Help! I dont want to be a lousy SAM! Skillchain Experts Guide me pls.

[qianlong]

Hi all,

I think i really suck at setting up Skillchains and this will be the death for a SAM. Although i know how to set up easy level 1 skill chains and limited up to Tachi:Goten at level 23 but somehow i felt that i do not grasp the essence of creating a skillchain and always take a good 5 mins to setup the entire pt's SC. I went through the entire SAM forum, didnt really see something that clearly answer my questions (or maybe i missed out ).

I refer to StarvingArtist;s renkei chart: http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/sho...threadid=26106

1) Does this means that i can only do fragmentation with Tachi:Yukikaze/Koki/Gekko?

2) How do i do a proper SC with 3 Weapon Skills (e.g. plm, gkt, scythe or GSD)? What do i note on how to start, how to end? does the ending WS definately create a lv 2 SC?

3) For what i read, Lv 2 SCs is a combination of 2 elements. Well, ok on the easy part, just refer to the charts and look at the 1s and twos. But what happening last nite in my pt was mind boggling :confused:for me. A bunch of ppl at lv 23 (weapon skill cap) using sword, plm, GKT, Scythe. Somehow created fragmentation. I look back at the chart. i really cant find the link on how to create fragmentation. (tried to read my own log, it disappeared)

4) Usually which will be better to deploy? a WS-Skillchain or 2 separate Skillchain? BTW, is it possible to do a 4 WS Skillchain?

5) I heard of ppl saying that a SAM can do a 5 WS self-renkei. Err,, maybe i am still low level..cant visualise how this can happen? How do you kick this in? What is the best self renkei a SAM can do?

6) Meditate. ok i have not got this cool umber abulity yet so not much chance to experiment with it. When is the best time to kick in meditate?

Thanks for all yr help.

[ZQM]

1. And hobaku. Those are the 4 skills under those two parts.

2. A level 2 skillchain on that chart is marked by shading around the arrow (I.E. fragmentation is level 2, impaction is level 1). Since a level 2 renkei ends the skillchain, you want to end with one but you don't have to.

3. Tachi: Hobaku > Dark harvest creates fragmentation.

4. I don't understand "a WS-Skillchain or 2 separate Skillchain?", but as for the second part yes. When I leveled my NIN, I partied with another NIN and we exchanged tanking dudies. Because of this, we only had one BLM and 5 melees, so we did a 5 ws skillchain. It owned anything

5. By gaining 100% TP, using WS, then using meditating, using weaponskill, then using 2 hr, using 3 weaponskills, that's 5 weaponskills. As for the second part, depends what element the monster is weak to. For instance, if it's weak to fire, you'd want to do Kagero > Goten/Koki.

6. Not 30 yet.

You put way to much stress on this. All you have to do is follow the arrows and it creates a renkei.

[qianlong]

Thanks alot ZQM!

Refering to pt 1,2,3 . Ah..now i see.. you do not need the 1s and 2s (based on the above chart) to start a level 2 Skill chain? If that is the case, what does the 1s and 2s mean?

And this piece of information:
1-1 > 1-2 > 2 -1 > 2-2
What does it really means? Is it for multi-weapon SC? Can any one illustrate with an example?

Refering to pt 4, sorry for the typo on the 1st part. here is the edit version:
Usually which will be better to deploy? a single 3 WS-Skillchain or 2 separate Skillchain?
You did a 5 weapon SC? wow.... like how?

Pt 6, hehe.. waiting for high level SAM-sensei to response. :spin:

[ZQM]

Refering to pt 1,2,3 . Ah..now i see.. you do not need the 1s and 2s (based on the above chart) to start a level 2 Skill chain? If that is the case, what does the 1s and 2s mean?

And this piece of information:
1-1 > 1-2 > 2 -1 > 2-2
What does it really means? Is it for multi-weapon SC? Can any one illustrate with an example?

I'm partially colored blind so it's going to be a bit hard to explain. :sweat:

let's take Tachi: Enpi and Spinning axe for example.

They (yellow?) box at the bottom right side, above the grey one right next to the compression black line. That has Tachi: Enpi (1) in it. The Tachi: Enpi (2) one is (green?), second to the bottom on the left side right next to the detonation arrow. In the same box is the 150 Spinning Axe (2). Direclty above is a (red?) box with Spnning Axe (1).

If you were able to follow, that means that Tachi: Enpi > Spinning Axe can lead to either Distortion or liquification. the 1-1 > 1-2 > 2-1 > 2-2 determines if it's distortion or liquification (The > means greater-than).

Liquification = Enpi (2) - Spinning Axe (1)
Distortion = Enpi (1) - Spinning axe (2)

So place those on the line in the corresponding area

1-1 > Enpi (1)-Spinning Axe (2) > Enpi(2)-Spinning Axe(1) > 2-2

Since Enpi (1) - Spinning Axe (2) is greater then Enpi (2) - Spinning Axe (1), it would be Distortion.

Tell me if you need me to explain it more. :sweat:

Usually which will be better to deploy? a single 3 WS-Skillchain or 2 separate Skillchain?
You did a 5 weapon SC? wow.... like how?

I don't remember the order of the 5 man SC, but it got messed up a lot due to lag and other type deals.

As for which is better to deploy, it depends on what element your parties fighting weak against. If you're able to do one that has an element that it's weak against, but it's only 2 man, choose that one. If it's 3 man, even better. But if it's 3 man without the right element, then it doesn't end up doing much damage (though it's better then no skilllchain if you're not able to come up with one of the weak element).

If you're PT has 4 members, it's normally better to PT up. 2 people are able to do a skillchain easily, but the chain is ruined if only one person messes up in a 4-man one. The only reason we did a 5-man SC was for the sheer power alone of our WS's (and for fun, it was very fun )

And as for pt 6, reading this thread might help you out.

http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/sho...threadid=34273

[Geo]

Basiclly, I Medi with a Macro like...

/ja "Meditate" <me>
/wait 1
/ws "Tachi: " <t>

I usually menu scroll for other occasions.

[qianlong]

Thanks ZQM, I really appreciate the time and effort you spend to give me a clear explanation. I fully understand the skillchart now.

AS for now, time to experiment with more renkeis and hopefully able to do a lv 3 renkei in future ^^

[ZQM]

Glad I can help.

If I'm not mistaken, Level 3 renkeis won't come into play until 65 so don't worry too much about that yet.