Laur said:
Actually WAR/SAM is a great combo and I have partied with many WAR that use it to full advantage. Being a SAM yourself I would think that you would understand the benefits of using your MAIN job as a subjob. SAM can be subbed with many different jobs and used quite effectively. Why you have adopted a narrow view that doesn't allow you to "Think outside the box" is beyond me. But you shouldn't go around knocking other people's choices of job use, especially when it's obvious that you have no clue as to how to use the job that you know so well as a support job. There are many viable job combinations in this game, just because you "think" that SAM is a bad choice of subjob doesn't make it so. Only in your mind. :roll:
I've explained this numerous times... In every instance where you THINK SAM is an'effective' subjob, WAR is a better one. For Main job WARs, who obviosly cannot sub WAR, SAM is still a subpar choice. Here is why SAM sub, again, isnt any good (hideously off topic):
A.) SAM Stats are crap. You get very average stat skewering with SAM sub, instead of big spikes. This may not be a huge diffference, but the idea of FFXI is to specialize, not generalize, and SAM sub's stat bonuses work against that idea.
B.) With reguard to the above, subbing SAM before level 20 is just plain stupid. You get no abilities, and no pasive skills, and no stat bonuses that you can use. At level 20, you get store TP 1. If you've ever used, or read about, this skill, it gets you .5 more TP per hit. This means that if you hit 200 times, you will have built an extra 100% TP. This ability is complete garbage when compared to what you could have had instead. So, that makes /SAM pretty worthless from 20-30, too.
C.) At 30, you get Third Eye. Sweet! I get to dodge one attack every minute! With good timing, I can dodge physical TP attacks that have noticable startup. Wonderful! Great! But hey.... isnt there an ability that will let me dodge physical AND magical attacks? Doesnt it absorb 3 of them instead of 1? Cant I use that other skill every 30 seconds, instead of each minute? Dont I get access to that other skill at level 24 instead of 30? The only benifit Third Eye has over Utsusemi is that it lacks casting time... (and you dont have to spend money on Shihei,, but that just makes you cheap). So now, from 30-60, you get no big stats, and two less-than-useful skils.
D.) Hory shit, you are finally level 60 and can use Store TP II and Meditate. Store TP II is giving you 1 extra TP per hit, so now you only have to hit 100 times to earn an extra 100% TP. Then, excitedly, you use Meditate... and you get 60% TP from it. Not 100% like the SAMs get. Not 120% like the AF Helm SAMs get. 60%. Every 3 minutes. You just wasted your subjob slot on 60% TP every 3 minutes. Other subs would give you new abilities to use and abuse. SAM sub lets you do what you already could, but you get 60% extra TP every 3 minutes. Do you have any idea how insignifigant 60% TP in 3 minutes is? You are going to sit here and tell me that this is a better option than Dual Weild II (at level 50) and Utsusemi, or better than Focus and Boost and HP Bonus and a nice VIT spike? Is this 60% free TP better than having both Sneak and Trick Attacks, as well as 2 evasion boosts?
NO NO NO NO NO. Not in any way shape or form. This arguement works against WAR/SAM, but there is more to add against ???/SAM.
You get Meditate at 60 with /SAM. You get Double Attack at 50 with /WAR. I can guarenttee you, every time, that Double Attack will build you more than 60% TP in 3 minutets, and it will DEAL DAMAGE at the same time. I cant say that to a WAR/SAM, because they already have it... but to anyone else thinking of a /SAM sub, /WAR is ALWAYS better. No questions.
/SAM is a lot like DRG. Its not useless, its just not very good. The reason its so important for SAM main job to build TP is for G.katana WSs. G.katana is the most versitile weapon on the chart, and after a certain level, can begin every lv2 chain. Other jobs subbing SAM cannot equip this weapon or perform this function, so they waste their subjob slot on a sub that doesnt really add anything to their focus (be that tanking or DDing).
So, before you and the Bradey Games Guide get all up in arms about /SAM being good, do some reading first. You certainly have no right to call me ignorant with such a lack of knowlage on the topic. When I started FFXI, i wanted to be a DRG/SAM... it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that, even though the official guide says its amazing, that it actually licks.
Good day.
