Carraway's Guide to the New Archer: 1.18 and Beyond

[Rexus]

Not sure if it changed with recent patches, but you could definitely fire off a WS or basic attack during/right after a BR and get a bonus to damage. Sometimes my Heavy Stabs would just do 100-150 dmg and it was because I used it while a BR was firing.

[NoctisUmbra]

That's not really correct either though.

Melee bursts, like magic bursts give a greater overall damage multiplier than TP skill>TP skill. Also there is a bonus beyond "just being in a BR" that apparently has some effect on abilities towards the end/directly after a BR. I've tested this extensively on my pugilist when I was launching BR's. I would launch a BR with something like Seismic Shock (because it never misses) or Skull Sunder II, then immediately follow the BR with a Follow Through (unbuffed) and receive a large damage bonus on that Follow Through beyond I think even if I had stacked it.

What I'm getting at is there may also be a stacking system in place purely for number of abilities used as part of the BR (or registered as part of the BR as long as you fire them off within a certain amount of time of the BR launch).

What you are referring to is something else entirely. If you notice, especially with basic attacks in a BR, your arm/weapon will get a certain hue to it during the animation. I also have noticed that when I use an attack/WS during, or right after a BR goes off that I also get this hue and do more damage.

Also, when you have a bunch of Archers stack native WS (Foeseeker > Bloodletter > Barrage > Barrage etc.) it is not a regimen of any sort since all the WS belong to the same class - yet a damage boost is observed equally across all of them.

This is what I am referring to as a simple damage boost just due to being in a BR. It is that very same boost that you observe when you perform an attack yourself on a target that is being, at that time, engaged by a BR going off.

The increased damage regimen only works if consecutive WS belong to different classes, such as:

Foeseeker > Skull Sunder II > Concussive Blow II > Bloodletter

In the above regimen, each WS after the first receives a 1.5x damage multiplier, leading to Bloodletter having a 3.375 damage multiplier as long as they all hit. Adding Light Shot to the end of that BR, being as it is not even a WS, will not have it receive said multiplier.

Essentially firing off a Light Shot first on a WS BR, last on a WS BR, or independently while a BR is being used on the target will produce the same results damage-wise.

[Akuun]

It'd be extraordinarily time-consuming to test this to a comfortable level of confidence, but my gut says that 1 attack right now does more than 3 STR. As for the rest, it's a matter of personal preference -- what's your damage intake? Do you feel that having higher def/mdef on your gear makes a difference for either you or your party (survivability, MP costs of healing you, etc.)?

Based on some findings from others, to get the same damage boost from str as 1 att, it takes 10 str
so with my 200+ str i'm getting roughly 20 att. I don't have the time, nor do i use parsers so i just have to take their findings at face value for now.

Akuun, based on your experience, I'm interested now in testing BRs again for the sake of getting a faster 5-chest run, but I just want to clarify -- you're getting 800 damage per arrow when closing a BR with a buffed 3-arrow Light Shot?

800-1000 a shot, yes, I've had damage range within the same BR, like 1 arrow hits for 800 the other 2 hit for 1k each
this may be due to crits, I usually don't have time to check the damage log to check for crits.
I will warn, on a bad BR (out of order, missed hits, etc) damage can quickly plummet, but probably still better than a normal BR.


To clearify for everyone, the boost comes from all WS and spells alternating classes.
So no 2 weapons skills next to each other in the BR are from the same class.
For example, archer, pugilist, archer, gladiator, conjurer, thaumaturge, light shot.
It doesn't matter that those weapon skills are all being performed by archers. (except for 1 performed by the tank)

[NoctisUmbra]

To clearify for everyone, the boost comes from all WS and spells alternating classes.
So no 2 weapons skills next to each other in the BR are from the same class.
For example, archer, pugilist, archer, gladiator, conjurer, thaumaturge, light shot.
It doesn't matter that those weapon skills are all being performed by archers. (except for 1 performed by the tank)

So you're saying the multiplier built by alternating weapon skills in a BR will in fact carry over to a basic attack stacked at the end of a BR? If so, then I can see what the fuss is about. I'll have to look into this.

I also concur that attack +1 gives at least as much damage as STR +10. I tested 4 Sunstone Rings (+20 STR total) vs a Mythril Choker (+4 attack) a while ago and the Choker definitely gave more damage. Atk +1 = STR +10 sounds about right to me honestly.

However, as far as your 200+ STR goes... I believe at rank 50 attributes cap at 174.

[makistar]

i know for a fact that VIT caps at 174, but i'm not sure about all the other stats. i know kaeko did PIE cap testing with regards to THM dots, and it did register past 174.

[Kaeko]

Easiest way to prove to yourself that at least some stats have an effect beyond 174 is to go above 174 base MND and watch your cures continually go up at a rate of 2MND = +1 HP cured.

It's very difficult to test that every stat works this way, but I think it's a fair extrapolation to make that you can pump more than say 174 STR with some kind of effect.

[NoctisUmbra]

i know for a fact that VIT caps at 174, but i'm not sure about all the other stats. i know kaeko did PIE cap testing with regards to THM dots, and it did register past 174.

Easiest way to prove to yourself that at least some stats have an effect beyond 174 is to go above 174 base MND and watch your cures continually go up at a rate of 2MND = +1 HP cured.

It's very difficult to test that every stat works this way, but I think it's a fair extrapolation to make that you can pump more than say 174 STR with some kind of effect.

Good to know guys, thanks.

[Akuun]

My base str is 174, the rest comes from gear, and 15 from the attribute traits.
Here's my gear setup for those that are interested.
Peregrine Helm
Crab Bow +2 (the Ul'dahn Longbow I use as a backup when our carpenter isn't around)
Brigand's Acton
Penance
Tarred Leather Trousers
Bladedancer's Jackboots (easy enough to get)
Mitts of the Lone Knight (used Venerer's Bracers prior to this piece for the accuracy)
Mythril Choker
Silver Arrows
Brass Ring NQx1 +1x3 (just been too lazy to make a forth +1)
Food Shepard's Pie

I'm really happy that this information is proving to be so useful to everyone. ^_^

[carraway]

Thanks for the additional information. Once I or others in my shell have a chance to corroborate your findings, I'll edit the guide accordingly. Even though I guess it's all rendered moot in 1.19 anyway, might as well make runs smoother until then.

[Akuun]

Ha ha, yeah, hopefully it won't be too long of a wait before they return again.