Sam Gear Lvl 99

For uncapped attack: Prosilio > Caudata > Beir +1

Thanks Llewelyn^^

Looking through the posted sets it seems that unkai legs +2 are still optimal is this true in most circumstances with hasso up?

I dont have anything near a gear set like the ones on here but wanted to make sure I shouldnt be using phorcys Dirs over unkai haidate.

Hasso up= Unkai haidate+2

The only time you would wear anything else is -dt or tanking with seigan and saotome+2, hasso should always be up.

Mob spamming dispel gear set, sup.

Hm I'd say Unkai Kabuto+2/Phorcys Dirs is a better combo for moderate defensive situations, since you can maintain capped haste/x-build that way.

But personally, I find myself slapping on my DT- set more often than swapping to Seigan set, especially if the mob I fight puts me in low HP - even with Regen 5/Embrava.

Getting hate is not the same as tanking, and no. If you're focused on damage, you have hasso up, period. If you're focused on survival, you have -dt gear, if you're tanking, saotome+2 for seigan/third eye.

Hasso DD
Hasso Hybrid -DT
Seigan DD
Hasso Full -DT
Seigan Oh ***

Reason you'd have Seigan-DD build is because you will find several mid-target mobs that has very high attack-rate. Charybdis in NNI is a good example of that. With zerk-up, each hit did around 180-200 with phalanx/Prot5 on. Riding Hasso on this w/o fanatics is unwise as it can decimate you rather easy with just its melee hits - especially combined with its TP move. Assuming you're solo DD on it.

However, Charybdis not that great of a threat if you have a SCH rdy to spam cures. It has low HP.

So Seigan-DD set in this case allows a bigger window of cures to be cast while maintaining good DMG output - resulting in a faster kill opposite to Saotome Haidate +2 that would make you kill slower to begin with.

Unkai Kabuto+2 does also gives a flat 5% counter rate regardless of Third Eye is up or not when is Seigan active.

That said, I rarly use this set, except those few situations as described above.

Perfect example of when a Hybrid Hasso DD set should be used.

Terrible example of when SAM should be used.

If you're building a set around embrava, you'd have no reason to drop Hasso, nothing in nyzul including NM's should be alive long enough for a hybrid seigan set to make any sense. I specifically saved my 2hr for those problematic NM's, there wasn't much that a few double light SC's would survive.

You mean NNI or something else in the post?

Think he means on a mob with a really high attack rate, SAM tears nyzul apart.

Sacrificing attack speed to anticipate/counter more would do more harm than good is the point I'm making.

I'm aware, which is why I was confused, but I guess that can make sense? I don't know many mobs that fall into that category so I don't really think about it much.

Every attack you counter is damage you dont' take and damage the mob does... with AM3 up you can produce some really decent DoT with a counter set.

That's a broad generalization you're making. Of course you swap to Seigan if it means difference between dying or staying alive.

The situation I decribed is when you engage this solo as melees are scattered. 2hrs/DD JA's and fanatics aren't always avail either at the time you engage.

Pretty sure SAM is very viable in NNI.

I wouldn't consider Sam a solo job, the instances like you're using of say a mnk mob hundred fists without a mage nearby, counter or pdt are your only real survival options, assuming 2hr and fanatics aren't available. I still insist from experience that riding seigan/third eye in counter and pdt while third eye is down is the best option. Stp is a non issue in nyzul anyway because of embrava.

Anyways, the instances when Seigan is used is very rare. So whatever you put there can be justifed I suppose.

Jassik, have you checked if it adds more anticipation/counter from NQ? Seems from tests I read NQ added about 10%. I can't find any info on +2

I haven't seen any conclusive testing, but I see a noticable difference in counter rate via parse.

The T2 in East Ronfaure hit me about 4-5 times durring hundred fists a while back, they are definately worth having for the relitively cheap price of journies. There are still quite a few NM's that sam is the ideal tank for.

There was some recent testing on it from this post on. Saotome haidate +2 supposedly add 25% to counter rate which is pretty substantial when you consider counter rate bonuses from other sources.

There is a base counter rate on seigan as well as the 5% from +2 head while third eye is up, I'd say you're looking at a solid 40%+ assuming no other counter gear. If you counter 40% of the attacks plus attacks you don't counter but still anticipate, you're negating about probably 75% of the damage you would take, which generally beats a PDT set, but probably lets embrava/regen5 keep you topped off.

Current testing indicates that base counter rate on Seigan+Third Eye may be as high as 25%, so that's 50% with just the legs and JA, 71% or so when accounting for Zanshin and Unkai Kabuto +2 bonuses, so around a 67% chance to counter. That's not something to shake a stick at when you consider that you're completely avoiding damage while dealing a decent amount through the counter, all while being guaranteed to at least avoid the attack if not counter it. The average rate of damage mitigation for Third Eye, when applicable, should be pretty damn high, and you're gaining back most of the damage you're losing by wearing the pants and whatnot, if not a small surplus, via counter damage.

That said, situations where third eye or complete damage mitigation are necessary are few and far between, and a lot of the things that you'd want to mitigate that way can't be anticipated or countered.

Could do Tenryu hands/AF3+2 body, but I was just playing around. Pretty balanced set for DT/Eva/Counter/Seigan and some DD stats.

Everythign on the top line besides Duplus needs to go though

If you want to go to extremes, you can keep mobs pretty damn near stun locked with quint spear and leg sweep. You also have blade bash and Tachi: Hobaku to start off.

Hundred fists ain't got ***on SAM

Thinking about how HELP I AM TRAPPED IN 2006 PLEASE SEND A TIME MACHINE high a Koga SAM's counter rate could be is kinda hot

Edit: rechecked BG after saying this in case more info was actually available... that's hot