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[Voyager]

It has struck me that one of the primary problems of being a monk, is that it is a decidely unflashy class. While we a good damage dealers, we do it in small, constant hits, rather than the massive, highly announced damageathons that Drks, Drgs, and other damage classes do. Noone sees the damage that Monks do, except monks.

Perhapse what we ought to think about doing, is, when we are playing other jobs, and the party were in needs a damage dealer, put in a request for a Monk.

If we actively try to get other monks into parties, and highlight the damage they are doing, maybe we can shake the stigma that Monks are a useless class.

I know, due to my time contraints, and the lack of mages on Quifim in Siren, I'm going to put my monk on hold, and play as a mage until I can get some of the advanced jobs, but I certainly intend to actively recruit monks into parties I'm in, while I'm at it. Maybe if enough people see that Monks are effective, even at higher levels, I'll be able to get my monk back on track.

Harry Voyager

[frogurtx]

I too was under the impression that monks were a "second rate" damage dealer. That is until I beheld Raging Fists. The truth really comes out when your hunting Liches for your Genkai 1 Papyrus, and the Monk busts out the 300~ damage Raging, while the Dragoon's Penta does 50-70 damage.


"Hulk bash and smash!"


:Edit:
On a side note, Samurai make great main jobs from what I've seen aswell. With the awesome versatility with their Tachi: WS, they can start a distortion with a Thf, meditate, then start another distortion with a Pld, all in the same fight! (presuming you have a BRD along to increase damage/accuracy, and lower magic resistance)

Tachi:Enpi (150dam)> Viper Bite(600dam) > Distortion(236dam)
> MB: Blizzard2(336) = (1322dam)
+
Tachi:Enpi (150dam)> Seraph Blade(125dam) > Distortion(50dam)
> MB: Blizzard2(336) = (661dam)
= (1983dam)
pwned monster popsicle

So support our monks and samurai, they need it for the bad reps they've been getting

[Thark601]

4 lvls off Raging Fists and Chi Blast XD

but damn i've been playing too much lately i just tried to use the auto translater as a lazy method of saying the 2 skills...

[sourjirou]

i remember huntin lichs. i was putin a lvl 55drk(he was helpin us out) knight to shame i was dealing around 400-600dmg with ragin fist while he was dealing a mere 200. but the main reason y monks do that much dmg is cause theyre are very strong against skeletons and undead. it still gives the monk a good name though

[Redlimit]

I was doing Genkai 2 last night with the help of a 71 DRK/WAR from my LS and whenever we fought a bone type enemy in Xarcabard his Guillotine would do about 250 damage and Spinslash 200.......

My Raging Fists would constantly do 500 to 600

Again, this is only on bone type enemies, but damn it still makes you feel good to outdamage a DRK that is 20 levels higher than you.

Then you feel bad again when they bust out a 1800 damage Guillotine on Boreal Tiger.

[Zane]

.

Whenever I level a sub I always try to get a monk into the party, support your brothers!

Bone mobs are sweet for sure, too bad they have nasty TP abilities and not many want to exp on them (yet). Definately good for soloing on those slow days.

mnk get a pretty nice Fusion or Scission but the lack of Distortion to 60 can really get annoying especially since crabs/pugs are so popular for exping. 1 more level though to Distortion pwnage tho ^^

[laicram]

Yea, the Pugil/Clipper thing is the big hurdle for monks. H2H is 1/2 damage vs them? And PTs camp them from 15-25?

It's not a matter of advertising or support... Mnks clearly suck vs clips at low level. I don't want a "Damage Dealing" Monk in my low-lvl clipper PT. That space is better filled by a BLM, WAR, or THF15+.

A Mnk with no Sub-job is really @$$ out cuz he has to hang around Valkrum to unlock his sub. What to do? Here's a list of possible options.

- Get in a PT and hope no one notices how much your damage sux vs. clips. (huh? The most popular method, I think)

- Lvl where there are no clippers. But you may have trouble making a PT in non-popular areas.

Okay, here's the real advice...

- Go back and lvl a War til you get your sub job unlocked. Then...

- Sub-War and Tank! =) You do pitiful damage vs clips, so make yourself useful by taking hits instead! You can match or beat a WAR's def at early lvls. Read the "Monks can Tank" thread for more info.

My advice for getting over the clipper hump. I went against popular thinking and it paid off for me.

After Lvl 15-25, as other posters have already said, Monks will begin to hold their own as Damage Dealers.

[Voyager]

I just started using Boost constantly, and I started doing serious damage to Clipps and Pugils, often just as much as the Drks would over a given time.

That, and I established a rep as a good puller and auxiliary tank.

Honestly, it didn't take me that long to reach lvl 20 with my Monk, sans subjob. Then I went back and got lvl 20 in War almost as quickly.

