Advice for a Maelstrom WAR?

[Kagato]

We are on the same server, aren't we?

I think I have a Tier 4 VIT already laying around. Last I checked, they were fairly cheap (100,000-ish?). Then again, it seems materia prices go up and down a lot. Last week a tier 4 Piety was 400k. Now it's 150k.

Also, as much as I want to double-meld gear, I cant meld my own stuff yet and since you can only make a request for a single meld, I just need to wait for someone in my shell to hit 45+ in some crafts. Until then, I only got single-melds. The +120 HP Hauby I have was just a lucky buy for 500,000. Same price as just buying all the materials, cutting out the melding process entirely.

oi! let me fix that post then. My apologies. I've revised my guide on my LS site and apparently forgot to do it here.

Let me explain my meld strategy; basically you have a hierarchy of materia that should be like this:

Enmity > STR > VIT > HP

If you can put enmity in a particular slot, do it. Put STR and VIT where you can with priority given to STR because the cap is higher. For every slot that's left, use HP.

Either way, HP isn't a terrible choice, its great for tanking, clearly. My confusion came more from your choice of gear to meld it to rather than the materia you put on it. The hauby is geared more for DD than for tanking.

I'll follow that then. Just a few questions:

1) What body piece do you recommend to meld VIT to for tanking?

2) Earlier, you mentioned replacing WAR AF boots with... gloves? Was that a typo? "Sentinel's gauntlets with HP."

3) With all that's said and done, would you still disagree with using Storm Legs and Boots to get that extra +30 ATK on the Labrys? Seems like, according to a previous post in another topic, that 1VIT is more effective than 1ATK by about double, so 21VIT > 30ATK, right? If so, I'd only be missing out on +30ATK, +10 ACC, and +7 Crit power. Though of course, this is if I'm under cap.

[Molly_Millions]

We are on the same server, aren't we?

I think I have a Tier 4 VIT already laying around. Last I checked, they were fairly cheap (100,000-ish?). Then again, it seems materia prices go up and down a lot. Last week a tier 4 Piety was 400k. Now it's 150k.

Also, as much as I want to double-meld gear, I cant meld my own stuff yet and since you can only make a request for a single meld, I just need to wait for someone in my shell to hit 45+ in some crafts. Until then, I only got single-melds. The +120 HP Hauby I have was just a lucky buy for 500,000. Same price as just buying all the materials, cutting out the melding process entirely.

No need to wait. Come to the fountain in front of the adv guild (on the main strip) on Sunday around 3 pm EST. We have a craft fair every week at that location, somebody can help you out.

I'll follow that then. Just a few questions:

1) What body piece do you recommend to meld VIT to for tanking?

I'd go with the Cobalt Cuirass, but if you're lucky or rich the Sentinal's Cuirass works too. I'd really like one just for the rarity of a full Sentinel's set with multiple melds on every piece, but every time I've tried to double meld one, it's blown the hell up.

2) Earlier, you mentioned replacing WAR AF boots with... gloves? Was that a typo? "Sentinel's gauntlets with HP."

I meant sabatons, sorry. They have +9 enmity, so for tanking they are the best in slot aside from HDL.

3) With all that's said and done, would you still disagree with using Storm Legs and Boots to get that extra +30 ATK on the Labrys? Seems like, according to a previous post in another topic, that 1VIT is more effective than 1ATK by about double, so 21VIT > 30ATK, right? If so, I'd only be missing out on +30ATK, +10 ACC, and +7 Crit power. Though of course, this is if I'm under cap.

That really all depends on your other gear. As you say if you're over or at 310 VIT, the extra VIT will not add to your damage output. Crit attack, unless you have a ton of it in addition to the crit rate to back it up, is really an empty stat. Also you could get 5 more acc by using the moogle axe, you'd be getting +15 crit rate and possibly regen a few extra HP per hit that way too.

[Kagato]

Thanks for the advice. I believe I have a pretty good handle on things now. As for that craft fair, I'll be sure to stop by if I'm ever available. Weekends are often weird for me.

[Darkillumina]

I personally use the Maelstrom Sanction weapon. The +40 Vit is huge and once you get experienced you won't die ensuring that it will stay up for entire dungeon runs. When I'm doing speed runs in AV/CC this is a godsend.

For the chest you can use a militia chest piece if you have bad melding luck but a double melded cobalt is preferable. No shame in using the militia gear though its pretty decent all around. The militia helmet is probably the best non-darklight headpiece for warrior.

Anyhow I use Hp +65 and Crit Hit +44 on my cobalt chest. You could do Vit but since I have so much of it from sanction, I take the Crit Hit and HP over VIT. Honestly, for tanking I use double melded gear exclusively. I've had garbage luck on Darklight but double + triple melds are probably the best way to go for tanking. I would use the maelstrom gear if I was DD'ing though.

The trick to warrior is understanding the battles and gearing accordingly. Some things work better than others for certain content and understanding when/what to gear is as important as the gear itself.

[Kagato]

I'm sure the Sanction axe is useful, but I would really hate to have to constantly run back for new sanction every 3 hours. Maybe I'll design another gear set around it and make that my main set, then have the set I've been working on now as a backup whenever I lose sanction.

[Molly_Millions]

I'm sure the Sanction axe is useful, but I would really hate to have to constantly run back for new sanction every 3 hours. Maybe I'll design another gear set around it and make that my main set, then have the set I've been working on now as a backup whenever I lose sanction.

My sergeant's axe is my fav axe over my moogle axe and Ifrit's axe. The biggest downside is actually that sanction is gone when you die. But if you're doing a primal fight, that's no big deal. Basically, just set your inn hp at the city your gc is in, and one at the closet crystal to you. This way by the time the timer is ready you can get sanction, and return to your party if you happen to wipe.

[Kagato]

My sergeant's axe is my fav axe over my moogle axe and Ifrit's axe. The biggest downside is actually that sanction is gone when you die. But if you're doing a primal fight, that's no big deal. Basically, just set your inn hp at the city your gc is in, and one at the closet crystal to you. This way by the time the timer is ready you can get sanction, and return to your party if you happen to wipe.

Well it's only a small amount of points, so I'll pick it up. I'll compensate the VIT bonus with HP, attack and crit gear.

[SwordCoheir]

Probably won't have to worry too much after 1.23 or 1.23a they mentioned they were going to have items to bestow sanction and more places to get it (assuming at Atherite camps). But the Storm Sergeant's Axe is a big boon to a WAR's melee powers's, I was actually able to stack on a little more STR and some more +crit rate/atk gear in the process.

[Skies]

Just to alleviate the sanction thing, they ARE adding Sanction Scrolls (one is even a reward for a little contest in the forums)

[Kagato]

Alright. So I was able to reset my stat points in order to get 23STR/22VIT. Now with the gear and materia I have, I have 303 VIT. The cap is at 310, right?

Well, that means that if I double-meld my felt pants with the +7/+7 Ironman's Will materia, that'll take me to 310 VIT. In this case, what should I add to my chestpiece since my VIT will be capped? Should it be a Bloodthirst materia?