best gear and atmas for ranger

[Catsby]

I went out to East Sarutabaruta and did a very small test on Namas and Sidewinder just to give everyone some kind of idea on numbers.. (When I say small test I mean like 4 WSs total. It's late sorry >.>)

Naked Mithra RNG/SAM with 80 STR, 90 Yoichi and Kabura Arrows... Mob:Savanna Rarab (right outside the entrance)
With Velocity Shot...
2x Namas Arrow 2505
2x Sidewinder 3240

*Data is in no shape, way, or form solid enough to draw a definite conclusion since I did not try to WS in WS gear, WS without Velocity Shot nor do enough WSs.*
However, Namas should get very close to sidewinder numbers once you add in WS gear since it's 40%str and 40%agi vs. Sidewinder's 15%str and 25%agi.

Edit: all WSs were used just outside of melee.

I'm not sure velocity shot will make a difference if your target has like 20 defense and you have 400+ ratk.

[Lumiya]

Kind of late to the party here, but I thought I would give my two cents on most of this. First off, I go RR/SS/GH for my RNG, and I honestly couldn't be happier. I tried a few other Atma, but in the end this is by far my favorite choice.

As for subjob, I normally go /WAR. I can see the purpose of /SAM, but honestly it boils down to Sekkanoki and Third Eye vs Berserk really. I still have a 5hit setup with Bow on both /SAM and /WAR, so that doesn't really change any, just a couple gear swaps. Meditate is almost entirely worthless in my eyes, a free three shots worth of TP every 3 minutes? Not exactly game breaking. The defensive capability of Seigan and Third eye would have to be the biggest advantage, but it still comes with a loss of damage.

Now in Abyssea, the way I look at it, is Berserk+Barrage+Arching Arrow(no Gandiva yet for me) basically caps out my CE on anything I fight. Likewise, Barrage+Sekkanoki+Arching Arrowx2 also caps out my CE. While most people would think that gives more credit to Seigan+Third Eye, in my opinion it gives more reason to go /WAR. With the way enmity functions, if you have two players with capped CE and no VE, every hit will pull hate until the other person hits. So if you let the tank get capped CE first, before you go all out, and then move into melee range, you will effectively not be tanking. You -will- pull hate every time a shot goes off, but most tanks are fast hitting jobs that will very quickly pull it back off of you. So why worry so much about defensive abilities at all?

Sorry if I worded things kind of poorly or didn't go into detail enough but how I play it, but I'd be glad to provide for info if desired. I love RNG quite a bit, and it is still such an amazing DD, but so few any more its hard to really get into good discussions about it.

[Feliciaa]

To me meditate plays a big role in /SAMs appeal. Those 3 free shots after just 30mins becomes 30 free shots or 600 tp with a 5 hit build and I did not even need to shoot anything.
Also, /SAM could go all out and add meditate to that barrage + sekkanoki + Arching Arrow x2 and be very close to enough tp for a 3rd Arching Arrow. Plus, I can start with Seigan + Third eye to prevent/stop the face rape I just signed up for.

/SAM is even more important out of abyssea. I can control hate much better then a /war since I could use meditate for tp and use Sekkanoki so I don't waste any extra TP. Or I can slow down my r.atk spam and make up for it with meditate.

This is just IMO though. I am very interested to know. What gear + bow are you using to make /WAR 5hit work? I think the information could be really good to have when looking into /SAM 4hit with a bow.

[Lumiya]

For /WAR 5hit I use Mekki Shakki/Rose Strap, Volley Earring, Rajas Ring, Sylvan Back, Sylvan Legs+1, and some Gules Leggings I got from a chest with +2STR on them. That is with a Vision Bow(Delay 524) and the typical 90 delay arrows. When I get Gandiva I'll need 3 more Store TP to keep the 5hit. As you can tell by the gear, I don't really lose much damage boosting, which is why I don't mind going that route; about the only things I miss are the RATK off Vulcan's and the critical damage+ off of Brave Strap.

