How do Corsairs gear?

[lufia22]

I am planning on being a COR with RNG and NIN as possible subs. From what I have gathered, it seems like a COR with either of these two subs gears similarly to a RNG. I did a quick search and did not find any topic that really helped answer the question. Some of you may have read my topic over on the RNG forum, but I am currently gearing up a RNG and am wondering if I should save the gear for when I further start up COR.

If there are any differences in gear, what are they?

Thanks.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: How do Corsairs gear?

The differences in gear aren't dramatic til 70+. If you're a COR/RNG, you're going to want to gear similar to an RNG, however, I don't suggest donning the STR/Attack builds that RNGs do without subbing /RNG and having sufficient accuracy.

Problem people have with COR is they too often treat it too much like a RNG/NIN or (worse) a BRD/WHM and gear accordingly. Its important to keep in mind that while COR bears some similarity to these two other jobs, its also not either of those job. RNGs go /NIN because it allows them to reach peak accuracy and mitigate damage - COR will only succeed in mitigating damage with /NIN. /RNG will help you achieve the best accuracy and best all around damage output for COR. /WAR can be used situationally a high levels if you really want to go crazy on damage, but /RNG offers the best balance od damge and accuracy.

/WHM is applicable to COR in some situations. My only problem with it is too many people eschew Ranged Accuracy and AGI/MAB gear to stuff every slot the have with MP. COR/WHM can work, but you will not and never be wanted for anything more than a backup healer - I don't care what levels of MP you can hit. At higher levels, /DNC actually brings a lot of what /WHM would to the table without the fuss of MP gear. But the biggest problem with COR/WHM is forsaking AGI gear for Quick Draw.

There are things exclusive to COR that you'll want to gear in mind for that a RNG doesn't really have to think about, such as Quick Draw.

This is an ability you'll get at 40 and its affected by four things - Gun DMG, Bullet DMG, AGI and Magic Attack Bonus. The Gun and Bullet damage work together to create a base value for Quick Draw's magic damage. Use an out-of-date gun or weak bullets and you won't see the proper base damage for your level. A lot of CORs will short themselves on their QD damage just so they can save gil, either by not buying the probler bullets, not buying the cards or just holding back too much. Now, bullets aren't actually consumed during QD, the matching elemental card replaces the bullet to do the damage, but the bullet is still a factor.

Quick Draw also enhances white, black and ninjutsu enfeebling magic already landed on the mob. Match the element of the Quick Draw with the element of the enfeeble and you've boosted the effectiveness of that enfeeble. Think Earth Shot on Slow and Ice Shot on Paralyze and you've got the general idea. This effect always happens even if the magic damage is resisted, which actually makes this the more important part of quickdraw.

tl:dr version: COR mostly gears up like a RNG, but keep AGI and MAB gear in mind when you get Quick Draw. Use it often and effectively.

For most of your early levels pre-40, gearing RNG and COR will be identical (Save for some subtle armor differences in the very early levels and the fact that, for CORs, shooting still isn't worthwhile til about 22, so get your marksmanship skills up through RNG and work your swordarm on COR with occasional gunplay til 22 when you can get real bullets since lolcopper bullets really aren't worth the gil spent.

Around 28 and 30, you'll be sporting Archer's Knives and Noct gear just like RNG would. COR has access to Republic Subligar at 25 and I reccomend that over noct legs. Empress Pin is also better than noct head, but due to the difficulties in obtaining it, its not requisite.

Also, keep /WHM and /DNC subs in mind in addition to /NIN and /RNG.

In fact, of all the subs listed above, /NIN will see the least amount of use - the other subs just bring more options to COR, /NIN just brings Utsusemi and Dual Wield. I know people that swear by /NIN - but its nothing but underwhelming for COR. /NIN is certainly great for RNGs, though.

But I still like /WAR and /SAM better for RNG. >.>

[Aksannyi]

Re: How do Corsairs gear?

This is exactly the kind of post I was looking for, or hoping for, since I picked up COR yesterday (after having SMN burned it to 42, now I kinda wanna play it) and did some FoV synced with my mule. My Marksmanship skill is really, really bad, so I picked up some cheap bullets just for skilling up purposes. Sometime this week I'll pull my war out with some acid bolts and skill it up.

There is a lot of good stuff in this post that I would have asked about the job. I didn't know all that stuff about QD. Granted last night I just threw stuff on that I had sitting in my MH (Yep, the 25 Salvage body and the 15 Salvage hands, lol!) but good to see that through the levels I can wear Noct for the most part.

