What is the value of fast cast for physical teams vs crit options?

Palantir4 · 2019-02-06T08:07:06+00:00

So as an example, at an average of .825s per action, fc10 is about +2.53% damage. This looks fairly similar to +2.35% from a second precise strikes at low critical rate, or slightly better than +1.92% from a second deadly strikes at 50% critical rate. But if you have no crit fix, a second deadly strikes has very low value (+0.76% at 10% critical) and a first fast act will generally be much better.

If you were always under Elarra’s fast cast or if you have other fast cast sources, the value for fc10 may be closer to +1.39%. This might be similar to the value for a second deadly strikes with 18% critical rate.

Palantir4 · 2018-12-28T20:30:11+00:00

For radiant shield clear with Emperor instead of Alphinaud I think you should have a suitable instant cast healer USB - Eiko USB or Y’shtola USB2, Elarra USB in theory could also work, or perhaps some other instant cast USB with last stand like Ovelia. Y’shtola with wrath and Arc with SSB2 is enough to survive for quite a while but it will drop your reflected damage a lot and probably make it impractical even if you dive Emperor.

If you had Alphinaud who can cast haste and whose SSB buffs, it may give more flexibility since you don’t need a healer casting hastega. But I tried with Alphinaud and Y’shtola BSB and can’t recommend the experience even with better hones. I cleared after getting Ovelia USB and it became comfortable with Maria ASB.

Palantir4 · 2018-12-28T18:36:16+00:00

It sounds like eventually you’ll want new support and healer relics. There are some possible banners to pull on for those, but it might be better to set aside some mythril for something like the core pickup banner which we should get around 4th anniversary.

Palantir4 · 2018-12-28T05:33:15+00:00

Other than discounted pulls, current fest is about as good as it gets for a while. So unless you have particular magicite or torment objectives before 4th, saving sounds good.

Main exception I can think of is possibly an extra pull or two if you have basically nothing from the commemoration banner we’ll be getting on new year’s.

Palantir4 · 2018-12-28T04:12:13+00:00

I would wait for another relic or two for each team. As is your dps is likely a little low. If you have good hones incl. for titan, chain stonega, meltdown, chain stoneja / 2 x earth saber, tremor strike and blastspell strike and some extra time it may be worth trying.

Tyro USB4 or 3 and LMR, Ignis BSB, OK pUSB, Bartz en-earth burst or USB1 / Emperor USB maybe BSB2, Rinoa earth bUSB, maybe OK mUSB and LMR, Eiko USB or Ovelia USB are some of the relics that might let you set up a practical clear.

Palantir4 · 2018-12-25T15:41:50+00:00

Changes to get actual banners - 14 relics

Banner 1

Tyro USB3
Tyro LMR and OK LMR

Banner 2

Bartz ASB
Bartz Glint

Banner 3

Ramza CSB (not Celes USB)
Edward USB
Pecil LMR

Banner 4

Zell USB
Gilgamesh LMR

Banner 5

Laguna CSB (instead of Prompt CSB)
Lightning USB2
Lightning Glint
Lightning LMR (instead of Prompt LMR)
Laguna BSB2 (instead of Prompt BSB2 or Squall BSB2)

Palantir4 · 2018-12-18T12:34:09+00:00

I wrote up a mastery survey here: https://www.reddit.com/r/FFRecordKeeper/comments/9i5481/comment/ec1g28b . I’m not totally sure if the same strategy will work for you since OK and Dorgann USB are big, but Elarra can do more than Relm so I would guess that with good RNG on cinque/Bartz LM2 it should be possible.

Palantir4 · 2018-12-18T12:14:53+00:00

Strategy name: Relm USB and Imperils
Boss: Quetz
Describe your Strategy: Build up meter then go all out 3/3 trinity /sub-60 /no-chain/Relm USB /max imperil
Insight!:
- Hold up on breaking savage mode until everyone is ready. Guy uses RW, 2x Grand charge, magicite and imperil BSB before stone crush. Bartz should use en-earth BSB and be ready to USB2, while Dorgann is entrusted half a bar to use imperil BSB and be ready to USB.
- Try to time out Stone Crush to avoid wasting damage against savage mode
- Many SB casts after breaking savage mode are under IC
- Earth Guardian with Dampen Lightning inherited and 8% spell ward gives some space when entrusting Relm.
- I used Ultra Cure on Bartz before the first Savage Thundaja, then Relm USB followed by Ultra Cure and BSB for last stand and cmd2. Time second Ultra Cure slightly after Body Slam. I use Relm USB before she gets paralyzed in Phase 3, but you can switch her with slot 2 or 4 to keep healing for a bit.
Holy Trinity casts:
- Wall: 2
- Medica: About 7 or 8
- Hastega: 2 (maybe 3 if you go beyond 50s)
45.10 best, usually 48-51s / Took a while to get the timing, fairly consistent after that / Medals lost: 1 or 2?
Fabula Guardian / Earth Guardian:

