Hunter's Bracers +1

I'm having a couple dilemma's here and was hoping for advice from the gallery.

I have been hoarding gear for RNG for some time now but have been so busy with events that i haven't had an opportunity to level it. Now i have reached a point where if i want any kind of variety on Dark Ixion or Odin (or bored for merits for that matter) that i am going to devote my time to getting vbow (0/32 atm) and finish the trek from 37-75.

My first problem is that i now have the limbus pieces for RNG. I know that it's a good piece to hold on to for shadowbinding sky gods ETC. Is there a relevance for barrage if i have Blood Finger Gauntlets? I was under the impression that getting all the hits to land wasn't always easy and most of the gear i own is RATT or STR heavy. Long story short: Should i just toss the AF upgrade pieces now or will i use these gloves for barrage over BFG.

My other minor problem is that i made my Anwig Salade with the sharpshot mod because i intended to use it as a tp piece, and it couldn't improve on the gear i had for other jobs. Zha Gho's Barbut i was going to make my salade into a ranged WS piece. I plan to use Archery and Gun both but My plan was to get the "4 strength and +15 weapon skill acc" along with either (in order i was favoring): A) "Ranged Accuracy +10 and Ranged Attack +5", B) "Strength +2 and Haste 2%", or C) "Agility +4 and Weapon Skill damage +2%". I have asked several of the Rangers i know and being the modest gentlemen that they are they all gave their opinion and followed up with "make sure to get other opinions too so you can compare points".

Thanks guys ^^

You'll have roughly a 70% chance to hit all 7 arrows, assuming you have capped Accuracy which you should really be macroing in ACC gear for Barrage anyway.

And for the Anwig Salade, I can't really recommend using anything other than the ACC+10 WS ACC+15 option for WS. That frees up soooo many other gear slots you would be using just for pure ACC for Sidewinder, meaning you can equip more STR/Ranged Attack in slots that actually get large boosts.

Since you should always combine barrage with sharpshot, accuracy isn't too much of an issue. With the job traits alone at 75 sharpshot will more or less cap your accuracy on barrage except against the toughest of opposition. This means you're welcome to, and indeed probably should, pile on more attack than you normally would.

A lot of Rangers will argue one way or the other with the additional hit, but my outlook is this. You have an extra attack, which alone has a 95% chance of hitting (assuming sharpshot caps your accuracy if it's not already capped.) The argument for not using the Bracers +1 is you lose the accuracy you would have using Crimson or Seiryu's Kote, thus generally lowering your damage and TP gain from barrage, since you have more chance of one of the hits missing.

Thing is, even without this item, an average Ranger should not struggle to get 95% accuracy when using sharpshot. Indeed, if they fail to do this, the problem therein lies with their overall gear and not just solely by removing Crimson or Kote. Since your accuracy is technically the same with or without the bracers on, you're throwing away the chance for an additional hit on barrage for what's basically a placebo and superfluous boost in accuracy. Which means that any RNG who actually considers their job, researches it and makes their own decision, should come to the educated decision that Bracers +1 are the best barrage piece.

As for the Salade, well if you plan on getting the Barbut, you don't need a TP piece; which makes that entirely about what it can do for your WS's that a Wyvern Helm +1, with 6 STR (or 5 on the NQ) doesn't. Personally, and when I finish the expansion tomorrow, I would / will be going for STR+4 and 15% Weapon Skill accuracy and Agility +4 and Weapon Skill damage +2%, solely on the grounds that I want it for weapon skills. Remember that AGI & STR are modifiers on Archery, and AGI on Marksmanship; but STR will always, above all other stats proportionately, increase weapon skills more. The +15% accuracy will really boost Slug & Sidewinder, and the +2% damage speaks for itself.

Compare this to STR+2 and Haste +2... Well, 2 STR would never be an increase to WS damage of 2%, which makes the second augment better for weapon skills. Haste is theoretically moot for consideration as you probably won't melee as RNG much; and even then, there's Turban.

So to put it bluntly, if you're getting Barbut, go with a WS piece as Barbut is easily the untouchable TP piece for RNG at the moment. If you're not, though, then of course Ranged Accuracy and Ranged Attack in place of AGI+4 and WS Damage +2% could be considered. I personally wouldn't be sure I'd go for Snapshot anyway at the expense of more attack.

As far as the Hunter's Bracers +1 are concerned, they actually need to be equipped during the shot to have any affect on Barrage. (Equipping them and activating the ability, then swapping out for the shot does nothing. You actually need to fire with them equipped). So if you have them, you'll want to use them during Barrage.

Just to add onto this, you don't need them equipped when activating Barrage. They only need to be on when your barrage hits the monster.

Wow, thanks for the fast feedback guys!

That's why I'm asking all the good questions before i finish leveling! I really try hard to do every job as best as possible.

I like this too but alot of the feedback i got was the Racc10/ratt5. The agi and ws damage would make this situational for THF and i like that :D

I'd still like some more feedback on the hat though. In the long run i could test out both but doing that fight and pre-quest over and over will be a chore T.T

Again, thank you for all the help.

