[Madawc]

Hello

Every now and then we get asked the "which item is better" question. Well I thought why not start at the top and work our way down. What is the BEST equipment for Dark Knight?

By finding out what is the best set, we can then examine it and compare it to our own set. If we are missing a piece we can draw up and "second best" set. And for each iteration we will work our way down to a set that is obtianable or a set we already own.

First we must ask outselves, what a Dark Knight need to maximize output damage. The awnser is math.

Haste will exponentionally rise damage, it is one of the four most important stats we want for our DRK.
Accuracy, without it we may half our damage output.
STR & Attack, calculated vs enemy defence and rises avarage damage.
Double Attack, is it overrated?

Haste:
The "cap" for equipment haste is belived to be 25%, adding further haste will have no use and will take up valuable space for accuracy and attack. However, if you plan on hitting the 25% mark by just adding gear you will have not much room left for other stats. Is there another way? Yes it is, our relic, the Apocalypse will add 10% Haste after WS, this is known as "aftermath". So, since Haste exponentionally rise damage we want to place our haste at the 25% cap. We must find 15% Haste from all equipment combinations, and then choose which pieces will make our "Opus Magnum".

Accuracy:
From experiance we want to keep this at +40~45. This will cover most IT mobs. Important equipment for accuracy is Apocalypse, ring, body and scythe skill.

STR & Attack:
Our ATK is calculated vs enemy defence. ATK/DEF ratio caps at ~2.4, any more attack will show little improvement.

Double Attack:
This stat is important for ONE slot in our equipment, Brutal Earring ( 5% DA ) No other earpiece can compare for pure damage. Pole Grip and Ares's Cuisses ( both 2% DA ) may show importance if you do not have "perfect" gear. In some situations where Store TP is suffecient, Pole Grip may not perform as well as Sword Strap. As for Ares's Cuisses; Onyx Cuisses are better for dps! This statement can be proven by the formula:
Weapon Damage * ( ATK/DEF ) * DA

Weapon Damage * ( ATK/DEF ) * DA_2% < Weapon Damage * ( ATK+16/DEF ) * DA_0% ? ( is the statement true )
Which boils down to: 1,02*ATK < ATK+16, for what ATK is this statement true? Awnser: it is true for all ATK/DEF <= 2.4! Onyx > Ares's.


So, we want 25% Haste, 40+ Accuracy and all the attack we can get our hands on! The following set is belived to be the best TP piece with aftermath.


*Champion's Galea is agumented with 5% Haste and 2 STR

This set nets us:
Attack + 89
Haste + 15%
Accuracy +44
Double Attack +7%


Now, you may say: I don't have that!
Well, now we iterate! Subtract gear, add gear you have or can obtain. Try to keep Haste at 15%, Accuracy 40+ and maximze attack.

Here are three examples:


This set nets us:
Attack + 68
Haste + 15%
Accuracy + 53
Double Attack +7%



This set nets us:
Attack + 69
Haste + 15%
Accuracy + 49
Double Attack +7%



This set nets us:
Attack + 63
Haste + 15%
Accuracy + 52
Double Attack +7%


Maybe Champion's Galea with Store TP +4 and Rose Strap will give us a neat set. I'll have to look into that!

[Stilm]

Isn't Cata's haste outside of all haste types? Not magic, not JA and not gear? This is what I thought at least...

[Saxonian]

Cata counts a gear haste, so only need 16% from gear to cap it afaik.

Madawc seems to have a strange obsession w/ Black gear though. Getting a 5hit w/ Apoc would probably be the best dmg overall though, because it means you can guillo inbetween reapplying Cata, but I don't have an apoc so I can't testify this from experience.

Also, I thought the haste cap from gear was 26% due to the way ffxi truncated shit?

[Sakka_Valefor]

Uh, wouldn't Ares' Cuisses be better than Onyx Cuisses in that first setup?

[Saxonian]

Yeah.

[Chriscoffey]

If any of you are wondering a better Apocalypse set up I would have to recommend UNG.s. I have not personally saw it but after i redid some calculations i can see where he could get one which would allow you with max haste as I plan on doing to chain cata for drk SC after initial WS. It is some off the wall weird shit but gets the job done per se. I dont think UNG can actually do his without LR being active but with haste belt he could. BTW without LR active and if im assuming correctly on SC properties after the first WS on a skillchain you get a pause of 1 second then 5 seconds to WS another in to connect to make one. Now with my set up its roughly 1.8 seconds a swing so 4 hit builds and TP being right after first WS you could start chaining but this is a small window to even do this in so. It would still take some luck i believe since at least for me my ping time to SE servers are complete shit. I believe that to be what i would do but i could be wrong. Add in the correct info if im off base but i'm pretty sure you can full time that set up but i know its taking some weird store TP combo.

[Sakka_Valefor]

Saxonian, on 12 September 2009 - 03:39 PM, said:

Yeah.

Thought so. (I don't even have DRK leveled, lolmadawc?)

[Saxonian]

Sakka_Valefor, on 13 September 2009 - 03:07 PM, said:

Thought so. (I don't even have DRK leveled, lolmadawc?)

He's actually made some decent contributions to the Drk forum recently so I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[UNCTGTG]

Saxonian, on 13 September 2009 - 07:01 PM, said:

He's actually made some decent contributions to the Drk forum recently so I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Yes he has,

Also Madwac you need a total of 15.6% haste from gear and WS haste from Cata to get your capped haste.

