Dancer Merits

When I get a new job to 75 and above I can usually use my best judgement to decide what I should and shouldn't merit. The problem with Dancer is, they're all good! I honestly have no idea what to merit, each category seems to have its uses and pluses. Could I please have a few opinions on what to merit and why from people who use Dancer a lot, particularly from a solo or low man point of view.

Thanks in advance. :)

Haste samba is obviously important. Depends on what you're using dancer for really. I'll edit this once i can log back in and check my merits. But i know i did 5/5 Hast Samba and 5/5 Reverse flourish at least

If you have augmented AF2+2 pants, the ideal is 5 Haste Samba, 5 Reverse Flourish, 5 Saber Dance**, 1 Fan Dance, and 4 No Foot Rise.

If you don't**, you should be working on them, but you could put them elsewhere for the time being. Regardless, group 1 is essentially non-negotiable.

Mine are

Group 1:
5/5 Haste Samba, 5/5 Reverse Flourish

Group 2:
5/5 Fan Dance, 5/5 No Foot Rise
(I did have a few in Saber Dance at first but didn't like it. Merits are so easy to get you can always switch around but I love my Fan Dance for soloing.)

Hope this helps
<3

I'm:

5/5 Reverse Flourish
5/5 Haste Samba

1/5 Fan Dance
1/5 Saber Dance
3/5 No Foot Rise
4/5 Closed Position

When I get AF2+2 pants, I'll be changing them around a little so they're 1/5 Fan Dance, 5/5 Saber Dance, 4/5 NFR.

Unless you play super defensively, I've never really found a need for more than 1/5 Fan Dance.

Hasta Samba seemed a no brainer. Even just using that on Ninja from subjob, I know how awesome it is. The rest I was not so sure about. Thanks for the feedback!

4/5 NFR being optimal is also contingent on an AF2+2 augment (body). Without it you can get away with. 2/5 but it isn't really like we have anywhere else to put two upgrades where the difference will be noticeable.

Fixed!

Another question I have is, are any of the AF1 things you use at 99?

macro in feet for increased sneak/invis.

Body never really gets replaced for Waltz macros. The feet are handy for Jig macros, both as QoL for Chocobo and as a legitimately useful bonus to Spectral, since it has a crushingly short duration naturally. Head's also really useful.

Hands you can forget about; step accuracy is at best not worth the inventory slot.

Which answers my question, do I need to bother with AF. Answer is yes, no problem. Thanks!

They really need to change step accuracy gear to step "Potency" or something, gawd.

Really though, this so much.

The only piece of Step enhancing gear we get pushes Feather Step from "totally useless" to "usefulish." If I could get another 1% Crit rate each from AF1 hands and AF2 feet and then another 5% Crit rate from Terpsichore, we'd really be talking! It would also solve a major problem of Steps, that their potency sucks initially and monsters don't live very long. Giving me another 7% Defense Down or Crit Rate wouldn't break the game. People do their high performance events at capped Ratio anyway even without Box Step, and neither of those debuffs would warrant bringing DNC to something.


Arrrrrgh I'd change so many things if I could.

I've often thought the same thing about particular aspects of Ranger. For example why is a whole merit category wasted on Scavenge recast. I'm happy to see the confusion trends across to the newer two jobs, too.

I always liked the idea of having your jobs do as much as humanly possible in all situations. I am anal retentive, so I have all 4 "Step Accuracy" items on each step I do. In hopes that SE will make steps at least decent enfeeblers... some... day...

AF head is an absolute must. Samba duration +30 seconds.
AF body is 10% waltz potency.
AF feet is Jig duration.

Maybe I'm just a packrat. /shrug

JM2Cs.

Pardon me? :)

Just my two cents >_>

Yeah, the problem is that Step Accuracy doesn't matter at all.
http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Step_Accuracy

If I use Presto, Terpsichore 99, Choreia Earring, and AF2+2 feet, my Steps are 130 Acc more accurate than my melee hits. So even if I'm derping around with a 30% Hit Rate, I don't have to worry because all my Step Acc gear will cap my Step Hit Rate. I can land steps with Flash up without fear. This would be great except for two things:
1) What event are you doing at less than nearly-capped Acc, hard or not?
2) What event do you take DNC to where we can't cap Hit Rate naked?

1 + 2 = Step Acc is a wasted Stat

I upgraded/augmented AF2 feet and promptly stored them on the NPC. Also, don't use AF1 hands because AF3+2 or Thaumas hands are better for Accuracy. I'd recommend Thaumas so you don't run in to Reverse Flourish spellcast issues.

Very good. Never seen that acronym before! I'm working on my AF right now, I've never levelled a job (quickly in abyssea or otherwise) and not put effort into and I don't plan on starting. If a single piece is worth it, I'll just have to quest for them!

Awesome. I'm sure you'll be a fabuluth danther!

I still use AF1+1 legs for waltz, its been argued that Tumblers are better,but AF1+1 has CHR+5 VIT+5. If you're not looking to +1 them then I`d say legs aren't worth it.

Is it possible not to be as a Mithra? :)

If the bonus on the +1 Legs isn't 'that' much different than another piece, I might go for the other piece. I don't have either of the upgrade items and I'm not overly overjoyed at the idea of doing limbus, even if I can solo it and do it in my own time. I was quite glad to be done with it when I finished my Homam set off, to be honest.

Yea, there isnt alot of difference between the 2, I have af1+1 since I upgraded them before Tumbler's came out so I use them out of habit.

You can get a Subligar from this quest with CHR+10 if you're persistent enough:
http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Brygid_the_Stylist_Strikes_Back

Wikia claims CHR+18, but that's likely wrong. I got a refresh subligar for my mule and never saw more than CHR+10.

Anyway, it doesn't really matter because stats have such a minor effect on Waltzes.

My max Waltz potency build at the moment is:
Weapon/Weapon/____/Sonia's
Khepri/Dualism/Novia/Roundel
AF1/Athos's/Veela/Valseur's
AF2/Aristo/Desultor/Dance Shoes
+31% Waltz Potency (they raised the cap), 88 base CHR, +35 CHR, TP Cost -5, Enmity-12 (I think)

Assuming an 80 VIT target, Curing Waltz V heals 1117 HP. With +10 CHR on my pants instead of Desultor's, I heal for 1134 HP. Is that last 17 HP that I get by repeating an annoying augment quest dozens of time ever really going to make a difference? CHR+10 increase your Curing Waltz V potency by 1.5%. Not even worth the inventory. Similarly, I don't actually carry AF2 back, Aristo's, Veela, or Dualism around with me anymore.

...but the back is so pretty... I was after that for YEARS! (when it mattered) and never got it until it almost didn't matter.


Blah.

I did wonder how much CHR affects Waltzes. I macroed as much of it in as possible when NIN/DNC and noticed minimal returns. I assumed this was because it was only a sub, but obviously not. I don't mind repetitive questing when the reward is worth the time, like Ducal Guard, but if it's only minimal... Well, I think I'll pass on that!

http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Category:Waltz

The problem is that you have a high base potency and then base stats, so you start with very high base Waltz and can only add to it a little with stats from gear.

My suggestion on how to address this was point 9 here:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/11917-Suggestions-to-Improve-Rebalance-Vanadiel-s-Divas?p=151933&viewfull=1#post151933

Ignored as usual for SE.

I've been curing in Asklepian Ring/Valseurs just in case i'm healing myself for the extra 3%. Most the time I'm soloing so it's all good.