Parrying Skill Up

[dalton]

As of the latest patch, I've been leveling Dancer from 1-75 both solo and duo (with another dancer), healing from outside with a 75 red mage (very unnecessary so far).

It seems to me that leveling parrying every few levels, as I go, would be a good mechanism for getting high level parrying at a decent rate.

I've read the various posts indicating the need to equip -Evasion, +AGI. That said, I have two questions:

1) How does +Parrying Skill affect skill up rate? Obviously, it increases parrying proc, so potentially increases the number of skillups... but is that offset by decreased amount of skill gained per skill up?
2) If parrying is only underlevel by 3-6 skill (1-2 levels), is it better to fight 1 tough mob, or a larger amount of decent challenge - even match mobs?

Thanks in advance for your replies!

[Thorny]

1) How does +Parrying Skill affect skill up rate? Obviously, it increases parrying proc, so potentially increases the number of skillups... but is that offset by decreased amount of skill gained per skill up?

Don't think its ever been proven or disproven, in my experience it doesn't lower skill gained though. I used torque/earring/yasha while I skilled up and still got .2 and .3s frequently. Additionally, you can still cap a weapon if you have merits in it or a torque putting you above natural cap

2) If parrying is only underlevel by 3-6 skill (1-2 levels), is it better to fight 1 tough mob, or a larger amount of decent challenge - even match mobs?

I'd say tough mobs, preferably mnk type. While you didn't really say a level range, the 3-6 skill implies pre-50 so even match mobs will whiff due to signet bonus and misses can't proc parry. Aside from that, there really isn't that much difference.. tiny amount of proc rate vs tiny amount more skillups, just keep in mind that a decent challenge mob will never cap any skill for you, while even match and up can cap anything.

Honestly though, as nice as it looks on paper to level solo/duo and keep parry up, its a really slow skill and you won't keep it capped without going to a ton of effort skilling up. If you have nin or sam 75 you're better off just capping phalanx 2 on that rdm dual box and going the chigoe route. Even as DNC I'm sure it could be pulled off, tp gain from getting hit should give you a decent amount of healing to pair with phalanx 2 and rdm cures.

[dalton]

Thanks for the reply.

If it's more efficient to level as I go, I don't mind alternating a few levels of xp gain with several nights of skillup, simply because it's a secondary job to level.

That said, if you think it would take LESS TIME to get Phalanx II and wait until Chigoes to level up parrying, please let me know, and I'll rush to that level range

[Eaglestrike]

It would certainly be quicker skillups leveling as you go. Mostly because you'll have less evasion at a lower level and that's the biggest reason for skillups being slow (at least for my thf lol). A few weeks ago I went as thf/dnc vs Pucks with +27 parrying skill and actually got pretty nice skillups (got two full levels in around an hour). I have yet to go back, but I'll also have parrying earring to put on when I return.

I'd vote for T mobs to skillup, mostly because they'll miss you less, lol. That might not be a huge dancer issue since it's only one evasion bonus and B rank evasion instead of 4x bonus and A+ rank, but for my thf it's certainly the case.

[dalton]

Again, thanks for the reply.

To provide more detail, my dancer is currently only level 42, so at the moment, my parrying skill is undercapped even for my 37 NIN sub.

With regards to which mobs to fight, the question about multiple dc-em mobs vs. a tough is mainly one of skillup over time: if I am fighting 2-3 lower level mobs, the RDM 75 can keep up with healing continually, whereas vs. 1 tough, I have to stop for about 4 minutes every 16 minutes (10 min + 6 minutes after recast; the RDM runs out of MP before convert is up the second time).

[Arthars]

i would say if you not into hardcore parrying skill up, its easier to let nature take its course.

lvling NIN sure helps, and also solo farming on THF helps as well. and also with 2H buff + soboro, there np getting hate even on SAM for skill ups(seigan tank at lvling ftw) ^^

i didnt go any skill up but parrying is 264 atm

thats after 4 years playing tho >.>

if you really want skill ups badly, pump parry skills and agi sure helps in parrying more and get decent skill up. rather than not even parrying which never have a chance >.>

but if ur hoping to cap it as you lvl for a DANCER, i suggest you drop the idea. it can never happen(99% sure)

[Breemer]

iirc, there is a post where someone did a quick AGI test on parry, from +0 to +50 something and it showed no difference in parry proc rate, so unless you already have the gear dont go spending your money, I will try and find the post for you...

edit: found it, viewtopic.php?p=780832#p780832

[Thorny]

It would certainly be quicker skillups leveling as you go. Mostly because you'll have less evasion at a lower level and that's the biggest reason for skillups being slow (at least for my thf lol). A few weeks ago I went as thf/dnc vs Pucks with +27 parrying skill and actually got pretty nice skillups (got two full levels in around an hour). I have yet to go back, but I'll also have parrying earring to put on when I return.

