*Best* DD - WAR/SAM SAM/WAR or NIN?

[r3light]

Holla from a noob.

I was browsing some guides around the web to supposely build the *best* DD combo for WAR and SAM. Well I did learn there's a big variety for that and you can mix around those fitting your needs. But before getting to 30 lvl to unlock SAM, I will apreciate some opinions as to what combo I should use for DD.

I'm WAR19/MNK9 with 56lvl Sword Skill ( yeah no need to tell me about GA/GA+, was too late when ppl said that to me ).

Which one should fit best for Total DD? I assume SAM/WAR? Or any other way around?
Thanks in advance.

[Awilo]

there never is too late for skills...a friend of mine played her war from 1 to 50 and started lvling her GA skill from 0 when she was 50 and realized that the GA at that lvl are godly.

Anyway out of subject, SAM/WAR is a viable combo of course but if you really want to do damage and have big dmg pops out everywhere at lvl 30 sam or generally any DD jobs sub thief so you can use sneak attack and at lvl 60 you can use SATA (sneak attack+trick attack) that is by far, the most dmg dealing done.

[Standablaze]

There is no best DD. Each DD damages in a different way or have other things to do (most, at least).

SAMs use weapon skills to open and close damaging skillchains. That is what your job is based on, its the text book description. If you want to be able to open and close virtually any skillchain or even sometimes skillchain with yourself, then go as a SAM. That will be your main priority, gaining TP to use weapon skills, regardless of what sub job you use.

Sub jobs are there to enhance your main job, not the other way around. Your job will still be a Samurai regardless if you sub WAR, BRD, WHM, RDM, THF, PLD or any other job out there, it just wont be as effective depending on the situation.

And yes, you should start leveling Great Axe. I personally dont invite WARs that use swords and shields. They just dont do as much damage as they are capable of. WAR/MNK using a Great Axe up to 37 is one of the most damaging jobs in the game, its the way I'm leveling WAR as my subjob for DRK. It also works well if you need to do a bit of tanking, which isnt bad.

Dont worry about your advanced job untill you need to. Chances are you will unlock more than SAM, and realise SAM might not even be for you. I used a sword and shield in the beginning because I wanted to be a PLD; I've never unlocked the job, 2 years later. I leveled RDM for a while and stuck to DRK, and now I'm thinking about bringing NIN up for a bit.

Most WARs use MNK and NIN as subs.. most SAMs use WAR and THF as subs, and NIN is only used in the higher levels for Utsusemi:ichi/ni when they are in TP burn parties. As far as I know, SAMs dont duel wield often.

[r3light]

Thanks for the replies ppl
Ok so lets say I got with SAM/WAR, GK will do the trick or stick still with GA SP from WAR?

Or should I simply keep WAR/SAM instead SAM/WAR? Last opinion to get.
Thanks in advance.

[Caspian]

WAR/SAM does have its uses I suppose later on, but its greatly overshadowed by WAR/MNK, then WAR/NIN later on.
SAM/WAR is a nice job that does nice damage.
Use Great Axe or Axe when WAR is your main, then use Great Katana when SAM is your main.

[Stooky]

Warrior is one of the most versitile jobs in the game. Warrior can use many sub jobs including /MNK, /THF, and /NIN.
/MNK is what you use when you tank, yeah a NIN/WAR or PLD/WAR are better tanks but hey third best! (Also You can do some good damage a /MNK Even in higher levels.)
/THF is a sub and job i do not enjoy but it has its strong points. /THF gives you the abilities SATA or sneak attack and trick attack which allow you to do large amounts of damage and such from behind. I am not good with SATA so if I leveled WAR I would go /MNK and /NIN. But people will like /THF about 60-66 If I am correct.
/NIN Is fun, two axes utsumi: ichi and ni allow for you do do good damage and when you pull hate they can hit your shadows. End game this is a extremly good DD, even until then it still is great.
Then on SAM/WAR or /THF, I do not know much about SAM but they are a great DD. They have the ability to gain TP very fast with the abilities they have which means more ws. And almost all melee jobs besides WAR sub /WAR becuase it grants the great abilitys WAR has to offer. /THF is same as above.
I hope this helped.
-Stooky

[r3light]

Your opinions surelly did help me, thanks alot!
For now i will stick with SAM/WAR, seems most people admire this combo and say it is indeed a fair DD.

Thank you for your time ppl

P.S. BTW I like your Kyon avatar from Haruhi.

[tdh]

Once you hit the 50's and 60's you'll start to notice that you're spending alot of time leveling sub jobs, or even sub jobs of subjobs. This can be a pain because it is time consuming, and of course cost gil to fund these jobs. It can also be quite nice as you may suddenly be opened up to a job you didn't think you'd care to level.

Case & point: I used to hate leveling WAR. Was tired of getting called to tank, and having to carry so much crap in order to do so. Then I found a friend in my LS who decided to take up PLD, so he needed a back up Provoke, and a DD. I've been leveling WAR as a DD since Lv.25 and I LOVE IT!

I'm leveling DRK, and I'm at Lv.58, so soon I will need to have THF sub as an option, so I got to work leveling THF. Hit Lv.30 and THF got to be a lotta fun! So now I'm considering taking it higher than Lv.37.

Despite how much gil NIN requires to level, I've found the fun in the job. If I can afford to level it later on I may actually do so.

So leveling all these subs will let you taste test the various rolls in FFXI. And some jobs will help you experience a number of them. For SAM you will need a WAR, THF, and possibly NIN and RNG sub. WAR sub would require MNK, THF, and possibly NIN subs. THF subs would be MNK, WAR, and NIN. RNG only needs WAR and NIN. So you're looking at leveling WAR, MNK, THF, NIN, and RNG just to have all options for SAM all the way to the top of the mountain. That's a lot of work, but you get to see different sides of the game by leveling these various subs.

[Sodo_Leviathan]

Sam/War is the best for DD means ... Just use a GK (du'h) and Att + Str with a little bit of Dex (not really needed tho just if theres gear with it where u dont have str or att) and try to Learn ur abbilltys well and farm to get ur gear .... if ur on Leviathan send me a message i'll help ya

[r3light]

Once you hit the 50's and 60's you'll start to notice that you're spending alot of time leveling sub jobs, or even sub jobs of subjobs. This can be a pain because it is time consuming, and of course cost gil to fund these jobs. It can also be quite nice as you may suddenly be opened up to a job you didn't think you'd care to level.

Agreed . But I prefer for now to stick with the SAM/WAR plan, and yeah Im pretty sure I'll wander around with main's/sub's till i find one that fits me best (i guess thats the point right?). Altought something tells me ill stick with SAM/.

if ur on Leviathan send me a message i'll help ya

That is greatly appreciated. Altough I'm on Unicorn

Thank you guys, you're the best

[luisa]

well sam/thf is the way to go, dont forget that at lvl 50 theres a katana thats rare ex that gives a 2-3 strike, wich eliminates the pourpus of/war,sub thf n make the damage, n if u need att+ dont forget about the lvl 34 gloves that gives 20+att or the rice balls that along with af kote gives 45 att+ and along with that katana that gives 2-3 strike u make ahuge tp gainage, oh and dont forget if u use shogon rice balls with af gloves u get +8 double attack wich means that u dont need war just for double attack cuz if the food dont cut it, the katana will. and i forgot to say, that shogon rice ball doesnt just give +8 double attack it also gives 45 or more att+ along with hp and some other stats that i forgot, but allakazham has more info on the riceballs and the katana, but rng seems pretty good sub also