Use a Bag-Opener

Two hands exchanging a purse in front of a yellow background

A “bag-opener” is a character which you keep at a specific level, and use to open GW2 loot bags.

Why Use a Bag-Opener?

Many loot bags drop what’s called “leveled loot.” This means that the loot you get from the bags is the same level as the character which opens them. NOT, the same level as the character which earned them.

Why does the loot level matter? Because some levels of loot are worth more than others. For example, Linen (a tier 4 cloth) is worth more than Gossamer (a tier 5 cloth).

If your level 80 character opens a loot bag, they will get tier 5 drops – in other words, Gossamer. Open that same loot bag with a level 50 character, and you will get Linen instead.

F2P NOTE: This is a useful way for Free-To-Play accounts to make gold in GW2. Free accounts get two character slots, and are allowed to sell unrefined crafting materials on the Trading Post.

How to Use a Bag-Opener

First, gather loot bags. The Silverwastes is great for this.

Next, go to your personal bank. You can either visit a banker, or go to a crafting station and use the bank tab there. (You don’t need to unlock a crafting discipline to use the bank tab at the station.) Move all the loot bags into your bank.

Switch to your lower-level character. Go to your personal bank and withdraw all the loot bags. Open them on this character.

Salvage the leveled equipment and armor into crafting materials, then sell the materials on the Trading Post.

How Do People Make So Much Money in The Silverwastes?

Ever wondered how people make all that money they brag about in The Silverwastes? Most of them use bag-openers.

What Level Bag-Opener Should I Use?

For the most current recommendation, check http://silverwastes.loltools.net. The standard recommendation is to use a level 49 character. This will get you Tier 3 and 4 materials, which are usually the most expensive.

You can also use bag-openers to “farm” a specific tier of wood, cloth, and leather.

Here are the material tiers, along with the character level you want to use to get them:

Tier 1: Green Wood, Jute, Rawhide: Level 1-20

Tier 2: Soft Wood, Wool, Thin Leather: Level 16-33

Tier 3: Seasoned Wood, Cotton, Coarse Leather: Level 31-50

Tier 4: Hard Wood, Linen, Rugged Leather: Level 44-63

Tier 5: Elder Wood, Silk, Gossamer, Thick Leather, Ancient Wood (rare), Hardened Leather (rare): Level 59-80

Unidentified Gear

Note: Unidentified gear will always open or salvage at level 80. Don’t bother trying to open “unids” on a bag-opener.

Photo by Irene Kredenets on Unsplash

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