leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

[Vyuru]

Once I have all my subs up and leveled, I was thinking that I wanted to level Warrior next. I also wanted to use two handed weapons, primarily Gaxe, so, I wanted to get people's opinions on how to best go about it.

General playstyle:

I like to play warrior a bit like ranger, spam the mob with Acid Bolts until a def down procs, then proceed to shoot Holy Bolts, using Acid and Bloody Bolts as needed. I normally only shoot once, maybe twice per Gaxe swing. While I do miss alot, my skill is fairly low for my level, so it will be getting better, plus it is bonus TP for me, which is very nice.

Subjob:

Contenders: Mnk, Nin, Sam, Thf

Monk looks like a pretty solid subjob, ideal for tanking, but I should not be in that position. I have also heard that Focus is not very strong, giving about +5 acc, so the ideal of alternating Focus and Agressor isn't that appealing to me. Even if the +acc was stronger, I can go with a samurai sub for Hasso and gain +haste and +str as well, so I don't think a monk subjob is that useful.

Ninja, the only real benefits I see for it deal with dual wielding one handed weapons and shadows, since I want to focus on two handed weapons I am not really considering this sub useful since it offers nothing but shadows for me.

Samurai looks interesting because I'm assured of gaining 100%tp very quickly. I could start a fight with a Break WS and then followup with the SC+MB while the Break effect was in place. Hasso may let me relax on +acc gear while using sushi, or it might let me eat meat dishes, either one looks promising. Third Eye lets me be a first provoker and dodge a hit, and it sounds like I might be able to do a little bit of tanking once I hit 70 and get Seigan.

Thief looks good for SA+WS. At level 60 I would gain access to TA, but when thf is subbed TA only transfers 1/3 of the hate generated for that hit correct? So as a hate transfer tool, it might not be that good, however SA+Gaxe WS deals some incredible damage. Toss in an acid bolt + SA +WS and that mob should be in a world of hurt, and I'll be in a world of hate too


Gear:

Pretty standard, I have to look over the list of Gaxe WS again, but I think they are all str/vit mods, so I plan on a +str/acc setup, and +vit gear for any slot that doesn't have a suitable str/att/acc piece.

Weapons:

Which two handed weapons should I focus on? Polearm will be capped from dragoon, should I level Gsword as well or just focus on Gaxe? Does it matter with subjob? I've heard that SATA+Gsword WS are normally powerful. It might just mean that I can use some weapons with one subjob and I can use another set of weapons with another sub.

General questions:

Does the def down from acid bolts stack with the effects from Armor Break? Or do they over write one another?

I'm thinking of going war/thf until level 50, if not 60, but in the level 50-60+ stage, which sub do you think would be the best, thf or sam?

Which job/s would you recommend to use as SC partners until I get Raging Rush/Steel Cyclone? Just skimming over the SC chart it looks like for a Distortion MB, I'd need to close it with Sturmwind, which isn't a problem but it does mean that if there is a thf in my party he can't do his lovely Viper Bite + SATA to close a SC, unless I have an extra melee or unless there is something I'm overlooking.

That's all I can think of for now, I'll probably think of another barrage of questions later, thanks in advance ^^

[Skoal]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

I would go war/mnk to 30. @ 30 you can stay /mnk or use /nin if tanking. If you are dd the I would suggest /th (SA+Sturmwind) or /drg. Later Levels (post 50) I would say use /nin or /sam.

Use GA if you want to use a 2 handed weapon. I would suggest keeping axes skilled up too.

War have D marksmanship so if you want to spam bolts then you may want to macro in some racc equip.

[Icemage]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

According to Apple Pie (LINK):

Acid Bolts and Armor Break are both level 1 DEF Down effects and will overwrite one another (note: they also have the cool effect of cancelling the DEF up ability of crabs and most other enemies). Full Break will actually overwrite most DEF up abilities and prevent it from being re-applied since it outranks it (this is ESPECIALLY useful against Crawlers, who love to spam Cocoon).


Icemage

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

I hate to admit it, but /NIN can be useful for decently geared WAR's with Great Axe. I only have WAR to Lv.40, but the last 10 level or so party leaders mostly asked for /NIN over anything else.


It wasted my WAR's DD potential by not using /THF or /RNG which I had ready at the time, but /NIN did:

A) Let me get into parties.
B) Saved the mages a lot of MP in many parties.

