Just in case some of the tips we're throwing at you about gear don't make a ton of sense, here's a step-by-step. It's NOT an intuitive process, but it's not terribly complicated once you know which NPC to go to for what.
Ironworks Gear Upgrades:
All of this costs Tomestones of Poetics, which you earn via the Main Scenario Roulette (120+ per daily run), Level 50/60 Roulette (100+ per daily run), and at the end of all level 50 dungeons and trials.
**A Note on Rings: The Ironworks rings are Unique items, which means you can only own one of them. However, after you upgrade the original Ironworks ring (see Step 3 above), you can go back to the Poetics vendor and pick up a new one. This lets you have one ring item level 120 and one ring item level 130.
***A Note on Item Level (ilvl): Basically, the higher the item level, the more stat points a piece of gear can give you, the more powerful a piece of gear will make you. At level 50, the highest possible item level is 130. At level 60, the highest possible item level is 270 (attained through a very similar process as above, except all the necessary NPCs are in one town called Idyllshire in the Heavensward part of the game).
****A Note on Gear Purchase/Upgrade Order: I recommend going in this order because the pieces listed first have the largest stat point pools, and therefore buff you the most.
Ironworks Gear Upgrades:
All of this costs Tomestones of Poetics, which you earn via the Main Scenario Roulette (120+ per daily run), Level 50/60 Roulette (100+ per daily run), and at the end of all level 50 dungeons and trials.
- Top Priority: Weapon
From the Revenant's Toll Poetics vendor, in the "Other" list, buy 1 'Encrypted Tomestone' (100 Poetics) and 10 'Rowena's Token (Poetics)' (40 Poetics each). Move to the vendor right next to her, and look under "Ironworks Gear" for the BRD weapon. This is item level 120, very strong.
- Gear
For the biggest bang on a budget, if you don't have the tomes to get all the pieces at once, buy gear from the Poetics vendor in this order: First Body/Legs, Second Head/Hands/Feet, Third Waist/Ears/Neck/Wrist/Ring**. When in doubt, you want things that say "[Item] of Aiming." All of these will be item level 120***, which is very nice at level 50.
- Upgrading your Ironworks gear.
From the Poetics vendor, in the "Other" list, you will buy a total of 7 Carbontwine and 4 Carboncoat (100 Poetics each). In North Shroud, in Hyrstmill, back by the big forge, is an NPC named Drake. For your weapon and armor, he will trade that piece plus one Carboncoat for a stronger (and dyeable) version. You can buy the Carbontwine and Carboncoat one at a time as you have the Poetics to spend, just remember to upgrade with Drake in the same order as above: weapon first, then large and small armor, then accessories****. These will all be item level 130, which will take you through about half of the Heavensward level 50-60 content.
**A Note on Rings: The Ironworks rings are Unique items, which means you can only own one of them. However, after you upgrade the original Ironworks ring (see Step 3 above), you can go back to the Poetics vendor and pick up a new one. This lets you have one ring item level 120 and one ring item level 130.
***A Note on Item Level (ilvl): Basically, the higher the item level, the more stat points a piece of gear can give you, the more powerful a piece of gear will make you. At level 50, the highest possible item level is 130. At level 60, the highest possible item level is 270 (attained through a very similar process as above, except all the necessary NPCs are in one town called Idyllshire in the Heavensward part of the game).
****A Note on Gear Purchase/Upgrade Order: I recommend going in this order because the pieces listed first have the largest stat point pools, and therefore buff you the most.
