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Intro: This guide will briefly touch on the roles of a Warrior based on useful subjobs, at mid-lvls (30-60+). This information is sprinkled within the War forums, but here it is compiled in guide format, along with my own knowledge as a WAR. I just wanna clear up some common misconceptions - without working too hard on it =P
WAR/THF utilizes/abuses Sneak Attack. First, let's cover the properties of Sneak Attack as a sub-thf. Sneak attack is 1) "just" a critical hit that 2) does not miss (when performed correctly) Your role is damage dealer - but more specifically, either "De-buffer" or "Skillchain Closer"
As a Skillchain Closer:, you use Sturmwind to end a Skillchain. The stronger the last WS in the Skillchain, the stronger the Skillchain effect will be. You use Sneak + Sturmwind to add extra damage and to guarantee the 1st hit. Other Weaponskills for closing is SA Raging Axe, SA Spinning Ax and SA/TA Raging Rush. Best DD sub from 30-50, and 60-66.
As a De-buffer: , you Shield Break or Armor Break to "debuff" or "enfeeble" the mob at the start of every fight. You use Sneak + Breaker to guarantee that it lands. Find out what the mob is weak against and use the correct Breaker. Evasion-down on the mob helps your party greatly.
Breaker Info (New!): Okay I guess this isn't common knowledge, so I'll list the Break info here. Thanks to Tongyang who posted it way back in the day.
Shield Break = Ice
Armor Break = Wind
Weapon Break = Water
Full Break = Earth
100% TP = 3 minutes
200% TP = 4 minutes
300% TP = 5 minutes
There are 3 scenarios when a Break WS is performed - Full effect, Half resist, total resist.
1) Total Resist - usually when the enemy is strong against the element of the Break WS itself. For example: Using Shield Break vs Skeleton enemies (they have high resist vs Ice). That means there will be no evade down for the enemy.
2) Half Resist - usually when the enemy has no weakness/strength against the Break WS. This means the time interval of which the Break is valid is halved. For example, Shield Break, if not half resisted, has around a 3 minute window of which evade down is in effect, but if half resist, it only is in effect for 1 minute and a half.
3) Full effect - usually when the enemy has an weakness to the Break WS. For example, Shield Break vs Crawlers. It has full effect in that 3 minutes.
For example, if your enemy is Fly type, Crawler type, use Shield Break.
If your enemy is a Coerl type, you use Full Break.
If your enemy is a Raptor type Orc type, you use Weapon Break.
If your enemy is Bat type, Antican type or Cockatrice type, you use Armor Break.
Lastly, Shield Break begins to lose potency at higher lvls, because it only removes a "fixed amount" of evasion points, not a percentage. In my experience, I was able to use Shield break on crabs up to 58ish effectively.
WAR/NIN can be Tanks or Damage Dealers. I will break down each role.
War/Nin as a Damage-Dealer: War/Nin high damage stems from the incredible blend of Dual Wield II, Double Attack, AF Feet, and Rampage. Unlike War/Thf who gets good at lvl30, War/Nin must wait til 50-55 before it's strengths are unlocked. Because of Utsusemi: Ichi, War/Nin makes are exellent setup partner for Trick Attacks. Utsu:Ichi also helps you avoid damage after a big Rampage (or Mistral Axe). Best DD sub from 50-60, and 66-75.
War/Nin as a Tank: Without help from your PT members, it's difficult to implement Utusemi: Ichi when tanking. In worst case scenarios, use utsu:ichi at the beginning of the fight, and voke from there. At mid-lvls, use def gear and food. Carry Echo Drops for when you get Silenced. Help can be a 2nd voker while you recast, debuffs like slow, blind, stun, etc. If you cannot utilize/abuse Ustu:Ichi, War/Nin is not as good a tank as War/Mnk. Also note, that War/Nin are not De-Buffers, and generally don't get to skill G.Axe in EXP PTs.
