High End Sets Advice/Suggestions/Ideas/LUA

I feel like every other REMA scythe is better for darkness skillchain tbh

Anguta with:
2000TP Entropy -> Cross Reaper -> Entropy (Umbra)
Insurgency -> Entropy -> CR -> Entropy (Umbra)

Redemption with the same SC options as Liberator, but stronger Quietus at the end and weaker Insurgency at start, but also with much better white damage

Apocalypse with:
Catastrophe -> Cross Reaper -> Catastrophe

On the other hand Liberator AM3 might be important to even let you 4step, if you don't have Samurai Roll and if you have it, you can hold TP to 2000 on Entropy and Cross Reaper. Quietus at the end will still be weak, but with 4/5 Nyame and Sakpata legs and being 4step, Double Darkness can potentially hit for 80k+ anyway (assuming target with "neutral" 100%SDT and avg Quietus damage).

You can also turn the 4 step into 5 by opening with Cross Reaper. With Liberator a 5 step is fairly easy to pull off. It might be with Redemption and Anguta as well, but I can’t speak to those as I don’t have them :)

Yep, but I cant think of a place where you would use 5step like this. Most thing are dead after 3-4 step and most things that are not dead, you probably not killing solo. Maybe Kalunga to proc blue !! when it used Roar 3rd time :)

Also I know the question was about GS and Scythe but

Lycurgos with 5000+ HP:
Steel Cyclone > Upheaval > Steel Syclone 3step Darkness
Upheaval > SC > Uph > SC 4step Darkness

Dolichenus:
Decimation > Smash Axe > Decimation > Decimation 4 step Light

are also very strong options.

Yes you can......by calculating the avg.

For example: If a WS does 100 dmg that SC with itself with 100% SC dmg. That means every 2 WS you do your actual WS dmg is 100(WS dmg) + 100(WS dmg) + 100(SC dmg)= 300.

Since every 2 WS you do 300 dmg, your avg dmg per WS in a cycle is 150.

Then you can manually input 150 in WS slot by adding values. Get the avg DPS, then compare the avg DPS with another sc-less WS build.

There are MANY different way to use a spreadsheet. It's more like a calculator that you can modify for the questions that you need an answer for.

A lot of set discussions on forums assumes very simplified situations because nobody like to read/type 5 pages of essay calculating avg DPS in A B C D E F G H Y Z situations. It takes too much time, and super optimization is rarely required to play FFXI and beat most things.

But if you are into that level of optimization for every single decisions that you made then yes, math can model all kinds of situations if you really want. In a game that everything is 0 and 1s and formulas, theorically the optimal choice in game that doesn't involve human emotions in PVP can be solved by math.

I have dozens DT- sets. I pretty much build all of them with math, because I can't make logical decisions with my feeling nor emotions, and math is my best friend to solve such problems.

Just because "attack/acc/haste capped TP WS set" is posted on forums often, doesn't mean math can only figure out sets in such situations but not everything else. You have to tweak your math models for your own need.

A better way would be to setup set 1 and 2 separately, one for opening and one for closing SC, have set 2 calculate SC modifiers like mob resistance and sc bonus/damage, then you're able to use two different WS instead of one to one, and from there you can find more use for SC damage gear.

Similarly, you can setup set 1 for non AM3 and setup 2 for AM3 active, then find your time to get 3K on data page and do 180 for set 2 and X for set one time and find that as well.

Both of these things I've mentioned before but nobody wants to actually put any effort in and I don't care to either since a simulation does it all better anyways.

I just wanted to point out that a 5-step skillchain is perfectly possible with pretty much all the REMA Scythes.

As said, start with Cross Reaper or Quietus (Distortion) > Insurgency (Fusion) > Entropy (Gravitation) > CR (Darkness) > close with Darkness Weaponskill of Choice.

I think it's also because things that you solo skillchain and you care about reaching slightly higher damage is not really much. It mostly happens, if you lowman some outdated content with one DD or maybe if you solo Apex with Trusts, but then you probably do some 3-4 step that overkills by a lot with last step and it doesn't really matter if you slightly optimize it anyway.

25-40% is not "slightly" higher damage when compared to no SC or 3-4 compared to a 2 step.

two step light/dark on a neutral target with any opener and a strong closer like req > expiacion will do more than just spamming expiacion as well.

By slightly I meant optimizing gear in sheet for closing WS/SC like you suggested, not solo sc vs no sc.

