Allods Online Forum

If you are just buying ONE "Exarkh" id say, but if ur only wanting one of the ones in Pic id say Rakshas for dps, the adaptive ones are better if u get more than ONE shell ;P

the more shells u "destroy" for the adaptive the more u rank up offensive skills in it + there is some upgrades to it too, so if ur not rdy to spend alot of Money get "Exarkh" shell

Newest one is "Bastion'.
Most offensive skills use mana batteries. In all shells.

Shells HP depends on it's generation and varies from less than 1k on oldest ones (Monolith, Vanguard) to 18111 for last generation (Bastion).

Adaptive shell core is available for "free". It is quest reward for completing Tycoons' Representatives reputation - one of BG reps.
To use adaptive core you need any regular shell. Then you need to use and destroy one of each shell types to upgrade adaptive one to max, but it can be useful even without spending this money. Right when you obtain it, adaptive shell has HP equal to "Exarkh" - previous generation shell. Using "Upgrade project II" item will increase it's HP to level of "Bastion". From start you can get also 10 or 20% HP bonus with passive Titan Augmentation.

Without spending cash on all available shell types you can't get full dps buff or other offensive skills offered by shell but still can get some protection and speed boost cheaper than buying top tier shell.

PS> "Upgrade Project" is completely obsolete item now. It adds just skill slot for shell. If you don't put cash to upgrade shell you don't need it anyways. If you will put cash - you will want "Upgrade Project II" which gives same skill slot plus HP update to latest level.

ah yeah forgot about the free one, but remember he has to have one before he can use the adaptive. I recommended exarkh cuz the def passive is the best imho ;P

And here we start to dig really deep into details.
Can't tell how much cost this passive def - i have completely battery-free adaptive with titan for hp and aoe stun that doesn't consume batteries.

Any shell older than Exarkh can be used only as material for adaptive shell now - not enough hp at present stage.
Exarkh and Bastion seem to have very similar bonuses though Exarkh skill on shell destruction look better. It has less hp though. Can't get exact number because it depends on gs, but i think Bastion has around 50-60% more hp than Exarkh. It is also much more expensive. (Edit: seems true on sale, now found Bastion cheaper than Exarkh in AH)

Any cheapest shell + free Adaptive Core (+ Upgrade Prject II) may be cheapest option to get some usable shell. With a bit limited functionality though. At least during sale. Now prices got a bit out of control and are quite random.

If you're going for the reputation one then save your symbols for a smile with +fame also use the tome that increases your fame and get a guild tabard, those 3 combined will save you 4 times the farming, focus on getting 1 type of tycoon coins cuz they have 3 different reputation.

Like the others said, you can't active the adaptive shell unless you have a shell (basic color pattern) which means you need to at least have used one permanent shell in order to active the shell, and then you can hammer that old shell and you'll get 2 skill one offensive and one defensive, you can switch them to any of those you want, I don't recommend using titan augmentation cuz it's increase isn't that significant at low "rank"(basic 2 maximum is 8 atm, it increases each time you hammer a unique shell " if you had 2 monolith and you hammer them both "using adaptive converter which you can get from boutique now for like 120pc or like 200 bc" you will only get one increase in rank but you will still get the extra offensive and defensive skill which you can trade to any other or stack them into design pack "100 pack for defensive skill, 200 pack for offensive skill, 500 for upgrade project,250 for adaptive shell, 30 for adaptive converter, 1 for adaptive battery which you need 5 to activate each of your skill" and if you don't have the upgrade project II (like the others said, it will boost your adaptive shell's hp, and give you another slot to put 2 offensive skills, but 2 skills of same type doesn't stack), it won't boost that much, so it's better to get another skill.

Now what I do recommend you to do is to wait for the next box sale ( because we will have upgrade project III by then and there will be a new shell, so the total rank will be increased by 1 and the current upgrade project II will give less hp compared to the upcoming new shell and prices in general will be much cheaper).

If you don't want to wait then just go for respected at one of the tycoon, then buy any shell (300~500bc is best price if you can find), use it hammer it and then activate your adaptive shell.
Or just buy Exrath or bastion and even if you get respected don't hammer the exrath/bastion and keep using it till next box you may find good prices for exrath and pastion (1kbc/ 3kbc) respectively. but I think it will be hard to find any good prices and it will be hard to get fragments for the time being.

Also, when you get the shell get the inventor handbooks they're pretty useful, green(gallop) and blue(auto-activation) are cheap, but the others will be expensive now, best is the fable one which heals you when the shell is destroyed.

Now it is difficult question because Devourer is just previous generation and it is still useful.
there are 2 options:
1. Convert this Devourer into Adaptive Shell and then use Upgrade Project IV item to make it's hp equal to new Overlord shell. You will lose armor skills actually because without big investment in other armor types ones from adaptive will be at low rank and useless in return. Making adaptive without upgrade project will cause HUGE hp reduction and armor become just visual in result.
2. Use Devourer Shell until next shell sale with newer one and then convert it into adaptive with use new Upgrade Project V most likely released then.

So you need to make choice between Devourer - shell with skills but lower hp or Adaptive with latest upgrade project - shell skills sacrificed (at leats until you consume many other shell types) for hp increase.

It is random drop from same strongboxes as shell. So either lottery with boxes or AH/zone to get it from other players.