Haven't leveled WAR since before ToAU...what to expect now?

[Achika]

WAR was supposed to be my first job to 75, because at the time, it was a very rare sight to see a WAR above 37 (Back in my day...*waggles cane*). I managed to get it to 50 before I needed to level assorted subjobs, and then I went on to level MNK to 75, followed by PLD, RNG, and soon NIN. I tried to pick it up again a few times, but only managed to take it to 53 before something else came up. I've decided to go back to WAR now, for completion's sake.

We've had two expansion releases since I leveled my WAR. I've tried to keep up with the trends, but not sure how to go about it now.

My great axe skill is capped for my level, as well as my axe skill. Do I need polearm skill now though? I hear colibri burns are all the rage, and that you need a polearm to join them.

My friends tell me not to bother with dual 1h axes anymore, is that true? Should I sell this maneater and woodville's that I bought many millenia ago?

What about subjob? When WAR picked up, /NIN was the sub to use. I leveled to 50 /MNK. The WAR I static with on my current job switches between /SAM and /DRG.

Anything else that I need to keep in mind? Different accessories (I have one sniper's and rajas for rings, and dual beetle +1 earrings.)?

Let me see if I can recall my current gear off the top of my head...

Weapons: Leucos Voulge +1, 2x Viking Axe
Ranged: Combat Caster's Boomerang +1
Head: Walkure Mask (Also have Empress Hairpin available)
Neck: Spike Necklace
Earrings: Beetle +1 x2
Body: Lusiant Haubert
Hands: Custom F Gloves
Rings: Sniper's and Rajas
Back: Psilo's Mantle
Waist: Swift Belt (Also have Life Belt available)
Legs: Republic Subligar
Feet: Leaping Boots

tl;dr version: I'm an idiot WAR, please make me less so.

[Byrthnoth]

Leucos Voulge +1 is a great start, you can use it to Massive Darksteel Axe at 59 (which I recommend you start looking for now.) If you don't have capped Great Axe skill, getting someone to PL you so you can cap it will probably result in the largest increase in your performance, that said, see below.

Valkyrie's Mask or Voyager Sallet, Tortoise Earring +1s, Peacock Charm, and Spiked Finger Gauntlets are the obvious upgrades (Luisant Sollerets if you choose to dual wield.) Fact of the matter is though, you're probably going to be sync-ed down until you hit 52-54 and start doing Birds, so you might as well just focus on PCC and get Spiked Finger Gauntlets when you hit birds. Could just wait on the Tortoise Earring +1s and get Spike Earrings at 55, too.

PS. Psilos Mantle is 69, so you're probably not wearing it on your 50 WAR. Jaeger maybe?

[Achika]

I always mix mantles up if they're not in my standard chain (Nomad's > Amemet > Forager's), you're right about what mantle I have. I actually just added the Jaeger when I leveled my NIN, so it's part of my chain now, just not used to it yet.

I do have dual spike already from all my other melee jobs, so I'll probably hold out for those. Will have to take a look into spiked finger gauntlets. Do you think it'd be a good idea to hold out with the spike necklace till chiv chain? PCC is a bit out of my price range. I could do the BCNM for it, but I'm not necessarily confident in my ability to keep shadows up as NIN. =( I've never been able to decide between PCC and chiv chain on any job, so I don't know which is really better.

I'm also already set up with a haubergeon when I get to that level, and I believe the only upgrade not from HNM on that is the hauberk?

[Byrthnoth]

PCC is better than Chiv Chain unless the 1 STP on Chiv Chain reduces the number of swings it takes you to get to 100TP. It's really probably worth saving for and getting, especially if you're going to be leveling a lot of melees.

Spiked Finger Gauntlets are pretty easily the best things you can put on your hands until Thick Mufflers +1/Dusk Gloves, imop.

Obviously Haubergeon or Hauberk +1 is better than Haubergeon, but if PCC is out of your price range then Haub +1 is waaaay out of it. Also, if you feel like buying a Scorpion Harness for 2 levels, go for it. I'd assume you can sell the Leucos Voulge +1 for the same price that you can buy a Massive Darksteel Axe for, and you can sell the Luisant Haubert for more than an SH costs.

Most important thing you'll be buying from 50-75 will be food. Use Crab Sushi/Mithkabobs on Colibri and just play it by ear other that (consider Pizza mebbeh?)

[Achika]

I've never understood how people figure out the "x-hit builds" so I don't even try anymore.

I do already have a SH+1 that a friend gave to me before he quit the game. I've been keeping my lusiant haubert around for times that I go insane and decide to level jobs that use it (So far, only NIN and WAR have had a chance to wear it. =/).

