Warrior Material

[GreyJorildyn]

You need to take stat caps into account. If you're not hitting ~345 STR and ~305 VIT, then you need to work on that first (why are you settling for 320 each? do you not know that's irrelevant?). Double meld VIT in body slot. The critical hit potency garbage isn't getting you anywhere (placebo effects actually don't count btw). Imperial Operative Bracelets = garbage too. Get a Rubellite Bracelet/+1. Triple meld STR on your hands as suggested (shoot for around +40) and wear STR rings (hence the VIT melds on body: Cobalt Hauby). In your waist slot, keep it simple and get a veteran's field belt.

Axe with VIT is unecessary. Build a good enough group to get a moogle or garuda weapon. Accuracy is your best bet in the weapon slot since you don't want to waste time and money putting it on hands. Electrum rings are good to have on hand for swaps but keep in mind you can eat food that provides +34 accuracy (just 2 short of 2 HQ electrum rings), while you cannot get more than like 9 strength from food (and even if it's higher than that, it's nowhere near +36 you get from using 2 rubellite rings+1).

You can't look at gear as slot-for-slot. It must be considered as a complete set. Plan ahead and play to a jobs' strengths, but don't sacrifice to get something you only think is better, like crit power on warrior, unless bonuses like that come attached to others that help (ie. garuda weapons).

Here's my DPS loadout if that helps [useful stats]...

WEAPON: Garuda's Scream
HEAD: Paragon's Crown (work on this, it's an amazing piece of gear)
BODY: Cobalt Haubergeon [VIT+25 total]
HANDS: Cobalt Mitt Gauntlets [STR+40 total]
LEGS: Felt Trousers [STR+18/VIT+20 total]
FEET: Cobalt Sollerets [HP+100, optional tbh]
WAIST: Veteran's Field Belt
EARS: Explorer's Earring
NECK: Electrum Gorget +1 / Explorer's Choker (swap by situation)
WRISTS: Rubellite Bracelets +1
L.RING: Rubellite Ring +1
R.RING: Explorer's Ring / Electrum Ring +1 (see below)

Foods: Smoked Raptor (attack+41) / Mugwort Carp (accuracy+24)

Relevant stat totals: STR 345 / VIT 312 / Attack 536 / Accuracy 380 (while solo)

As you can see, no easy feat to get some of these melds, but well worth it in the end (plus I have stuff to sell as I replace it with Darklight). I am stat capped for my weapon and that is the first priority. You'll want to have an explorer's choker and at least one electrum ring +1 on hand for high-accuracy situations such as Garuda. The advantage to the way I melded stuff is that I was able to utilize an explorer's ring for extra attack in my build. This also has the secondary advantage of allowing me to swap out that slot for another +18 accuracy without changing my stats around. Similar logic is used in neck slot.

I'm not sure what got lost in translation after stat cap information was posted, but it seems many people are unaware how to gear themselves properly. I didn't really find the information confusing and thought it was rather straightforward.

[Molly_Millions]

I have triple melded STR on my hands for 41 STR already. I've got Paragon's crown, but am less than impressed with it, tbh. I've got a Cobalt Cuirass +1 with 31 VIT on it, as well. For a DD build the HP on the Cobalt Sollerets doesn't buy me anything at all, so it's not even going to be considered. I have double melded sentinel's sabatons with 18 magic evasion and 87 HP, they are fine for tanking, but not so great for a crit build. Let me be clear, that's what I want out of this, a crit based armor set.

I want to put the VIT on my axe to make room for crit attk on my chest. (All I'm doing there is making room for another stat that will up my total damage output.) If you take that into account, you'll notice that I have considered all my gear as a set. I have the moogle axe currently, but I think I can get more damage output with the setup I listed above. I think the only real take away for me from your suggestions is to possibly try using another electrum ring +1 instead of a STR or VIT ring to make up for not using the moogle axe. With my suggested setup, what I'm basically doing is trading +3 crit rate and the self healing from the moogle axe for (currently) 56 crit attack power on my chest piece, and eventually some crit attack power on my belt. I'm also attempting to support the crit attack power by adding crit rate everywhere I can, effectively raising my crit rate to 20%. The reason I want to focus on crits is to, for one, prove to myself if it's viable or not to do so. I think with a 20% crit rate, it very well may be.

[Leoheart]

WEAPON: Garuda's Scream
HEAD: Paragon's Crown (work on this, it's an amazing piece of gear)
BODY: Cobalt Haubergeon [VIT+25 total]
HANDS: Cobalt Mitt Gauntlets [STR+40 total]
LEGS: Felt Trousers [STR+18/VIT+20 total]
FEET: Cobalt Sollerets [HP+100, optional tbh]
WAIST: Veteran's Field Belt
EARS: Explorer's Earring
NECK: Electrum Gorget +1 / Explorer's Choker (swap by situation)
WRISTS: Rubellite Bracelets +1
L.RING: Rubellite Ring +1
R.RING: Explorer's Ring / Electrum Ring +1 (see below)

Foods: Smoked Raptor (attack+41) / Mugwort Carp (accuracy+24)

Relevant stat totals: STR 345 / VIT 312 / Attack 536 / Accuracy 380 (while solo)

I'm currently using the following~

Weapon: Ifrit's axe
Head: Darklight helm
Body: Darksteel Haubergeon (Piety meld use it for drg, will most likely get one melded with Savage might when I get the gil)
Hands: Triple meld Fingerless Raptorskin gloves of Slaying (str +35, it's a weak tri meld but, yeah)
legs: Fighter's trousers
Feet: Darklight sollerets
Waist: Veteran's Field belt
Earring: Explorer's Earring
Neck: Electrum gorget +1
Wrists: Rubellite bracelets
Rings: Rubellite +1 / Amber +1


But this is off the top of my head; 353 Str and 307 Vit, with roughly 358 acc using an ifrit's axe.
It's lacking in acc, however I am currently working towards a serpent lieutenants Bardiche, and will purchase an explorer's choker when wallet permits.

Food would be salt cod puffs or mugwort carp.