Drk Merrit: LR Effect or Lower SE recast

[Fcube]

Been debating on which one to do. I have seen that lots of drks are doing LR effect 5/5. However, I simple adore SE (souleater). In terms of damage efficiency, which one would yeild better results? Thanks.

[Siralin]

How often can you actually use SE the second it's timer is up? That's what you need to ask yourself when doing SE merits. If I ever get around to DRK merits, I'll be doing LR effect/recast.

[Quixotic]

Uhh...merit both? The other G1 merits for DRK suck. If you mean which one to merit first, I'd merit souleater recast first, then LR effect.

[Tsuko_Asura]

Meh, I'm no Dark Knight, but I would merit Last Resort recast and effect. I, personally, don't find it all that conducive to my well being to merit Souleater recast. One ability is always going to be beneficial, while the other depends on how appropriate a time it is to be masochistic.

But again, I'm no DRK.

[Garret]

Although I am not a Drk I think it is assumed that you go 5/5 LR Recast because of how great DB is? So the question becomes what to spend the other 5 Cat 1 merits on?

[Tsuko_Asura]

Well, yeah, but a miniature Berserk is still a miniature Berserk. As it was said, I feel it comes down to something that you can ride like there's no tomorrow, as apposed to something you're likely not often waiting to be ready again.

[Mahman]

One ability is always going to be beneficial, while the other depends on how appropriate a time it is to be masochistic.

But again, I'm no DRK.

It's clear that you're no DRK because, for a Dark Knight, EVERY time is the appropriate time to be masochistic.

That being said, I do agree with you. LR should go first, but you can do both, so do SE next.

[Sess]

I've done Souleater recast. The main reason for this at the time was to speed up JoL, now that its nerfed it does feel a little silly though. However, chances are there is going to be another long fight, where a merited Souleater recast lets you do decent damage.

The other thing I did was Last Resort recast, this is mostly due to DB. Also Last Resort recast makes the most sense to me because then enhance effect merit is 10% increase in attack, which is rarely going to correlate with a 10% increase in performance. On the other hand, on paper Last Resort recast merits is a ~16% increase in the performance of the JA in a long fight or a merit party.

[Tsuko_Asura]

Well, as the person who decides whether or not you get tossed a Cure IV after you get smacked with a Firespit post-said masochistic act, I'd be inclined to disagree.

[Sess]

Well, as the person who decides whether or not you get tossed a Cure IV after you get smacked with a Firespit post-said masochistic act, I'd be inclined to disagree.

Open the merit fight with Drain II (usually as mob is getting pulled), if you have TP wait a little. Mob hits 70 to 60%ish, Souleater > WS. Mob should be dead or close to death, and to the healers you're only about 500 HP (going from memory on how much HP I typically have left after a WS with Souleater and Drain II) short of your total HP pool.

I have done merit parties where I kept Souleater up the entire minute, you have to choose your camp wisely, and its best to be in a WHM and RDM party instead of a single healer party.

[Tsuko_Asura]

Open the merit fight with Drain II (usually as mob is getting pulled), if you have TP wait a little. Mob hits 70 to 60%ish, Souleater > WS. Mob should be dead or close to death, and to the healers you're only about 500 HP (going from memory on how much HP I typically have left after a WS with Souleater and Drain II) short of your total HP pool.

I have done merit parties where I kept Souleater up the entire minute, you have to choose your camp wisely, and its best to be in a WHM and RDM party instead of a single healer party.

I'd be inclined to strongly disagree, for two reasons. First of which, Corsair and Bard are a staple part of any maximum efficiency merit party. So, unless you're running with two DD who are able to maintain an infinite chain, you're going to run into some problems. That said, if you are managing to do so, you're just being counterproductive, as your two DD are going to take more damage due to having a second healer in lieu of a third front-liner to split your target's attention with.

But that is neither here nor there, my comment in regards to healing was made out of (attempted)humor. My position in regards to said merits are for the aforementioned reasons only.

[Raen Ryong]

LR Recast/Effect. Souleater is situational, Last Resort is universally useful.

Souleater is not efficient in merit parties. The above example is sacrificing a lot of efficiency for the sake of an epeen WS.

[Baelorn]

I'm doing Souleater recast/Last Resort recast.

Souleater is only inefficient if you don't know how to use it.

[Sess]

I'd be inclined to strongly disagree, for two reasons. First of which, Corsair and Bard are a staple part of any maximum efficiency merit party. So, unless you're running with two DD who are able to maintain an infinite chain, you're going to run into some problems. That said, if you are managing to do so, you're just being counterproductive, as your two DD are going to take more damage due to having a second healer in lieu of a third front-liner to split your target's attention with.

But that is neither here nor there, my comment in regards to healing was made out of (attempted)humor. My position in regards to said merits are for the aforementioned reasons only.

My comments were mostly in the hopes to help newbie DRKs. I read way too many "DRKs who use Souleater in merits are dumb" posts, and I think that is mostly related to people partying with DRKs who don't know how to use it correctly. I have on two different merit parties kept Souleater up the entire min every time it was up. I did great, but learned that the use of Souleater in clutch situations where your about to lose the chain was better, its like a mini two hour that saves the day.

[Raen Ryong]

Generally, if your mages have enough MP in a merit party to support your Souleater, other people could've come more offensive subjobs which would help exp/hr far more.

If you still have MP after all of that, go for it I guess; I just rarely use Souleater in merit parties (just to save the very occasional chain).

[Tulun]

I'd say any combination of LR attack/effect/SE effect is probably fine (obviously choose 1 and go 5/5). Not like these are great merits anyway.

Souleater is more sparingly used, but in merits, it can be invaluable. If you fight mamools, NIN and THF can break chains with their higher eva, and SE does add a huge amount of accuracy.

Souleater can possibly be spammed if you have an exceptional healer/group, but usually not... I will argue that a 5 min SE recast on certain mobs is nice, though. You can stagger Diabolic Eye and SE so you have 4 out of 5 mins of acc bonus (than use absorb acc), makes it easy to use meat on tougher mobs.

[Baelorn]

You don't need a great mage to support Souleater and I think that's where the majority of DRKs fail when using it. You can support yourself with Drains which have low recast timers when in meripo because you'll have Haste or March(ideally both). Pop Souleater as the mob is coming in, melee with it(WSing when it will kill the mob), open the next fight with a Drain(or two) and you'll be close to full HP or beyond. It's really simple to do and it puts you ahead of lazier DRKs.

[Tsuko_Asura]

You do realize the contradiction in using Souleater to improve your damage, and then having to cast a spell to fix what you did to yourself?

[Fwahm]

Not when said spells do more than a physical hit.

[Tsuko_Asura]

I really, really hope it doesn't take you six seconds to swing your scythe again. Nevermind the fact that Drains do absolutely nothing for your TP-gain.