Merits For DRG.

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2010-09-08
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Merits for DRG.
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 Lakshmi.Kolvar
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By Lakshmi.Kolvar 2011-08-17 23:08:29
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DRG seems to have gotten screwed a little in merits, granted this is coming from a fairly new DRG. What is the considered the norm for merits?

Atm I have:

Jump Recast-5
High Jump- 5
Deep Breathing- 1
Angon- 4
Empathy- 4
Strafe- 1

Did I do this wrong and if so what would be better?
 Fenrir.Nightfyre
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By Fenrir.Nightfyre 2011-08-17 23:15:33
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Nowadays I'd max Angon, anything beyond that is mostly personal preference as far as G2 is concerned. G1 merits are correct.
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 Fenrir.Skadoosh
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By Fenrir.Skadoosh 2011-08-17 23:16:05
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I think most people like 5 jump/highjump. Cat 2 is kind of a matter of preference, and what you spend time doing. If you do end game DRG people expect you to have Angon. I use DRG mainly for soloing purposes, and like Deep Breathing a little higher. think i have 5 DB, 2 angon, 3 empathy. GL/
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 Lakshmi.Aanalaty
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By Lakshmi.Aanalaty 2011-08-17 23:27:11
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Strafe in its current form is pretty bad. Id drop those for angon in an instant. 1 really wont have any notable effect at all. Deep breathing 5 used for offensive breaths will increase your breath damage (it adds TONS of acc and power to breaths) more than just piddly acc from strafe.

Cat 1s are pretty hard to mess up. Jump/High 5/5.
Cat 2 angon/DB/Empathy split up based on what you do/prefer. But killing mobs faster is ALWAYS good. Doesnt matter if your soloing crap mobs or fighting HNMs. Angon 5/5 is hard to argue with.

Mine:
Jump/High 5/5
Angon 5/5
Empathy 4/5
DB 1/5

I used to have angon-5, DB-5 at 75, but changed to the above after we got the new breath JA. Cure bombs on a 5min timer arent as important when you can double up spam with magic+JA breath, and it is more important to keep wyverns alive wth spirit/soul than ever so i use spirit link far more and care about buffs on wyvern for empathy now.

Edit: And very, VERY long ago, I had angon 5, Strafe 4 and DB 1. I was not impressed. still resisted on exp mobs like before.
 Fenrir.Skadoosh
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By Fenrir.Skadoosh 2011-08-17 23:34:56
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While were at it, is there any case in Spirit link recast? Not only for TP but because wyverns die mad fast
 Sylph.Siccmade
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By Sylph.Siccmade 2011-08-18 00:21:57
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Spirit Link for certain has its use but I didn't and wouldn't merit it.

For soloing and even DD purposes 5/5 Deep Breathing was a good time
but Aanalaty made some good points regarding changes from 75 cap merits.

I'm just getting back into DRG for this post-Abyssea XI.
 Siren.Thoraeon
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By Siren.Thoraeon 2011-08-18 00:24:49
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Sylph.Siccmade said: »
Spirit Link for certain has its use but I didn't and wouldn't merit it.

For soloing and even DD purposes 5/5 Deep Breathing was a good time
but Aanalaty made some good points regarding changes from 75 cap merits.

I'm just getting back into DRG for this post-Abyssea XI.

Yeah, I have 5/5 DB but Aanalaty's post is making me reconsider. I never really ride the timer. Good to have, but do I really need it every 5 minutes?
 Lakshmi.Thala
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By Lakshmi.Thala 2011-08-18 15:42:14
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Jump/High Jump, that's the easy part.

I love Deep Breathing, especially on a 5 minute timer. It's a fantastic emergency tool for soloing, and now that we have Restoring Breath, it doesn't go to complete waste on offensive subs. A while back, Angon 5 seemed like the obvious choice. However, I went with Additional Effect: Defense Down as my Magian polearm of choice, and that doesn't play well with Angon. So I maxed Empathy instead, which is pleasant but not fantastic. This also cleared up 2 inventory slots since I don't have to carry angon or dragoon's earring on me anymore. I recently got my vougier's contus, so I don't currently have the pleasure of def down, but I'm sure Magian will overtake it once again with the 95 update.