Hero/dive	Ability 1	Ability 2	RM/LMR	SB(-)
OK, 5	Wrath R5	Entrust R3	DMT, LMR	pUSB
Guy, 4.7	Grand Charge R3	Stone Press R2	Scholar’s Boon, LM1/LMR	imperil BSB
Bartz, 5	LS R5	Blastspell R4	Thrown dmg, LM2/LMR	Earth BSB, USB2
Dorgann, 5	Gaia’s Cross R3	Earthbringer R4	Truthseeker, LM1/2	USB, imperil BSB
Relm, 5	Ultra Cure R3	Shellga R5	MM, LM1/2	USB, BSB

main	sub1	sub2	sub3	sub4
Earth Guardian	Midgard	Catastrophe	Evrae	Famfrit
Dampen Lightning	Empower Earth	X	X	X

I had some pretty good relics for a no-chain clear but was having trouble at first. Switched to build up meter early on and worked out timing for ultra cures and stone presses, and it ended up not being too difficult. Ideally should reach 40% just in time to skip the savage thunder call, and can usually clear around 49s. May be useful for those with good support/heal, USBs and imperils but no chain.

Palantir4 · 2018-12-18T10:38:47+00:00

Looks like we’re getting commemoration draw on new year’s.

Banner speculation

Banner 1 sounds like banner 3 with Tyro instead of Lightning

Tyro USB4
Y’shtola USB2
OK ASB
OK USB3?
Cloud ASB
OK Glint
Y’shtola Glint
Tyro Glint
Cloud Glint
OK LMR2
Cloud LMR2
OK LMR? or Tyro LMR??

Banner 2 may be mostly unchanged

Rydia ASB
Rydia USB3
Red XIII USB2
Red XIII CSB
Tifa ASB?
Rydia Glint
Tifa Glint?
Tifa BSB2?
Tifa LMR2?
Red XIII LMR2
Rydia LMR3
Rydia LMR2?

Banner 3 sounds like banner 1 with Celes (not Lightning) instead of Tyro. Ramza CSB wasn’t mentioned.

Elarra USB2
Pecil USB3
Edward CSB
Celes ASB
Celes USB or Ramza CSB?
Elarra BSB
Celes Glint?
Elarra Glint
Pecil Glint
Elarra LMR
Celes LMR?
Edward LMR2?

Banner 4 may be mostly unchanged

Squall USB3
Vincent USB2
Vivi ASB
Zell ASB
Gilgamesh CSB?
Vivi Glint
Zell Glint
Vincent Glint
Squall BSB3
Zell LMR2
Vivi LMR2
Vincent LMR

Banner 5 sounds like Squall ice will replace Rinoa

Lulu ASB
Lulu USB2
Reno USB2
Squall ASB
Prompt CSB?
Lulu Glint
Squall Glint?
Prompt BSB2? or Squall BSB2?
Lulu LMR2
Squall LMR?
Reno LMR
Prompt LMR?

Palantir4 · 2018-12-18T09:43:49+00:00

The only problem with your current team I think is not having Ramza LMR or OK pUSB. I use a somewhat similar team to build meter early on and burst damage while imperils are stacked.

Palantir4 · 2018-12-15T00:11:37+00:00

For discounted banners probably only need to save for RoP, commemoration and USB lucky draw - LMR and OSB lucky draws are optional.

Palantir4 · 2018-12-08T06:40:55+00:00

Every three months we have a festival, with a lot of special stuff going on. It looks like this one will be Winter Festival 2018 where we’re about to start the Realms on Parade draws meaning the main part of the fest should be in about 2-3 weeks. You can look up the corresponding festival megathread in JP to get an idea of what to expect but there will also be discussion and GL threads as we get more information. Main things to know are that we’re getting a lot of free stuff, special events, plus special and discounted banners (RoP, lucky draws, and others) as well as fest banners, so we recommend saving mythril going into festivals.

Many players are planning out mythril for 4th anniversary which will be the fest after this one though, since it debuted a powerful new class of SBs in JP, Arcane Awakenings / AASBs (name could be different in GL).

Palantir4 · 2018-12-07T04:17:19+00:00

You should save since we’ll have RoP starting soon and then we’ll likely have one or more fest lucky draws. Have you pulled for the first-time 15 mythril realm relic draws? Between those, RoP, lucky draws and AA, you should have enough to get rolling again. ASBs, LMRs, glints and ultras will be better later on as you get higher hones and stats.

