Gear: 01-20 Gear: 20-40 Gear: 40-60 Gear: 60-75 Beginner and Advanced End Game Gear Sets [ Beginner and Advanced End Game Gear Sets ]
Please note that if you have a better option in a slot than suggest, then obviously go with the better option. This is a fairly static progression guide, and unfortunately for the guide people don't start at the same place. Some people get certain items before others.
Stage One: The My Little Pony Starter Merit BuildWoodville's Axe Maneater [Empty] Combat Caster's Boomerang +1
Maneater Iron Ram Pick [Empty] Fire Bomblet
Fourth Division Toporok Pole Strap [Empty] Bomb Core
Celeta Chiv. Chain Spike Earring Spike Earring
Assault Earring
Haubergeon Tarasque Mitts+1 Sniper's Ring Sniper's Ring
Hauberk Woodsman Ring Woodsman Ring
Amemet Mantle+1 Life Belt Barone Cosciales Thick Sollerets
Sword Belt+1This is pretty much the bare minimum of what you'll want once you hit 75. It's basically no frills, no excitement, and about as basic as basic gets. It's not going to excel by any means, but if it were, it wouldn't be the first step now, would it? This is simply to show you that, if you're not even "here" yet, then you're behind and should catch up to Step 1. A few alternatives were provided, but everything on this list is
easy to get. The hardest may be the Pole Strap, and that's barely an excuse since it's AHable. In fact, the entire list can be bought entirely from the auction house. In other words, it'd be hard pressing to believe that if you show up and use less than this gear, that your party won't believe you're a weak link.
Note also, at this point you probably don't have much options available to you to differentiate between "TP Gear," and "WS Gear." As you get further into merits, these two terms will become fairly important, and the amount of space in your inventory will shrink exponentially. Since this is your first merit gear build, it is doubtful you have merits to support switching out gear anyway, so hold off on switching out gear for the moment. The time will come soon enough. It's best to cover your bases before trying to hit grand slams.
Your first goals after this point should be some fairly simple (
sometimes) tasks that need to be completed. One would be completing enough missions and quests to gain access to both Sky and Dynamis. While Dynamis is of lesser value to Warrior than Sky, you have to get it before Sky
anyway, and you can at least work on two lateral grades in Dynamis. This will open up a lot of options.
First pieces of gear to work on upgrading should be the Optical Hat. The accuracy alone will be an invaluable asset to you.
Next, once those previous missions for Dynamis and Sky, you can work on things like Byakko's Axe to replace your Fourth Division Toporok, an Adaman Celeta over Celeta, and Adaman Sollerets over thick Sollerets. These upgrades are just "more of the same" type upgrades. Also from Dynamis, you can get Warrior's Mufflers from Dynamis-Jeuno, which is basically the same thing as Tarasque Mitts+1 (
Which translates to "freed up money"). We're not really moving to a different type of build yet.
Your first, real, required upgrade should be to put all your efforts into getting an Optical Hat. There will almost always be situations where your normal accuracy gear won't be enough for whatever reason. Not a particularly easy mission to complete, but well worth the effort. Also, now that you have Sky, you should begin in a sky shell, and should receive a few of the rot drops.
Stage Two: Teenage Mutant Ninja Merit Gear PlaysetWoodville's Axe Maneater [Empty] Combat Caster's Boomerang +1
Maneater Iron Ram Pick [Empty] Fire Bomblet
Byakko's Axe Pole Strap [Empty] Bomb Core
Optical Hat Chiv. Chain Spike Earring Spike Earring
Adaman Celeta Assault Earring
Haubergeon Tarasque Mitts+1 Sniper's Ring Sniper's Ring
Hauberk Warrior's Muffler Woodsman Ring Woodsman Ring
Hecatomb Mittens Ruby Ring Ruby Ring
Amemet Mantle+1 Life Belt Barone Cosciales Adaman Sollerets
Sword Belt+1 Hecatomb Leggings
Warwolf Belt
Potent BeltAs you can see, not a massive upgrade yet, but improvements have been made over your previous gear. Also, more rare/ex. Not saying rare/ex automatically makes it better, but it certainly doesn't hurt one's pride either. Also, now that you're doing Sky, and have a few merits under your belt, you can start looking into a WS Build. TP Gear will be
Chartreuse, and WS Gear will be in
Orange (
Until I can figure out less offensive to the eye colors...) Also, the leg slot is pretty debatable, as there are at least three different choices you can go with. Refer to the previous "60-75" section for this. I picked Barone because that's what I used.
Your next evolutionary step, sort of speak, is going to take time. Quite a bit, in fact. First, you'll need to be doing those Sky runs with whatever shell you're signed up with to accumulate points, or standings, or whatever their rules are. Your ultimate prize from there is a pair of Byakko's Haidate. Of course, the problem here is they're the ultimate prize for, more or less, any job that can equip them that stands on the front line as well. In other words, there will probably be a waiting list. Make nice, and it'll eventually be yours as well.