Granted, this is all pretty much up in the air since SE keeps talking about revamping merits, but as it stands right now, this is what I'm sticking with.
 Siren.Thoraeon
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By Siren.Thoraeon 2011-08-18 15:45:37
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-15% Defense =/= -20% Defense
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 Lakshmi.Thala
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By Lakshmi.Thala 2011-08-18 15:55:30
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I'd take -15% most of the time over -20% half of the time. I found the Magian proc rate to be pleasantly high, so that's where I would personally lean. Wouldn't think twice if someone wanted to take Angon for that reason though. Of course, in a perfect world, SE will bump a future upgrade from 15 to 20 ;)
 Siren.Thoraeon
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By Siren.Thoraeon 2011-08-18 16:01:19
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Yes, you will have the defense down on more consistantly, but you cannot argue that it is better than Angon. On stuff that matters, Angon will be better.
 Fenrir.Skadoosh
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By Fenrir.Skadoosh 2011-08-18 16:07:04
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Lakshmi.Thala said: »
I'd take -15% most of the time over -20% half of the time. I found the Magian proc rate to be pleasantly high, so that's where I would personally lean. Wouldn't think twice if someone wanted to take Angon for that reason though. Of course, in a perfect world, SE will bump a future upgrade from 15 to 20 ;)


I have the same polearm~ Though I don't always use it, it procs insanely often. Enough to make me reconsider having Angon when I used it. 15 > 20 when it's up the majority of the time ;)


Edit: and its free ;x
 Bahamut.Serj
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By Bahamut.Serj 2011-08-18 16:15:44
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Easy solution. Fully merit Angon and use a polearm that doesn't suck.
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 Fenrir.Skadoosh
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By Fenrir.Skadoosh 2011-08-18 16:19:42
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It's pretty solid for someone that can't play hours upon hours a day.
 Lakshmi.Aanalaty
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By Lakshmi.Aanalaty 2011-08-18 16:22:34
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There is also the point that the lack of angon is binding you to the def down weapon. Sure, 95 magian might beat lv 90 weapons, but there will be new rare/ex/AH weapons and other magians available that might become more appealing or split into new paths. You might get inspired to push for a rhongomont or something.

You are basically focusing your merits around a single weapon, so you are not really just comparing angon to the def down lance, your comparing the 0angon+def down lance combo against other lances+angon.

I generally dont reccomend meriting for specific weapons unless it is something like a relic/mythic that you will full time for the rest of your time in ffxi (for example, gugnir's def down would be a stronger case vs angon).

There is also benefit to an on-demand ability instead of 'hoping' it goes off. When you start a zerg, you want that angon NOW, not maybe halfway through. Also their is no resist rate based on monster levels or elemental affinities like the def down proc. I prefer reliable things myself. To me, 50% angon up is nicer than random procs on a weapon (even if it averages out to be up slightly more often than angon).

Preferences are preferences, but i certainly dont want to be tethered to just 1 weapon, unless that 1 weapon is of the highest caliber (mythic/relic/Empy, even OA2 i put here)
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 Asura.Werdxi
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By Asura.Werdxi 2011-08-18 16:33:11
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For group two merits, I did 5/5 deep breathing, 1/5 angon, 4/5 strafe. It's true that about nobody does this, but just cuz people do something or don't do something, doesn't mean its always right. ie: full timing af3+2 set. My reasoning for deep breathing is soloing or not soloing, a 5 minute cool-down on a breath that doubles in damage or a heal that is super strong cant hurt. Don't forget that you now have restoring and smiting breath, so no matter what your sub is for drg, you can take advantage of that. I did strafe because I WS on drg a LOT and the extra damage my wyvern does isn't insane but it adds up. If he breaths for 10 dmg, there was little point. So i do enjoy promoting that he doesn't get resisted and yes, I've noticed strafe does make a difference. Angon is awesome! but i generally use it, ws and that was pretty much it. If the extra merits reduced the recast to use it more often before a ws, that'd be different but it just increases the duration. similar but still different. That and I have the additional effect: defense down polearm, so the mob generally always has defense down anyways. I'm sure I'll get plenty of haters on me but that's what I merited.

Oh, and I forgot about empathy. Not a bad merit at all. I just don't generally promote things with "chances" cuz my luck sucks. I'd rather have the for-sure mag acc breaths than the occasional random buffs to my wyvern when I may not have buffs depending on my healer or I'll just keep giving him lame ***instead of the nice buffs. Just the way I look at it.
 Fenrir.Skadoosh
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By Fenrir.Skadoosh 2011-08-18 16:37:17
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I'm just saying its a viable option. It's not what I use, but I certainly don't think it "sucks".
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 Pandemonium.Ironguy
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By Pandemonium.Ironguy 2011-08-18 16:43:20
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Quote:
Merits for DRG.

war/sam
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 Ragnarok.Raenil
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By Ragnarok.Raenil 2011-08-18 17:02:18
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Pandemonium.Ironguy said: »
Quote:
Merits for DRG.
war/sam
WAR/SAM is for lazy people. :/

Badasses get 30k Alexandrites and all the other necessary goodies for a Ryunohige, cap it out, then kick the lazy peoples ***.

