Leveling Great Axe - Required?

[Neomage]

Lately I have been leveling Warrior as a fun side job to BLM. However, ever since I picked up a Greataxe at 12 it has turned into a pain more than anything else. Currently my Great Axe skill is at level 31, whith the cap at 42, and not only do I wiff like crazy but skillups have grinded to a halt. I have 1-handed axe and 1-handed sword capped at around 18 and 35 respectively, from leveling other jobs. I also know Greataxe isn't really worth it at the higher levels either, reguardless of the A+ skill v.s. Axe's A-. I hear that Sa Sturmwind is godly 30+, and sturmwind itself is strong in qufim, but would it be possible to skip G. Axe and continue to use 1-handed axe, and start dual-wielding at 20?

[Mhurron]

http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/search.php

[Jath]

It is most certainly possible to skip G axe, unless ofcourse you plan to take WAR to "High-Level", then it'd be almost a shame not to since Maat fight is rather difficult w/o G.axe upto par (So I hear)

[Neomage]

Mhurron, I'm not an idiot, I know about the search function, and I used it. I just didn't find enough information to satisfy me. I know about how the Maat fight, if I ever do it, will need G. Axe, but I can skill that up later when I am a higher level. What I would like to know is if I can skip G. Axe untill about 40 or so, when I'm high enough to solo-skill up G. Axe easier.

[Mhurron]

Mhurron, I'm not an idiot, I know about the search function, and I used it. I just didn't find enough information to satisfy me.

If a 6 page thread with 110 replies that sat and analyzed the damage between a single handed Axe and G.Axe wasn't enough information I have no idea what you hope to achieve by asking the exact same question.

[Shep]

if you ever wanted to party with me as a war pre- 55, you're damn right it is required.

[Armando]

Here, I'll make it easy for you. Great Axe > Any single-weilded axe in most circumstances. /THF + Great Axe > /NIN + Dual Axes in terms of raw damage in most circumstances. Shield Break > raw damage in most circumstances. Great Axe is by far the best option 'til 40; if you're going /NIN by then, you could make an argument that two C.C. Axes will win in raw damage, but even then I'd prefer to continue using Great Axes and spamming Shield Break 'til at least 48.

[tdh]

I found when I was tanking up to Lv.25 Shield + Axe + /MNK worked best, but if you're going to DD Great Axe is your best option. At Lv.30 /THF would work best for WS damage, but Sturmwind can still do very nice numbers with out Sneak Attack.

For the most party Duel Wielding before DW II (NIN25 Job Trait) is just retarded, but Viking Axes x2 makes it worth it for those two levels before DW II. (If you have a crappy Axe Skill at Lv.48, you can very easily Skill Up with Viking Axes and do it fast! You can build Acc+45 from gear at this point really easy.)

Great Axe has some pretty crappy Skillchain options, but I've noticed greater damage w/ Great Axe than with Axe from Lv.25-52. WAR49 & Spinning Axe we can close Distortion, and we can close Distortion w/ Rampage as well. Up to about that point I'd recommend Great Axe.

[Armando]

I found when I was tanking up to Lv.25 Shield + Axe + /MNK worked best, but if you're going to DD Great Axe is your best option. At Lv.30 /THF would work best for WS damage, but Sturmwind can still do very nice numbers with out Sneak Attack.

Ah, yes, I should've specified that when I said G.Axe > single-weilded Axe, I meant in terms of raw damage. Personally, a single-weilded axe tends to be so much weaker (not to mention missing out on Shield Break's all-powerful -40 Evasion) that I avoid it even for tanking; but if you really need to cut back on damage taken, Axe + Shield is certainly an option. Just don't touch Size 1 shields, or I'll slap you silly.

Great Axe has some pretty crappy Skillchain options, but I've noticed greater damage w/ Great Axe than with Axe from Lv.25-52. WAR49 & Spinning Axe we can close Distortion, and we can close Distortion w/ Rampage as well. Up to about that point I'd recommend Great Axe.