Also, doing a lot of Dynamis will eventually net you a pair of Warrior's Cuisses. Much like Artifact Feet, the extra Double Attack isn't substantial, but the STR coupled with it make it a decent choice over all, until you get your Byakko's Haidate.
You'll also want to be doing Assaults, along with Chains of Promathia missions during this period of time. What I'm getting at is that your care-free "AH is good enough" days are all but over at this point. It's just how it goes. You're more than welcome to stay at the second stage, as no one is forcing you to go on, but if you've read this far, then chances are you don't want to just sit idle.
As far as Assaults goes, aim at doing the Mamool Ja Staging Points. The first rank one is especially easy with a simple group of three. You're aim is a pair of Amir Boots. Of course, you can do the other Assaults as well, and get Potent Belt this way, but since you can just grab the Potent Belt for a nominal fee off the Auction House, this is kind of a worthless endeavor.
Chains of Promathia, on the other hand, might be a bit more painful. What you'll want to do is progress up to around Mission 4-2, which will give you access to Sacrarium. While the subligar (
And the armor associated with it) aren't much of anything (
The subligar are a good way to creep people out. Just throwing that out.), you'll want to set up a run for Swift Belt. This belt, while not as useful starting off, will become much more useful in the upcoming stages.
Also, since at this point you've been meritting more, you should use those Imperial Standing Points to buy coins. Lots of coins. Another "not as useful starting off yet/by itself" item is available to you in Walahra Turban.
The two previous items, combined with a third (
possibly fourth) item off the auction house will bring you your next step.
PROVIDED YOUR ACCURACY CAN HANDLE IT, this is your first Haste Build. You'll have to either parse, have someone parse it for you, or just keep a close eye on it to see if it is an actual upgrade or not, unfortunately. Keep in mind, you'll need all three (
or four) of the aforementioned haste gear pieces. 10% Haste through gear is the magic number to aim at when starting here. Byakko's Haidate was added here as well, and you'll probably never take them off. The 5% Haste on them puts you half way to a starter Haste Build to begin with, the +15 DEX is +7~11 accuracy,
and a possible boost to your Crit Rate Tier. There's only one piece of gear that can out perform it, but that's at the end.
Didn't color code for TP/WS on legs, because you'll not be macroing out the pieces, truthfully.
Stage Three: My First Haste PlaysetWoodville's Axe Maneater [Empty] Combat Caster's Boomerang +1
Maneater Iron Ram Pick [Empty] Fire Bomblet
Byakko's Axe Pole Strap [Empty] Bomb Core
Optical Hat Chiv. Chain Spike Earring Spike Earring
Walahra Turban Assault Earring
Adaman Celeta
Haubergeon Dusk Gloves Sniper's Ring Sniper's Ring
Hauberk Tarasque Mitts+1 Woodsman Ring Woodsman Ring
Warrior's Muffler Ruby Ring Ruby Ring
Hecatomb Mittens
Amemet Mantle+1 Life Belt Barone Cosciales Adaman Sollerets
Forager's Mantle Sword Belt+1 Dusk Ledelsens
Cerberus Mantle+1 Swift Belt Unicorn Leggings
Warwolf Belt Hecatomb Leggings
Potent BeltKeep in mind this is the first and second steps into a haste build, so keep your options open with your previous Accuracy/Attack Heavy build. You may, or may not, be quite meritted enough to use this haste build to your own satisfaction, and it's good to have a back up just in case. You could also use sushi if you'd like, but on a personal level I try to refrain from doing so.
Now, here's the thing about feet and back armor. There are technically upgrades here as well for both Amemet Mantle+1, and Dusk Ledelsens. These upgrades are barely upgrades, so you can live without them. Forager's Mantle is one STR more than Amemet Mantle+1, which is highly likely to not do a thing for you, and a little higher up the chain is Cerberus Mantle+1 (
The NQ is actually a downgrade). This upgrade is more for
people who have nothing left to buy.
Then there is Unicorn Leggings. It's 1% Haste over Dusk Ledelsens, but to activate the latent is 75% Health or higher. Considering where you should be with merits (
Nearly capping Warrior Specifics, considerable work in Combat, and capped Critical), this is a difficult feat to say the least. The reason to go for these? (A) You've got money to burn and (B) They look better. I know, I know, stupid reason, but it's the reason a lot of people choose them. In short, Dusk are more "reliable" to your haste build, but considering haste's increasing returns, all other things even the haste on Unicorn is "better," and the boots just look better side by side. Your choice here.
After some thought, Byakko's Haidate was removed from "my first haste set," due to the fact that, really, the demand, drop rate, and frequency of fights for the Haidate is pretty steep. It'll take a while, unless you're really lucky, before you see them, unfortunately, and they're not necessary for your first haste set. They
are important, but not realistic for your first set.
THIS SECTION IS ON HOLD UNTIL THE ZNM SYSTEM IS BROKEN DOWN. While it's new, it's still a little early before I can place the ZNM gear into the upgrade section of this guide. Another week or two, and we should have a better understanding of the time constraints and difficulty involved. Once the strategies are "text booked," I'll place them into the progression guide.
That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Edited, Jun 29th 2008 2:53am by lolgaxe 
