Best precious material in PFS2e

[PeteZero]

I would like to upgrade my weapons (gnome flickmace and shield spike), what is the best material at lvl5? I was thinking spike from cold iron, flickmace silver and later an additional one made from adamantine (uncommon, so guess need to find access). Any thoughts?

[PeteZero]

Sorry for the bump, really would like an opinion, esp. as being between adventures at Gencon.

[NielsenE]

Its hard to say what's best. Both Cold Iron and Silver are definitely useful and semi-affordable at low-tier. When you get higher level upgrading them to standard-grade, in order to keep progressing with runes is a bit painful. I don't think seeking out a third special material is useful at low levels.

I'm currently planning to invest in a silver & cold-iron backup weapons but not planning to enchant them (or only enchant them about two runes behind my main-- ie once my primary weapon is +2 striking, the backups are +1, as the cost is miniscule by that point.

In your case with sword and shield spikes. I would consider making the shield spikes non-special material, pushing those as your main and getting doubling rings, with special material weapons to swap between.

[albadeon]

I went with cold iron for my weapon, as you have the option to bring a vial of silversheen which costs only 6gp (and is available as a 3rd level freebie from the swords school). A weapon coated in that will count as a silver weapon for an hour, instead of cold iron or whatever other material, so it's a convenient way to have material flexibility available should the need arise.

[Shea Hoarfoot]

looking at the rules for Adamantine it seems confuzling... an Adamantine SHIELD is level 8 ... and can be used as a weapon ALSO as well as defend very well... (2 great uses for 440GP)... an Adamantine WEAPON however is Tier 11 but only has ONE use... Offense (for 1550GP)/// (assuming of course you can unlock finding that chunk of Adamantine somewhere) any thoughts on this?

[Tomppa]

Adamantine shield is pretty underwhelming when compared to just a regular resilient shield at the same level. If you really plan to use a shield, you should get a non-adamantine one. If you kinda want to use a shield but maybe not block with it all the time and also want to use it as a backup weapon, then sure.

[Shea Hoarfoot]

With good crafting an adamant shield is just fine... the ability to break hardness is awesome... the fact that as a weapon shields are pretty awesome even as main weapons... but weapons themselves cannot be made of adamantine until 3 levels later seems strange...

[NielsenE]

Just remember shields are not weapons. Shield bosses/spikes are and those are still crafted as weapons, not a shields. So yes, I think (would need to read carefully to be sure) that a shield bash with an adamantine shield could bypass hardness, but it can't have runes. You can't get runes onto it with doubling rings, it doesn't work with most feats that modify strikes (as most require weapons), etc.

[Angel Hunter D]

If I'm reading Doubling Rings right, just get a Cold Iron and a Silver flickmace and upgrade a plain steel shield spike.