Usually people who find themselves in solo DD situation are aware of solo skillchain being more effective than just WS spam (especially people who would also bother to use sheet in the first place), but then solo skillchain usually end up in overkill anyway. It would only have sense to optimize if your 2-3-4 step is on the edge of killing the mob or do it irregularly and you want to push it slightly to change that, or if you lowman some Kei or HELMs and care enough to optimize solo SC to kill few second faster. What Im trying to say here its so niche, that probably almost none bother to edit sheet for that.

and what would you consider "worth it" then? because even if you have two DDs, and SCs aren't directly detrimental or the mob has resistance to everything, there is a good chance it's an overall DPS increase.

and considering you'll sit and argue over less than 2% increase for some stuff, what's the issue now?

I would say optimizing solo/trust play is more important than optimizing around "bis only" play.

I find aiming to random SC dmg is usually going to increase party dps more than most things will be able to. Its why I almost always favor scythe.

I am having a blast with Redemption doing 5 steps on stuff that will live. It also pairs well with other dd's and holding tp is not a dps loss so I can wait to close sc's easier.

Also while its not not a perfect example, when I solo apex crabs for testing a 3 step with scythe kills them, and calad cant do it in 3 torcs. So for solo play scythe is probably best dps on most things, and offers best survivability.

Really depends on the number of people randomly SCing. Two DD's using compatible WS's, definitely a great idea. Having a BRD and COR also spamming Savage Blade will kill any random SC's due to the window never being open much.

Im talking about your specific idea of optimizing solo sc dps in sheet. Optimizing DPS with skillchains is imo very case by case example and calculating overall dps gains will often not work.

Example would be self SC in Odyssey C. Lets say you do 30k+30k+35k. What would be optimal here if mob only has 75k hp? Optimizing overall dps, but increasing WS/SC damage? Probably not, because you overkill anyway. Optimal here would be packing storeTP on first WS set to get higher TP return and make 2nd WS faster (probably marginally, but still). If you make enough damage store TP swaps could even go to 2nd WS too.

All that would be much easier to do in sim. In sheet it would be probably so much work to edit it for 99% of people (not to mention understanding what to look for to optimize), that it would be easier to just test few setups in practice and go with that.


There is more to that. If you have 4 real players being able to DD on lets say 2xDD and COR and BRD, then even if 2x DD SCing and BRD and COR watching is the optimal DPS, it's simply not enjoyable for said BRD and COR. It would be an option for 6boxer tho.

It wouldn't be that difficult at all. Add a new stat, just like PDL, a new boolean for Set 2 for SC, and then make a cell next to the WS damage on the gear page where it shows the damage and just set a multiplier of ws damage cell + (ws damage cell x 1 + sc damage / 100) * mob resistance cell. and on data page, you'd just change the WS one to if sc2 is true, use the new cell if not use the current ws damage cell.

the issue you mentioned about overkill is going to be the same for non-sc situations as well, that's just an issue with a spreadsheet in general.

I haven't said it would be difficult, just lots of work, especially for someone who would want to do it not knowing sheet very well.

I don't think overkill issue is just a problem for sheet exclusively. It's the same problem for simulation, unless you decide to address it, but you can do the same in sheet.

EDIT: Also steps you described are again just to calculate self SC cycle damage, which like I said is often not optimal. There is much more self SC cases ending with big overkill than the ones ending with on the edge of killing.

EDIT2: Also sheet is just a tool (at least for me) that gives me some info. I still make my own decisions :)

It would take 10 minutes.

It's not so much an issue for the sheet since it doesn't take mob health into account at all. My simulations do and can simulate a full JP farm with delay between mobs even. And killing something with a closing skillchain is not a problem like you think it is. If my WS doesn't kill something, and the SC does by more than the exact mob HP, that's still faster than meleeing the last bit.

And how is it not optimal to do more damage? In the case of DRK using a greatsword, Torc > Torc and factoring in the SC damage will do more than just spamming torc and ignoring the damage. Req > expiacion will do more DPS than spamming expiacion. Are skillchains always an option? No, of course not, but when they are and you have 1 or 2 DD, there is no reason not to use them unless there is are mechanics requiring you not to.

It's either me not able to write it clearly or you have problem with reading, because you keep writing I have said something I had not.

I didn't write anything about solo SC being a bad idea, or not being a dps increase.

TL;DR For the whole time I'm talking about optimizing solo SC vs solo SC, not no SC vs solo SC.

Example:
Mob has 80000HP
Melee+WS+Melee+WS+SC is doing on avg 5k+30k+5k+30k+30k 100k

WS+WS+SC is better than 2xWS. That is clear.

