SAM Stats Priority Question

Hi,

I am a returning player (been gone for like 4 years) and trying to learn about SAM in the new world of FFXI..

I have done a lot of reading and am curious about SAM stat priorities these days..

I am thinking Stat priority should be something like this...

Haste (until cap)
Accuracy ?? not sure about this with WS spamming ??
STR
DEX
AGI
VIT
CHR
INT
MND

I would appreciate it if some one could help me out with more info and or set me strait and tell me what the cap is for Haste as well...

dont forget attack and stp/x-hit builds

for tp:

haste -> xhit -> DA/TA -> Zanshin -> w/e else.

for ws:

STR -> Atk-> DA/TA -> w/e else.

not much has changed since 75 cap lol.

there are a TON of sam gear threads, i would go read up on those, if you really want to expand your knowledge on sam.

Haste cap is 25% in gear, however some pieces don't have full values as posted on the piece, so most people shoot for 26% haste in gear.

these are some links to some of the other threads you should be looking at, especially before you for make a new thread.

http://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/27974/sam-gear-lvl-99/

http://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/27842/post-99-samurai/

To be effective on VE 5hit build gk, all +meditate gear, +str, and cap all skills you can for as many weapons you can use. Once you are established you can go after masamune/relic or another trial gk.

Do yourself the favor to do gearswaps and follow advice given in this thread and threads linked too from here.
Sounds like in your OP that you were looking for a fulltime set advice, and that's never the way too go, just fyi :P GL!

Haste cap (for equip) is roughly 25%, but the consensus is 26% is needed to be truly maxed-out. I'm not sure on the exact details about why this is ... something to do with rounding decimals and mathematical algorithms.

Regarding TP/melee equipment, Haste is very important for any melee job whenever you're engaged to a target full-time. On SAM, it's equally-important to use an appropriate amount of Store TP equipment to achieve an "X-hit build". In other words, it's wasteful if you achieve 98% TP in 5 melee attacks ... and it's also wasteful if you achieve 110% TP in 5 melee attacks. The amount of Store TP equipment you need depends upon your weapon's delay, your number of Store TP merits, and the presence of any buffs, Regain effects, or debuffs that alter your TP accumulation.

Of course, this model is very useful and verifiable with parsers and data analysis. At the same time, it's important to note that the superiority of this model depends upon being engaged to the target full-time (or at least the large majority of the time) It also assumes that you're always uncorking a WS immediately whenever you reach 100% TP. It also assumes that you're never switching out of standard TP/melee equipment into your Damage Reduction equipment. I find that in reality, a SAM is almost never in these ideal "laboratory" conditions. The closest in-game situation that mimicked the "ideal" conditions was the old-school Greater Colibri EXP camps during the level 75 cap days. That is ... until people realized that Polearm melee was better there. By no means am I disputing the importance of Haste/Store TP SAM TP/melee builds ... I just encourage SAMs to realize that it's more important from a "laboratory" standpoint than a "real battle" standpoint.

For your Weapon Skills, Tachi: Shoha is most powerful, in general. It's heavily modified by STR, and it's a two-hit WS, aligned with Wind. I recommend getting a hold of the Breeze Gorget and Breeze Belt. Pack as much STR into the WS macro equipment as possible, but don't overestimate your accuracy. All that STR potency will be for naught if you whiff one (or both) of the two swings on Tachi: Shoha. If your accuracy is a non-issue (and I find many SAMs believe their accuracy is "capped" when it most certainly is not), then adding in Double/Triple/Quad Attack boosts will give you some occasional (very) large WS damage spikes.

Have fun!

An easy 5 hit build for 430 delay is af3 +2 head/body/legs/ace's feet/ nodowa neck/Rajas/brutal/tyrants ring (or hoard ring). That gives you room for brego gloves and bullwhip belt to cap haste (or very close) goading belt when I feel the -ele stats on bullwhip are bothersome.