot of breaks, so you could say I quit multiple times, but I came back every time. Ironman becomes more of a grind the more you play. 100-200 is especially brutal.

Doing Warzone 1-3 Access is a pain, since you need to collect minor tokens for Red Teleport Crystals for every boss entrance, and at the time, only the person with the highest damage got to loot the item, which gives you permanent access. That alone took me around 2 months.

Getting those 50 gold tokens was extremely hard as well, but none of those come close to grinding for imbues early on. Now I can rely on exchanging gold tokens for 3 basic imbues, but that wasn’t the case till level 300+.

I remember spending around 10 hours on Liberty Bay Braindeaths during rapid and I wanted to collapse from how frustrating grinding those brains was.

Motivation & Milestones Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What keeps Ironman fun and meaningful after more than seven years?

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NefrotiAnswer

Community, sharing your journey with others. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be able to do it without the support from friends I made during this crazy journey.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Which milestone has felt the most satisfying to achieve, and why?

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NefrotiAnswer

It’s not something I did on my RP actually, I have an EK on Secura called “Iron Blocker”, I was part of a guild there called “Iron Snails”. As my name suggests, I was a blocker and we went on a team hunt to kill some demons. we dropped 2 MMS from it after only 25 demons.

🖼️ Image placeholder (optional): “2 MMS after 25 demons”
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

How do you avoid burnout when progress is slower and more demanding than normal gameplay?

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NefrotiAnswer

Burnout is something that’s going to happen to every player. I think it’s important to take breaks and set goals for yourself so you can come back and accomplish them. I remember getting full Beggar addon. That was a brutal grind. I killed over 16 thousand apes during that.

Gear & Supplies Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What is the hardest item/upgrade you’ve obtained as Ironman, and what’s the story behind it?

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NefrotiAnswer

From pure luck, it’s gotta be my Falcon Bow T1. I dropped one bow from a mini boss and not long after, Oberon has gifted me one as well, so I gambled and created it. Funny thing is that after the “Weapons Proficiency” update, it’s not a great bow anymore, and I am currently grinding for an upgrade.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

How do you handle supplies long-term (runes, ammo, potions, imbuement items, etc.)?

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NefrotiAnswer

I didn’t really hunt AOE as Paladin till level 280, probably 95% of my hunts were with crossbow hunting mobs 1 by 1, so money has not been an issue on RP since level 150 or so. I profited everywhere I went. Once you get your Rift Bow/Rift Crossbow with t2 imbues + backup with t1 imbues, money is not something you will worry about as RP.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Do you rely more on crafting/systems (like imbuements/forging) or pure looting—and what’s your approach?

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NefrotiAnswer

When it comes to imbues, for basic ones, I rely on gold tokens I loot, when it comes to protection ones I made a Sorcerer, cause stamina is a massive issue on my Paladin. I invested a lot of money into making my prismatic set t2, since that was the best EQ I could have without insane RNG luck. I have looted Fabulous legs and multiple ghost chestplates since, so it’s a mix.

Hunting Style Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What does a “perfect” hunting session look like for you?

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NefrotiAnswer

WZ6 Diremaws for 3 hours. I have killed close to 30k of them. So far, they are the best profit I can get on Ironman. I get at least 400k/h profit there, and that’s without including the value of all the suspicious devices I get.

I try to kill Warzone 4 boss every day twice for a chance to get Gnome Armor, and since I already entered WZ6, I go with a team to kill that boss as well. Other than that, I do around 30 bosses a day, so that takes 6 hours altogether.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

When you hunt, what do you prioritize most—XP, profit, bestiary/charms, or a mix—and why?

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NefrotiAnswer

I will say it’s a mix of profit and bestiarity/charms. I always love to visit new spawns. The current “hunting task” update is actually perfect for me, since I often have to hunt extremely random spawns for items needed for quests and achievements. I think it’s going to make Ironman leveling much faster in general.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s a death (or mistake) that taught you something important and changed how you play?

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NefrotiAnswer

I actually die quite often as of late, due to some internet problems that I have, but I recently had quite a memorable death, my first one while doing Scarlett Etzel. I never died on her on any char before, so if I were to give advice, even if you do something often, being comfortable can cause you to end up dead on a floor.

Community Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

How do other players usually react when they find out you’re Ironman?

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NefrotiAnswer

One word I hear the most is probably “Why?”

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Do you share your progress anywhere (friends, Discord, forums, streams), or do you keep it private? Why?

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Advice & Quick-fire Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What are the top 3 mistakes you see new Ironman players make?

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NefrotiAnswer

Not checking if the items they looted are used in a quest.

Thinking they will get similar results on a hunt compared to a video guide they saw.

Getting too cocky when starting a project and getting burned out. Planning is extremely important.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What are your top 3 early goals that give the biggest momentum for a new Ironman character?

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NefrotiAnswer

If it’s not vocation specific, I would have to say:

Rashid

Thieves guild quest (you will hate elephants after this one)

Djinn

The ability to sell loot is extremely important on Ironman. Also, a quick warning: you will probably start hating the Explorer Society quest because you have to do it so early on.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

Describe Ironman in three words.

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NefrotiAnswer

Soulcrushing, yet rewarding.

Closing Click to collapse
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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s next for your character—new goals, new challenges, or just continuing the journey?

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NefrotiAnswer

On my Paladin, I am doing Warzone to get Gnome Armor, trying to upgrade my bow to one of Inferniarch variants, but honestly hoping for “rending” one and Falcon Greaves. If I complete all those goals, I want to do Soulwar; it’s honestly my biggest goal on Ironman. Hopefully, I will do it around level 600. For smaller projects, I am working on “Shield Of Destruction”, “Tin Key”, and “Mage’s Cap”.

On my MS I am currently level 186. I want to finish up Grizzly Tasks, do Demon Task on him, and get him to level 300. Even though he is a side project, I want to use him to do more bosses.

One of the biggest issues with higher-level Ironman is that a lot of the progress is locked by pure RNG, and you can’t really grind for it.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

If you had to pitch Ironman to a normal Tibia player in one sentence—what would you say?

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NefrotiAnswer

Even little progress might bring you joy.

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TibiaSwedenQuestion

What’s something most people misunderstand about Ironman in Tibia that you want to correct?

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NefrotiAnswer

It’s not about punishing yourself. It’s a challenge to test yourself, sure, but A lot of people love to add rules that they end up hating, like not using offline training. It’s not supposed to be a punishment; we are playing a game at the end of the day. You are supposed to enjoy yourself; there are only so many hours in a day, don’t waste them.