Gear choicesFollow

With the SAM forums basically dead, I figured I would post this here just to try and get something going. I finally got around to finishing my Unkai Domaru+2, and the added Store TP from it is going to let me switch from Goading to Bullwhip belt. It occurred to me to wonder where else I could make improvements. Ultimately I want to keep a true 5-hit, since I mostly play my SAM outside of Abyssea, with capped Haste. I also want to maximize my damage as much as possible. I've played around with Kinematics's spreadsheets a lot, and I just can't seem to come up a definitive set. So I figure I would ask the community what the current standards are and what I should be aiming for. Here are my current basic sets:

TP:
Hiradennotachi+2/Rose/Thew
Unkai+2/Unkai/Brutal/Centaurus
Unkai+2/Dusk/Hoard/Rajas
Atheling/Goading/Unkai+2/Ace's

Total Store TP: 52 (21.5 TP/hit), Total Gear Haste: 21%

WS (Fudo):
Hiradennotachi+2/Rose/Thew
Varangian/Snow Gorget/Brutal/Centaurus
Byrnie+1/Heafoc/Spiral/Rajas
Unkai/Snow Belt/Unkai+2/Unkai+2

Total Store TP: 17 (17.4 TP/hit)

Some upgrades I know I want to make are Centaurus to Attack/TP Bonus Moonshade for WS, and I need to go turn that Goading in to a Bullwhip. Some gear I have available but not currently using on SAM: Unkai Mimikazari and Ace's Mufflers. I am considering getting a White Tathlum for my TP build which would let me use my Ace's Mufflers. I know I could simply turn the Dusk in to +1 for more haste and attack, but I would rather not drop 4 mil on them if I can avoid it. I could also simply /DRG and easily hit the haste cap with Wyvern earring, but I prefer to stay /WAR for double attack and berserk purposes. I'd love to be able to get rid of the Hoard Ring and Rose Strap since neither brings anything to me but Store TP and/or negative stats. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks for the response. I am an Elvaan too and totally hate the look of Unkai Domaru, especially with Dusk hands. I don't mind all the other Unkai pieces, but it just looks all boxy and chunky with Domaru. Ace's feet look like the level 21 or whatever bone gear, which I also hate. I'd love to turn those into Usukane feet which look nicer and have more store TP, but then I'd drop a haste %. I'm not a fan of Zelus either, and I'd have to drop Unkai's Store TP to use it.

One thing I notice I don't like about playing with my current build: the 17.4TP WS hit. One nice perk about a 5-hit is how 20/hit matches perfectly with 20/tic on Meditate. If I do a WS while Meditate is running, I have to wait an extra tic before WSing again cause of that missing 2.6TP (assuming no Conserve TP proc). Its a minor quibble, since I still can easily self-Light with Meditate alone, but I hate ever seeing 97-99TP.

I think I'll monitor the market on Dusk gloves +1 and a White Tathlum. Those should free me up a bit.

I finished my Moonshade earring this weekend (Attack+4/TP Bonus+25). A 5-hit Fudo SAM absolutely destroys the WOTG battles. We were able to do it all as a duo. If you are talking about a 1500 damage WS, that +25TP is worth about +100 damage.

The best body right now for Fudo is Byrnie+1. The attack is really good on it.

As for sub choices, it is really going to depend on your gear. If you are at 20% haste or lower, /DRG with wyvern earring is going to probably be your best bet (non-Fudo). Once you get over 20% haste, /DRG starts looking worse and worse. You don't need the accuracy bonus right now so your only real benefit becomes the jumps. /WAR with Berserk and Double attack will start to pull ahead as you get higher haste. If you have Fudo, Berserk helps you WS in addition to your regular attacks, and WAR pretty much is the default sub.

YGK bodies probably go Twilight > Nocturnus > Osode.

Edit: Double checked in Kinematics spreadsheets and this holds true. The 1% TA on Nocturnus isn't enough to overcome the 5STR more on Twilight. Although its pretty close outside Abyssea.

Edited, May 17th 2011 12:19pm by JaxReborn

Yeah I don't have Twilight body either (or head or cloak, but have everything else from Shin). I've killed Shinryu probably 4 times solo on THF just cause I had cruor piled up. It won't make a huge difference over Osode (~20 damage outside abyssea, up to ~40 inside depending on atmas).