Pizza has been my choice of food on my NIN lately, and I tend to use something cheap on colibri.

I'll have to take a look into my options to get a PCC. I might have a few other options out there.

Thanks for the tip. =D

[Shinryuu]

Sell the Luisant and SH+1 towards a PCC fund, it doesn't make a lot of sense to have those items without one seeing as a PCC does way more for your damage.

[Stumps]

if you have a crapload of freetime, concentrated Argus camping will yield results faster than you might expect, mainly due to the high rate of afk camping for ToD

that and in general the people who don't afk camp end up getting frustrated after a few hours into the pop window and leave (or have something else to do)

[Isiolia]

My great axe skill is capped for my level, as well as my axe skill. Do I need polearm skill now though? I hear colibri burns are all the rage, and that you need a polearm to join them.

Need is a bit strong of a word. A good WAR can do very well on birds without using one.
It's a potentially effective weapon to use on Colibri, same skill cap as SAM has, just not as good a selection of weapons.

You can do fine with just GAxe though.

My friends tell me not to bother with dual 1h axes anymore, is that true? Should I sell this maneater and woodville's that I bought many millenia ago?

GAxe is easier to make work well. On one hand I'd say that versatility is good, DW still can work well properly geared/merited, etc...on the other, I can't remember the last time I actually DW'ed on WAR...

You do have a few levels where you have access to Rampage and not Raging Rush, but personally I found GAxe to still work pretty well.

What about subjob? When WAR picked up, /NIN was the sub to use. I leveled to 50 /MNK. The WAR I static with on my current job switches between /SAM and /DRG.

/NIN is still common to use in XP prior to 70, and in situations where you're tanking (for whatever reason) for any real length of time. Obviously it offers nothing offensively for GAxe, but Utsu can still be quite valuable.

/SAM is generally preferred when managable.

/DRG possible, but you'd want a Wyvern earring to make it really shine.

Most WARs I see pick between /NIN and /SAM, depending basically on whether they can manage /SAM without being a horrendous MP sink.


Gear is mostly fine. Basically should just be getting ACC gear so you can use meat. With a skilled up GAxe, decent gear, and not overcamping, should easily be able to.

[Fridell]

From someone leveling WAR currently, Birds, 54-65~ GA is "ok" DW did better up til Raging Rush, I used Polearm also and that rocked the house. But meh, its not like you need Poleatm skilled til later really.

Also I'd say get those ACC+5 Hands instead of the Custom F Gloves.

[Jakson]

I've never understood how people figure out the "x-hit builds" so I don't even try anymore.

A six hit build isn't really practical until 60WAR/30SAM, and even then, there's the lack of seigan. Massive Darksteel Axe gives you 14 tp per swing. With Store TP II and Rajas, you'd get 16.8, which means you could use a one hit WS to make 100% tp in 6 hits. It's all irrelevant because if you're /sam, you pretty much accidentally get a six hit by fulltiming Rajas. If you're not /sam, you're not going to get a realistic amount of STP to make 6 hit, and finally, you're going to be using Raging Rush most likely, leaving you with more tp than you'd really need to assure 6 hits to 100.

[Achika]

Seems like I got a bit of work to do!

Oh, also meant to ask, I know the AF is basically crap for DDing. I see some WARs sporting the AF feet though, but other WARs have told me that those are total crap. I have leaping boots right now for it. Should I bother with the AF feet, or skip them? I also have my level 62 RSE feet that I was thinking would be best to move up to when I hit that level.

I'll take a look into PCC/PCA. Maybe one week, my Nyzul group will get lucky again. Though I'm sure it'll be me against the other five, and they'll probably kill me since I took a big drop for myself from the ??? drops once. D=

[Isiolia]

=Achika;2695170
Oh, also meant to ask, I know the AF is basically crap for DDing. I see some WARs sporting the AF feet though, but other WARs have told me that those are total crap. I have leaping boots right now for it. Should I bother with the AF feet, or skip them? I also have my level 62 RSE feet that I was thinking would be best to move up to when I hit that level.

Feet aren't great, and really you can use Fourth Sabatons now. Neither are -that- standout in the slot though, and for 2h you could just as well keep using Leaping Boots.

Until Thick though, meh. Use whichever.

Head - crap
Hands - Could use as WS gear, but not that great.
Legs - Could use for slightly more ACC than RK Breeches.
Body - fer tankin'

It's definitely not a must-have set. If you get it, you can possibly make use of some it, if not, you probably won't miss it too much.