For higher lvls, it has been posted (thanks ZQM) that w/Carnage Elegy (BRD59), War/Nin becomes an uber tank in full DD gear=O
WAR/MNK can also be Tank or Damage-Dealer.
War/Mnk as a Tank: The art of being a good War/Mnk tank is constant, well-timed use of all your tools. Voke, Boost + WS, Defender + Beserk (cancel berserk), Voke + Boost, Boost + Dodge... all this busy keeps the monster's hate. Pre-AF, Mermaid ring is recommended. Emnity+ is for every action. With Great Axe, War/Mnk can be both Tank and De-buffer simultaneously. With Axe, Rampage is an exellent hate-keeping tool. A properly equipped War/Mnk tank that spreads his tools is great! Ah well =P
War/Mnk as a Damage-Dealer: Can be played as De-Buffers or Skillchain Starters. Pre-50, War/Mnks have no abusable tools for DD (save Boost), but they can switch to def gear and be a decent tank if needed (very useful in long random exp PTs). War/Mnk's strong DD range is Lvl50+. War/Mnk can alternate between Aggressor and Focus to gain a pema-accuracy buff of +20 to +25. War/Mnk w/Focus is very consistent combo that allows you to skill both axe and g.axe. Don't count War/Mnk Debuffer out! Shield break is very helpful to the PT. ...Ah well =P
Closing + Thanks:
This guide started out quick and dirty but I couldn't leave it alone =P I lvled in a set PT from 52-62, using War/Mnk and War/Thf. Both combos were effective. I was planning on using War/Mnk at 66 to have consistent acc for Mistral Axe, but I'm quitting =O
I didn't play War/Nin. The information I listed to help War/Nins is what I've seen in-game and read in these forums. It's my opinion that War/Nin has the least to offer at 30-50. Dual Wield does NOT make you attack faster until 50. No powerful WS's until Rampage (lvl55). As a tank in mid lvls, you don't have as many hate keeping tools as War/Mnk. Lastly, to abuse utsu-ichi, you require intelligent help from PT members (almost impossible to get in a random exp PT)
Well that's about it . A shout-out to Meimei, whose posts helped me understand the Way of the Warrior. Also, to other key posters on the War forum, who've made learning fun ^^
WAR/THF utilizes/abuses Sneak Attack. First, let's cover the properties of Sneak Attack as a sub-thf. Sneak attack is 1) "just" a critical hit that 2) does not miss (when performed correctly) Your role is damage dealer - but more specifically, either "De-buffer" or "Skillchain Closer"
As a Skillchain Closer:, you use Sturmwind to end a Skillchain. The stronger the last WS in the Skillchain, the stronger the Skillchain effect will be. You use Sneak + Sturmwind to add extra damage and to guarantee the 1st hit. Other Weaponskills for closing is SA Raging Axe, SA Spinning Ax and SA/TA Raging Rush. Best DD sub from 30-50, and 60-66.
As a De-buffer: , you Shield Break or Armor Break to "debuff" or "enfeeble" the mob at the start of every fight. You use Sneak + Breaker to guarantee that it lands. Find out what the mob is weak against and use the correct Breaker. Evasion-down on the mob helps your party greatly.
Breaker Info (New!): Okay I guess this isn't common knowledge, so I'll list the Break info here. Thanks to Tongyang who posted it way back in the day.
Shield Break = Ice
Armor Break = Wind
Weapon Break = Water
Full Break = Earth
100% TP = 3 minutes
200% TP = 4 minutes
300% TP = 5 minutes
There are 3 scenarios when a Break WS is performed - Full effect, Half resist, total resist.
1) Total Resist - usually when the enemy is strong against the element of the Break WS itself. For example: Using Shield Break vs Skeleton enemies (they have high resist vs Ice). That means there will be no evade down for the enemy.
2) Half Resist - usually when the enemy has no weakness/strength against the Break WS. This means the time interval of which the Break is valid is halved. For example, Shield Break, if not half resisted, has around a 3 minute window of which evade down is in effect, but if half resist, it only is in effect for 1 minute and a half.
