Need gear help, bad >.<Follow

So as I was posting around before, I just returned to FFXI after quitting a few years ago.
Sadly, sometime between then and now my account was compromised someway somehow and was stripped -bare- aside Rare/Ex and muled items.


So when I first started up as Sam I had

Weap: Kosetsusamonji / Magoruko
Grip: None
Ammo: Happy Egg / Bibiki Seashell
Head: Walahra Turban / O.Hat / Genbu's/AF1
Neck: None
Earrings: Bushi and Signal Pearl
Body: Shura / AF1
Hands: Ochimusha Kote / AF2 / AF1
Rings: Windurstian(lol)
Back: None
Belt: Warwolf Belt
Legs: Shura / AF1
Feet: Sarutobi Kyahan / AF1

Yeah, I was a little unhappy. So I switched to Monk (same gear just also had AF2 feet/legs but Destroyers) and solo'd Unstable Cluster 5x to snag my Soboro.
Fortunately all my crafting supplies and low level gear sold so I snagged a fair bit of gil and equipped as follows

Weap: Onimaru / Engetsuto / Soboro
Grip: Pole Strap / Plat Grip
Ammo: Bibiki (I know...)
Head: Walahra Turban / O.Hat / Wyvern Helm
Neck: Chiv Chain
Earrings: Bush / Fowling
Body: Hauby (15k really?!)
Hands: Dusk Gloves(10k?!) / Hachiman Kote / Ochimusha Kote
Rings: Sniper's Ring / Woodsman Ring / Ruby Ring x2
Back: Amemet +1
Waist: Potent Belt / Warwolf Belt
Legs: Shura Legs
Feet: Sarutobi Kyahan (No Hachi on AH...)

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So here I am stuck.
With Onimaru/Enget I use Pole, obviously... but what about Soboro? Plat still?
Ammo: Should I bother saving up for Tiphia(only 70kish) or wait and hold until Bomblet(570k)?
Dusk or Ochimusha?
Can I get better melee legs aside Dusk at 75?
I want Hachi Sune-Ate but none on AH atm

My biggest concern is the VAST amount of rare/ex added I have not even considered. I saw some AMAZING rings based on Saur/Rolan NM's but they are lame drop rate I hear and rings are not #1 issue.
I have no idea if Somepage is still the epic site it once was, everyone always sends me to wiki which while great is a PAIN to sort through sometimes.

I would really appreciate some help so that in 2 days when I can do Abyssea I can actually show up. I have all SJ's leveled all skills capped and merits spread throughout but gear is so important. I know the Perle set at 78 is great but are there any rare/ex things I am really missing out on?

Rutters are better, sure, but with Perle sitting at like 10k, I wouldn't bother going through the trouble of getting them. I would just try and get hachiman and use those until 78, then Perle for WS. Assuming OP doesn't have Byakko's Haidate, they probably will sport full Perle at 78 anyways.

I meant Rutters are better than Hachiman, not Perle. I was saying don't bother with Rutters since cheap and easy upgrade is just ahead. Sorry for the lack of clarity.

Debatable, in the sense that it can and in many cases will be better to pick up 5 Store TP from a slot during your WS than 1 more STR. If you have to wear some Hachi during a WS to hold an X-Hit build, feet have always seemed to me the best place to do it. Angels on pinheads, however.