String Theory: A Puppetmaster's Guide *NEW*

I saw PUPdate!!!! Also another tier for the ambu weapons... Can't wait to see the stats

Pluralism there again in "attachments", so it's more than one.

I wonder..

Anyone who has R15 kenkon, what are your numbers like in dynamis?
I'm getting around 13-16k depending on MS procs and thats probably the weapon I'm going to R15 first.

I'm afraid to commit to it when Nagi is the best weapon in the game

Would be nice if they made Harlequin more useful, but I can't think of any niche it could fill at this point. I'd much rather have a viable BLMaton, to be honest.

Regarding Dyna numbers: they're hard to compare because it all depends on buffs and which zone you're doing. Orcs will take way more damage than Quadav would, for example. With full buffs I was doing 20k-25k with a R0 KKK on Orcs in any case, but I haven't used it in Dyna in a while since I've been leveling my Xiucoatls.

Yeah I should have been a little more specific sorry, considering wave 3 how have you done, and I know it will vary depending on the mob since some of the fomors prob have crit defense bonus.

From what I read most pups are just doing full auto stuff and not worrying mcuh about themselves

Unfortunately my dyna group is full of PUP haters, so I haven't been able to bring PUP to wave 3/MB wins since the first few weeks after it was added to dyna when maton pulling was still relevant. I've only been using it for Wave 1/2 farming lately, but using Path B Xiucoatl I parse roughly around (above average) BLU or MNK tier. R15 KKK would do much better though.

Adjusting automation attachments in the next update. I hope they don’t nerf it

PUP attachments hardly have enough going for them to deserve a nerf. Overdrive is our strongest tool and it wasn't mentioned.

would love if they removed the AI change from the inhibitors and slapped that onto speedloaders instead, and possibly lowering the +% on flame holder/ice maker but not eating them up in the process, would make both melee and nuke frames less of an annoyance to use

We'd welcome you as PUP lol

Is anyone else reading 'various additions and adjustments to Automaton attachments' as getting new attachments? Or as existing attachments gaining additional abilities?

"Additions to attachments" reads like they might add some secondary bonuses to some attachments similar to how Inhibitors give both STP and AI changes or how ARKs give both HP+ and Regen.

Honestly, while I'd welcome new attachments, I wish they'd just improve the old ones to make most of them useful enough that attachment setups require more interesting choices. Also new maton WSs on par with merit WSs that are strong even outside of Overdrive would be nice (I've probably already mentioned that 3 times or more on the PUP forums).


Lol thanks, but I still get to come PUP for Wave 1 and 2 clears, so it's not all bad. Feel free to hit me up if you want to do any other stuff together, though.

Hoping for... ANY AOE hate grabbing thing. Foil. Flashga. Hell a BLU simulator lol. Any form of better magic evasion. Likely to fix/adjust resister to cover meva.

Maybe faster usage on some tools, the cool down is far to high on somethings. Very likely magic related fixes, as literally no one uses blm automatons.

To be completely honest, automatons are the only and exceptionally well balanced. Every complaint has a logical reason. Except MEVA and Magic. They took the negative argument on both sides of magic offense and defense. But magic as a whole needs an update... so....

I use BLM automaton. x.x
You can get some pretty good magic bursts with ice maker,macc/Matt attachments and gear, and go debuffs.

We don't need PUP to win/be efficient at anything zzz

Maybe they are adding m.eva to mana jammers

if i had to dream.... (what i want it to be)

smoke screen - dec acc inc evasion - (adds foil to automaton)
mana jammer - adds mdb (add meva too)
heat seaker - gradualy adds 30 acc (adjust to 100 acc)
replicator - when hp low, gives shadows (gives shadows 1x 60 seconds)
inhibitor - stp + wierd ai *** (remove wierd ai ***)
tranquilizer - increase macc (increase it more)
loud speaker - increas matb (increase it more)
power cooler - reduce mp cost (gives ice spikes)
amplifier - add magic burst bonus + ai stuff (100% chance to reset elemental recast on skill chain)
galvanizer - adds counter (adds shock spikes as well)

This is another example of why I love subjective pov in this forum. Especially for Dynamis D for which I have seen:

- MNK claiming to be able to parse near top on
- PUP claiming he/she parse similar to MNK and BLU, but with possibility to improve with better weapon.
- BLU claiming he parses highest, even with accuracy issues
- DRG claiming he parses highest and doing 3x more WS than other DDs. Bonus here is that he also claims that burning 2 jumps to make 2750+250TP WS with Kaja Lance and then wait for TP to make 1750+250TP WSs is even better for wave 3
- people claiming they use RNGs and CORs for Dynamis D, because those jobs are just far ahead of anything else for wave 3 and this is probably only thing so far, that I could easily believe to be a fact.
- Surprisingly I haven't seen SAMs claiming to parse highest.
- Even more surprisingly I haven't seen DRKs or WARs claiming to parse highest, while I think they might have the highest chance for that between melee jobs.


Ofc everyone claims that their competition have no lags, best gear and are top players on their jobs.