3) Full effect - usually when the enemy has an weakness to the Break WS. For example, Shield Break vs Crawlers. It has full effect in that 3 minutes.
For example, if your enemy is Fly type, Crawler type, use Shield Break.
If your enemy is a Coerl type, you use Full Break.
If your enemy is a Raptor type Orc type, you use Weapon Break.
If your enemy is Bat type, Antican type or Cockatrice type, you use Armor Break.
Lastly, Shield Break begins to lose potency at higher lvls, because it only removes a "fixed amount" of evasion points, not a percentage. In my experience, I was able to use Shield break on crabs up to 58ish effectively.
WAR/NIN can be Tanks or Damage Dealers. I will break down each role.
War/Nin as a Damage-Dealer: War/Nin high damage stems from the incredible blend of Dual Wield II, Double Attack, AF Feet, and Rampage. Unlike War/Thf who gets good at lvl30, War/Nin must wait til 50-55 before it's strengths are unlocked. Because of Utsusemi: Ichi, War/Nin makes are exellent setup partner for Trick Attacks. Utsu:Ichi also helps you avoid damage after a big Rampage (or Mistral Axe). Best DD sub from 50-60, and 66-75.
War/Nin as a Tank: Without help from your PT members, it's difficult to implement Utusemi: Ichi when tanking. In worst case scenarios, use utsu:ichi at the beginning of the fight, and voke from there. At mid-lvls, use def gear and food. Carry Echo Drops for when you get Silenced. Help can be a 2nd voker while you recast, debuffs like slow, blind, stun, etc. If you cannot utilize/abuse Ustu:Ichi, War/Nin is not as good a tank as War/Mnk. Also note, that War/Nin are not De-Buffers, and generally don't get to skill G.Axe in EXP PTs.
For higher lvls, it has been posted (thanks ZQM) that w/Carnage Elegy (BRD59), War/Nin becomes an uber tank in full DD gear=O
WAR/MNK can also be Tank or Damage-Dealer.
War/Mnk as a Tank: The art of being a good War/Mnk tank is constant, well-timed use of all your tools. Voke, Boost + WS, Defender + Beserk (cancel berserk), Voke + Boost, Boost + Dodge... all this busy keeps the monster's hate. Pre-AF, Mermaid ring is recommended. Emnity+ is for every action. With Great Axe, War/Mnk can be both Tank and De-buffer simultaneously. With Axe, Rampage is an exellent hate-keeping tool. A properly equipped War/Mnk tank that spreads his tools is great! Ah well =P
War/Mnk as a Damage-Dealer: Can be played as De-Buffers or Skillchain Starters. Pre-50, War/Mnks have no abusable tools for DD (save Boost), but they can switch to def gear and be a decent tank if needed (very useful in long random exp PTs). War/Mnk's strong DD range is Lvl50+. War/Mnk can alternate between Aggressor and Focus to gain a pema-accuracy buff of +20 to +25. War/Mnk w/Focus is very consistent combo that allows you to skill both axe and g.axe. Don't count War/Mnk Debuffer out! Shield break is very helpful to the PT. ...Ah well =P
Closing + Thanks:
This guide started out quick and dirty but I couldn't leave it alone =P I lvled in a set PT from 52-62, using War/Mnk and War/Thf. Both combos were effective. I was planning on using War/Mnk at 66 to have consistent acc for Mistral Axe, but I'm quitting =O
I didn't play War/Nin. The information I listed to help War/Nins is what I've seen in-game and read in these forums. It's my opinion that War/Nin has the least to offer at 30-50. Dual Wield does NOT make you attack faster until 50. No powerful WS's until Rampage (lvl55). As a tank in mid lvls, you don't have as many hate keeping tools as War/Mnk. Lastly, to abuse utsu-ichi, you require intelligent help from PT members (almost impossible to get in a random exp PT)
Well that's about it . A shout-out to Meimei, whose posts helped me understand the Way of the Warrior. Also, to other key posters on the War forum, who've made learning fun ^^
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