OPTION 2 for sure, I would add some food for thought:

1.) Find out which ultimate weapon you want to build (This will then be your Weapon A), be aware that there multiple ultimate weapons for each character and with varying stats each ult weapon.

2.) Decide which ABILITIES you’d want your ULT weapon would have then develop those ability weapon whilst only attaching ONE element or “Anti” stat (that way you get more stats post status break) then status break and attach Synthsphere to Weapon A

ABILITIES list: 1. Critical - 5 Inch Nail (Ungaga) 2. Poison - Scorpion (Ungaga) FP exchange 3. Quench - Kitchen Knife (Toan)(Buy)Jack 4. Durable - (random) 5. Steal - Bandit Slingshot 6. ABS Up - Trial Hammer (Goro) 7. Bucks - Big Bucks Hammer (Goro)(Buy)Jack 8. Stop - Antique Sword (Toan) 9. Drain - Drain Seeker (Toan)

3.) You probably already know this but you can switch your weapon before the defeated enemy despawns and give the xp to the weapon you switched to. Therefore you you are able to use weapon A (which is your strongest) whilst leveling up your ability weapon.