[Blueyes]

Just a little curious about this one. Slug Shot is obviously a popular favorite and seems to be considered the strongest weapon skill, yet I hear about people making setups for Detonator too. Under what circumstances would someone want to use Detonator over Slug Shot? What about Leaden Salute?

[Arkley]

LS for high-def mobs or if you happen to be using peacemaker, or to close darkness, but not if the mob has high magic def. Deto for high eva mobs (example; I find it better to use Deto for THF or NIN mamools, rather than sit on TP and wait for the next mob or risk a whiff with Slug) or to close Light, Slug for almost everything else.

[Corrderio]

I can imagine Detonator being more favorable on greater colibri since it's not as inaccurate as slugshot. For Leaden, it's probably best used on mobs resistant to physical attacks or HNMs if you got a valid source for TP gain.

[Dantaro]

I can imagine Detonator being more favorable on greater colibri since it's not as inaccurate as slugshot. For Leaden, it's probably best used on mobs resistant to physical attacks or HNMs if you got a valid source for TP gain.

Bleeeeh, I accidentally reset my browser and cleared my post. I'll write tl;dr version now I guess.


Slug Shot is easy to hit on Greater Colibri, their eva isn't nearly as bad as NIN and THF mamools. You use Detonator on mobs that have such serious evasion that you'd need a flat out R.Acc build to hit them. Its also good if you're getting to WS on HNMs, but that's pretty rare.

But really, on EXP mobs Slug Shot should always out perform any other WS we get. Even if we look at just the damage modifier by TP, Slug shot is a consistent 5, while the highest Detonator gets is 2.5 @ 300TP. Your gear would have to overcome that 2.5 difference, plus whatever gear your have for Slug Shot.

[Corrderio]

Guess it can sorta depends on the COR. Sometimes Slug Shot seems like it never wants to land for me. However I did fiddle around w/ my WS gear a bit. Just haven't done a lot of testing since I'm scared to death of LFG on COR

[Wakmidget]

I usually end up using Slug Shot primarily at Greater Colibri camp, their evasion isn't that bad. If you tweak your gear well enough you can actually even use meat there. Which is awesome.

Usually I stick with Detonator and Sole Sushi at mamool camps, even on the non-THF/NIN mobs, they tend to be more dick-head with evasion. Though I do still pop Slug Shot on the Sea Puks, if I happen to be at one of the two Mamool Ja Staging Point Camps.

Leaden Salute I usually stay away from just because the gear/sub job you would need to make it optimal makes it not even worth my time and would take too long to get TP for it IMO.

Pluto's Staff, /rdm, and spamming iron/bronze bullets seems like a waste of gil/time IMO. When you could be helping back up you WHM or RDM more at those instances.

Not saying anything about /rdm. I love the SJ if I can afford to use it for QD. Just Leaden Salute is just too inefficient a WS to try to use perfect gear for unless your just looking for a screenshot.

[KadajPhD]

I pop on Martial Gun and just stack STR on Detonator for birds. Its pretty decent but Slug Shot damage is obviously better.

Also, don't be so sure about Leaden Salute on HNM, its actually quite terrible. Doesn't work much like Quick Draw does. I was hoping they'd have made it like just one big fat Quick Draw, but no dice.

[rambus]

I pop on Martial Gun and just stack STR on Detonator for birds. Its pretty decent but Slug Shot damage is obviously better.

Also, don't be so sure about Leaden Salute on HNM, its actually quite terrible. Doesn't work much like Quick Draw does. I was hoping they'd have made it like just one big fat Quick Draw, but no dice.

I found that funny being said in a cor forum but i wanted to give some food for thought.

on Ixion when i died as rng and would build up 300 TP for Empyreal arrow it did more damage then sidewinder. I am not sure if slug shot and detonator compares the same way since slug shot/detonater has no secondary str mod where archery counterpart do and empyreal arrow is said to do 3.00 vs 2.50 according to wiki

point being a 5 vs 3 and the 3 doing more, maybe there is something aobut high def mobs idoono

[luckykrazy]

I'm not really quite sure why, but generally my Detonator numbers are on par or higher (generally on par) with Slug Shot on Greater Colibri. On Mamool Ja it's the same story, so mayhaps it's the way I'm geared.. am I gearing myself wrong on slug shot? I stack a lot of r.acc onto slug and next to no r.acc on Detonator. Also, I only ever merit with Brd and my requirements are Drk+Cor rolls with Minuet (If the PT can't handle Drk+Cor I'm not in it, lol).