Now, is the AF gun considered "good" for the job? Or is there something better out there I should strive to get in the near future? (I'm 43 by the way) I am trying to bust my ass and get to 50 for the AF as well. Which pieces do you recommend? How about gear at 75? I'm looking ahead. Dynamis is easy to get, it's a matter of the stuff dropping, and I can probably get it before I even hit 60, so that's not a factor.

I guess I'm looking for sets. What do you wear for stuff? TP? WS? QD? Anything for rolls? Anything for Random Deal? etc. I'm just kinda looking ahead and I like to plan, so I know what I can pretty much wear as I level, but what kind of things am I going to be looking to wear at endgame? Also, what subs do I need? NIN WAR RNG and WHM? Got 3/4 of those done already. =)

Hope I'm not jacking this thread too much from the OP, but I figured what I'm asking is relevant and can get us both some useful info. You're the first person I thought to ask when it came to gearing COR (who isn't on my server, but the CORs in my ls aren't really people I chat with a lot).

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: How do Corsairs gear?

Trump Gun is easily one of the best and most useful AF1s in the game and should last you to level 56, by then I would upgrade to a matchlock gun

What sets you'll use for QD will vary by race, just about everyone has something good for AGI and MP aside except for Mithra and Taru on RSE. So if you do go /WHM, I suggest favoring RSE to get MP without giving up AGI.

TP gear will vary by what you have available to you and what mode of TP you're looking at. If you're without access to Joyeuse or Mercurial Kris, just focus on piling on Ranged Accuracy gear and then STR and Ranged attack at higher levels where you fell you can work it in. Ranged accuracy is the easiest kind of accuracy to get. If you have a PCC early on, great, if not don't sweat it. Bone-type rings will give you loads of ranged accuracy, as will Archer's Knives and Trailer's Kukri.

For Earrings, use Drone as this will aid ranged accurach and be a good start toward an AGI build for Quick Draw. AGI affects the magic accuracy of Quick Draw, but you don't need it in gross amounts like a BRD would need CHR, you just need to shoot for high teens or early twenties at higher levels. You won't see resists too often as a Hume, but I've heard those that undergear make a fuss about its accuracy on Colibri and such. I'm mithra, so I have a gross advantage on AGI. But when you get QD, Drone x2 and some AGI earrings will work, plus Trump gun will give you a little as well.

When you have Joytoy access, pretty much same as WAR with a few minor differences - Make a haste build. Its actually more similar to what I would use for a RDM melee build were kitten a RDM. W. Turban, Pah Body, Dusk Hands/Feet. Pah. Legs, Swift Belt, etc. The usual, but with STR?attack considered for spamming slug or detonator.

Dynamis - Only the Hat, body and Belt really matter, the rest is lolworthy and I'd pass the rest to people who think COR relic is awesome and think looking like a pirate is all that really matters (which accounts for 90% of them). The AF+1 is better overall for melee, the upgrades to Head, Legs and Feet most notably.

For buffs, get a Luzaf's Ring. Think of it this way: Without Luzaf's Ring, your buff range is more like a BRD with a flute. With the ring, that range is increased to the range of a BRD using a Harp. A lot of idiot CORs (the ones that think meleeing with DW knives is awesome DD) will full time this thing so they hever have to stop meleeing and just give the whole PT two buffs when they could be serving up two for the frontline and two for the backline. Luzaf's is clearly a situational ring, so use it for stuff like manaburns or melee PTs during events where you can go ?DNC instead of /WHM (like general limbus or city dynamis).

Luzaf's is rank 3 IS item, pretty easy to get. Aside from Luzaf's and Relic Tricorne, the only thing that boosts your buffs is matching the buff with a party member's job. All well and good to roll compatible buffs where you can, but its not a hard-and-fast rule that you always do so since they can also be useful without those jobs present.

Speaking of which, buy Phantom Rolls early as you never know when Chayaya will be tarunapped for days and days on end.

Guns - I know Hexaguns look cool, but outside of the early Hexaguns, the AF1 and Mythic weapon - they're crap. After matchlock, Shark Gun can hold you all the way to Murderer, Coffinmaker or Martial gun. Martial gun is the best gun for Detonator, but I still feel Coffinmaker has the edge for Slugshot. Murderer has a lot going for it if you have the Supremacy earring to go with it. Early Hexaguns are OK, though, nice enough when QD isn't part of the picture yet.

If you have MAB gear, great, use it for your QD build if COR can wear it. You have your RDM and BLM subs, those will be situationally fun for a boost to QD (unless your LS just zergs down all your kirins, then maybe not, but there's still Jailer of Temperance, I guess).

[Aksannyi]

Re: How do Corsairs gear?

You are awesome. Gonna bookmark this.