Small bits of progress

While I have not really gotten any new items of note, it has been really cool to utilize the new AG Burtgang both in tanking situations and for individual CPing on my Paladin.

The main purpose of this article is to give you some insight into my two Paladin sets for damage dealing - before Aftermath Level 3, and with Aftermath Level 3.

My pre-aftermath set is as follows. For when I am dual wielding as /nin, The Cessance earring is replaced by Suppanomimi. When solo, I have King or Koru-Moru out for Haste II which makes a huge difference in my DPS.

Ammo: Ginsen
Head: Valorous Mask (Acc+30, Att+23, Dex+6, Crit rate +1%)
Neck: Asperity Necklace
Left Ear: Brutal Earring
Right Ear: Cessance Earring
Body: Odyssean Chestplate (Acc+29, Att+11, Dex+5, Double Attack +5%)
Hands: Sulevia's Gauntlets +1
Left Ring: Petrov Ring
Right Ring: Rajas Ring
Back: Rudianos's Mantle (Dex+20, Att/Acc+20, Store TP+10)
Waist: Sailfi Belt +1
Legs: Sulevia's Cuisses +1
Feet: Loyalist Sabatons (Str+10, Att+15, PDT-3%, Haste+3%)

This set features the following melee extra stats:
Regain +3 (amounts to +60 TP per minute)
Double Attack + 25% (+35% with /war)
Triple Attack + 5%
Store TP + 35
Accuracy +197
Attack + 223

With the afterglowed Burtgang, I am gaining 91 TP per hit in this set. Considering the extra expectation from Double Attack and Triple Attack, I am gaining 167 TP per attack round (91 + (182*.35) + (273*.05). Since I usually have Haste II on and I have capped gear haste, My actual delay is 45% of 264, or 119, which means I am attacking every 2 seconds. It takes me about 6 attack rounds to gain 1000 TP. Since my goal is 3000 TP to trigger AM3, it takes me 36 seconds of TPing to achieve this number. This does not account, however, for missed attacks or the TP I get from blocking with my shield. I will make the assumption these will pretty much cancel each other out, or maybe swing a bit in my favor to reduce the time needed. Let's also not forget the regain I have from the Valorous Mask, which makes a tiny but helpful contribution of 36 TP during this window of time.

I know I can reduce this further by having double march on as well, but for CP purposes I enjoy the combination of Yoran-Oran, Qultada, Kupofried, Koru-Moru, and Zeid II. I use Zeid II because he stuns things like Death Prophet from the ascended NMs in Reisenjima.

Now with Aftermath Level 3 on, I switch to this gear set.

Ammo: Ginsen
Head: Valorous Mask (Acc+22, Dex+6, Store TP+5)
Neck: Asperity Necklace
Left Ear: Brutal Earring
Right Ear: Cessance Earring
Body: Odyssean Chestplate (Acc+29, Att+11, Dex+5, Double Attack +5%)
Hands: Valorous Mitts (Acc+30, Att+9, STR+15, Store TP+3)
Left Ring: Petrov Ring
Right Ring: Rajas Ring
Back: Rudianos's Mantle (Att/Acc+20, Dex+20, Store TP+10)
Waist: Kentarch Belt +1
Legs: Odyssean Cuisses (Accuracy+15, Attack+28, Store TP+5)
Feet: Loyalist Sabatons (Str+10, Att+15, PDT-3%, Haste+3%)

The strongest change here is the additional Store TP. This set puts another 23 Store TP (ideally, assuming Unity rank #1). Combined with the 40% Double Attack rate and 20% Triple Attack rate from AM3 (and a smaller but still significant amount of Double Attack from gear and traits), my tp gain per attack round is:

Single Hit: 68 + (68*.58) = 107 TP/hit
Aftermath Expectation: (214*.4) + (321*.2) = 149
Double Attack Expectation: (214*.14) = 30

Total Attack Round TP gain: 286 TP/attack round

This means I can achieve 1000 TP in 4 attack rounds, or 8 seconds. And since I will gain TP from weapon skilling, this makes it possible for me to create a light skillchain by myself.

Now, considerations to be made are as follows. You will notice I do not have maximum Store TP augments on my Reisen gear, and you will also notice I am still using the Loyalist Sabatons even in this set. I have been advised to procure some Valorous Greaves and use my Goading belt on the waist. This will give me more Store TP from the feet base and the augment. Also, getting another Odyssean body or Valorous body and augmenting that with Store TP. Also, continuing to try to increase the augments on the head, hands, and legs since I could theoretically get another 11 on these. I could also swap in my Carmine Greaves and the Goading belt right now which would yield a +7 Store TP.

However, consider this. If I were to get these, it would amount to about 28 extra Store TP. This would increase my TP per hit to 126 TP/hit. My total gain per attack round would be 337. This would reduce the attack rounds to get to 1000 TP by 1. I would need to hit 28 on the dot - anything less will keep me at 4 attack rounds. I will work slowly at this, but since the goal is to weapon skill fast enough to self-skillchain, this goal is not urgent for me.

I am sitting at 210 CP on Paladin and 213 CP on Black Mage. I continue to use my 3 Trizek rings when I can as well as gathering stones from ascended mobs in Reisenjima. I will work towards these ideal augments as well as the aforementioned gear pieces.

I hope you enjoyed some insight into my current Paladin melee sets!