(LOATHE to make an OOC post but I hunger for Searing Enigmas! What is the most sensible way of piling them up? Processing items into Incunabula and then going to the University? I’ve smashed out out a few that way but I felt dangerously inefficient!)
Become a glassman (or a glass… whatever), go to Hunters Keep, repeatedly and systematically annoy Cynthia for two or three weeks, return to London, convert every single secret → appaling secret → tale of terror → extraordinary implication, make searing enigma(s), repeat.
Or you may try to go through the fidgeting writer story. Your goal will be to acquire 49 pieces of black glass.
edited by Andrew Astherson on 11/19/2015
The university option is costly but reliable, and you can generate a lot of making waves as a side bonus if you convert Tales of Terror. You can also find them semi-regularly in the Nadir - not a quick way, obviously, but you might get one or two ‘free’ each week.
Interesting! Thank you kindly!
I’ve spent many hours on heists, and if you go looking for love stories, a Searing Enigma is a rare success. The probability isn’t too high though, I understand.
For values of “not too high” that include “between 20% and 25%”.
And while it’s slow, make sure you’re getting your 1/month from cashing in Trade Secrets. Every little bit helps.
Converting Uncunubula into Searing Enigmas is based upon watchful, by a lot, but it’s still very RNG based, you may want to hold off using the Truthbreaker Turbine until you’ve got a Mood card.
[quote=nightday]This is going to be a hella initial grind, but I got my stack of Enigmas through the Cave of the Nadir. Once you get access, you can get at least 1 enigma pretty reliably every week (unless the RNG hates you).[/quote]That was a lot more reliable when one could get a retry at the cost of one Action and one Confident Smile when playing the Unlikely Garden.
Joining the K&C and taking on a form will trigger a reward of 12 Prize Tokens every four weeks, which can yield a Brass Ring and a Searing Enigma every 12 weeks, if one cashes in five tokens for a Brass Ring when the tokens hit 21+. (Having more than 20 cancels the reward.) After taking on a form the first time one can go formless to avoid actual participation in the stabbings. I guess this might be too slow for someone with a specific goal, but it’s a way to get a free Searing Enigma every now and then.
I’ve gotten most of mine through heists performed with 4-5 card lodgings, and counting overall profitability that’s probably the best Searing Enigma grind available. At least until they change heists to disregard the size of one’s lodgings. Then it might require enough inside information to make it significantly less profitable.
What a lovely and helpful string of posts, thank you all very much :)
Stealing Tales of Terror!! in the Flit and up converting tons of them is one of the best big Making Wave grinds if you’re in need of that so you can get Incanabula at the same time.
Pretty reliably at least 1 every visit?
How do you do that? Keep playing the cards even if Irrigo is up to 9?
I’m playing 'till it’s 5 or 6 (I know, big different between the two) and then quit. Have not seen the Enigma in a month or so (4 card lodging).
Pretty reliably at least 1 every visit?
How do you do that? Keep playing the cards even if Irrigo is up to 9?
I’m playing 'till it’s 5 or 6 (I know, big different between the two) and then quit. Have not seen the Enigma in a month or so (4 card lodging).[/quote]
well, 5-card lodging helps, as does wasting second chances to discard cards (play a skill chalenge with minimized stats and a second chance. if you succeed, yay! if you fail, perhaps not, and the card’s gone at no irrigo cost. of course, there’s the risk you’ll succeed.)
Pretty reliably at least 1 every visit?
How do you do that? Keep playing the cards even if Irrigo is up to 9?
I’m playing 'till it’s 5 or 6 (I know, big different between the two) and then quit. Have not seen the Enigma in a month or so (4 card lodging).[/quote]
play a skill chalenge with minimized stats and a second chance. if you succeed, yay! if you fail, perhaps not, and the card’s gone at no irrigo cost. of course, there’s the risk you’ll succeed.[/quote]
Huh!!!
Nice trick, that. Like I always say: Fallen Londoners - always try to cheat the system =)
Oh this is very savvy, I’d like to get my Notability up to 10 so this seems like the best method for me
Pretty reliably at least 1 every visit?
How do you do that? Keep playing the cards even if Irrigo is up to 9?
I’m playing 'till it’s 5 or 6 (I know, big different between the two) and then quit. Have not seen the Enigma in a month or so (4 card lodging).[/quote]
play a skill chalenge with minimized stats and a second chance. if you succeed, yay! if you fail, perhaps not, and the card’s gone at no irrigo cost. of course, there’s the risk you’ll succeed.[/quote]
Huh!!!
Nice trick, that. Like I always say: Fallen Londoners - always try to cheat the system =)[/quote]
well, it’s in the rules. It’s not hacking, and it’s intentional on the part of the devs. though they’ve changed the prices to be progressively more punishing for each failure on cards as well as on regular storylets, so you’ll need to succeed/fail eventually, so you could even make a case that it’s balanced.
edited by Grenem on 11/22/2015
Silly question - why do people grind for searing enigmas? Is it the easiest (!) 62.5E item to grind for? Why don’t people do the same for Night Whispers or Parabola Linen Scraps?
[quote=navchaa]Silly question - why do people grind for searing enigmas? Is it the easiest (!) 62.5E item to grind for? Why don’t people do the same for Night Whispers or Parabola Linen Scraps?[/quote]Besides being useful here and there, you can use 49 Searing Enigmas to manufacture an Impossible Theorem (or to die trying).
Now that’s food for thought. I’d initially thought I’m reaching the end game, but there’s still so much I have yet to cover!
Also, back in the day of Seeking Mr Eaten, there was an Impossible! option that required 77 Enigmas. Who knows if it’ll be there when SMEN comes back, but . . .