I did not stack Berserk and Warcry. I didn't Sturmwind before second provoke. I did not boost randomly on /MNK unless I was tanking. Yet, most tanks had trouble keeping monsters off of me, /MNK, /THF, or /NIN. (That's every single NIN tank, btw, when they were almost the only tank available before the last two rounds of PLD updates.)

In many parties, /NIN really was the best choice, as much as I rather do more damage. With out a good tank and/or a THF, WAR/THF would have been a bad idea.

One thing I don't understand; how the heck are you landing acid bolts on WAR?

* * *

(Aside: Yes, Shield Break is wonderful. But, why bother when all the well geared DD's are using sushi, and gimped DD's with outdated weapons munch on meat mithkabobs? Sturmwind is too addictive anyway.)

[Celeal]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

Stumwind cannot close Distortion, because the Reveration(Water) slot has higher priority in the Skillchain Chart. However, WAR/THF SA + Stumwind close Fragmentation very well, can almost match SATA + Viper Bite or Raging Fists dmg until late lvl 40s.

As for landing Acid Bolt, or range attack in general, WAR is often asked to be puller in exp. parties. Use Acid Bolt at pulling can be an option. If you use gear swapping for range attack while pulling, you have to do it very quickly (to avoid link/aggro, or need to pull faster than other parties' pullers, etc).

However, I would go for Meat and Shield Break for DoT. Acid bolt does not have Double Attack, but melee weapon does.

For Shield Break and Weapon Break, at level 60+, I tried, but it did not work out for me. When I use meat and open battle with Shield Break at level 60+ parties, I still whiff a lot on those Puk. I don't have much acc+ gear, but I was wearing acc+ 38.... When I use sushi and Armor Break at lvl 60+, I cannot see the difference too. The sad thing is mob's buff like Cocoon, has the same tier as Armor Break: they can overwrite each other.

However, Pre-level 50, meat + Shield Break is very effective. Really hard to beat this combination.

After lvl 50 with dual Viking Axe + meat, and switch to sushi and 2x Axes, even I don't like to be forced into war/nin all the time, the DoT and Rampage plus shadows is just too good.... but I got burn out from it, retired my war and switched to nin/war T_T

Even I hate to admit it, G.Axe even with Raging Rush, when you have to use it as war/nin, have no match against DW II + 2x Axes ~(v.v)~

The best time for G.Axe in exp party is level 30 ~ 50, IMHO. It works fine with war/thf, war/mnk, war/nin at those levels.

Especially as lvl 30 ~ 50 WAR/THF: around level 40, Sneak Attack from a G.Axe alone can do 100+ dmg, while WS like Raging Axe, Power Slash, Tachi: Enpi, Piecing Arrow, etc just usually around 110~160 dmg at those levels.

However, I am not impressed with SA + Raging Rush. The damage of SAM/THF's SA + Tachi: Yukikaze more consistent, or DRK's Gullotine is more reckless IMHO.

Maybe WAR/SAM + G.Axe may work, but the ffxi community does not give it a chance.

As for war/mnk as DD in level 50+, I tried 3 times with Meat + Focus/Aggressor ... not bad for Axe or G.Axe, but not outstanding either.

[Vyuru]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

I hate to admit it, but /NIN can be useful for decently geared WAR's with Great Axe. I only have WAR to Lv.40, but the last 10 level or so party leaders mostly asked for /NIN over anything else.

Yeah I see what you're saying, the ability to avoid damage IS nice after all, but I also shouldn't gimp my damage output because some party leader thinks /nin is the endall sub.


Also, if they ask me to go as /nin then they want me to tank, most often I'm the only tank, and even with really good gear, I can't hold hate as well as I'd like, basically I have to resort to using Warcry to hold hate. Now that could be due to a variety of reasons, maybe I missed alot, maybe the blm is overnuking, maybe the whm is tossing out a cure III when I'm 5 hp down, just whatever, I have to use Warcry to get hate back, and that is on a 10:00 timer. If I'm gonna tank, it's going to be as war/mnk, and not war/nin unless I have some kind of backup.

One thing I don't understand; how the heck are you landing acid bolts on WAR?

