Regarding Great axes for Raging Rush.

[Max™]

My knee jerk reaction was "cool, Byakko's til I rank up and get a Perdu, go go high damage!"

Then I noticed I had like 5 points left on my Rampager, broke it, am at 3/4 Crit merits (wasn't as big a priority before the update, having no Crit WSes besides Iron Tempest for GA) and picked up a cheap as hell Claymore Grip.

So, now before Dex I'm at +12% Crit rate, and I proceed to go test it on something.

First lets see about beating up something wimpy, Gigantobugards in Meadows.

Normal full Returns tended to be 1188 and up, I did a 2hred one to make sure I was critting and had a couple with just a crit or two.

Swap to Byakko's/Pole Strap, Damage jumps up and down, drops to 900, up to 1400 with a couple doubles, back and forth. Point for the Rampager on it's stability.

Get a meripo, nyzul lolibri, starting out with just the Rampager, don't remember exact damage, but I know I saw 878 and 1088 enough times to stand out in my head, again that same feeling of reliability, a nice base damage which only tended to go up.

Swap to Byakko's, jumps up and down again, 600~ dmg once (no crits I presume) 1450 (crits+3 doubles) later, really random.

So, as I'm stuck eyeballing things on PS2, I'm wondering if anyone has tried this setup, especially one with a Crit Dex build (looking forward to getting my Haidate finally, lolme huh?) since the Raging Rush= Crit TP changeover?

I see a lot of interest in Martial Bhuj's, Dmg 88, but TP bonus=lol for Crit mods last I checked, wouldn't Dmg 87, +6% Surefire Crits work out better in the long run?

[Havok]

I'm going to stick with Perdu.

Do you know anyone who uses http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/Retributor or http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/Martial_Axe for Rampage?

I don't either.

[Chupunpupun]

Martial Bhuj is better for Steel Cyclone (150%TP+ only). Rampager with critical grip sounds good if the WRANK of Rampager and Perdu Voulge is the same (remember martial weapon's WRANK are according to the base damage not latent). Someone that knows how to calculate the WRANK help us.

[Bagel]

WRANK for such a high dmg weapon is probably going to be pointless unless you exp on Forest Hares, but it's gonna be 10 for 90 dmg+ G Axes like Byakko's/Perdu, 9 for the "mid" damage ones like Martial/Rampager and 7 for Fortitude.

[Chupunpupun]

Rampager+Critical Grip could be useful after the update depending on how badly 2handers gets nerfed.

[Max™]

Well as I said so far, Im really loving the consistency of the damage.

Something seemed familiar about it.

Then it hit me.

Senj/Fudo, Dmg 78 (together), Dly 454 (pre DW) Crit 9%, 3 hit+Crit WS
Ramp/Clay, Dmg 87, Dly 504 (pre hasso) Crit 9%, 3 hit+Crit WS

Noone uses Martial Axe for Rampage, yet people use Martial Bhuj for Raging Rush... which makes me go huh?

Retributor is slow, and there are much better options available, plus much better stats in general for 1h weapons.

Acc 5, Att 10 and Dmg 96 seems like an easier choice than Att 5 Dmg 94 Add: Wind.

13% Crits is nothing to sneeze at though, is it?

[Churchill]

I use Byakko's and have about +45DEX thrown in with +45-50STR...if you can get your BRD (Or hopefully, one of the two BRD's) to cast double Min and eat meat, your average is going to be 1400-1900, making that consistency a little irrelevant.

[Chupunpupun]

Well as I said so far, Im really loving the consistency of the damage.

Something seemed familiar about it.

Then it hit me.

Senj/Fudo, Dmg 78 (together), Dly 454 (pre DW) Crit 9%, 3 hit+Crit WS
Ramp/Clay, Dmg 87, Dly 504 (pre hasso) Crit 9%, 3 hit+Crit WS

Noone uses Martial Axe for Rampage, yet people use Martial Bhuj for Raging Rush... which makes me go huh?

Retributor is slow, and there are much better options available, plus much better stats in general for 1h weapons.

Acc 5, Att 10 and Dmg 96 seems like an easier choice than Att 5 Dmg 94 Add: Wind.

13% Crits is nothing to sneeze at though, is it?

Martial bhuj is for Steel Cyclone cause Steel Cyclone really sucks at 100%TP. I tested raging rush with Martial bhuj and wasn't really impressed.

[Max™]

Yeah, I had an Mbhuj way before the update.

Sold when I retired War.

Update made me dust it off.

Think I'd rather have Marches AND Consistency than minX2 for ePeen.

