Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

[Murphie]

Today on a whim I unlocked PUP and leveled it to 10. I found it pretty enjoyable, considering my past experience (right when ToAU launched) was less than impressive. I didn't know anything about Attachments at the time (and honestly still don't), and the job just didn't grab me.

While I'm not sure how far I'll take it, I'd like to take it a bit further for now just to get a better feel for the job, and see what it's capable of. I've read the guides on the Wiki, and browsed this and other forums, but the information I've been able to find is either scanty or contradictory. So I thought I'd ask here, because this is where I always seem to get the best and most useful answers.

Now that I'm level 10 I have access to a new Automaton. Which one should I go with? I see some guides say Stormwalker, and others say Sharpshot. Which do you suggest for mostly solo leveling? (While I do plan to party at some point on PUP, I'll probably wait that out until the mid 30s or so.)

I have all of the NPC purchasable Attachments so far, which was a hefty chunk of change, but what others should I be looking at? Obviously ideally I'd have all of them, but I'm not quite ready to drop upwards of 400k on non-refundable purchases for a job I'm not sure how far I'm going to level.

Any other suggestions that I might find useful?

[Solymir]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

Easily the best frame to get for soloing is Stormwaker. At level 10 you will not have access to much curing power with whatever support job you choose. I personally screwed this up, and did not read any suggestions while leveling early on. I actually didn't get Stormwaker until level 30, and it was a pain waiting for my pup to get high enough magic skill to use Cure III.

I don't have time right now, but later I will try to list suggestions for attachments regarding the Stormwaker Frame.

[Princegalka]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

As for frame choices, you can upgrade at level 10/20/30 for the main frames, and then at 40/50 you can get the WHM/BLM heads. DO YOuRSELF A BIG FAVOR AND GET the Sharpshot (RNG frame) at level 10 or at least 20, because Automaton Ranged Skill is the hardest skill to keep capped. Melee is pretty easy, as all frames have some melee skill to help you keep up. Magic is also pretty easy, as you can solo with a puppet throwing cures at you and spells at enemies to get skill.


Here are your Frame choices:

Sharpshot - generally a great exp party frame, good DD

Stormwaker - mage, can be used for magic damage in party or as a solo buddy for healing/nuking/enfeebling and very safe. PUP soloing is about safety though, and not big exp per kill like BST or BLM. Once you get the WHM/BLM heads, you can focus more on healing (can solo or heal party members) or straight up nuking (BLM head is quite good at endgame as a magic DD)

Valoredge - melee DD, it's about DoT. Tends to be more useful at endgame than during the 1-75 run.

Harlequin - pretty much only for 1-10 and for extremely situational use later. It's an all around frame with the best survivability of them all, but it doesn't excel at anything. Can use the Harlequin head on other frames to allow them to cure. Situational use with VE body to make it melee and cure itself, slap it on Stormwaker body to cause it to cast cures only - the old "curebot" method before the Soulsoother head existed.


I am also a new PUP and is having the time of my life. I have had this job since it came out but never wanted to level it. That was a hugh mistake !! Although I am only at 15 now I can say this by far is my best job in the game. I just started leveling it on Sunday and wish that I did it 2 years ago. ( I have 4 jobs at 75 including Beastmaster)

And you are right there is so much contradicting info out there on PUP and none of it really explain what/how you are suppose to go about it. I have found for myself the best thing is just take your PUP out and explore with the attachements and you will pick up on it easy enough.

GL If I can help further just ask.

Princegalka of Levaithian Server
Principessa is my Pups name !! lol

[Solymir]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

Okay, since you said you already purchased all of the attachments you could from Yoyoroon I am just going to skip those. My suggestions for purchase will mainly be for the Stormwaker Frame. If you wish to know what I recommend for Ranger please check out this Thread.

While you will mostly want your Auto to cure you during solo I am going to list some decent Blm spell attachments as well.

Loudspeaker II
Mana Booster
Ice Maker
Armor Plate II
Auto Repair Kit II
Flashbulb
Mana Tank II
Mana Conserver
Optic Fiber
Economizer

Quick note about Flashbulb. You may be thinking "but the Auto will get hate". No worries, as soon as you hit the mob you'll have it's attention.

Also, you may want to consider subbing War if you are really going to solo. Having the option to provoke is very handy. There are times when you will find yourself in a tough fight and your best option is to bounce hate between you and your Auto. So you let the Auto take a few hits, then you provoke, then you take a few hits while the Auto is curing itself and you. Wash, rinse, repeat.

