Melds

[Snugglebutt]

Looking to start working on melds for my DoL's and would like peoples opinions on how to meld the gear to get best bang for buck metaphorically speaking.

Here is the character.

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest...acter/1514966/

The gear shown is shared across all DoL classes capped at level 60. The exception being main hand and off hands different per class but in each case being HQ ilvl150 main hand pieces and ilvl140 offhand pieces. So for example instead of adamantine dolabra/sledgehammer shown on miner, my botanist uses adamantine hatchet/scythe and fisher uses currently birch fishing rod. Everything else shown on that like is however shared among the three classes (including left side and right side stuff). I know the accessories could maybe do with upgrading but the difference in GP increase compared to cost of them seems dubious/questionable. I should mention I do not have any T5 materias however though have plenty of T4 and T3 etc.

So my question is how would you meld each piece if in my position or what would you suggest I put in each?

[Shadygrove]

My fisher alt has the same right side pieces as you but hers are max melded.

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest...acter/1417349/

Just dressed her in fisher, may take a bit for the fisher set to show on the lodestone.

I can't help you with the left side.

[Snugglebutt]

The highest I have seen melded so far with similar gear to mine is someone with gathering 665 and perception 680, GP little over 600. That's without using T5 materia's. Saw someone with red script MH though who had over 700 gathering and 680 perception.

[Shadygrove]

The highest I have seen melded so far with similar gear to mine is someone with gathering 665 and perception 680, GP little over 600. That's without using T5 materia's. Saw someone with red script MH though who had over 700 gathering and 680 perception.

That's odd.

Eva, my fisher alt, is at 634 GPs. Accessories are L53 - 54 fully melded, armor is forager's and dodore field belt with no GPs melded.

In another thread here someone said that something well over 700 is availavle with food and FC buffs.

[Snugglebutt]

How high should I be aiming to get with perception and gathering out of curiosity for now taking into account my gear and use of T4/T3 type melds? Is it worth sticking at around 600GP and pumping more into perception/gathering or push GP higher to the detriment of those other two stats.I am thinking if I can get to around 650+ gathering and 680+ perception then I should be in good enough position until pick up MHand/OHand red script set.

[Roth_Trailfinder]

Most will tell you to get 650ish Perception, 600 GP, and the rest Gathering, with the idea that you can use food to get any extra Gathering you need to make the most of your swings.

Personally, my Botanist is at 616 Gathering, 652 Perception, and 639 GP without food, and without melds in either MH or OH no-star tools. I use a vendor-bought food to add 21 GP (there's ten extra I don't need, actually) so I can hit Sharp Vision/Field Mastery. My Miner actually has the RGS tool, so the stats there are a bit higher, but I'm still not at 100% base gathering rate for the things I'm gathering, so I find that going nuts on GP more beneficial than going nuts on Gathering. That 50 GP "gets" me a heck of a lot of Gathering stat!

As for the stuff I'm primarily gathering, its BGS (for the last three Folklore books) and RGS stuff. My Miner can gather RGS folklore collectibles, but my Botanist cannot, not until I get the Botany RGS tool (or find some way to make another upgrade).

Looking at your gear, I'd suggest melding your Left side stuff, and upgrading the Right side stuff to Dragonskin stuff (Hardsilver Earrings). Its extremely unlikely you are going to fid the 2 star stuff available, so go for the no star almost-best-in-slot.

[Snugglebutt]

I might try to meld around 700 gathering, 680 perception and 600+ GP on current gear if possible without using any tier 5 materia, though not sure if it is but I think should be possible even without food buffs too.

[Shadygrove]

I might try to meld around 700 gathering, 680 perception and 600+ GP on current gear if possible without using any tier 5 materia, though not sure if it is but I think should be possible even without food buffs too.

IMHO meld so you can get to 700 with cheap vendor food as Roth mentioned.

Or if you are more comfortable with eating expensive food than blowing up expensive materia you could go WAY less. Or even (realitivly) cheap food like HQ Dzemal Gratin (SP?)

[Waeksyn]

I'm in the middle of doing my melds now. Currently I'm at 645 Gathering, 657 Perception and 630 GP. My target plan is 675 Gathering, 680 Perception and 657 GP on the standard HQ L60 (or thereabouts on the right side) gear. Food will bring the Gathering to 700 if needed.

Having 650 GP allows for use of Sharp Vision / Field Mastery for that extra 5% gathering chance. 20 of the Gathering points in my build are on meld 4 and 5 of the main and off hand so I might forgo those or swap out for more perception.

While this could be higher, I specifically avoid TIV materia in any slot that isn't 100%. As a result, each piece needs a full 5 meld except rings which are 4.

Next, I'll work on the red scrip main hand, which will add 39 gathering and 19 Perception. And there I'll stop. I don't see any current need to go for the high tier crafted or other red scrip gear at this time. I'll wait for the next update (which hopefully will be generic across the class and not specific to the job).

[Roth_Trailfinder]

I'm of two minds about the rest of the RGS gear.

On the one hand, it is not necessary to acquire it in order to gather anything. The MH tool, sure. The rest, even though there are no crafted counterparts, not really. With well melded no-star gear, and the RGS MH tool, there is nothing you cannot gather, including RGS folklore collectables.

On the other hand, getting BiS was never about doing the stuff currently available to do. Rather, its always been about being geared up for the next step, the stuff that comes out next. Look at the Crafting side of things; the no-star set has to be melded well to be able to meet, even with food, the 2 star stat requirements. The same scenario is likely to occur with the next tier of crafting/gathering. And that would make the rest of the RGS gear rather important to have.