Detonator:

Joyeuse / Beaters / Martial / Steel
AF1 / Light Gorget / Drone / Drone
Denali / Alkyoneus / Rajas / Triumph
Amemet +1 / Warwolf / AF2 / AF1

Slug:

Joyeuse / Beaters / Martial / Steel
AF1 / Light Gorget / Drone / Drone
AF1 / Blood Guantlets / Behe +1 / Behe +1
Amemet +1 / Warwolf / Denali (Yah I know) / AF1

(I replace a drone with beaters on slug build if /rng.. and use warwolf on slug build as /rng as well but replace with the r.acc+5 waist piece when /war)

My detonators on G.Colibri with Minuet/Chaos/Subs range around 1200-1300 while my slugs range from 1100-1600 .. but generally staying in the lower end of the spectrum. I tend to use Detonator onry since I know I won't miss since I use subs. If I don't use subs and use sushi to make sure slugs land.. I lose damage.

Also, I generally only sub /war on colibri and /rng on MMJ. I don't do /nin or /whm so yah..

Anyways, long post over.. question is bolded. :-/ Thanks!

[Wakmidget]

I'm not really quite sure why, but generally my Detonator numbers are on par or higher (generally on par) with Slug Shot on Greater Colibri. On Mamool Ja it's the same story, so mayhaps it's the way I'm geared.. am I gearing myself wrong on slug shot? I stack a lot of r.acc onto slug and next to no r.acc on Detonator. Also, I only ever merit with Brd and my requirements are Drk+Cor rolls with Minuet (If the PT can't handle Drk+Cor I'm not in it, lol).

Detonator:

Joyeuse / Beaters / Martial / Steel
AF1 / Light Gorget / Drone / Drone
Denali / Alkyoneus / Rajas / Triumph
Amemet +1 / Warwolf / AF2 / AF1

Slug:

Joyeuse / Beaters / Martial / Steel
AF1 / Light Gorget / Drone / Drone
AF1 / Blood Guantlets / Behe +1 / Behe +1
Amemet +1 / Warwolf / Denali (Yah I know) / AF1

(I replace a drone with beaters on slug build if /rng.. and use warwolf on slug build as /rng as well but replace with the r.acc+5 waist piece when /war)

My detonators on G.Colibri with Minuet/Chaos/Subs range around 1200-1300 while my slugs range from 1100-1600 .. but generally staying in the lower end of the spectrum. I tend to use Detonator onry since I know I won't miss since I use subs. If I don't use subs and use sushi to make sure slugs land.. I lose damage.

Also, I generally only sub /war on colibri and /rng on MMJ. I don't do /nin or /whm so yah..

Anyways, long post over.. question is bolded. :-/ Thanks!

My gear is very similar to yours with a few exceptions.

Slug Shot: Martial Gun/ Steel Bullets

AF +1/ Light Gorget/ Drone Earring/ Drone Earring
Denali/ CFG/ Behemoth Ring +1/ Behemoth Ring +1
Amemet Mantle +1/ AF2/ AF2/ AF +1

Detonator: Same as Slug Shot except I swap in 2 Flame Rings for the Behemoth Rings +1.

I use subs on Colibri, and Sole Sushi on mamools, and /war to both camps.

1600 is usually my low end with the same buffs, and go as high as about 2100-2200. I don't know why your Slug Shots are so low. Not too much difference in our setups.

[Toth]

My gear is very similar to yours with a few exceptions.

Slug Shot: Martial Gun/ Steel Bullets

AF +1/ Light Gorget/ Drone Earring/ Drone Earring
Denali/ CFG/ Behemoth Ring +1/ Behemoth Ring +1
Amemet Mantle +1/ AF2/ AF2/ AF +1

Detonator: Same as Slug Shot except I swap in 2 Flame Rings for the Behemoth Rings +1.

I use subs on Colibri, and Sole Sushi on mamools, and /war to both camps.

1600 is usually my low end with the same buffs, and go as high as about 2100-2200. I don't know why your Slug Shots are so low. Not too much difference in our setups.

He could be partying with RDMs who don't Dia II/III mobs or BRDS who double cast march (not that there's anything totally wrong with that). Factors like that.

On topic, as /WAR, with a good DRK roll and my af2 hat procing, I generally hit 1300 with slug shot and 1k detonator w/o Berserk up and with Zerk, I'll gotten up my slugs to 1850 on birds and 1.3k on Mamool Jas. I've never tried couerl subs though so at my next camp, I'm curious to see the effect on my damage.