First you have to be a mithra warrior, then wear nothing but subligar.... j/k I honestly don't know, I'd say maybe about 1/3 of my bolts actually hit, but my marksmanship is abysmally low, my warrior is about 39 and marksmanship is below 50 skill. While warrior might have a low marksmanship skill, I did have 2 level 50+ warriors in Cape Terrigan who used acid bolts on the crabs def+ moves, they had little to no +racc gear on yet they hit at least 50% of the time, although I think they might have been eating sushi, not 100% sure though. When you think about it that's alot of tp, and it's a pretty decent hit rate for a D rank weapon.

(Aside: Yes, Shield Break is wonderful. But, why bother when all the well geared DD's are using sushi, and gimped DD's with outdated weapons munch on meat mithkabobs? Sturmwind is too addictive anyway.)

I don't know if I would use Shield Break, kinda depends on the mob, but even with sushi some mobs can just get this lucky streak of misses in, sure there will be times when 2x Sturmwinds would be better, but I think there are also times when Armor/Weapon/Shield Break would outweigh the benefits of more damage dealt to the mob, especially once I get Full Break and I can do them all!

And as Celeal said, Shield Break would for sure allow me to use meat foods and I think this is the way to go. Maybe my tp gain will be high enough that I get the chance to do two WS on the mob and I can toss out a Sturmwind or something.

I don't have much acc+ gear, but I was wearing acc+ 38.... When I use sushi and Armor Break at lvl 60+, I cannot see the difference too.

Just a couple of things here.

1) If Armor Break is the same level as an Acid Bolt, you probably wouldn't see any difference if anyone was shooting acid bolts. i don't know about you, but I have a thf in 95% of all the parties I form, I'm just used to seeing how a mob takes damage while under def down, could that have something to do with why you don't see a difference?

2) Could it be that the Break WS was resisted?

Huh, interesting little tidbit on wikipedia:

Shield Break was once regarded as one of the greatest weapon skills in the game until a patch nerfed it a few years back. Instead of simply deducting 40 points from the mobs evasion it would deduct a percentage that never scaled down as it does now.
Retrieved from "http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/Shield_Break"

You have to kind of wonder if that's yet another reason that many warriors don't use a two handed weapon such as Gaxe.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

Yeah I see what you're saying, the ability to avoid damage IS nice after all, but I also shouldn't gimp my damage output because some party leader thinks /nin is the endall sub.

There were a few parties where it wasn't just "nice"--if I had gone as WAR/THF, I would have hurt the party due to the amount of healing I'd need, or choose to quit eating attack/accuracy food, or stop using or cancel Berserk and especially Warcry. Sneak Attack + Sturmwind would have been nearly unusable, except at end of battle.

Sounds stupid, but Utsusemi:Ichi allowed me to be more beneficial to some parties, especially those times after an usually big Sturmwind on WAR/NIN with Warcry, the tank voked, and... nothing happened... -_-; Monster would not face away from me... I would have had to gimp myself if I didn't have Utsusemi...

Also, if they ask me to go as /nin then they want me to tank, most often I'm the only tank, and even with really good gear, I can't hold hate as well as I'd like, basically I have to resort to using Warcry to hold hate. Now that could be due to a variety of reasons, maybe I missed alot, maybe the blm is overnuking, maybe the whm is tossing out a cure III when I'm 5 hp down, just whatever, I have to use Warcry to get hate back, and that is on a 10:00 timer. If I'm gonna tank, it's going to be as war/mnk, and not war/nin unless I have some kind of backup.

If there's anything more annoying than a bad tank, is to be asked to tank with the wrong support job. Happened to me once, when party leader didn't tell me he wanted me to tank and I arrived at camp as WAR/NIN at his insistence and asked "Umm... We don't have a tank!?" That's when I found out I was tanking.

I would have picked /MNK myself, if I had known.

(BTW, Warcry is on 5:00 timer.)


From my experience if a party leader asked for support job:

/MNK - Wants my WAR to main tank. Happened... once.
/NIN - Usually, just to save MP on cures. Sometimes, it's for dual or backup tanking, or pulling.
"I don't care" - Usually means there's a PL. Or two PL's. (Why a Lv.30+ party would need PL's, I don't know...)

First you have to be a mithra warrior, then wear nothing but subligar.... j/k I honestly don't know, I'd say maybe about 1/3 of my bolts actually hit, but my marksmanship is abysmally low, my warrior is about 39 and marksmanship is below 50 skill.

