SCH materia question

[Foxkid]

I feel like I need to ask: how much critical should I be aiming for as a scholar since I want to get as many crit shields as possible?

Currently my melds (i343 currently with genji/lost all (aug) and carborundum gear) are sitting with primarily critical with direct hit on the items that are capped on it by default. My critical value is 1239, but I'm not exactly sure what percentage that amounts to as I feel I don't get a crit all that often (somewhere around 10-15% is how it feels to me).

Also, just to add in, my coffers are pretty trash and I don't pay attention to where I've gotten cracked clusters so materia in use is primary Mat V with like 3 Mat VI.

[KDSilver]

As much as possible.

However, a lot of gear this tier are CRIT/PIE so if you feel like you won't need that extra piety cause you're okay with mana, just take one of those det/sps gear.
For melding, cap crit on every pieces on which it's possible, then go for det or direct hit.

Just remember that to make direct hit be worth melding, you need to be activately dpsing cause compare to det it's only something like 0,8% more damage while losing 10% healing (at high values).
You should be able to reach something around 2200 crit.

[Foxkid]

I ended up reading that piety melds are barely noticeable, but the only times I end up running dry on mana is if my group (usually raids) is pushing my limits by dropping like flies due to mechanics or piss poor placement (such as Byakko's multiple F/L casts) and I have to give up 7200 mp or more to revive 2 or more in short spans, I have just over 18k and most times I manage it well enough.

But to cap I assume nothing but overmelded M VIs? Cause, like I said, I'm pretty poor compared to the average player and I heard from a friend that melds from another player go pretty high per piece.

And I went back in after making this thread and re-read what direct hit was getting me so I took those off and replaced what I could with det instead. I don't care *too* much for damage out, but I do care a lot more that my healing out feels pretty low without a critical (6400-8300 on average non-crit with 2563 HMP and [now] 930 det).