The problem is, now that I'm in Quifim, no-one will give me half a chance. Just because I'm a Monk, people assume that I suck. Fact is, Monks, when played right are quite effective damage dealers, yes, even against Pugils and Clips and Snips. In fact, when I get a party, I'm even more effective in Quifim that I was in the dunes, because Snips seem to go after White Mages much more often than a lone Paladin can Provoke them. I can tank longer and harder than any of the other primary damage dealers, and I can still do damage.

It's exactly that sort of blind prejudice that monks have to fight against the entire time we play, and it is intensly frustrating.

Try me.

Harry Voyager

[Nataka]

Originally posted by laicram
Yea, the Pugil/Clipper thing is the big hurdle for monks. H2H is 1/2 damage vs them? And PTs camp them from 15-25?

I think it's around that, with meat mithkabobs I did around 15 damage to snipers and pugils in valk, about 25-30 to gobs? Around the same con. I use Legionnaire Knuckles if that means anything. This was at level 17.

I think my damage is pretty satisfying. I do around the same damage a dark knight ATM (when totalled), though I dunno if that'd change if the drk had been eating food. Still though, if your smart and eat as a monk, and make sure to invest in +stat equips you'll be good. I'm gonna start saving for +2 str rings for level 14, not sure yet. They would definatly help though.

Also one thing i always do is list all my +stats in my search comment, along with what I eat in game. That seems to help a lot, as people see it as "ooh, big numbers" and such. This will also help you get an edge over other monks, if a group so desires one.



Just be happy grapple isnt like in morrowind, elder scrolls, where you just fatigue them, and then if you get them knocked out you can damage then very minorly until they wake up again >_>

[Voyager]

I'm sorry for the vehmence of my previous post, however, my advancement is dependent on the opinions of people just like laicram, who have little understanding of what Monks are actually capable of.

And then people turn around and wonder why there aren't any high level Monks around when they have to hunt bones for quests. If you never let a lvl 20 Mnk into your party, you'll never find a lvl 40 mnk when you need one.

Harry Voyager

[laicram]

Voyager, I was there too. I'm not operating on blind prejudice. It's hard facts. Just like pierce does less damage to Bones, blunt does less damage to Clips. Who wants a Damage Dealer that does less damage + dodge, when you can easily obtain a War that does normal damage + berserk? When the melee are doing 0 damage and the Mages are out of MP, it's the THF's Sneak Attack that wins the fight, and so on.

Nataka. Of course eating Meat Kabobs, equipping Str+, (and being elvann) will yield better damage. I use the same logic for tanking pre-30. My def is better than everyone's because I equip def+ and eat Fish Kabobs. I believe both our methods are viable.

You both think you're good as-is and that's fine. I think the mistake was mine. I tried to offer an alternative method to being effective, when the main issue of the thread is, "Campaign for Mnks because they are picked last in low-lvl PTs." Go Monks!

[Nataka]

Um, I wasnt really saying your idea was bad, heck I didnt even mean to mention it if I did. I HAVE been the tank in a party before, and I do believe monks are great at holding hate. Having played warrior to 30, I do think my monk is a lot better at holding hate then my war (which I find really sad..).

I do think that if all else fails, monk can be the temp. tank (if he or she has upgraded armor) for a paladin or warrior if he needs time tor echarge, or for a theif to use fuidama. Obviously there are better choices but it is viable. I would guess this is even better with chakra, as you can heal yourself a bit once the hate gets turned back on the main tank.

[Voyager]

Sometimes things just go right.

I just got through playing with an incredible party in Quifim, hunting IT Clips, from lvl 20-22. At lvl 21, I was hitting IT Clips about half the time for 10-25 damage per hit on normal. I was doing as much damage as the lvl 22 Ninja, including one suprise hit for 90. I was doing enough damage that I pulled a Clip off the main tank with pure physical. That was a bit of a suprise.

As I keep trying to tell people, Boost is the great equalizer. If you aren't doing damage to a mob, just start using Boost constantly. Every time it refreashes, boost, and hit, and boost before every weapon skill. That extra 10 points to the attack doesn't look like much, but it makes a world of difference. Consider, Ochiko's Kote costs 350,000 on my server, and only permenantly adds twice that. Boost you get at lvl 5, for free.

In the end, promoting the Monk is only half the point of this thread, the other half is to remind us, that even at low levels, and even against shelled beings, we are still capable of being high damage fighters.

It is time we remembered it, and it is time we showed the world.

Harry Voyager

[Redlimit]

It has taken a while, but 'most' NA players are now realizing that MNK is just as good (if not better in some areas) as the other damage dealing jobs.

Personally, I'm one level away from Howling Fist - then I can really start making some deadly skillchains...

[Archy]

Voyager, i'm on est time and i'm a level 25 monk on siren server. I have other jobs but i think i'll start playing monk. I JUST LOVE THEIR H2H ACTION. If you see me on ( MAYBE PUT ME ON FRIEND LIST), recruit me into your party. i will be on either thursday night (TONIGHT) and/or friday hehe.