Using /SAM though, I would need another 18 Store TP with Vision Bow to get a 4hit setup, not a very plausible idea. If I had the +2(or 1) hands I would gladly use those, but even +2 would put me 11 shy of the 4hit. The only other pieces of gear I could drop for Store TP without losing much damage would be Triumph for Brutal and my augmented Behemoth Ring for Hoard or that new +4 Store TP ring. Even then I would still be 6 short, and the only real viable option at that point is dropping AF3 body for Loki's full time, which would make a pretty big dent in my damage I believe. Theoretically if I had all of that and Gandiva and still wanted a 4hit, I would only need 2 more, but I can't think of a good way to get 2 Store TP off of the head/neck/waist, or any other pieces that provide more Store TP than what I already have.

[noodles355]

That's why Gun is fun. 4 hits are easy.
TP:
AF3+2 Head
Corvus Torque
Volley (2)
Clearview
AF3+2 Body
AF3+2 Gloves (7)
Horde Ring (4)
Rajas Ring (5)
AF3 Back (5)
Goading (5)
AF3+2 Legs (9)
AF3+2 Feet
TP/hit: 25.8

Slug Shot:
Flame Ring
Scout's Belt
Libeccio Mantle
TP/Hit: 23.5

Wildfire:
AF3+2 Head
Ugga Pen
Moldy
Hectate
Mirke
Skote
AGI Ring
Rajas (5)
AF3 Back (5)
Aquiline
AF3+2 Legs (9)
AF3+2 Feet
TP/hit: 22.9

[Alderin]

I am also new to RNG (only lvl 86 atm). Have half the WOE coins - by mistake, yet havn't even bothered trying to farm Fist/Bukhis yet - (Fistule can be solo'd on NIN. Although Bukhis I have bad memories of...)

As for atmas - I think it was stated earlier by someone else (not going to go back and read, might of been a different post) - but honestly, why Sea Daugher? Your nerfing the damage you can be getting out of Jinshu's quite a lot. Not to mention if you build together a 4/5-hit, with Double Shot active, this and Barrage every 5 mins you will be spamming WS's like a SAM main. As for the subtle blow excuse - if you are low manning something in Abyssea, your first mistake is bringing a RNG. When you have a big enough party to support DD-jobs-that-don't-really-proc, no one gives a rats about Subtle blow. (Apart from maybe the tank but mehh they will live).

A good tank - especially in Abyssea will not let the mob even look at you. In fact most *good* tanks can hold hate off Ukon WAR's simply because of attack speed.

While the servers were down, I roughed together what I see is a 4-hit (with /SAM) on FFXIAH and it is surpringly extremely easy to build on RNG with a Harrier +2.

Anyways this is my n00b RNG opinion- Atmas I will probably use will be RR/GH/SS. TP gear, well I can even link you.. This is what I am planning on building. (Perhaps replace Harrier with Gandiva - still undecided).

http://www.ffxiah.com/item-sets/232994 (true 4-hit build from 0% TP, I think . Untested to be honest but the maths add up).

Oh as for subjob I am planning on pretty much full-timing /SAM (not due to meditate or sekka) but because of the STP II trait (+15 STP), which is pretty much needed for a 4-hit.

[esoR]

4 hit w/ gandiva doesnt work very well. you lose too much on ws to maintain it. 5-hit works pretty decenttly though. if you want to 4 hit, guns are perfect for that.

[Lumiya]

Hey Alderin, I was looking through your setup and I don't think that is going to work out. It looks like the counter on the side of the page is a bit off for how much Store TP it is giving also. With a total delay of 580(490+90) I'm showing a TP per hit of 14.8. With a delay that high, you need at least 69 Store TP for a sure fire 4 hit setup. With /SAM you are getting 15, dropping your required STP down to 54. I'm showing your setup as having...

4-Strap
2-Ear1
7-Hands
4-Ring1
5-Ring2
5-Back
9-Legs
4-Feet

For a total STP of 40. With /SAM you are only looking at 55 total and that would put you at 22.9 TP per hit. Overkill for a 5 hit and quite shy of a 4 hit. I think the issue is with ffxiah though as I do see their note on the side claiming 56 STP. It doesn't add up though.

[esoR]

FFXI ah counts 20 stp from rose strap. which throws calculation off

[Miera]

Gandiva with RR Omnipotent and Drifter/Stout

DEX build yay..