... I have capped marksmanship for WAR when leveling it from 30 to 40. I don't think I got near 33% accuracy. >_<; My character is Mithra, too... It ended up being a waste of time and gil shooting stuff, so I pulled with bronze bolts, and didn't bother with range attack during battles.

[Jei]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

riridilridilridilridilridilridilridildilridilridilridilridilridilridil

err well that seems to be the only thing I can think for my war right now D:

I don't really mind any sub the warrior is using really. As long as they use melee jobs for their sub. I was using 1 hand axe with shield as war/mnk for 1-37 on my mule and I was doing very good.

[Armando]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

My attention is kinda scattered so I mostly had to skim over things and keep it short and sweet. If you want me to elaborate on my reasoning, just say so.

Shield Break, Shield Break, Shield Break. I don't want to sound pushy, but if you're not using it, you better have a very compelling reason (like a party willing to open Fragmentation for you to close with SA Sturmwind and at least one BLM to do a powerful MB with. But even then, I'd rather SA Shield Break it...) There is just no substitute for -40 Evasion! Just remember one thing: Not even -40 Evasion will overcome the ridiculous penalties that get applied to you when you overhunt. Don't let it go to your head!

Regarding Armor Break and Acid Bolts - they're the same (priority) level, they do not stack, but they are NOT the same. Acid Bolts are -12.5% Defense, Armor Break is -25% Defense. I did some testing in Ballista but all tests as to which overwrites which were fairly inconclusive. Seemed mostly random. Bottom line is that if someone's sticking Acid Bolts, don't bother with Armor Break. Either way it's usually a waste; Meat + Shield Break is better than Sushi + Armor Break, and Meat + Shield Break not only allows you to use Acid Bolts on top of that, but it also makes it a heck of a lot easier to stick 'em.

Regarding /NIN sub - don't think of it as the lazy DD's way of avoiding become an MP sink. Think of it as a way of saving the tank damage. 3 hits's worth of HP saved is very valuable (if you've ever levelled PLD, you should be completely enamored with Flash; having a WAR/NIN Provoke the mob and taking 3/6 hits for you is just as good.) /NIN can very well be a good sub if you use it to save your healer's MP proactively (deliberately turning/Provoking the mob when you have shadows up) as opposed to reactively (using it as a crutch and excuse to not have to worry much about grabbing hate.) Just throwing that out there; /THF and /RNG are also valid choices. Hell, you could even make an argument for /DRG.

As for main tanking, I would actually recommend /BLU if you have it. Oh, and while we're on the subject (since main tanking is related to /MNK and all) Focus is +20 Accuracy. Aggressor is +25.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

Shield Break, Shield Break, Shield Break. I don't want to sound pushy, but if you're not using it, you better have a very compelling reason

My excuse is that the well geared DD's (especially JP players) tend to use sushi even at low levels, rendering Shield Break an overkill. Badly geared players and fools (like the thousands of WAR's who use sword and shield in Qufim) tend to eat meat mithkabob and still hit for low damage, so Shield Break won't help them much--a garden snails 40% faster than normal still isn't a rampaging juggernaut to be feared.

Shield Break is situational, like /NIN, and like anything else. (I did love Fragmentation SC with BLM MB'ing, though. SC + MB will always my preference on any job--but I'd do Shield Break if people are well geared and eating Rice Dumping. When and if that ever happnens, and should I ever play WAR in exp parties again, that is...)

Regarding /NIN sub - don't think of it as the lazy DD's way of avoiding become an MP sink. Think of it as a way of saving the tank damage. 3 hits's worth of HP saved is very valuable (if you've ever levelled PLD, you should be completely enamored with Flash; having a WAR/NIN Provoke the mob and taking 3/6 hits for you is just as good.) /NIN can very well be a good sub if you use it to save your healer's MP proactively (deliberately turning/Provoking the mob when you have shadows up) as opposed to reactively (using it as a crutch and excuse to not have to worry much about grabbing hate.)

Meh. Don't overestimate mage's ability to keep curing under level 40's; Ballad only goes so far, and COR's are rarer than BRD's.

Plus, if a WAR can do more damage with /NIN than another support job because it provides better safety when a s/he goes all out, one would need a very good excuse to not use it.

I was WAR/THF in a JP party at Behemoth's Dominion, and was getting battered badly every time I used Warcry, to the point that I largely quit using it. If I remember the parse results (didn't save it) correctly, the RNG/NIN did substantially more damage than me, but I took far more damage than anyone else, including the NIN tank.