Some of those people can be right, but all of them cant XD

Hmm, the internet is full of bullshitters you say? Nah can't be.

I mean, as far as I'm concerned my TP and WS gear for my PUP are pretty much BiS aside from R15 KKK and amazing DM augments, while the other people in my group can probably still improve considerably. So the results are kinda skewed in my favor and my PUP would definitely fall behind compared to BiS BLU and MNK.

In any case, in our group the DP CORs pretty much always take the #1 spot for Wave 1/2 farms.

It's not even that. I think they just live in their own game reality and actually believe that their statements are true.

fwiw thats how it works irl too broseph.

Neak solo video, if anybody cares. Not an interesting fight, more like a proof of concept:



Direct link if the embedded video doesn't work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N2z3HeQiRo

Edit: Disruptor/Regulator do not work on Neak's Blaze Spikes. Lots of Dawn Mulsums are a must to attempt this safely.

I also tested Regulator on Pakecet and it cannot deal with its Dread Spikes, either.

Aerix, do you think it's possible to solo The Moonlit Path II and Fenrir?

New Attachments and Attachment Adjustments.

@ Aerix - Nice Solo on neak.

Question for you. You are using Regulator Attachment. But i never saw you use any dark manuevers to use its absorb attribute. What is the purpose of having it on the hybrid set?

Out of curiosity, what sort of automaton setup/attachments you using?

I tend not to come PUP for any sigificant source of DPS, but I do use PUP in a more tank-oriented role in Dyna clear runs. My group likes PUP to tank wave 2/3 bosses. It's our preferred method for Bastok wave 2, and it's pretty good on Disjoined zone bosses + frees up the other tank(s) to focus on adds when they pop. We use PLD to sac fetter mobs in wave 3, and automaton as backup in case mobs get loose. And a bonus, automaton no longer causes Zantensuken spam, though the normal Zantetsuken will still OHKO the puppet so you'll want 2+ tanks.

When I did bring PUP for wave 1/2 farming ages ago, I'd just mess around with master+puppet melee and performed fine. Pretty consistent with what Aerix said, ended up doing average melee DD numbers with R0 Kenkonken and top end TP/WS gear. I occasionally busted out the BLM puppet for statue killing (and just did full master-focused melee on the beastmen mobs), but I can't see it beating a melee puppet for overall DPS. However, the flexibility to use a nuke puppet and get rid of annoying statues can be pretty helpful if you're light on magic damage in a farm group (like us, where we generally let everyone come whatever job they want for farming as long as we have a tank and some heals).

Yeah, the Moonlight Path II and even Waking the Beast II are very doable, like all of the merit Avatar HTBFs. I usually go PUP/RDM to do all the procs with Dia 2, Deploy, Pet WS and if absolutely necessary melee WS with Tactical Switch/Frontier Soda/Icarus Wings. Just keep in mind you have to redo procs every time the Avatar 1hrs.

Just make sure to equip Mana Jammer IV and Steam Jacket and your Automaton should be able to tank through most of the magic damage during OD. Bring oils and Dawn Mulsums for safety, though.


Thanks!

I mentioned the thing about Regulator in the Youtube description, but I originally had it equipped to deal with Neak's Thornsong that buffs him with extremely powerful Blaze Spikes. The first time I killed him (unrecorded), the Blaze Spikes were the only thing that dealt any serious damage and it cost me 10+ Dawn Mulsums just to keep my maton alive for the kill. So I had hoped to dispel them, but sadly neither Disruptor or Regulator activated on Thornsong with Dark Maneuvers in subsequent fights.

I considered remaking my video because of that, but Neak is such a boring fight outside of Blaze Spikes that I didn't feel very motivated.


When I melee, I use the VE/SS combo with Attuner, Target Marker, Coiler II, Stabilizer IV, Tension Spring IV, 2x Inhibitors, 2x Turbo Chargers, 2x Optic Fibers. Light/Wind/Fire or Wind/Firex2 depending on AoE situation. Defensive attachments are practically never needed for meleeing as ARKIV keeps the Automaton alive just fine (Repair when necessary).

I forewent the Speedloaders because, unlike Inhibitors, they add a 3+ delay to skillchain closing because of the multistep AI, whereas Inhibitors without SLs usually make the Automaton close skillchains for me almost instantly (it sometimes even closes when several people are spamming WSs). That behavior is the reason why I'm not 100% on board with removing the SC behavior for Inhibitors, because it makes it possible for matons to SC quickly and reliably for MBing. Skillchain damage is also pretty low in several zones depending on what statue eye color you pull, so the bonus from Speedloaders is kinda wasted.
I added Stabilizer IV and Tension Spring IV instead because Wave 2 mobs can be pretty evasive and tanky and Coiler 1 isn't really worth it without Thunder maneuvers.

I usually only switch to BLM maton for midboss, but with our CORs closing into 50k+ Leaden with 100k Darkness I don't get to MB very much anyway.

Sooo... appearently we're "just" getting new attachments and adjustments to old ones.

No other adjustment to the job. Oh well, better than nothing I guess...

What were you hoping for specifically?