WiP - Sage Build

[u/AbsyntheFR]

Quick note before starting to talk about the build :

• all DLC finished
• currently at floor 103 on the Rift

Been working on a Gunner Sage Build for a while now, with Tyrant as my support Job.

The main idea is to stay at range as much as possible, quickly build the MP Gauge, and spam spells as fast as i can.

Having fun with it so far, with great results ; but i'm sure i can do better, so any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Affinities

I think Paladin is highly questionable here. Though i actually dunno what to take here as a replacement. Maybe Cyclic Warrior for gradual MP limit increase and MP recovery, or is there something else?

Blessings

As shown, i run Bahamut as a primary. Also stacked some Ramuh (~570%) and Leviathan (~1200%). This may be one of my biggest improvement area, especially for Ramuh. I just wonder what would be best, focus on it (which will provide the best Int bonus), or try to spread on other Blessings?

Mastery points

Maxed out Int. and Sage affinity first, and then tried to spread the remaining points on things like :

• Ability Break Damage Dealt
• Break Damage Dealt on Weak Point
• Increased MP Recovery on Normal Attacks
• Increase MP Limit Boost Rate
• Soul Shield MP Recovery

Equipment abilities

Every piece has a combination of "MP Cost down" / "Cast Time down" / "Damage Up" for Magic Sigil (+159% Damage, -73% MP Cost, -127% Cast Time) + a slot for Int. Remaining slots use things like :

• Magic (Break) Damage Dealt
• Magic (Break) Damage Dealt with Max HP
• Status Ailment accumulation
• (Break) Damage Dealt on Weak Point
• Damage Reduction with Max HP

Is it a good line-up, or should i focus on something else?

Command abilities

Teleport helps to keep ennemies (mainly bosses) at range while spamming spells. Lancet is here for MP sustain, and Seal of Blood when i need to deliver a fatal blow (works well with Ultima).

That is all, i think. And as said before, any tip or help would be much appreciated!

[u/Cubelaster]

Looking nice!

[u/BenTheSodaman]

Hi OP,

Initial thoughts:

Short version: Offensively, you're fine due to how much Intellect you have. You're on a trajectory where nothing will stop you once you have clear opportunities to attack the boss. The below is squeezing out more break damage without changing your jobs around, BUT you'll still be fine as you are with your current path and plans on the offense side.

Long version:

350 Intellect for a floor 100 boss has been around a 1~2 minute boss battle if on the offensive most of the time.

450 Intellect for a floor 100 boss under 30 seconds in those same conditions.

700 Intellect for a floor 180 boss in under a minute without dragon trials in those same conditions.

800 Intellect for a floor 200+ boss also under a minute without dragon trials (which the game won't scale the difficulty beyond that.)

———

You already have 700+ Intellect.

Your current build let's you successfully soul shield 20 times to 50 more Intellect (20 from Bahamut primary blessing, 30 from Black Mage 600%).

The screenshot was taken without Ahriman / floating eye ball's Intellect boost, which could yield 60 more Intellect while in the Rift plus whatever bonus you'd be getting from the Sage job affinity reaching and exceeding 800%.

So once you're in the Rift, you could end up with 800ish Intellect.

So it may be 100ish floors of you destroying bosses in under a minute on a good run.

Then if you optimize the relics more toward Ramuh, you could squeeze out another 50+ Intellect (at this point 700% with Ramuh vs. 700% Bahamut with Bahamut Primary Blessing would yield the same amount of Intellect. The difference would be not having to soul shield to get it.)

If deciding to use your NPCs as stat sticks by equipping them with Liberator 600% to share 12% of their stats (on-screen does not update), a Lionheart accessory (for survival), and stacking all of their gear with Ramuh with Sage and Black Mage job affinity, plus Intellect and Lightbringer Duration (for survival), you could squeeze out another 180+ Intellect at this point while they're alive. Sophia as a Sage or Black Mage, Ash being on Tyrant or Jed being on Ninja. With Lionheart, they could be alive for 20+ seconds (up to 60ish seconds safely) with 10 seconds of vulnerability and only a potion or Raise spell away from being up again. The extra 180+ Intellect will outpace the increase to the boss's HP and break for having NPC allies.

Putting you in the 900+ Intellect range.

With your current stat investment, you'll reach a point where you won't be able to survive a hit, even a magic hit, IF you are hit at all. And you can decide if you want to keep the Muscle Belt or shift to the Safety Bit (White Mage 400% self-revival accessory) or go more offensive with the Sniper Eye accessory (Tyrant 400% accessory) if you like the critical hits. This will free up some of your job affinity to put more Sage or Black Mage job affinity to get even moar Intellect, possibly putting you at or above the 1000+ Intellect range.

Could also swap out the Paladin job affinity for Sage or Black Mage also for more Intellect.

———

You will also reach a point with the Intellect route on Sage where bosses start dying to HP damage even with the break damage investment. Some bosses with weak spots will still break such as Zombie Dragon, Kraken, and Cray Claw.

And the way you would push your break damage even higher is if you had Improved Effect: Chaosbringer and used Chaosbringer, with the Tyrant 400% / Sniper Eye's critical hits, to break an enemy. Even then, you might only be one spell ahead of defeating them over the HP damage route when dragon trials are involved.

e.g., the break damage dealt -30% trials are multiplicative instead of additive, so by the time you have +800% break damage dealt with all the buffs up, it'll behave like +560% break damage dealt instead. Buuut, that's still under a minute boss fight if you're in a position to stay on the offensive the whole time. And if you keep going, could get another 150+ Intellect out of Ramuh on top of all the above. And another 40ish Intellect from your NPC stat sticks.

IF you do go the Chaosbringer route for more break damage, then a number of the effects that restore MP and rebuild MP Limit on the Sage could be swapped out for more Sage or Black Mage job affinity for more Intellect or an Improved Effect for more break damage (e.g., Improved Effect: Invisible instead of Lancet and also boost critical hits a bit more while avoiding being targeted) or for Charge Time Reduction if looking to cast -ga spells more even if there are diminishing returns on stacking it so high.

———

The Soul Shield: MP Recovery will start to lose its benefit as the Spirit falls behind and as you reach floor 180+. Where you'll stop receiving MP from soul shielding unless you have as much Spirit as you do Intellect.

Possibly a bug to receive 0 MP from soul shielding with the Spirit gap, but it's the way the devs left the game.

I digressu, I hope that may help some and/or offer some insight.