Choosing SAM...

[Katsumoto]

For weeks now I have read many of the posts on this forum, and everywhere I could to research Samurai itself. I had FFXI beta, which started my addiction to FFXI. After hours and hours of reading I decided that I am going to have Sam as my main. But still there are many negative posts and topics of Sam as a weakling, and useless.

After going back and forth and back again on what job I was going to choose, it was Sam. To quote someone on these boards 'It's all about liking your character.' I decided they were correct and SAM it was. Just recently it seems to be the popular opinion that a SAM in the PT is the #1 person to coordinate and carry out skill chains, which sounds interesting. But now the main focus is what to sub? I've thought of just about every melee, and it seem's that DRK would up my dmg a lot. Although there are a lot of SAM/WAR's that would say that combination is the best. But I do not want the same character as everyone else. Basicially, I want a sub that would allow my Samurai to be funnest character possible. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[krycis]

Well, with my experience with the job...WAR is by far the prefered sub. The issue with all the NA players is that they're all enamoured with their new advance jobs, so there aren't really enough warriors anymore. Sure, there are Paladins for tanks, but I've been the main tank in too many parties to think that there're enough Paladins to go around. Honestly, SAM is en vogue right now. Hell, I was in a party with two other SAMs last night; We renkei'd three times per fight. That asside, there aren't enough damage sponges to go around now that all the NA-Warriors are all DRKs and DRGs; neither of which function as a tank at all. So, the parties tend to comprise of a main tank (PAL or WAR) and a SAM as the backup tank. If you decide not to go with a WAR sub, you're going to find it hard to get into a party right now. You need provoke.

I'll give a brief outline of what the other jobs add when you sub them, this will be very brief so if I leave something out...I probably did so on purpose.

WAR: Provoke, Def+, later levels you'll have access to ATK+ and Double attack (I can't wait until 50 for that one). You'll also have greater strength and high HP.

MNK: Counter, Boost, HP+, later levels will open up an ACC+ skill, Chakra when you hit 70. SAM/MNK will have a TON of HP and good VIT. You can take hits, but you'll find it fairly difficult to hold agro without provoke.

THF: Steal, Sneak Attack, with Flee and Triple attack opening up at 50 and 60 respectively. THFs get EVA+, Gil+ and Loot+, but with SAM's lowish AGI the EVA+ wont help much and the Gil+ and Loot+ are great for farming, but aren't party nabbers. People may like the slightly higher DEX for "slightly" better ACC and increased critical chance, but SA is "gimped" (only counts as a normal crit) and you will have trouble filling the backup tank roll.

BLM/WHM/RDM: Don't do it. It's not worth it, unless you use a WHM sub in the early levels to solo. Resting kills TP and TP is the lifeblood of SAMs.

DRK: Honestly, if you're going to pair DRK with SAM, sub SAM. But for argument's sake: You'll get Last Resort, ATK+ and Weapon Bash to increase your damage output. As a SAM/DRK, you wont have the MP to case many spells and you wont have enough INT to make them worth casting. Your damage will be higher, but you run the risk of stealing agro from the tanks and incurring nasty damage on your low-VIT/low-HP ass. =)

DRG: Same as above, but you do get an ACC+ boost at 50. DRG sub will add damage to your swings, but you wont be able to take the hits as well as a SAM/WAR. The Jump skills are nice damage bumps, but you wont have access to the agro-shedding Super Jump. Atleast with this job you'll have weapon parity as you can focus on polearms most of the time.

NIN: Dual wielding doesn't help and your use of ninjuistu wont be the greatest. NIN will add AGI, but that doesn't do you too much when it comes to SAMs mid-range AGI base. I'll be honest that I'm not familiar enough with NIN to give a good account, but from all the information out there...NIN isn't the most complimentary sub to SAM.

RNG: I've got this secret lust to try this one. You'll need more AGI to make this sub work, but with Sharpshooter you might hit with a bow once in a while. You'll also get Scan, which is nice if your group doesn't have a RNG, you'll be able to acquire targets for xp-chains much easier. Scavenge digs up items for you. RNG will add AGI and some ACC passives down the road. You wont be the best archer in the game with RNG subbed to SAM, it's expensive as hell with all the ammo you'd need to buy, but the combination of these two jobs seems sexy to me.

SMN: Same as primary casters, just don't do it.

PAL: Interesting idea, but not the best. If you're going to have PAL, use is as your Main Job. For all intents, PAL would add Shield Bash and DEF+. SAM's gimped MND will keep spell casting weakend and the low INT will leave a SAM/PAL wanting for MP. The added DEF wont help if you're not the main tank either.

If you're looking to be unique, do whatever you want, but if you're looking to be useful you'll only have one good option to you: SAM/WAR. As always, that's just my opinion.

Good luck!

[raexn]

All I can say is great information.

I was thinking about subbing DRK, just for solo sake, but it sounds as though war is going to be my best bet.

Thanks

[Khaunshar]

I strongly suggest at one point to raise Thf to 15 at least. Katana's are expensive, arrows are too, and Gil Finder + Treasure Hunter are very very good for farming money.

My standard setup is Sam/War for best tanking and best damage(yes, double attack and Berserk really do that much), the few points of DEX your thf sub gives you dont make the big difference once you have access to Life Belt etc.

Sam/Mnk can work too, its just giving up provoke for nothing to gain really.... but not a BAD combo.

Sam/Rng is my forbidden desire to try too :p