For everything else, from salvage bosses to einhejar, I'll go with the reliable Detonator. It really does great damage and it's very accurate.

[Wakmidget]

He could be partying with RDMs who don't Dia II/III mobs or BRDS who double cast march (not that there's anything totally wrong with that). Factors like that.

On topic, as /WAR, with a good DRK roll and my af2 hat procing, I generally hit 1300 with slug shot and 1k detonator w/o Berserk up and with Zerk, I'll gotten up my slugs to 1850 on birds and 1.3k on Mamool Jas. I've never tried couerl subs though so at my next camp, I'm curious to see the effect on my damage.

For everything else, from salvage bosses to einhejar, I'll go with the reliable Detonator. It really does great damage and it's very accurate.

I don't get dia 2/3 either, unless rare occasions, and if I do I usually break 2200.

I assume march/ minuet as normal for birds.

[luckykrazy]

He could be partying with RDMs who don't Dia II/III mobs or BRDS who double cast march (not that there's anything totally wrong with that). Factors like that.

On topic, as /WAR, with a good DRK roll and my af2 hat procing, I generally hit 1300 with slug shot and 1k detonator w/o Berserk up and with Zerk, I'll gotten up my slugs to 1850 on birds and 1.3k on Mamool Jas. I've never tried couerl subs though so at my next camp, I'm curious to see the effect on my damage.

For everything else, from salvage bosses to einhejar, I'll go with the reliable Detonator. It really does great damage and it's very accurate.

You are correct, Toth. I don't have any Rdm friends really and the Rdm or Whm in my PT never Dia II/III .. like .. EVER. That's one major thing. Another is my detonators CAN get up to 1600-1800 if I have a good XI chaos, it's just not happenin' a lot. As for slugs I've done a few 2000+ and some 2500+ (with rdm who DID dia 3) but yah, no Rdm.. and it's rare as hell. As for using zerk .. yah it kicks my damage up 200~ or so damage when it's up but I wasn't including it in any of my damage.

I just don't know why my damage isn't as high as everyone elses 2000~ constant slugs they say they get. Is Dia III really hurting mah damage that much? To make it do 500~ more damage? Also, my Brds always do Minuet + March generally.

If Dia isn't doing it, is it my lack of 8 marksmanship merits? I opted for 8 sword, 4 dagger, 4 marks because I have Dnc as well and future Blu.. so sword just seemed like the smart thing to merit to 8. I don't see 8 skill in marksmanship helping THAT much. ;( I is sad panda until I hit constant 2000~ slugs considering I KNOW I'm a good Cor.. just, ugh.. yah.

[Wakmidget]

Another is my detonators CAN get up to 1600-1800 if I have a good XI chaos, it's just not happenin' a lot.

How do you achieve this? I seem to hit some kind of attack cap with Detonator at Colibri when I use meat. I can't go past 1200-1300.

Whether I have Just Chaos Roll, Or Chaos Roll & Minuet, or Chaos Roll, Minuet, and Berserk up, it always come out 1200+ on my Detonators.

[Kilhart]

I think the highest Detonator I've gotten on birds is around 2300, but yeah, obviously there's the obvious lower fTP to explain the lower damage. I highly doubt your attack would be capped; try some Angon or Dia line and you'll see that your pDIF definitely isn't capped.

[Wakmidget]

I think the highest Detonator I've gotten on birds is around 2300, but yeah, obviously there's the obvious lower fTP to explain the lower damage. I highly doubt your attack would be capped; try some Angon or Dia line and you'll see that your pDIF definitely isn't capped.

How come it seems like buffs add no extra damage to Detonator than? I get the same damage from Chaos roll only as I do from Chaos/Minuet/Berserk all up at the same time when I use subs at birds.

[Toth]

How come it seems like buffs add no extra damage to Detonator than? I get the same damage from Chaos roll only as I do from Chaos/Minuet/Berserk all up at the same time when I use subs at birds.

Perhaps Detonator reaches a cap?

[Wakmidget]

Perhaps Detonator reaches a cap?

That's what I assumed, but Kilhart says no in his post just above mine.

[Kilhart]

Is there an actual damage cap on it? Not that I know of. Is there a PDIF and fSTR2 cap on it? Of course.

[Toth]

Is there an actual damage cap on it? Not that I know of. Is there a PDIF and fSTR2 cap on it? Of course.

That's what I was referring too. Sorry for the confusion.