I just thought I might point out that as a 31st level mage with half mana and a pet with nearly full health I had 0 issues taking down a hulking tonight and getting these gloves. So 40 might be a little high for the necessary level. Given that the mage is a solo efficient class but most classes can find a way to be just as efficient against just one mob :) and yah the race all thing is pretty nice I too was getting them for an Iksar SK friend.
I spotted a Hulking Air Elemental in Twilight last night, and he conned dark blue to me at 28 (a Halfling druid)... the first couple of times I tried to take him down, I needed to gate out because the first time I hadn't noticed he was invulnerable to Ensnaring Roots, and the second time I was trying to hit him with a non-magic 1HB weapon (doh).
However third time was a charm and I dropped him and looted these gauntlets with relative ease... (well using every <29 buff that would stack, and with Mana Pres II and Spell Haste II focus items anyway :) ) I think he started to run after 4 or 5 hits of Dismiss Summoned, and I had half my health left, and a quarter of my mana.
40 is an appropriate lvl. You aren't considering the different classes. Myself as a lvl 43 Druid, I had to use my expell summond as quickly as possible and it still had a chance to beat on me and get me down a bubble and a half. No snare/root will work with the named which makes them a little harder for us wooded flok who don't have a pet to protect us.
I dunno, you guys...the fire elementals are a bit more difficult to take down then the others, but even so, my enchanter, who shatters into a million pieces at the slightest nudge, took out a huge water elemental with no problems, and she is 31. I think 40 is EXTREMELY high for this one. Maybe if you have only one bubble of health left and you're nekkid with a h2h skill of 1...
Fire elementals are easy once you use Cancel Magic to clear the damage shield, they have the lowest hit points for their level of any type of elemental. Sometimes they'll recast, but just cancel it again.
Yes, though, my Mage killed one of the Hulking elementals at level 30 and looted these gauntlets: it was harder than the normal elementals, but not that difficult to kill.
The air/earth/water elementals can be solo'd by naked gnome enchanters at lvl 30+, ok maybe not but extremely easy for any moderatley equiped melee/any caster at 30+ to solo here. The fire elementals are another story for melee cause you will do more damage to self than they will if you dual wield. Solution: bring a heavy hitting 2H any thing, "a weighted axe" is my favorite 45/150 common drop from FM giants. As a 32 Ogre War with mostly crusty armor I hit once every other leap year but when I connect it is for 150+, connect 4 or 5 times - dead elemental & you only get burned those 4 or 5 times. I get hit for about 50% health this way. Contrast that to almost killing myself by dual wielding a wurmslayer & green jade axe. FYI
Gaptooth Rallosminion, TP server Battle Master of 32 campaigns.
2ac less than Crafted. Plus, by the level to attain, you could have done the quest for the Crafted Gauntlets easily. I guess it's nice for people who either can't do the Quest or don't want to pay 150plat for them.