If you choose to duo, and the other party member is a decent DD you should consider Pup/Mage < level 30 and then Pup/Dnc > level 30. If your duo partner is a mage stick with /War.

The last bit of advice I have is even though your Auto will be set to Stormwaker they can also do some decent melee damage if they are in range of the mob. Plus you can keep the Auto's melee skill decently leveled. So you may want to consider some basic Melee Auto attachments. Once again I will skip those bought from Yoyoroon.

Stabilizer II
Volt Gun
Tension Spring II
Inhibitor
Flame Holder

[Celeal]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

Get Sharpshot early, at level 10, or no less than level 20.

I got Sharpshot at level 30 and skill up is very slow. I regret my choice.

Think back what my PUP was doing from level 1 - 30: the starting frame can do melee and magic, and all 4 frames can melee (it can be done). If I am going to start PUP again, I would rather go from Sharpshot -> Stormwalker -> ....

[Malacite]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

Definitely take Sharpshot 1st so that you can begin raising your automaton's ranged skill right away. I made the mistake of taking valor edge hoping it could tank for me. That didn't go so well >< (would be a different story if sambas still worked on pets though . _ . )

Just go back to Harlequin for magic skill ups until you hit 20 and get Stormwalker. Valor Edge is by far the least useful sadly. That's not to say it's bad, but you'll get better support form Stormwalker's increased magical ability and better damage from Sharpshot.

Also, I'd highly recommend subbing MNK until you get your 1st Martial Arts trait. After that WAR, DNC and even SCH (70+ for sublimation. Automaton deals damage or main heals while you support the pt) subs are good for parties.

PUP is a hell of a lot of fun, just very expensive and ridiculously complex. Really at the moment my only major complaint with the job is how stupid the AI is with it's spell selection. Even with ice maneuvers up, it will usually prioritize enfeebling over elemental and it won't always cure you even with Light maneuvers and a damage gauge. Not sure why exactly but SE did say at fan fest they would address this.

For once I'm not gonna get on their case over it either as it can't be easy reconfiguring A.I. patterns or "thought processes" if you will >.>

[Murphie]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

I'm definitely finding the Maneuvers part of it to be somewhat complex. I have trouble figuring out which combination of elements is best for me, and even when I do stack them, I don't always notice an appreciable change in my Automaton's output.

And yeah, pricey. I dropped way more gil than I probably should have at the NPC, but I wanted to do my first ten levels up right. Back when I first gave the job a try on my last character, I had no clue what I was doing. PUP has a lot more control over your pet than DRG, and less of the danger of a charmed pet that BST has, but man is it a bitch getting it to do what you want.

[Solymir]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

Doubling up a particular maneuver can be really beneficial in some cases.

For instance if you are only able to equip a single Auto repair attachement then doubling the light maneuver will increase the regen. Likewise for the Mana Tank and refresh effect.

How many wind maneuvers you have active at the time your Auto uses Replicator to make shadows directly affects how many shadows the Auto will receive.

Of course doubling or tripling maneuvers increases your Auto's chance for Overload. For more information on Overload see the following Wiki Page. Overload - FFXIclopedia, the Final Fantasy XI wiki - Characters, items, jobs, and more

[Invisible Dark]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

interesting. I got a 35 Pup. and Im still trying to figure out how well/much the the attachements work and the results of each. So far its not that bad, and still not that awesome yet.

too bad SE can give the automation more jobs/frames. a dual wielding automation or an automation with a pet. OK now im just dreaming.

[Malacite]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

Also, you may want to check out Elmer the Pointy's youtube page, he has a bunch of awesome videos (including an amazing method for leveling Guard)

[Solymir]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

Do you have a link to said page?

[Armando]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

including an amazing method for leveling Guard

Training a bunch of mobs on to you but drawing your weapon out on one that's not aggroing you and is out of your attack range?

[Solymir]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

I think I know the answer, but I want to be sure. Does Guard cap to the level of the mob you are fighting the same way weapon combat skills do?

I'm very curious about this because my pup's guard skill sucks and I am in a duo situation with a Mnk who almost always has hate. Skillups are few and far between.

[Malacite]

Re: Exploring PUP and looking for advice!

Training a bunch of mobs on to you but drawing your weapon out on one that's not aggroing you and is out of your attack range?

Basically, yes. Helps to have +guard skill items.