[Churchill]

Should be able to get 20-24% haste without much trouble as a WAR before Hasso, I'd rather have the higher damage on WS especially subbing SAM because once you WS, you tank.

[Max™]

Well, Seigan gets a lot of use.

(man, its a sight when you get two or three Sams and /Sam's who just have the timing down and everyone cotanks while alternating hasso when they get the chance)

Course, mobs dying in 5 seconds makes tanking a memory.

Either way, I'm still loving this axe, Raging Rush with Crit TP produces high numbers, but it also makes those depressing lows too.

Killing the lows is more than enough reason for me, haven't had a streak of no crits in a while.

[Yutuyu]

Swift belt = 4%
B.Haidate = 5%
W Turban = 5%
Unicorn Leggings = 3%
Dusk Gloves = 3%
Blitz Ring = 1%

21%

Anymore than that is actually pretty tough. Nothin' else short of HQs and Speedbelt

[fobber]

So what is the preferred attribute set up for using raging rush?

1st Dex then str?

Byakko > war af2 legs?

[Churchill]

I do DEX > STR now, but in the end you get near the same amount of both.

[Swatt]

Swift belt = 4%
B.Haidate = 5%
W Turban = 5%
Unicorn Leggings = 3%
Dusk Gloves = 3%
Blitz Ring = 1%

21%

Anymore than that is actually pretty tough. Nothin' else short of HQs and Speedbelt

RUNE CHOPPA

[Chupunpupun]

Swift belt = 4%
B.Haidate = 5%
W Turban = 5%
Unicorn Leggings = 3%
Dusk Gloves = 3%
Blitz Ring = 1%

21%

Anymore than that is actually pretty tough. Nothin' else short of HQs and Speedbelt

RUNE CHOPPA

I use rune choppa in EXP but 99% of the RDM are oblivious of why you're asking for refresh so they will do it once and never do it again or just ignore you completely. It only works with LS PTs.

[Max™]

Choppa is great if you are still needing the haste.

Once you get Haidate/Swift/Whatnot, it becomes a bunch of hassle to keep it juiced up.

Maybe if they release a stackable 2 Mp/Tick Juice, til then it will just be easier to wear what haste I can.

I've been using as much Dex as I can, with Str where I can't put a larger amount of Dex, so I wind up at like 68+27 Dex, 66+35 Str.

Between the Dex crits (I am about to break the 100 Tier just barely now, which works til I finally get moar haidateeees) and the merits/crit gear, its really regular damage.

Edit, yes, I will be using Byakko's full time.

My ideal getup will be.

Ramp/Clay
Bomb Core
Nhead (still need T.T, been toying with AF2 mask though, looks better than Ohat and I don't need 5 more acc right now)
PCC/Fort/Chiv, should finish my Aqua Gorget, but I doubt it would beat out the PCC.
Brutal/Minuet
Adaberk>Nbody>Haub+1, Are's Body and Osode are worthy of consideration, Osode more so now for Dex til Adaberk.
Nhands
Thunder/Rajas
Forager's (come on SE, give us a Commanders cape with attack on it!)
Warwolf (ftmfw)
Byakko's
Nfeet

Bunch of Str, lots of Dex, tons of Acc now (holy shit is there a lot of acc in there now) and should be able to hit what, 115 Dex?

[Churchill]

Adaman celata would be a better choice if no nhead.

Heca Cap
Spike Necklace
Brutal/Triumph/Pixie
Haubergeon
Heca Mitts
Rajas/Spinel/Thunder
Foragers
Warwolf
Haidate
Heca Feet

[Septimus]

Swift belt = 4%
B.Haidate = 5%
W Turban = 5%
Unicorn Leggings = 3%
Dusk Gloves = 3%
Blitz Ring = 1%

21%

Anymore than that is actually pretty tough. Nothin' else short of HQs and Speedbelt

RUNE CHOPPA

I use rune choppa in EXP but 99% of the RDM are oblivious of why you're asking for refresh so they will do it once and never do it again or just ignore you completely. It only works with LS PTs.

From a RDM's perspective, a WAR asking for Refresh to power a Rune Chopper is really selfish. Refresh is a net return of 120 MP per 2.5 minutes, 480 MP every 10 minutes. Casting Haste on 4 melees will cost 480 MP every 10 minutes, now one of the Warriors wants you to spend and additional 160 MP every three minutes to fuel his e-peen? That is MP that could have been spent on 3 Cure IIIs and a Regen (with change for a Dia) to keep the party going.

[ninjafox]

y not just get sanction refresh and call it a day? (warriors with rune)