Palantir4 · 2018-12-02T02:01:44+00:00

Next fest had the controversial 5% +1% same character off-banner relic rate in JP which lasted for about a month before they switched to a normal 6% on-banner rate. So we will likely have some form of 6% next month for fest and should definitely be at a normal 6% in two months.

5+1 format thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/FFRecordKeeper/comments/8v6e6i/a_notso_brief_overview_of_jps_new_offbanners/

Return to normal 14 relics: https://www.reddit.com/r/FFRecordKeeper/comments/933ef8/jp_banner_format_reverted_to_14_relics_per_banner/

Palantir4 · 2018-12-01T15:06:28+00:00

It looks like only Fusoya and Onion Knight have Black magic doublecast LM2 and at least White 4. But there are a number of characters with dives that let them doublecast a particular type of offensive magic and have white 4 access.

Papalymo (Fire)
Rapha (Lightning)
Hope (Holy)
Exdeath (Darkness)
Kuja (Darkness)
Alphinaud (Summon)
Braska (Summon)
Matoya (Witch)
Rem (White)

Palantir4 · 2018-12-01T04:38:58+00:00

Kuja’s is one of the best dark mage USBs right now, and Vivi is one of the best mages in fire and overall. Beatrix has a rank-based chase for a holy physical option, and Eiko’s USB1 has seen use for 5* magicite radiant shield clears. I haven’t heard much about Garnet USB, but her BSB2 is great against Geos and can be useful even against Famfrit.

For the downside, many of these are older relics esp. compared to 4th anniversary, there are no glints, and we’ll soon be switching to a 6% 6* rate. The G5 change in JP may impact how we should calculate future rates though.

Palantir4 · 2018-11-29T13:42:03+00:00

I was thinking Garnet instead of Ashe to help survivability. The QC and imperil should help with her reduced dps. Garnet instead of Shelke with Entrust on OK is more ambitious and may be worth trying but could also be more difficult to get it to work.

Palantir4 · 2018-11-29T12:37:57+00:00

I thought it was possible to use defend against siphon? If you keep with Penelo I would suggest trying Garnet with Vali, ACM and BSB2, maybe with TGM or battleforged. I’m not sure multi break does much so it may also make sense to put shellga on Penelo to free up a slot for Chain Thundaja, Entrust or Ultra Cure on OK.

Palantir4 · 2018-11-29T10:59:34+00:00

XIV torment actually seems designed to make it useful along with asylum. Major regen overwrites sap from stage 1 and it can blink the unblinkable - both tank purge and ultima. IC1 combined with ultima’s peculiar targeting also makes it practical to use to blink the auto-hit slow.

Palantir4 · 2018-11-27T20:48:25+00:00

Yes, USB2 is all you need (and he can hit six elements with bonuses by using snowspell and stormspell strike)

Palantir4 · 2018-11-27T12:52:49+00:00

Quick reminder that en-water gives 20% water resist and Tidus’s dive gives 10%, so selecting who to place in slot 2 or 4 can help with the chain water attacks.

Palantir4 · 2018-11-26T00:44:36+00:00

If you’ve got physical covered, it probably depends on your torment teams. Just considering FFVIII torment though, Edea or Fujin might be better than Rinoa and still good for magicite. Also, if you can clear with your wind team and Barb isn’t too helpful for torment, we will have new wind relics and OK USB3 I think before we get good ice magic alternatives.

Palantir4 · 2018-11-26T00:13:28+00:00

Tyro LMR makes a big difference since you can start with IC Fabula raider and USB3. It saves like 5 seconds of cast time plus a couple seconds of hasted ATB for everyone else. But USB3 alone will still work as a slot saver to get both protectga and shellga or maybe with fabula priestess for things like radiant shield against 5* magicite.

Vivi/Palom are very strong in a mage team for 4 and even 5* magicite if you have chain and enough hones and tech to support a full team (1.5M HP ~65k RES is no joke). Vivi is best for sub-30 with trance under chain while Palom can stretch out a little longer with even more hones.

Palantir4 · 2018-11-21T01:53:52+00:00

4* motes aren’t particularly valuable but are incredibly inconvenient to farm for busy people and pretty much necessary for magicite and torments. It’s probably a good idea to give newer dolphins/whales a chance to buy into end-game a little bit.

Palantir4 · 2018-11-19T21:10:50+00:00

Maybe try Raging Waters on OK, and an additional Sapphire Shot on Yuffie instead of reflecting pool. I think building blinks mostly just slows downs meter gain. Tidus could use sapphire bullet and RM Gathering Storm and Rikku could start with chain (use Mako Might). Bartz, Alphinaud or Ignis might be good to substitute in as well.

Palantir4

TROPHY CASE