Barkingham Palace Gear Guide
Level 40 PvE gear guide for Barkingham Palace in Wizard101. The guaranteed Queen's Guard Artavus athame is the standout item. Learn which pieces to target, which to skip, and when to move on to level 50 Bazaar gear.
What Players Need Most
Step-by-Step Gear Progression
Talk to Private Kinchley in Wolfminster Abbey (Marleybone) at level 40 to unlock the three-part dungeon:
- State Wing - boots drop focus.
- Main Hall - robe and amulet area.
- Rooftop - hat and wand from Dr. Jackal.
Run it at least once for story and quest progress plus initial drops. It is harder than Olympus (bosses have ~4k-5k HP with cheats like rebirth on Chief Whip), so bring a team or strong pet and minions.
After the main quest, talk to Dr. Von Katzenstein in his cell at Scotland Yard. Follow the short side quest chain (Frankenstein-style trail and notes) leading back to a new Monster boss in Barkingham Palace, near the Woman's Right Hand sigil.
Defeat the Monster (it revives once at 25% with a summon, ~4k HP, manageable). The guaranteed quest reward is the Queen's Guard Artavus athame: 12% universal damage, 16% power pip, high HP and mana, 2 circle plus triangle sockets. This is the standout broken item that players rave about. It is usable to level 100+ and beats most early options.
Run scaled to level 40 for best drops. The 2026 Summer Update added a pity system with badges and crafting reagents.
Optional rings (damage-focused, from the Monster or Billy the Cutter wooden key boss) and decks (minor HP) are also available but low priority.
- Wand: Stick with Sky Iron Hasta (guaranteed from Ares in Olympus). Better than Barkingham wands.
- Amulet, Ring, Deck: Bazaar options or Zeus leftovers. Prioritize sockets (triangle for accuracy and pip jewels).
- Jewels: Archmastery circles if affordable. Accuracy and pip jewels as needed to fill gaps.
At level 50, buy Tier 2 Dragonspyre or Malistaire world gear from the Bazaar. It is an easy, strong upgrade that makes most Barkingham pieces obsolete. Barkingham is a short bridge, not a long-term gear set. Do not over-invest here.
Key Decision Points
Zeus vs Barkingham Hat, Robe, and Boots
Barkingham gives ~5 extra damage and pip percent (marginal) but loses some accuracy. Skip the full farm if you have good Zeus Tier 1 (pity after ~35 Olympus runs). Only pursue if min-maxing or if you want the look and pity ease.
Full Set vs Athame Only
Most players recommend athame plus selective pieces plus quick exit to level 50 gear. The full set is not meta long-term. The athame is the only piece that stays relevant past level 50.
Solo vs Team
Barkingham is harder at-level than Olympus. Use team-up or high-level carry for efficiency, especially for Main Hall and Rooftop sections where boss cheats are punishing.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-farming for marginal gains. Drop rates are low pre-pity and the dungeon is not popular. Get the athame, grab selective pieces, and move on.
- Ignoring the guaranteed athame quest. This is the biggest value item in Barkingham. It is guaranteed from a quest, not a drop. Do not skip it.
- Using Barkingham wands, amulets, or decks. These are often worse than prior options. Sky Iron Hasta and Bazaar gear beat them in most cases.
- Running without Scales of Knowledge activated. New spells and spellements from the 2026 update need these for efficient learning.
- Delaying level 50 Bazaar gear. Do not get stuck grinding Barkingham when level 50 Bazaar gear is an easy, strong upgrade that makes most of this set obsolete.