How does this work exactly?

If I buy a lvl 20 purp item, not modifiable, it scales to 49 right. If I have an oj item... does it matter which lvl enhancement/mod I put in? Is there a benefit to put in say a 45 mod vs a 20 mod if they both have the same base stats ie both having str / end / surge?

Can I save some money and buy lvl 20-30 mod/enhancements instead forking out 30k a piece?

I'm not sure I understand what your saying about purple gear scaling to lvl 49. but as for orange gear. On my assassin I have been using the lvl 10 social gear you get from kaas city and I'm lvl 23 now.

Just pull out mods and replace with higher lvl mods as you lvl.

A good way to save money while doing this is to take the planet commendations over items in quest and use them to buy mods from the merchants. Most mods can be boughten for around 2-4 commendations each.

No you have it wrong.

You buy Orange gear (Fully moddable) and put mods in that. Purple gear has a couple of mod slots and a fixed stat allocation, makes them un-viable for boosting in level since the fixed allocation will never change.

Get orange gear (dont matter what level it is) and mod it with level 49 mods, easy to get on the GTN.

Now orange gears level is based on its prime mod. For guns the barrel, for Sabers the hilt and for armor the armoring. So taking a level 5 orange item and putting a level 49 armoring mod in it (for example) now gives you a level 49 item.

You dont want to use low level mods if you can avoid it since the stat allocation is based on the mod level. IE use all 49 mods.

If you do this a level 49 fully modded item is a little better than a Tion / Cent piece of gear (sans expertise) You can get expertise by buying the lower level pvp weapons and pulling the mods out of them though. It'll cost you in stat points but its doable.

Hope this clears it up for you.

Bolster scales your CURRENT stats to level 50 using a % increase, so if you are a level 20 decked out in level 20 purples you would hit harder than a level 20 decked out in level 20 greens, and you would also hit harder than a level 40 decked out in level 40 greens, assuming you use the same ability and it's not talented.

But remember, the 40 will have access to many more abilities and skill points that a level 20 won't.

Above poster answers that then.

Bolster boost is based on current stats, better geared you are at level 10 the more bolster will boost you.

Bolster scales your CURRENT stats to 50, so if you are a level 20 decked out in purples you would hit harder than a level 40 decked out in greens, assuming you use the same ability and it's not talented.

Okay so it doesnt bolster the gear individually? Just the stats at the time you enter the wz?

Gear is not bolstered. Your character is bolsterd and you get some bonus armor.

On low level your stats are insignificant, post level 40 gear matters.

Ahhh, sad panda.

Alright, thanks guys.

Gear is not bolstered. Your character is bolsterd and you get some bonus armor.

On low level your stats are insignificant, post level 40 gear matters.

Wrong.

Example:

Level 20 in purples with 100 strength

Level 20 in greens with 60 strength

Enters wz

Bolster activates 250% stat increase for level 20.

Level 20 in purples is bolstered to 250 strength

Level 20 in greens is bolstered to 150 strength.

It is important to keep your gear good or your damage will decrease in wz's as you level.

As I understand, the amount of armor on the orange gear IS independent of the mods it contains. So if you buy a level 10 orange piece with armor rating 20 (or whatever it is), but put level 49 mods in it, you will have a less powerful piece of gear than a level 49 orange (rating, say, 108) with the same mods in it.

I could be wrong on this, however.

As I understand, the amount of armor on the orange gear IS independent of the mods it contains. So if you buy a level 10 orange piece with armor rating 20 (or whatever it is), but put level 49 mods in it, you will have a less powerful piece of gear than a level 49 orange (rating, say, 108) with the same mods in it.

 

I could be wrong on this, however.

That's wrong too!

Orange armor is all the same, it's the armoring mod that determines the base armor value.

If i take out the armoring mod from my level 40 pvp orange armor and put it in my level 5 orange armor, the level 5 armor becomes level 40 and has the same armor value the old pvp item had.

So much misinformation on these forums.

That's wrong too!

 

Orange armor is all the same, it's the armoring mod that determines the base armor value.

 

If i take out the armoring mod from my level 40 pvp orange armor and put it in my level 5 orange armor, the level 5 armor becomes level 40 and has the same armor value the old pvp item had.

Then why, as you can see here does the Mantillian Smuggler's Tunic have an armor rating of 30 with no slotted mods, while the Spec Ops Jacket has an armor rating of 70 without any slotted mods (109 and 322 value, respectively) ??

Either they DO have base stats that are somehow combined/added to mods, or they DO have base stats, which are overwritten.

Either way, they DO in fact have base stats. Experiment - compare stats of final items - are they the same with identical mods? I don't know... haven't done it.

Also,

So much misinformation on these forums.

This is exactly why I said "I could be wrong."

My understanding is the base (unmodded) ratings are purely there to form a required level for the item.

If you put a rating 124 armor mod into those 2 orange chestpieces linked, they would then have an identical armor rating.

Having a required level on Orange gear stops a level 8 character from looking pro like a lvl 50:(