For the harcore rangers...

[Raizins]

Just to add some input as a bow ranger, the only time I brought culverin + heavy shells to dynamis lord, I was very, very unimpressed. I didn't think archery merits and the tiny STR modifier on sidewinder would make much of a difference, but my ebow sidewinders did a decent chunk more than the culverin slugshots (I'm talking 100-300 more if I remember right). I actually have a heavy shell in my posession (I've had it for a while now), but I haven't been able to get the chance to use it on anything major (and I rarely use it anyways because I don't want to lose it).

If you're using DL as a test, you should try it more than once. After all, any ranger knows that there are other factors than what we directly control that goes into our highest WS shots.

From week to week, even if I keep my gear the same, there can be a variation of up to about 300 on certain WS due to other factors. But if bow works for you, that's all good.

[Quixotic]

You are right, but d-lord is a mostly controlled event where you can easily set up those outside factors to be the same (namely all the debuffs).

[baralai80]

sooo Noone's gonna parse master caster bow versus gendawa+1?
Wha if u put all your merits into snapshot to kinda improve gendawa+1 shot at e bow

[RKenshin]

Ruke, show me what you wear when you use a bow to send the weapon skills that make the monsters fall down.

In a rush, just shot this while near the AH.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/5037/ffxi1726hl3.jpg

I switch between Vulcan's on mobs that are easy to hit (like most exp mobs), to 2x Hawker's+1 on mobs that are more difficult (Bhalfau Reminants Boss most recently), and also use Kraken occasionally in exp and always for Salvage farming.

In my kraken set of gear I switch to Culverin+1 and a good deal of acc gear along with haste.

I never have a static set of gear for ranged attacks or WS... I'm usually changing my macros constantly adjusting balances of ranged attack/STR and ranged accuracy depending on the difficulty of hitting the mobs I'm fighting (for both WS and normal attacks). But, in any case I'm always using meat/curry, and always put Breeze Gorget/Seiryu's Kote on for WS.

[Rishi]

omigaw, NQ Crimson Gloves?!? BLASPHEMY!

hey, I had to find something to bash ..

sooo Noone's gonna parse master caster bow versus gendawa+1?
Wha if u put all your merits into snapshot to kinda improve gendawa+1 shot at e bow

That'd just serve to put EBow DoT even further ahead

[RKenshin]

HQ Crimson Gloves have been on my mule for 6 months.

[Beckwin]

I also like the inventory space +2 on the merman's rings.


(gogo magic -% for mah pld)

[RKenshin]

Sold Behemoth rings just for that reason!

[Alathar]

Those are the only RNG AF2+1 feet I have ever seen. I'm so jealous.

[Fng]

I think Dlord can differ a lot.

1. Did frightful roar land?
2. Did an Acid bolt proc on the pull?
3. Did the DRK use an abs spell (does that even work on DL lawls don't kill me my dark is level 1)
4. Did someone use Dia 3?
5. Did a lolmage get a hold of some sleep pots / icarus wing for shell crusher? ( Guess who has done that!.. even brought my own opo necklace / pots just for this! 300% shell crusher FTW)
6. Did someone else secretly conspire for a Rasp casting?

Or does none of this matter and DL has such pitiful def it doesnt work?

[othellojr]

I think you would know this too, but did you use the same setup as you normally do with bow when you tried using gun? I remember the first time I switched from Ebow to a gun and try to spam slugs, and I found my sidewinders would do alot more then slugs until I changed my gear around for gun, and found very slight differences if any at times.

[Quixotic]

The case for my LS:

1) People never come as BLU.
2) I'm pretty much the only "main" ranger that comes as ranger. Sometimes one or two others will also and they also use ebow/sbow.
3) Sadly, haven't seen any drks come to dynamis with my linkshell in a long time.
4) Always get dia3.
5) This is just off the wall, we don't give ic wings to mages.
6) Rasp? I think you mean choke which is the VIT down elemental debuff, and probably not because everyone is probably going for personal e-peen that blms would be busy casting burn instead (and I'm pretty sure they don't do this either).

And yes, Dlord defense isn't that amazing. I dunno, like I said, its just my experience with it. Its pretty much the same people every dynamis so I've come to expect the same conditions usually. I still have to see how culverin+heavy shell works out anyways, and if it does do better, great! Epeen+1 for me. If it doesn't, not a big deal because it just reinforces that ebow is probably the best investment I've made towards ranger.

edit for post above me:

For Dlord, thanks to feint, I can use my PPA setup for both bow and gun:

This consists of:

Vulcan Staff
Wyvern Helm
Breeze Gorget
Triumph/Waetoto
Osode
S. Kote
Flame/Rajas
Amemet+1
Scout's Belt
Galliard Trousers
Creek M Clomps

[Fng]

oops... I R NO BLM

Sorry I meant the -VIT one. (and I bring my own meds to DL... well not the poison pot I leech one of those >.>)

[Fng]

Are these comparable to sidewinder? I am just wondering if we are spending too much money on Cannon shells, if Bow is just as good..

(this is from our Maat's Cap elvaan.. I don't *think* he has markmanship merits, but probably has crit / all STR maxed)

(and yeah this was 1st or 2nd run @ DL so we didnt get the kill..)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...t/img_0030.png[/quote]

[Kildar]

Does anyone use any of the Mantles from Limbus Coins on Rng? Either the RngAtt+20 or RngAcc+20 ? Just curious what some thoughts were.

[Naramaska]

1985 is kinda low for a Culverin...on the KI RNG forums people are getting ~2200 out of it, the high-end e.bow/relic RNG's are hitting 21-2300, and the best Culverin+1 RNG's seem to hit 2.4-2.5k.

Of course, this is usually with FS+Dia3+2x SV Minuet....so extrapolate as you wish from your own data.

[Fng]

How does that compare to Sidewinders?

[Beckwin]

I've cracked 2k sidewinders in a mostly racc setup and eating sis kebabi.

I'm a cheap bastard like that.

[RKenshin]

Sidewinder/Slug both get substantial increases in damage based strongly on the buffs you have and the debuffs the mob has... More often than not, an average ranger will not get WS damage anywhere close to the really high numbers, and not just because of their equipment but more because of the missing buffs/debuffs. I've seen Slug Shot hit one mob for 700 with no buffs, and then with the same exact equipment/weapons, hit for 2400 with buffs/defense down. Over tripled.

For just about every really high Slug Shot I've seen including like 2.5ks on DL, they were with 4 SV Minuets or a combination of that and STR Etudes (either way it's at least 4 songs, I've even heard of 6 and SMN buffs), along with Feint, and often additional stuff like Dia III, Angon, VIT down, etc. All those buffs together usually influence the massive damage you get way more than your equipment choices ever could, it's just that the only RNGs that typically get that treatment is the best.

But, on the other hand, very few linkshells have the numbers to give RNGs that many buffs... While the defense downs and evasion downs should be imperitive either way, those aren't always done either.

[VZX]

Sidewinder/Slug both get substantial increases in damage based strongly on the buffs you have and the debuffs the mob has... More often than not, an average ranger will not get WS damage anywhere close to the really high numbers, and not just because of their equipment but more because of the missing buffs/debuffs.

/nod

...along with Feint, and often additional stuff like Dia III, Angon, VIT down, etc. All those buffs together usually influence the massive damage you get way more than your equipment choices ever could, it's just that the only RNGs that typically get that treatment is the best.

Talking about def down debuff... anyone know which doesn't stack with which?
we know dia stacks with acid bolt right? How about frightful roar's and angon's effects w.r.t. dia and acid bolt?

does anyone have some links if it has been tested properly?