Gearing Your Monk in iLvl 90 Gear: A Discussion

[Powercow]

A lot of this discussion is pretty moot; there's not a lot of options for people at the moment. Really the best way to think of it is to follow a three-step priority system:

1- Get to the accuracy cap. Any +accuracy over the cap is 100% wasted itemization.
2- Get the highest item level piece for that slot. Higher ilvl means more Strength, and Strength is so, so much stronger than secondary stats that even a poorly-itemized level 90 piece will beat out a level 70 piece with good itemization. The only exception would be a bizarre situation where the level 90 piece has accuracy entirely over the cap and skillspeed, and there's no way for you to switch gear around to make decent use of the accuracy. And at that point, well, figure out a way to drop accuracy somewhere else.
3- Avoid skillspeed whenever possible. If one piece has crit/skillspeed and another has crit/det, the crit/det one is better. This is assuming, of course, they're both the same item level. How much better varies depending on what your gear is, but at no point in the game right now does ss beat crit or det.

There's not enough gear choices at higher tiers for us to contemplate the finer differences between Crit and Det in any really meaningful way. In most slots you have a whopping 2 options for potential BiS, and 3 in your jewelry slots. If you follow the three-step system above, the choices (limited as they already are) become clear for each slot.

By the by, here's a helpful image many of you might wanna bookmark if deciding on monk upgrades.
http://i.imgur.com/4FFBsD3.jpg
(Image wasn't made by me but hot damn is it helpful.)

Now, revisiting this topic might be more helpful when they release more tiers of gear, but unless they change how stats work (like making Skillspeed boost autoattacks and TP regen) or significantly alter the itemization formula in some way (suddenly Crit costs just as much as Determination!), the three-step system will still work.

[MisakiSatomi]

It's basically:
MNK AF+1 is trash, it is only for capping accuracy. Maiming/Hero's for more accuracy. Allagan striking everywhere. Swap swap with your current items and there you go...

[Osias_Qol]

I have nearly finished my DRG armor and have started to look at mnk for myth items now.
I already have the MNK wep from Twintania, and all the Allagan but the body, belt, wrists and Ring of Maiming so I am mainly looking at a setup built around that wep.

What I have come up with is:

Allagan: Body, hands, waist, feet, neck(maiming), earring(maiming), both rings
Myth: Legs, head, wrist

Assuming I did my math right at such an odd hour (lol)
Puts me at 286 Determination(+84), 484 ACC(+143), 496 Crit(+155), and 32 Skill Speed

Add HQ Buttons in a Blanket and you arrive at the stats 300 Determination, 484 ACC, 505 Crit, and 32 Skill Speed.

[AegisXI]

I've read a lot of peoples equipment BiS choices and for pants, many ppl have melee for it. Why is it better then allagan? I currently own the melee gaskins because thats what many ppl have listed.

[Rochetm]

I've read a lot of peoples equipment BiS choices and for pants, many ppl have melee for it. Why is it better then allagan? I currently own the melee gaskins because thats what many ppl have listed.

If you can put the ACC to use on melee gaskins then they are better. They are not talking about actual BiS but BiS set. You have to look at your entire gear set not each slot.

[Stormblossom]

I've seen a couple threads that said certain slots of **HQ with Overmelds (I believe monk pants were the specific example given) actually have more weighted total stats than the AF+1 OR the Allagan. Which would seem to have an obvious advantage in the sense that you could choose which stats to boost. Any thoughts on how that would play into this?

[PenutButter]

I've seen a couple threads that said certain slots of **HQ with Overmelds (I believe monk pants were the specific example given) actually have more weighted total stats than the AF+1 OR the Allagan. Which would seem to have an obvious advantage in the sense that you could choose which stats to boost. Any thoughts on how that would play into this?

Crafted pants are not better than iLv 90 pants because the increase in strength is simply too great. If you're going for a specific build and need the specific itemization than maybe, but I doubt it.

Also, Skill Speed is much better than Crit and Det in terms of WS DPS, in addition to other benefits. Crit and Det can only compete due to the fact that Skill Speed does not affect melee and a Monk's melee damage IS a significant portion. -0.02 sec is weak? 4% crit is even weaker. People need to actually do the math/parse and know exactly what -0.02 sec means instead of just going, "Omg, -0.02 sec only?" But yes, u do need to have enough speed to where you get at least one addition attack during a fight.

[Size]

Good :P
Though I don't like the melee part of the set visually... vanity slots can't come soon enough.

I'm with you. When did they say vanity slots would be implemented? 2.1? Also was there any indication how they would exactly work?

[Size]

I just read Powercrow's post above for rule #3 and was like finally, yes, that makes sense to me on the debate on Skill Speed, that's the way to go. And then PenutButter goes and posts this!!

Also, Skill Speed is much better than Crit and Det in terms of WS DPS, in addition to other benefits. Crit and Det can only compete due to the fact that Skill Speed does not affect melee and a Monk's melee damage IS a significant portion. -0.02 sec is weak? 4% crit is even weaker. People need to actually do the math/parse and know exactly what -0.02 sec means instead of just going, "Omg, -0.02 sec only?" But yes, u do need to have enough speed to where you get at least one addition attack during a fight.

I'm so confused! Which is the better way to go?? T_T I am thankful for Crow's rule numbers 1 & 2 though. So thanks Crow that helps A TON.

[EasymodeX]

SS isn't bad but it's not as good as DTR/CRT in terms of raw dps.

Overall, do not focus on it.

However, higher SS results in two general strategic differences:

1. It's marginally easier to maintain GL3 in fringe cases.
2. You run out of TP marginally faster in fringe cases.

Overall, these two factor's don't matter much, but there they are.