I'd vote for T mobs to skillup, mostly because they'll miss you less, lol. That might not be a huge dancer issue since it's only one evasion bonus and B rank evasion instead of 4x bonus and A+ rank, but for my thf it's certainly the case.

You can get to lv72 or 73 cap off of marid chigoes in Wajaom, and correct me if I'm wrong but I believe chigoes are permanently at accuracy cap. On NIN in a damage reduction set including staff I had no problem staying up forever against 5 of them with my naked RDM 2box. They have near hundred-fists attack speed and you can get as much as 4 levels in an hour even post-200 on them.. I got from low 200s to 250s in 2 days. After chigoe levels it sucks, I stopped trying to skill and got 250-260 from random tanking then went back to trying and capped on Pucks. The thing is, after chigoes it just amounts to the same thing you'd be doing the entire time if you skilled as you leveled and this alone should show you how obnoxious it is. By far the fastest route is to gear for skillups AS you level, don't specifically stop leveling to skill, and catch up with chigoes then pucks at 75. I understand dnc has significantly less damage reduction gear than NIN, but you should still be able to keep up with 3-5 chigoes with just jelly ring and earth staff and phalanx 2.

:ashira: because its the cutest thing EVAR

[dalton]

OK, again, thanks to everyone for the feedback.

Here's what I'm taking away from this... Let me know what you all think.
1. It isn't worth it to stop and explicitly level parrying prior to around level 60, where the first Chigoes become available for skillup (Caedarva Mire Chigoes are level 62-66).

2. If my duo buddy doesn't mind, I should just dual wield parrying knives, equip parrying earring, not equip evasion gear, and try to tank while we level.

3. AGI+ doesn't help parrying. In fact, it probably hurts it a bit due to added evasion.I NEED to level Phalanx II on my red mage

4. Meriting parrying will not help because the base skillup rate is calculated from base+merits.

Does that all seem pretty accurate?

Also, does anyone have insight as to the level of the Chigoes in Grauberg [S]? Based on the other mobs in comparable areas, I'm thinking I might be able to there around 55 or so... thoughts?

[Slott]

I wouldn't try to go out of your way leveling parry while leveling. skillups are seriously just a pain in the ass sometimes. (i've gone over a month and a half without a single .1, yet 2 days ago I got a .3 .2 and .1 taking me to 267 parry) Unless you're in a situation involving powerleveling parry such as chigoes or pucks, I wouldn't bother equiping the gear.

[Thorny]

Earring won't hurt, nor will torque or other minor pieces. I wouldn't take away important slots, especially not weapons, for parry skill. Meritting WILL help proc rate without hurting skillups, but it is a gigantic waste of your combat skill merits >_>
I wouldn't even really recommend doing them at 60.. wait until 75 and do dnc/blu or dnc/war for defender or cocoon and you can get the same mid-60s chigoes to hit for 0s with phalanx 2 on compared to 10-30 if you were in the 60s. Key is to make sure you have aggro hate only, engage a different mob, and face them. This way the rdm character can cure you infinitely and never pull hate.

[Max™]

There are Chigoes in Rolan [S] that are just south of the Fort, they show as EP, but won't aggro to 75 unless you kneel, so that would be a good bridge for the lower levels (as I believe those are the lowest chigoes in game, unless someone finds some in Saruta [S] or something) til Mire Chigoes.

Also: monks rock, got charmed doing Vrtra, turned on a monk, he started to hit me, got a 0.3 Parrying off of him. :D

[Breemer]

Just spent an hour in den of rancor on pucks with 229 parry and got .6 or so to 230, that was in the first 15 mins or so, nothing at all after that

[Nighteagle]

Besides doing chigoes wherever, another good place to skillup is Upper Delkfutt Tower on the MNK mobs at top. They hit extremely low (like 10-15 dmg on my paper thf) and pretty fast, i dont even bother using utsu:ichi when i fight them. Good place for parrying skillups since the cap would be like 8-20 levels before your actual cap @ 75.

[Max™]

Also: /Dnc rocks, you can't get interrupted.

[LeifofKujata]

You could also wait till 75 and do the OOR engage trick on the T-VT King Apkallu in mount Z on the western island southern section that leads to halvung -> nyzul thickets. They are mnk mobs, but unlike most non-beastmen mnks they don't seem to have a weird attack bonus and hit for very low dmg for their level. I leveled PLD shield there /rdm and with just pld/rdm phalanx they hit for 0-10 without a block on average. If you'd go that route I will suggest rdm phalanx2 and heals though.

[Tricen]

OOR engage trick?

[Zilong]

OOR engage trick?

Out of Range engage.

Target something out of range since parry can only be done during engagement, and have some mobs beat on you

[Niabius]

Haste (fast) = parry

[Lampoon]

I'd like to know how would it be possible for a Corsair to cap Parry with their awesome 276 skill cap?

P.S. On a side note, who here gets happy when they gett parry skill ups at Linkshell events making tedious and boring events at times, all worth it, gimme a / :D