DRK Equips 10-20

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: DRK Equips 10-20

And honestly, if you keep them all within a few points of each other, it doesn't take long at all to cap in an exp party. It just requires that you keep track of where you are on each weapon and don't let one slip way behind.

I kept switching back and forth between Great Sword and Scythe, and by tail end of Lv.40 neither one was capped. (Scythe was more than 5 or 6 skill behind, since I had quite a few parties which needed me to open Distortion. Gotta love those old fashioned JP players; I mean, Skillchains! Wow! )

So, I hauled my DRK40 to a Tail Feather farming party in Rivern Site #01A. I managed to cap both for exp Lv.40, but I dinged Lv.42 in the process, so both remained uncapped for my current level.

That makes me two (exp) levels behind on those skills...

I would never advise someone to focus on one weapon.

I don't know... If a person has no intention of leveling beyond 37 or 40, both weapons are yawners on WS damage. In that case, as long as the DRK can open and close Distortion for BLM to MB, why should I care if he has Scythe or not?

[Murphie]

Re: DRK Equips 10-20

Because maybe you're not only doing distortion.

[Taskmage]

Re: DRK Equips 10-20

True that scythe can open Fragmentation, but it's much less common to find a strong closer for that pre-37. I mean it's great when you can, Frag > Aeroga in Garliage is killer, but all you've really got at that level is Sturmwind and Piercing Arrow, and most wars are /nin axe junkies nowadays even before Rampage. If I was going to advise only using one of the two, which I am, it would be for the one that can participate in the most common skillchain.

Up through Valkurm, yeah, it wasn't really too much trouble to keep both capped, but starting at Qufim and especially after hitting Yuhtunga I found it impossible to keep both skills capped in exp, and soloing things high enough level to give you skillups at that point is really hard. From Yhoator on I used scythe onry and my skill usually capped only a mob or two before I leveled up again.

For a career drk or for a job with A skills in faster weapons I'd be totally with you. One should at least make an attempt to keep both skills near the cap. But for someone who's just planning to use it as a subjob, I don't feel it's worth the effort to keep both of these glacially slow-skilling weapons capped.

[Tyros]

Re: DRK Equips 10-20

True that scythe can open Fragmentation, but it's much less common to find a strong closer for that pre-37.

That's the beauty of using Great Sword in early levels. Frostbite and Freezebite can both open Fragmentation in the same way that Shadow of Death and Dark Harvest can.

[Taskmage]

Re: DRK Equips 10-20

Oh, {True Strike}. So the only thing scythe has over gsd skillchain-wise in those levels is the ability to close Gravitiation 33-37, which ... ick.

[Murphie]

Re: DRK Equips 10-20

Honestly, I'm just anal-retentive about having multiple weapon options. For the average player just leveling it as a sub, Great Sword is fine. For someone who is a career DRK, leveling both is advised.

[Malacite]

Re: DRK Equips 10-20

The other thing to keep in mind is you also have all those magic skills to keep capped too, which makes things such a bitch @. @

I strongly advise levelling BLM or RDM on the side to keep your magic skills up, and use WAR to cap your other weapon (be it scythe or G.Sword)