DRK to 37

[Verve]

Quick question? With using GAXE to level WAR up to 18, and the GAXE belt being so dirt cheap at the moment, would I be lessening my potential damage by using a GAXE instead of a Scythe?

Just loved Sturmwind far far too much

[evilpaul]

I leveled DRK to 37 about two months ago and did just that. The skill difference is minor (2 I think it was) over Scythe or Great Sword before 30, and it's the same at 37 if you /WAR and use the GA belt. It might be 1-3 higher before 37 with the GA belt, but I'm too lazy to verify that for you.

I didn't use Scythe or GS, so I can't compare exactly, but I did do some 350 Sturmwinds in Garlaige with Berserk+Last Resort+Souleater+Rice Dumplings. Just make sure it'll kill the bat/beetle as they get plenty pissed off at the combination of DRK JAs and damage. Pre-Sturmwind, or when you have 100% TP at the start of a fight, Shield Break was pretty nice too.

So yeah, it works nice go for it.

[grover]

I'm currently finishing taking DRK to 37 also, and I'm using GA. I have scythe capped from BST if I need it. I think GA is just as good, if not better than Scythe for DRK 1-37. SA Sturmwind can put up great numbers, and Shield Break is great to help the entire party. Some friends have told me to use Shield Break if the Mobs HP > 30%, otherwise use Sturmwind...makes sense to me.

[Sylphet]

You won't be gimping your damage at all. G.Axe is just fine to use on DRK all the way to 37, in fact I think it's preferable to Scythe since Sturmwind is pretty awesome. Since you're not taking it past 37 you really have no need to keep your scythe skill capped. Go G.Axe.

[fantasticdan]

I used g. axe on drk to 37 as well, never touched g. sword or scythe. I doubt the minor skill advantage on those two makes up for the shitty WS.

[Starr]

I got DRK 37 last week, my GSword and Scythe skills are both 10, great axe ftw but I can't sell Axe Belt back on AH for 1k!

[Loren]

Great Axe is... great.

Also overlooked is /RNG 20-29. Acc+10 helps more than anything else.

[Carnusty]

You won't be gimping your damage at all. G.Axe is just fine to use on DRK all the way to 37, in fact I think it's preferable to Scythe since Sturmwind is pretty awesome. Since you're not taking it past 37 you really have no need to keep your scythe skill capped. Go G.Axe.

Sylphet's like...100% right here. Until 50s or so you don't see much of a difference between A and B weapons, so it's awesome.

Not to mention SA+Sturmwind is one of the most powerful WSs anyone wields for a looong time. Scythe WSs suck until 60 and...Gsword...yeah.

I'm leveling it for NIN ssub now, and that's what I'm going to use :3

[Celebrindor]

when I leveled up DRK to 37, it was my first melee job out of the dunes (took WAR to 18 to use as a subjob for when I leveled DRK and NIN to 37 respectively), so I really didn't have any melee skills leveled, outside of sword and dagger.

I used greatsword simply because I had some skill on it from the quest to unlock DRK, and it was definitely more appealing than Scythe at those levels.....and because (the name escapes me at the moment) it actually had a decent weaponskill for productive skillchains, unlike all those crappy compression based weaponskills on Scythe (bad damage + horrid bursting potential was enough to convince me of how weak scythe is early on).

Looking back though I would have definitely used Gaxe.....or as a friend of mine did, dual wielded swords post-24. Don't laugh....I've seen it done and the DoT isn't that far off. Hell its only to 37, might as well have some fun and do some unique things.

[Niiro]

After you can wear the +5 skill belt your G.axe skill will exceed your Scythe skill.

Shield Break and Sturmwind are just icing on the cake.

Should also keep Gsword skilled though for Power Slash -> Viper Bite, it creates one of those things, uh, you know those things that make BLMs feel useful..........SCs! Yea, that's it.

[Metah]

Should also keep Gsword skilled though for Power Slash -> Viper Bite, it creates one of those things, uh, you know those things that make BLMs feel useful..........MBs! Yea, that's it.

Using two weapon skills in tandem doesn't make a magic burst.

[Niiro]

Fixed, I thought BLM and my mind went to MB.

[Furionstormrage]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x.../Sturmwind.jpg

36-37 DRK/WAR on VT-IT Crawlers.

Non buffed (Zerk/LR/SE, whatever's up) were still around 250-300.

From 20-30, /RNG, the +10 ACC is really nice.
30-37, /WAR with an Axe Belt, eat Rice Dumplings, and enjoy.

Several PTs, I was doing 50-60% of the total damage, one PT I maintained 65-70% of the total damage with a WAR and DRG as other DDs.

ACC never slipped below 70%, even when I got stuck on IT++, and 30-37 your Great Axe is higher than a WARs with the belt.