Advantages of attacking from the rear or the flank

[Naryoril]

I tired to find something with google, but i had no luck. Is there an advantage in attacking from the rear or the flank? I don't mean because of positionals (they obviously have advantages), not being hit by cleaves, sticking together as a team to group AoEs or to make Cure 3 useful and stuff like that. What i mean is, do you do extra damage? or maybe the enemy can't block or parry? maybe a higher crit chance? stuff like that.

[Raldo]

Short answer: No difference.

Longer answer: Back when we had accuracy, there used to be a penalty to your accuracy for attacking from the front (or a bonus from attacking from flank/rear, depending on how you look at it). It is theoretically possible that they maintained this sort of penalty/bonus system for Direct Hit, but I cannot find any official word on it, nor any extensive player research, that would indicate one way or the other. I would gladly welcome any evidence that proves it more concretely one way or the other.

[Kai_Lee]

When you attack from the rear, it has the added bonus you are poking/stabbing the mob/boss in the butt. That's a bonus feeling.

[ManuelBravo]

Common sense answer; Certain actions get a bonus in dmg being done from the flank or rear.

Example Trick attack with Ninja;

Delivers an attack with a potency of 240.
400 when executed from a target's rear.
Rear Bonus: Increases target's damage taken by 10%
Duration: 10s
Can only be executed while under the effect of Hide.

Smart people read and learn the jobs and see their benefits; https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/jobgu...gn=na_jobguide
Most players think they know their job when in reality can't even handle simple actions. No offense, but they know who they are -.-;

Most people lacking common sense and apparently don't know their job; It does not matter you hit them anyways and not enough to make a difference in the long run.

[Naryoril]

Common sense answer; Certain actions get a bonus in dmg being done from the flank or rear.

Example Trick attack with Ninja;

Delivers an attack with a potency of 240.
400 when executed from a target's rear.
Rear Bonus: Increases target's damage taken by 10%
Duration: 10s
Can only be executed while under the effect of Hide.

Smart people read and learn the jobs and see their benefits; https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/jobgu...gn=na_jobguide
Most players think they know their job when in reality can't even handle simple actions. No offense, but they know who they are -.-;

Most people lacking common sense and apparently don't know their job; It does not matter you hit them anyways and not enough to make a difference in the long run.

That's why i said "I don't mean because of positionals (they obviously have advantages)"

At the rest: thank you very much. Especially @Raldo, that explains why i thought it did matter (i went on a break before 3.1 was released)

[Rongway]

As of 4.0, everyone has 100% accuracy when attacking a mob of equal level from the front. Flank and rear still provide accuracy bonuses, but since you have 100% accuracy from the front when attacking a mob of equal level, these positional accuracy bonuses are only relevant when (a) leveling and hunt/quest mobs are a higher level, (b) you are debuffed with blindness or some other accuracy down, (c) your target is buffed with evasion up. B and C are quite rare.

[Shurrikhan]

Only when leveling and attacking a mob higher level than you.

Other than that, only as described by the Flank/Rear positional bonuses on the particular weaponskill (HT, CT, F&C, WT; all Monk weaponskills save utility/AoE; Kasha and Gekko for extra Kenki; AE, AC; etc., etc.) or ability (TA), if any.

[SannaR]

What about in Savage or in older content? Like some of the ARR hard modes are a pain to heal on whm because of no shield. I do remember the devs saying they didn't change the formulas or something in non SB areas.

[StouterTaru]

Samurai gets a super-awesome bonus from attacking from the front. At least that's what I assume from the ones I've seen in DF.

[Rongway]

What about in Savage or in older content? Like some of the ARR hard modes are a pain to heal on whm because of no shield. I do remember the devs saying they didn't change the formulas or something in non SB areas.

Accuracy no longer exists as a gear stat. The 100% frontal same-level accuracy applies everywhere.