If I have to cancel Berserk, or if I cannot launch a precharged SA (non-WS) at the beginning of the fight without worrying over whether I can use Warcry after second provoke, then /NIN is better than /THF--it's less of a gimp than cancelling Berserk, throwing up Defender, or holding off Warcry.

As for main tanking, I would actually recommend /BLU if you have it.

Not without Refresh, I suspect, making it Lv.41+ only, and only when a RDM is available.

* * *

To the OP, find a good friend, make him/her your static tank. Don't level without him/her--then, you can use always /THF. It's a lot more exciting (and more damage output) that way.

PLD recommended (Cover for Warcry, yay!), but NIN + THF would work, too.

[Celeal]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

Shield Break will help your Tank to keep hate.

At low ~ mid levels, Shield Break + Rice Drumpling should have about the same hit rate as sushi, but there isn't enough gear selection that gives attack bonus like attack food does.

For WAR/THF from level 30 ~ 50 using G.Axe + attack food, you don't need to use SA + Stumwind all the time, and you don't need to use WS immediately whenever your TP reach 100%. Open Shield Break at the beginning of battle to for DoT. Use SA + Stumwind or Warcry/Berserk + Stumwind to speed up the kill to get chain #5. Use SA + Shield Break when you need to make sure Shield Break is landed. Separate the use of SA and WS depends on situation.

For Warcry, I usually use it 10 or 20 seconds before Skillchain, or when me or other DD's TP almost reach 100% (like 80+ or 90+ TP). If you use WS immediately after Warcry, of cause the mob and your tank will hate you =P. Since Warcry last about 30 seconds, as long as you use WS within that time period, you will get the same bonus from it. Spread out the timing of Warcry and WS, and try to use WS toward the end of Warcry period. I rarely get hate this way.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

Guess I'll ask this here:

Has anyone really tried /SAM? I mean, really tried it extensively? I've seen mostly crutch arguments for /NIN elsewhere in such topics, but no real data that pertains to /SAM.

[Armando]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

My excuse is that the well geared DD's (especially JP players) tend to use sushi even at low levels, rendering Shield Break an overkill. Badly geared players and fools (like the thousands of WAR's who use sword and shield in Qufim) tend to eat meat mithkabob and still hit for low damage, so Shield Break won't help them much--a garden snails 40% faster than normal still isn't a rampaging juggernaut to be feared.
Shield Break is situational, like /NIN, and like anything else. (I did love Fragmentation SC with BLM MB'ing, though. SC + MB will always my preference on any job--but I'd do Shield Break if people are well geared and eating Rice Dumping. When and if that ever happnens, and should I ever play WAR in exp parties again, that is...)

Very good points...however, consider that the only difference between Shield Break and Sturmwind (and SA Shield Break and SA Sturmwind, for that matter) is a single hit, and sushi alone won't put anyone anywhere close to 95% accuracy (much less at the low levels, and much less without any meaningful accuracy equipment.) Inflicting -40 Evasion on the mob makes that gap very easy to cover and exceed, even if you only count your own damage. And if there's noone else to land Acid Bolts, then it becomes that much more valuable (and, ironically, the Acid Bolt is even more valuable if your other DDs are eating Sushi.)
I won't argue that everything is situational - you're very much right there. It's just that from my experience, there were more parties that could exploit Shield Break than those where I could do zomgwtfbbq damage with SA Sturmwind SC + MB. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of that too, just wish it were easier to get a good tank, a Fragmentation opener, and a BLM all together in pickup parties

eh. Don't overestimate mage's ability to keep curing under level 40's; Ballad only goes so far, and COR's are rarer than BRD's.
Plus, if a WAR can do more damage with /NIN than another support job because it provides better safety when a s/he goes all out, one would need a very good excuse to not use it.
I was WAR/THF in a JP party at Behemoth's Dominion, and was getting battered badly every time I used Warcry, to the point that I largely quit using it. If I remember the parse results (didn't save it) correctly, the RNG/NIN did substantially more damage than me, but I took far more damage than anyone else, including the NIN tank.
If I have to cancel Berserk, or if I cannot launch a precharged SA (non-WS) at the beginning of the fight without worrying over whether I can use Warcry after second provoke, then /NIN is better than /THF--it's less of a gimp than cancelling Berserk, throwing up Defender, or holding off Warcry.