Capped equipment haste is 25.6%.

Honestly I only use my new Spartan helm for WS.

[Eurlin]

Stole this out of the Rose Strap thread as reference if you'd want to count in COR Rolls as part of the build or not.

Quote

Sorry just started reading this thread, cause I have been busy last two weeks with finals, but what your saying with this strap is WS and 4 hits and you are back at 100TP? So with Sam roll it will put you at an easier WS 3 hit build?

Quote

For you That's only possible with a COR hitting 2 or 11 with a SAM in the party, or using a set up like:

White Thathulm
Strap
Aurum Cuirass
Raja's Ring
Brutal
and the new expansion head with 4sTP on it

If he rolls a 2 that's 42 sTP +23sTP from equip = 65sTP

BUT if you eat Carbonara with Apoc you can use just

Aurum Cuirass
Strap
Raja's Ring
Brutal Earring

If the COR rolls a 2

(Total sTP needed for Apoc is 80)

Which is prolly the best way to go assuming you get that lucky


a standard DRK using Guillotine has alot more wiggle room because of the extra hits.

A COR needs to roll nothing lower than 2, 10 or 11 in order for us to maintain the 3 hit, but that's not using Carbonara, or any true sTP for WS

Using just

Strap
Aurum Cuirass
White Thathulm
Chivalrous Chain
Brutal Earring
Raja's Ring

And a 10 from a COR roll
You'll be able to WS in just

Strap
Brutal Earring
Raja's Ring
and the COR Roll

You -must- connect all 4 hits on guillotine to maintain the 3 hit tho.

Eatting Carbonara allows you to drop the COR to only needing to hit 8-11 (plus lucky number)

Note that the sTP you'd need would change if you feel you'd get hit more often to help with the lack of sTP from the roll.

[Chriscoffey]

I think also when you take into accout X hit set up need to make sure you know what you are fighting accuracy wise. If you can't hit you can't do shit.

[Eurlin]

eh, Read the thread it was all done to capped accuracy for Merit parties because you won't ever need a 3 hit nor will you see one on anything higher.

Apoc has alot to play with for gear selection plus this didn't take away any haste so you still maintained capped haste.


I'm sure it's all in there somewhere. i just don't care enough to find it all. Any case you could just use Diabolic Eye or Hasso as well, we have alot of help to keep capped accuracy in parties now. especially Apoc DRKs

[Taint]

I was a lolsash away from capped DRKgear.

Ares legs > Onyx for just about everything, esp. when considering a top geared DRK should be spamming R.Curry. The goal esp with top tier gear is to swing as many times as possible as fast as possible. The other consideration is with top gear you will be pulling hate and you will be fighting mobs with heavy AoE both which make Onyx gear a WS only at best selection.



(I sold most of my sellable gear to finish another relic, of which I am a dynamis drop and some XP away from equiping)

[Saxonian]

Taint, on 14 September 2009 - 09:00 PM, said:

(I sold most of my sellable gear to finish another relic, of which I am a dynamis drop and some XP away from equiping)

Ragnorak I hope!

[Chriscoffey]

I want to see the calculations for capping accuracy at Mamool camp for nin/thfs with Cab. because it wont happen with couple of those gear selections above hence why i said know what mob you are fighting. Souleter/Diabolic Eye/Mad or two yeah that gets you up where Mar. Pizza +1 takes you but that's not with Cab. per se. To each their own set ups was just saying know what you are with accuracy before doing X hits because most that i see do those miss like hell not taking into account their accuracy on the mobs they are fighting.

[Eurlin]

Chriscoffey, on 14 September 2009 - 11:41 PM, said:

I want to see the calculations for capping accuracy at Mamool camp for nin/thfs with Cab. because it wont happen with couple of those gear selections above hence why i said know what mob you are fighting. Souleter/Diabolic Eye/Mad or two yeah that gets you up where Mar. Pizza +1 takes you but that's not with Cab. per se. To each their own set ups was just saying know what you are with accuracy before doing X hits because most that i see do those miss like hell not taking into account their accuracy on the mobs they are fighting.

A fully buffed out DRK still can't hit 95% Accuracy on a NIN/THF mamool Mob, unless you complete redo their buffs in which case you wouldn't be using that setup anyways. Not all set ups are made for everyone because sometimes it takes common sense to realize you can't use X where Z should be. You are specifying two mobs that everyone knows to not target and i said read the thread because i think it was talking about instances with diabolic eye. Which then means you won't always be using that setup because it might not always be effective.

If i can recall correctly there is a setup where you don't even need food IF you are accounting for COR Rolls which then means you can have sushi and if you can't cap on them then....DON'T worry about it.

Don't believe me do the calculations yourself i could be wrong i admit

[NikosThePLDMan]

or party with a THF with a 2 min feint.

[Nattack]

thf's are too fervent about their job to adhere to our more important whims.

[Eurlin]

Nattack, on 16 September 2009 - 09:16 PM, said:

thf's are too fervent about their job to adhere to our more important whims.

In smaller words...they are idiots and don't care.

[Chriscoffey]

I have a qustion for UNG if he doesn't care to divulge the information a bit. I had a couple of gear set ups running around but does your gear set up work with both Sam roll 2 and 11 or just 11? I believe i have made one that allows me greater TP on my WS hit then I make this lower TP gain during my TPing the mob with the accuracy to hit for a decent rate. I am just curious about if you are getting both lucky and 11 rolls for it or not is all. Thanks for input.