Great Axe doesn't have bad skillchain options; people just want to do Distortion. Great Axe can close Fusion/Impaction with Breaks, Distortion with Iron Tempest, and Fragmentation/Reverberation with Sturmwind by 23. Axes can close Fusion/Detonation with Raging Axe, a really weak Frag/Reverb (or open Frag with Induration) with Smash Axe, and close Distortion with Avalanche Axe.

[tdh]

Great Axe doesn't have bad skillchain options; people just want to do Distortion. Great Axe can close Fusion/Impaction with Breaks, Distortion with Iron Tempest, and Fragmentation/Reverberation with Sturmwind by 23. Axes can close Fusion/Detonation with Raging Axe, a really weak Frag/Reverb (or open Frag with Induration) with Smash Axe, and close Distortion with Avalanche Axe.

O.K. You're right, just most parties go after mobs that are weak to Ice, and let's face it - BLMs wanna MB with Blizzard and not Water. It's been a rare instance where I've been able to close anything outside or Reverb.

I've actually give the Iron Tempest Distortion a try once. It doesn't completely blow Chocobo chunks, but it's by no means Sturmwind closing either.

[kuu]

SA+ Sturmwind isn't godly. It's a good way to die if use improperly, or even worse, berserk+SA+ sturmwind.

since sturm is 2hits, it's not really a super good SA weapon, just your ownly real GA damage skill earily level. G axes are more or less breaks for better part.

Rampage + nin is effective for most parts of xp, and missions, but end game, you'll be required to know Steel Cyclone, which is even more important now with Warrior's charge merit.

So eventually you'll level up both, at leasure or at pressure.

[ifandbut]

I'm a 60 WAR and I have not missed G.Axe (currently skill level 10). Pre-50 I had limited tanking choices when I was seting up PTs and a friend of mine was leveling their WAR also, so 2x WAR/NIN = great tank for a long time.

The other night I was in a PT with a G.Axe useing war (forget his SJ) and with my DarkSteel +1 and Vikeing's Axe I had around the same delay as the G.Axe while doing equal or a tad under dammage per hit without takeing into account double attack (which I had 2x better chance of it kicking in per tern then he did, quad-attack ftw).

Once I reach end-game I will take some time and level G.Axe, but I will still be going as RDM to most end-game events.

[neighbortaru]

if you ever intend to go against Maat as WAR, then yes, for all that it sacred and holy, GA is required.

otherwise, no it's not (most people will ask for 1-H Axe & /nin). However, it is a really, really nice weapon.

[IfritnoItazura]

SA+ Sturmwind isn't godly. It's a good way to die if use improperly, or even worse, berserk+SA+ sturmwind.

I like SA + Strumwind near last 1/3 or 1/4 of the fight, on Berserk or Warcry whenever possible. (There's always Defender to fall back on.)

Otherwise, Shield Break at the beginning of the fight is nice, unless your party kills stuff too fast for you to build back to 100% TP before the mob dies.

since sturm is 2hits, it's not really a super good SA weapon, just your ownly real GA damage skill earily level. G axes are more or less breaks for better part.

Well, I'll give you an example from my WAR38/NIN19 last night: My melee accuracy was 74.06%. Assuming melee accuracy carries over to WS, given that Sturmwind is two hit, that means on average only 54.85% of the time (74.06% * 74.06% = 54.85%) can I connect both hits. If I had been able to use /THF, it would have been 74.06% of the time. That's a lot of missing damage over the exp session, especially when taking into account that the first hit from the Sturmwind would have been guarenteed a critical hit with SA.

It's nothing close to SATA for THF's Viper Bite, but I can't think of any other single factor which has the kind of dramatic effect on Sturmwind damage like Sneak Attack does.

Of course, what I really wanted to try was WAR/RNG... Accuracy Bonus sounds like a free peacock charm to me, but party leaders seem to think I'm crazy to even suggest that. (One retracted party invite because of it.)

[Celeal]

My suggest is skill up your Great Axe close to cap. In you next exp. party, try to open each Battle with Shield Break WS. Test it out yourself, to see if you like it.