Especially since Kirschy found a 10%-15% DA increase on Mythic AM3.
 Pandemonium.Ironguy
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By Pandemonium.Ironguy 2011-08-18 17:24:26
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pretty sure i linked that post in a past thread, but regardless, kinda went over it before that saving all your offensive job abilities just so you can reapply mythic aftermath when it wears while warrior can use theirs freely and also gain two additional weapon skills over drg every three minutes, as well as 30% occasional double damage full time, WELL



my bet's on chris hemsworth
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 Ragnarok.Raenil
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By Ragnarok.Raenil 2011-08-18 17:38:39
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Uh, they make up two of the WS's that Ryunohige will have spammed.

And not even that considering Jumps will give an instant 100-200 TP, depending on DAs.

Also, Jumps aren't wasted because they're conveniently timed at half and the same as AM3 duration. Kinda nifty. I lied, 120 second duration. :<
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 Pandemonium.Ironguy
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By Pandemonium.Ironguy 2011-08-18 17:45:18
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still not seeing it

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 Ragnarok.Raenil
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By Ragnarok.Raenil 2011-08-18 17:50:23
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Should probably find a mage to Blindna you then. Or buy Eyedrops, I suppose.
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 Pandemonium.Ironguy
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By Pandemonium.Ironguy 2011-08-18 17:53:06
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i'm good
 Fenrir.Skadoosh
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By Fenrir.Skadoosh 2011-08-18 17:54:48
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Pandemonium.Ironguy said: »


lold
 Ragnarok.Raenil
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By Ragnarok.Raenil 2011-08-18 17:56:47
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Forgot that existed.
 Sylph.Derekroy
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By Sylph.Derekroy 2011-08-18 18:50:18
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I won't even mention group 1 merits since I'm hoping everyone does the same thing. Group 2 I did 5/5 Angon, 2/5 Deep Breathing, and 3/5 Empathy. Only reason I didn't put more into DB, is for the pure fact if you gear your DRG correct with the proper wyvern hp+ gear for your Healing Breath, you're gonna be pretty hard to take down unless you're being one shot. Especially after your wyvern levels up to it's max, you'll be curing your self for the hp you're missing which makes the boost from DB overkill and almost useless unless in dire need.
 Fenrir.Skadoosh
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By Fenrir.Skadoosh 2011-08-18 19:19:35
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With enough HP gear to trigger HB almost anytime, and the new JA, I'm considering you guys are right about 5/5 Deep Breathing being a little outdated :/ /remerits drg
 Ragnarok.Sekundes
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By Ragnarok.Sekundes 2011-08-18 20:01:38
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Fenrir.Skadoosh said: »
With enough HP gear to trigger HB almost anytime, and the new JA, I'm considering you guys are right about 5/5 Deep Breathing being a little outdated :/ /remerits drg

I use 5/5 Angon, 4/5 Empathy and 1/5 DB

I think one of my issues with DB is that it's one more thing you have to hit. When you are in critical condition spending an even small amount of time hitting that macro could delay your life saving cure long enough for a mob to drop you.

So the only time I'd really use it would be when such a delay might end it. I have 1 merit in DB just to have it and generally expend it on capping my hp with full hp gear still on to spirit link or putting out a little breath damage on physically resistant mobs. This is more of a playstyle choice than anything. Even on hard solos back at 75 I found that it just didn't make it worth it. Sure you get one big breath and then your back to spamming every few seconds anyway.

5-25 wyvern breath accuracy isn't worth it to me to loose something else. It helps sure and I don't deny this but I prefer other options. One of the reasons is that wyvern breaths are based on current wyvern hp. Many events are hard on the wyvern and it often dies. Merits in empathy help keep it alive. If you get even one decent buff out of a SL then it is likely to win out over strafe particularly if that buff is march or haste. If you get a restorative buff such as regen or a buff like protect/shell ect it'll keep your wyvern's hp higher resulting in better breaths. In any event where an empathy'ed buff saves your wyvern from death the damage difference in such an example is extremely lopsided in favor of empathy over strafe.
 Fenrir.Skadoosh
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By Fenrir.Skadoosh 2011-08-18 21:35:50
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Ragnarok.Sekundes said: »
I think one of my issues with DB is that it's one more thing you have to hit. When you are in critical condition spending an even small amount of time hitting that macro could delay your life saving cure long enough for a mob to drop you.

Now that you mention it, thats so true ;x
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