Don't you mean "don't underestimate?" In any case, yeah, you're right, /NIN can allow you to do more damage since the shadows cover for you. I just pointed that out because many (pickup) WAR/NINs don't pull hate that often, yet don't put their shadows to use anyways. If you're not pulling hate, you may as well Provoke the mob and save the healer/tank some MP. Sure, healers can do just fine pre-41 even without Ballad, but more MP is always better.
Warcry is better off not being used for damage in my opinion, though (just like Sentinel was better off not being used for damage reduction pre-patch.) The difference it makes in your damage is so small that you may as well save it as a hate tool for when Provoke alone isn't enough.

Not without Refresh, I suspect, making it Lv.41+ only, and only when a RDM is available.

Well, to be honest, I haven't gotten the chance to use it in EXP yet, but the MP requirements are quite low. The point of WAR/BLU (in my opinion) is to keep Cocoon up, eat meat, keep Berserk up as often as possible, and keep the mobs Shield Break'd 24/7. This would give you a tank that has excellent accuracy, excellent damage, and no defense issues at all (Cocoon + Berserk = +25% Defense,) something which no other sub can achieve. In fact, I'd say it's technically the only tank in the game that can have all three things at the same time without a BRD. Cocoon costs 10 MP and if I remember correctly, its duration is two minutes. Even if you don't rest, you'd only need 4 pineapple juices per hour to keep going, and that's certainly cheaper than Shihei. The only time you'd want a large ammount of MP is if you're in an "oh shit" situation, because Mighty Strikes brings your subbed Blue spells up to full (i.e. Blue Mage main) power.

To the OP, find a good friend, make him/her your static tank. Don't level without him/her--then, you can use always /THF. It's a lot more exciting (and more damage output) that way.

Definetely some awesome advice. When I was levelling PLD I was static'ing with my girlfriend, who was WAR/THF at the time. It was spectacular.

Guess I'll ask this here:

Has anyone really tried /SAM? I mean, really tried it extensively? I've seen mostly crutch arguments for /NIN elsewhere in such topics, but no real data that pertains to /SAM.

I could see it being very potent with Hasso, but that's Lv.25 SAM, isn't it?

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

Hasso is 25 and Seigan is 35, I'm just amazed that days after that SAM update and months later I've never seen one WAR/SAM out there and very little information about how it stacks up.

I can see the rather obvious benefits of it to WAR at 50 and especially at 60 with Meditate and 70 with Seigan. I've even PTed with SAMs who tanked using Seigan.

[Vyuru]

Re: leveling a Two Handed weapon using warrior

/RNG are also valid choices

/rng has always intrigued me, especially since I like to spam bolts, but what does it have to offer besides Sharp Shot? I haven't researched it that much.

I was also wondering, if I SA+Shield Break for example, or another Break WS, will that make it land for it's full potential? Or can it still get resisted?

Shield Break looks good, but it is capped at -40 evasion. As you get higher in levels, the mobs that con IT will be even higher than before, is there a point where taking off 40 evasion from the mob just isn't as useful as it once was?

I'm not too concerned about using Warcry, I normally use it before the big SC+MP that will almost kill the mob goes off, so either the mob is dead or almost dead if/when I draw the hate.

The difference it makes in your damage is so small that you may as well save it as a hate tool for when Provoke alone isn't enough.

It does seem useful for other jobs that don't focus on +att food/gear, such as thfs. It always seems like their SATA+Viper Bite is higher when I use Warcry before they do their attack.

I think Warcry is a bit situational in it's use, I don't use it anywhere near as much as I use Berserk at any rate, it just draws too much hate even for a paladin tank.

The point of WAR/BLU (in my opinion) is to keep Cocoon up, eat meat, keep Berserk up as often as possible, and keep the mobs Shield Break'd 24/7.

Don't the stun spells from blu stand a decent chance of still being effective as well? You might be able to stun some of the mob's tp moves if so letting you avoid even more damage, for a time since even while stunned the mob retains it's tp.

I could see it being very potent with Hasso, but that's Lv.25 SAM, isn't it?

It is, part of the problem I'm having is trying to figure out which would be better at about level 60, and through the 50 range as well. War/thf offers good WS damage, but if my primary WS is Shield Break, that may not be as much of an issue. War/sam offers faster tp gain, and is more helpful to your DoT, which I think would be better if your primary WS is Shield Break.