Twin Adder Dragoon

[NintenPyjak64]

By the title, I'm from Twin Adder and thinking about gearing up Dragoon next. I'd like to know first of all:
Which body piece do I use? Tabard, Overcoat, or Darksteel Haubergon (however you spell it).
If I use option #3, what do I meld into the armor?
What about my other armor pieces?

At the moment I use Mogfork, trying desperatly to get Ifrit's Harpoon and no interest in GC spear


Also as a side thing, I'd like to ask if the increased Jump damage from the Gae Bolg makes jump actually worth it to use during actual combat rather then pulling mobs (or gaining an easy little bit of TP)?

[Leoheart]

I would say Darksteel Haubergeon with atleast one pie materia melded to it, this is ofcourse when you do not have sanction on yourself, overwise I would be very inclined to use the overcoat for its 120 critical attack power.


On another note:
Jump is always worthwhile to use.
You can stack it with Quelling strike and get ~820 TP with it (varies on your weapon delay). It can also be used to avoid any kind of Physical attack used against you when timed correctly.

[NintenPyjak64]

I would say Darksteel Haubergeon with atleast one pie materia melded to it, this is ofcourse when you do not have sanction on yourself, overwise I would be very inclined to use the overcoat for its 120 critical attack power.


On another note:
Jump is always worthwhile to use.
You can stack it with Quelling strike and get ~820 TP with it (varies on your weapon delay). It can also be used to avoid any kind of Physical attack used against you when timed correctly.

What about an HQ Darksteel Haubergeon? According to Mooglebox it adds +7 Piety with HQ. As for my other equipment, I'm currently using STR melded Felt Bracers that I also use on Monk, and the rest is AF (Gonna get the Paragon Crown eventually to replace the helm since I have no hope of getting Imperial Operative Tricorne)

[Perin]

The Grid Overcoat is one of the best melee bodies in game at the moment. It's competitive with DL if you keep sanction up. I use it on drg and mnk myself, and I know some people use it on bard when they aren't on ballad duty.

NQ Darksteel haub isn't worth the cost in my opinion, especially when you have the grid overcoat as an option. I probably wouldn't replace my overcoat with less than an HQ pie > crit atk double meld, but that's getting into prohibitively expensive territory for most players (myself included). If you aren't going with the overcoat or HQ darksteel haub, double melded cobalt haub is the next best option.

Regarding Jump, use it as often as you can. It's more damage and more tp. You can also start your next WS while still in the animation as well, so you aren't really losing anything. It will also let you evade some attacks as Leoheart said.

As for your head slot, I'd recommend considering the Grid Officer's Cap, especially if you go with the overcoat since you'll be maintaining sanction anyway. Both overcoat and cap also count toward the set bonus if you're planning to use the lieutenant's spear as well. Paragon's Crown is a popular choice, but I've never been a fan personally (and have been too lazy to finish leveling warrior lol). The crown is also free, so there's that too.

[Gidonoidon_Sur]

The Grid Overcoat is one of the best melee bodies in game at the moment. It's competitive with DL if you keep sanction up. I use it on drg and mnk myself, and I know some people use it on bard when they aren't on ballad duty.

NQ Darksteel haub isn't worth the cost in my opinion, especially when you have the grid overcoat as an option. I probably wouldn't replace my overcoat with less than an HQ pie > crit atk double meld, but that's getting into prohibitively expensive territory for most players (myself included). If you aren't going with the overcoat or HQ darksteel haub, double melded cobalt haub is the next best option.

All this is going to change (well, could change) in the near future and that is always an important consideration. However, from what little review I have done it appears that your primary and secondary stats are far and away the most important thing to gear for, prior to your stat cap (determined by weapon DPS). So, from that understanding, the Grid body would only be better if you were still able to reach stat caps associated with your weapon. If not, then the Darksteel Hauby or whatever else (cobalt, rainmaker, turtoiseshell) with appropriate secondary stats melded (i.e., piety) should be better.

Correct me if I am wrong.

[Perin]

All this is going to change (well, could change) in the near future and that is always an important consideration. However, from what little review I have done it appears that your primary and secondary stats are far and away the most important thing to gear for, prior to your stat cap (determined by weapon DPS). So, from that understanding, the Grid body would only be better if you were still able to reach stat caps associated with your weapon. If not, then the Darksteel Hauby or whatever else (cobalt, rainmaker, turtoiseshell) with appropriate secondary stats melded (i.e., piety) should be better.

Correct me if I am wrong.

Generally speaking that's correct. But don't forget you're getting 10str and 10pie on the overcoat, and the 120 crit atk is roughly a III > IV > IV savage might meld (that's a lot lol). Added to that, the better atk/acc food gives 7 more piety. Piety caps around 310-315, so hitting that cap is a lot less of an issue, especially if you pick up 15 more piety with the grid officer's cap.

It obviously is going to boil down to what the rest of your gear looks like when it comes to deciding on what to upgrade to. But for me, I could cap piety without rings (and needed gc set bonus), so missing out on a piety melded body was a non-issue. And for twin adder dragoons looking to complete the lieutenant spear's set bonus, there aren't a ton of options (I had to use the +int/m.atk earring on drg until I got garuda's beak even with overcoat and cap).

[Gidonoidon_Sur]

Generally speaking that's correct. But don't forget you're getting 10str and 10pie on the overcoat, and the 120 crit atk is roughly a III > IV > IV savage might meld (that's a lot lol). Added to that, the better atk/acc food gives 7 more piety. Piety caps around 310-315, so hitting that cap is a lot less of an issue, especially if you pick up 15 more piety with the grid officer's cap.

It obviously is going to boil down to what the rest of your gear looks like when it comes to deciding on what to upgrade to. But for me, I could cap piety without rings (and needed gc set bonus), so missing out on a piety melded body was a non-issue. And for twin adder dragoons looking to complete the lieutenant spear's set bonus, there aren't a ton of options (I had to use the +int/m.atk earring on drg until I got garuda's beak even with overcoat and cap).

Pre food, what is your STR and PIE?

[BobbinT]

what's skirmish fork compared to gc lance? @ least skirmish weps can be melded. ^^

[Perin]

Pre food, what is your STR and PIE?

337 Str and 309 Piety

I usually eat smoked raptor/tuna miq'abobs since my str is well below cap.

what's skirmish fork compared to gc lance? @ least skirmish weps can be melded. ^^

As far as caps, it's around ifrit I think (330 or so strength cap). I haven't really tested it, but I believe the consensus came to needing a double tier IV atk meld on skirmish lance to catch up with ifrit's (or use skirimish to cap stats and go double/triple atk bracers). Maybe someone who's actually done the work to parse both can chime in.

[NintenPyjak64]

Thanks for all the replys. I guess I'll take a second look at that (godawful looking) Officer's cap at the moment.