How to optimize it tho? Optimizing DPS in this case IN SHEET could probably lead you too doing higher dps, but it could not lead to faster kill, because what you want to optimize here would be doing 80k+ damage as fast as possible, which might not be equal to optimizing dps in general. In that case you would kill faster adding store TP to first WS, to make 2nd WS faster. Sheet would show you lower DPS, but in that specific scenario you would kill faster. If you don't understand now, than I can't write it in more simple way and I'm done with this discussion.

Imo if you want to optimize solo SC situations, you should probably do it case by case and optimize killing time, which might not go hand to hand with overall dps. Changing sheet to help with that would be much more difficult, than just adding skillchain mechanic.

you seem completely adamant on NOT adding something that can be useful for some reason

It can be useful for someone, but not for me (for the reasons I specified), so not sure why would I waste my limited time to add it. I often edit and share sheets, but it's not my job :) Anyone is free to edit sheets, so if someone will find the need for such option, he/she can do it.

I would rather do sim, if I will ever care enough to optimize some solo sc scenario.

obviously a simulation would be better in general, since you can always close with the right WS based on conditions or just open a new one if the window closes before TP is available.

i am just stating that a two step is incredibly easy to add and quicker than the way afania suggested to get comparisons.

I agree with that. I still wont do it, for the reasons I wrote. Afania can go for it tho :)

and I don't get paid enough to make a simulation for ones i don't already have

Gotta say I wish we had some stp on head hands or feet for emp maybe +3 will have it? Kinda wanna get out of flamma for tp which head may still replace flamma if you can get stp 6 somewhere else.

The Empy feet look nice and may replace Sulevia, and is an alternative if you don't have Nyame augmented. Might even beat Nyame when it gets to +3. The body and legs remain macro pieces, while the head and hands still aren't interesting (absorb tp isn't worth it these days) until +3, maybe. Here are the stats for DRK Empy +2 for those who would like them in one place:

Head: DEF:135 HP+61 MP+49 STR+37 DEX+21 VIT+28 AGI+23 INT+26 MND+22 CHR+24 Accuracy+51 Attack+51 Magic Accuracy+51 Evasion+76 Magic Evasion+77 "Magic Def. Bonus"+5 Scythe skill +33 Haste+7% "Double Attack"+5% Physical damage limit +7%

Body: DEF:167 HP+83 MP+79 STR+42 DEX+26 VIT+38 AGI+28 INT+30 MND+30 CHR+30 Accuracy+54 Attack+64 Magic Accuracy+54 Evasion+84 Magic Evasion+93 "Magic Def. Bonus"+7 "Dread Spikes" potency +45% Critical hit rate +6% Haste+4% Damage taken -12%

Hands: DEF:123 HP+49 MP+34 STR+22 DEX+38 VIT+42 INT+20 MND+35 CHR+30 Accuracy+52 Attack+62 Magic Accuracy+52 Evasion+64 Magic Evasion+72 "Magic Def. Bonus"+4 Great Sword skill +23 Haste+6% "Absorb-TP" effect +25% Damage taken -9%

Legs: DEF:149 HP+72 MP+61 STR+48 VIT+30 AGI+25 INT+36 MND+24 CHR+21 Accuracy+53 Attack+63 Magic Accuracy+53 Evasion+64 Magic Evasion+109 "Magic Def. Bonus"+7 Dark magic skill +25 Haste+5% "Nether Void"+40 Damage taken -11%

Feet: DEF:107 HP+38 MP+34 STR+28 DEX+20 VIT+25 AGI+37 INT+17 MND+21 CHR+33 Accuracy+50 Attack+50 Magic Accuracy+50 "Magic Atk. Bonus"+45 Evasion+92 Magic Evasion+109 "Magic Def. Bonus"+5 Haste+3% "Occult Acumen"+33 Weapon skill damage +8%

What is interesting is some of the new Empyreans have a lot of damage taken. This could help jobs that aren't using Sakpata because +3s could compete or outright replace Nyame for physical damage sets. +3 Empyreans would need a significant leap to match Sakpata, though.

The earring (+2 has Attack+20 Physical damage limit +9%) is more of a weapon skill piece for attack-capped situations. DRK has the highest attack in the game, but it's not going to be easy to decide when you should use this over a weapon skill damage earring. I'm sure someone will calculate this and let us know. *wink wink*

For defensive purposes, why compare to Nyame when Sakpata is superior?

I just thought this now. I've been off the game since April and I feel silly now, but it still applies to Empyreans in general, especially those who rely on Nyame. Let me make an edit.

The head looks to be a very solid TP & WS piece for scythe users. Would've loved to see some STP on the set though

Man if head had STP it would've been hot I hope with +3 they get it.