Best Axe?

[Molly_Millions]

There is actually a setup for the 5 flame items without compromising too much.

I beg to differ. With the exception of the flame sash, you are compromising on every piece.

Flame belt (this is a decent belt and unless you are putting nothing but enmity on your belt there really is not a lot of good choices anyway).

This is the best choice out of the lot, but only for DD. However, I personally only use it for soloing, as you get a bonus to ACC in a party of 4 or more. I prefer the explorer's belt to stack crit rate. I use it in conjunction with the explorer's moccasins and the imperial operative tricorne. But be aware that stacking crit is only really usefull if you can reach your stats caps (or get very close) in addition to stacking crit attack power and maxing out crit rate.

Flame earring (as you are going to have 4 or more items this gives 30 HP),

30 HP is a drop in the bucket for WAR; if you're tanking you'd be better served with the Stonewall Earrings, if you're on DD the explorer's earrings are boss.

Flame Ring (As you will have the necessary 3 or more pieces on anyway, you gain 20 attack bonus from this ring, the 2nd finger can be a rubellite +1 or Amber +1).

If you are under stat caps you'd be much better off with the +18 str from an HQ rubellite ring than the 20 attack power from the GC ring with the bonus.

Then there is the final piece I just refer to it as a switch piece. If you need the accuracy (you already get 10 from the belt, then you can pop a flame wristlet on, while this wrist piece does not have any useful stats, it is a switch piece, so putting it on technically grants 20 accuracy).

for tanking you'd again be better off with crafted gear. Coral Armilae +1 are the way to go hands down, for DD you'd be better off with either rubellite bracelets or the imperial operative wristlets if you're stacked for crit attack/crit rate.

[cloverkitty]

I did clearly state that there were better DD and tanking setups. However everyone in the discussion about the axe was stuck on the 20 accuracy and how to get it. The solution I offer was HOW to achieve the 20 accuracy without giving up the melded gear. This solves the problem without giving up a single meldable slot.

In all reality there are better solutions and I finished off my post with "I am well aware there may be other good setups and better setups."

I know there are better setups. If you want to get really ideal.
Skip the Flame path and go with a STR/ACC meld on the hands. Vit on the body and fill in the other areas with ideal melds. As the accuracy was made up in the hands then it is not needed from the axe.

For a decent set until the rest is built the below is true
"however you always get the attack and around the highest dps (short of relic) with this base setup that just about anyone in the flames GC can do without too much compromise. "

However Once you get get that decent set the above without the flame items is still true. It is still the highest DPS axe short of relic and it does have its attack free and unlocked, while in other cases you have to give up something to get to that attack boost.

[DeadRiser]

Earrings and Bracelet from Maelstrom offer attack power, crit attack power, and strength.

The belt is also nice for the vitality +4 Vitality

Legs could be another piece (only stats I know off the top of my head +80HP, +10 Strength, +10 Accuracy)

There's your 4 pieces for the Gear Bonus. You can equip any head/body/feet/arm/rings that you want.

[Molly_Millions]

Earrings and Bracelet from Maelstrom offer attack power, crit attack power, and strength.

The belt is also nice for the vitality +4 Vitality

Legs could be another piece (only stats I know off the top of my head +80HP, +10 Strength, +10 Accuracy)

There's your 4 pieces for the Gear Bonus. You can equip any head/body/feet/arm/rings that you want.

That would actually eliminate most +enmity gear asside from sentinels sabatons or dark light gear.

no matter what gc gear you choose for that bonus, there is a trade-off.

[DeadRiser]

That would actually eliminate most +enmity gear asside from sentinels sabatons or dark light gear.

no matter what gc gear you choose for that bonus, there is a trade-off.

Well he never said dps or tank, so I'd say it's a decent trade-off lol.

EDIT: The last set of gloves for Maelstrom offers +100 HP and +50 Acc if you are having accuracy problems, granted you might be getting rid of attackpower/strength gloves.

[GreyJorildyn]

DPS gear and tanking gear are totally different anyway. Don't think it matters that much as long as you have a set for each.

[Molly_Millions]

DPS gear and tanking gear are totally different anyway. Don't think it matters that much as long as you have a set for each.

Either way, I haven't seen a single soul that's equipping the lieutenants axe and wearing 4 other pieces of GC gear due to the compromise. Those GC legs for example, I'd be cutting the VIT and STR on my legs by half.

[GreyJorildyn]

I haven't either, but I'm ul'dahn and that GC gear is INT based. The LL stuff doesn't look too bad, but I've never looked into it that deeply.

[michael_one]

Wouldnt you go for five peice that would be, ax, earring, braclet, belt and then coat/chest. I say this because i have my stat caps hit and i really need atk. Getting the ax attack power is a must. Also I dont think it would be good to dps with the relic. The real question for me is does the ax count as the 5th peice?

[Molly_Millions]

Wouldnt you go for five peice that would be, ax, earring, braclet, belt and then coat/chest. I say this because i have my stat caps hit and i really need atk. Getting the ax attack power is a must. Also I dont think it would be good to dps with the relic. The real question for me is does the ax count as the 5th peice?

Yeah, the axe counts as 5. But the uldahn lieutenants axe only has +25 attk, the sergeant's axe has +40. With the missing acc (I'm Uldahn too) the sergeant's axe is better, with a possible exception that you have str and vit both capped, in which case it's possible (not probable) that the .1 dps will raise the caps enough to compensate.