I have another question :x

I came into a supremacy earring last night. Will the Murderer come close to a Hellfire? My earring selection is pretty slim (Cassie and Fox ATM) so the supremacy will be a vast improvement on the ear end. However, I do not know how badly a hellfire outclasses Murderer. I know the fSTR will still leave Murderer ~2 Dmg less. I dunno, it's not like a hellfire is expensive I was just wondering.

Murderer paired with the earring is really best reserved for Corsair Quick Draws, and builds for the Ranger weaponskill Trueflight. This is due to the set effect recieving the magic attack bonus trait. I'm told there are still better guns for Quick Draws, but I'm not a COR so hell if I know. Though for Trueflight builds, the Murderer set is about as good as it gets.

I've never used the Murderer, but I would doubt it's effectiveness over a Hellfire for Slugshot builds. Surely wouldnt come out on top of the Hellfire +1.

Remember that you can further enhance Hellfire (+1) using Synergy, to add a possible max of 10 ratt on WSs.

Hellfire +1 is probably your best bet before Annihilator. But as the previous comment states Murderer + Supremacy Earring is only great if your a Trueflight user hence the Mgk. Attack Bonus, or COR quickdraw.

For an opinion on the Head Piece if your planning to get Barbut, then make it into a WS piece. Unless your trying to make it suitable for other jobs to wear. I myself use +4 STR +4 AGI + 15WS accuracy +2% WS damage augment. Works fine for me. You can always augment a Fay Gendawa to stack with your augments as well.

For the Hunter Bracers +1 it's an awesome upgrade, even though most say it's really a hit or miss to get all 7 arrows to hit, it's still worth getting, added with the new ASA pants for another barrage arrow to have 8 total. I don't know if it's just me or what but it seems most my arrows hit when I have cameflouge on.

But make sure you have gloves + pants if you get the pants on while you shoot or the it won't take effect. I just have it on my barrage macro to equip both and switch to range accuracy like O.hat. But usually with Pot-ae-fue +1 you won't miss much at all. Good luck hope it helps.

About Marksmanship in general.


If your using Marksmanship don't forget about Othinius Bow(It is very under rated and can be even to Ebow let alone better if an Acid Bolt can proc.) with Darksteel bolts for damage when you have to be at a far distance. Its a bit better/cheaper then burning Silver Bullets on say Odin. Also a very respectable weapon compared to Eurytos Bow as well. I use it for the utility as well. Debuffs/Damage/Sleep/Restoring HP, as well as holy bolt damage in Temenos though machine crossbow is better for that zone. I consider Hellfire+1 my Epeen/Close Range weapon when I can actually be 7-8 feet from the target. Any farther I use my Obow and I love it.

Having both is a good choice if your meriting marksmanship anyways.
Not to mention if you level other jobs Marksmanship is more viable then Archery is.


Edit: Also Im sure Hellfire+1 beats murderer hands down and the synergy slots make it a huge plus.

Ashman
I see your THF is 57. Marksmanship would also benefit that if you were taking it to 75.

Sadly, if i were going to move any of my merits it would be to scythe or to great sword :x

This is what im working with right now for tp:

http://www.ffxiah.com/item_sets.php?id=135333

I have everything but the pants and the head already and My roomate is running the SCNM event to get helms for our LS.
My weapons will be (dual) kreigs and francissca, and (staff) vulcans paired with axe grip. For ranged weapons i will be using Vbow, Obow, and (apparently) hellfire. Of course i will do my own testing when i can to verify whether i agree or not with posts here.

For weapon skills i plan to sub in Anwig Salade (with STR+4 WSacc+15,AGI+4 WSdmg+2%), Kirin's Osode, and Enkidu's Leggings.

Thoughts? I know the earrings can use some work. I was considering doing the ACP fight for the STR/RACC earring.

Thanks again in advance for tolerating my questions. I've been a 2-hander for a long time and the concept of ranged DD is foreign to me. I just really don't want to level into being gimp/bunk. As long as I'm doing right by my pt and not wasting time getting the wrong gear i'll be pleased.

*bump*

Regarding earrings, it would be best to stick with STR+2 earrings. Hoping for you to get lucky augments like STR+1 or +2 earrings with some R.attk or R.acc is kinda far-fetched. It's not something you shouldn't aim for, It's just going to be a while for that to pop.

Other improvements for TP gear would be AF2 belt (and WS too) and Sea Torque.

I'd consider making your Desultor Tassets a Barrage piece (Barrage +1 and R.acc +7) because, contrary to the debate earlier of AF+1 Hands, you aren't sacrificing R.acc with these (I use AF2 legs for barrage which also give R.acc +7) and for TP you can still use Skadi Legs (necessary for 6-hit or 5-hit), Pln. Seraweels or Hachiryu Haidate.

This way you can aim for a 7-shot barrage without having to worry about swapping out your hands. And if you also wish, you can still use your AF+1 Hands if you are confident on landing an 8-hit barrage, although in terms of TP gain, you already have an 100+ TP return on a successful 7-hit barrage with whichever weapon you are using (Vali's, Obow, HF+1, etc).

In my personal opinion, I stick with Seiryu Kote for barrage on evasive mobs. Also, for WS, Seiryu Kote are there all the time, regardless of mob.

Hmmm. That is alot of information to process. Ugh unretiring from salvage ><.

This is a raging debate over here. At least ill easily be able to test and find my own on this one without redoing my whole gearset etc.