The Sealed Dagger: A Ninja Guide

Not all arrow have same delay, so it would be kinda impossible to provide one TP per hit for all combinations :P

Lol, been playing FFXI since the beginning, and TIL that not all arrows are 90 delay... Wow

Again, overcomplicating things. 90 delay arrows are the only realistic choice for NIN on this kind of setup. And really, Beryllium Arrow (Dmg:77) is the only viable one for this kind of application since the next best option is a significant hit in DMG (Chapuli Arrows at Dmg:48).


I understand exactly the use case. I'm just saying that if you're struggling for Racc with a basically BiS THF, and already doing some super niche setups relying on things like ranged THF, and NIN is an even worse option than THF due to the lower skill... well, is that really the best setup you can cobble together for a 3rd NM in Gaol with your party's jobs?

It's going to be a serious challenge to get enough Racc with both TP bonus katanas, so at that point NIN's native DW (the thing that makes NIN and THF unique in being able to use two magian weapons without subjob) is not really that much of a draw. Then you're competing with other typically-not-ranged jobs that can use one TP bonus weapon and have higher Archery skill and other benefits, like:

SAM: C+ Archery (78 more skill than NIN)

RDM: D Archery (34 more skill than NIN) and huge additional benefits like Flurry, Cures, Distract/dia/other enfeebles, etc.

WAR: D Archery, and huge benefits from Berserk, Warcry (TP Bonus for everyone), Fencer, Aggressor (Racc if you have Aggressive Aim merits, and no real reason you can't do that since you could easily swap merits to take 5/5 AA over Warrior's Charge or Tomahawk). Fencer in particular means that any WAR WS is effectively 3000tp with only one Magian weapon.

So, NIN is basically the 7th choice for potential ranged attackers, behind RNG COR THF SAM RDM WAR. If that's really the optimal choice from the jobs you've got left to work with... OK.

I realize WAR is pretty popular for other fights, but if that's a job you can manage to save for a 3rd fight Arebati, those perks sure make it look pretty appealing too. Warcry in particular helps any job with only one magian weapon get nearly 3000tp on any WS (TP Bonus of 700 with 5/5 Savagery and Relic head, plus those jobs using moonshade = 2950 minimum effective TP while Warcry is up). That may also really help damage from jobs like NIN with one magian weapon, SAM, RDM... Also helps the THF who could go with one weapon with ranged stats to really relieve the Racc issues, and even helps a RNG or COR if you have those in your setup. If you utilize COR Random Deal/Wildcard well, can keep Warcry up a very large chunk of the time too.

Might honestly be worth trying to use a different melee DD to replace WAR in other fights, since there are more options there and would free the WAR up to bring a ton of benefit to this kind of cobbled together ranged Arebati strat. Instead of "wasting" your WAR on those other fights, use a DRK, DRG, BST, melee NIN, BLU... you get the picture.

I think you are completely confused what my response was about. It was about bg wiki providing TP per hit only for Ullr without arrow on Ullr page, because Ullr can use arrows with different delay, so providing one TP per hit with arrow is impossible, because there is several combinations..

I agree, but Ninja can also use Raetic Arrows, if you have deep pockets. Not an unreasonable choice if you have a RDM in the group refreshing you to apply the bonus (though still useful even without it). lol

REALLY deep pockets lol. On my server, a stack of Raetics has never been sold. On Asura there have only been 3 stacks ever sold, for ~7mil a stack (and not unreasonable, given there are two 1M+ items per NQ synth for Arrow x33).

So yeah, hope you have a really good WW shield friend and/or a whole lot of money.


I understand, but for purposes of calculating for this NIN use case you're never going to use anything but a 90 delay arrow. So you can indeed provide a single TP/hit number with Ullr + a 90 delay arrow.

He was talking about whether the wiki page could provide a single TP/hit, not people in this topic.

I wouldn't be surprised if the BG number just assumed 90, which would reflect the vast majority of arrows - including all plausible choices for any remotely current content. For all practical purposes, it's safe to assume any ammo you're using with an ilevel bow is 90dly.

But sure, if Simon wants to be pedantic about it (and I'm sure he does) and talk about stuff like 120 delay sub-lv45 arrows, old R/E stuff for Unlimited Shot use, etc... well, OK.

The BG number doesn't assume any number at all, as is natural.

Also, Simon didn't express any wish at all to talk about arrows other than 90 delay. You are either still missing the point or being deliberately obtuse.

K. Add your arrow delay to do your calculations then. Useful callout to not rely on BG number, but this isn't a hard one or anything that's variable for any practical situation.

You might be missing the point still. This doesn't have anything to do with Arrow delay directly, Cap. Simon was responding to Shadowmeld's comment about the wiki page showing Ullr's TP/hit, and Shadow (incorrectly) assumed it included arrow in the equation. The part Simon was commenting on wasn't whether or not NIN would be using an arrow other than 90 delay, but why the bg wiki pages for bows can't show the TP/hit value that includes arrows, since they all differ. I think you're commenting on something Simon never directly addressed (the 90 delay arrows that NIN might or might not be using).

His calculation part was just to show Shadow where his TP/hit w/ sam roll numbers came from, which is besides the point.

Makes sense. Does the total from (1) BG TP/hit number for Ullr PLUS (2) BG TP/hit number for the arrow itself equal the right thing? If so... just use that and remember you have to consider both?

Regardless, it's still sorta overkill to go too nuts modeling this. Just make a couple different ranged TP sets. One with max STP, and another (or others) with whatever tweaks you might want. We're talking about ranged attacks with no double/triple shot, and a single hit WS. It's incredibly simple to just LOOK to see your x-hit on the fly, regardless of Samurai Roll level. If you're actually coming up slightly short, just swap to using the set with more STP. This isn't a melee with a bunch of multi-attack making it hard to eyeball, or a situation where you care about TP overflow (assuming you're using TP Bonus+2000, and if not just go balls out STP).

Most likely, changing any one piece is not going to affect your x-hit on ranged NIN. In the rare chance it does... OK, use the other set and maybe you wasted one ranged attack round figuring that out? It's not a big deal.

I used 127 TP in my very first calculation, which is Ullr + 90 delay arrow. Like other pointed out, I only tried to explain Shadowmeld why Ullr page on bgwiki is not showing TP per hit with arrow (which he understood from my post without a problem XD).


This is true. Its just a matter of how many rTP sets you want to prepare and have manual switch for in your lua (or worse equipsets) for such niche usecase. Because I would rather have max stp one before the one with Relic Body and could have the one with Relic body as additional option (knowing me probably not :P), but that's me :P

I wouldn't worry that much about archery damage on nin, its not going to be very good regardless, I would focus on crit rate and help keep fetters under control.

Ups I completely forgot about Kakka: Ichi. So there should be more samurai roll combo that can result in 3hit build and perfect roll I mentioned can also result with 2hit without Malignance Body.


If you would use NIN in such setup for Arabati, NIN damage would be essential to win in time probably. Keep in mind THF in that fight parse above COR apparently, so NIN would too probably. THF has ~43accuracy advantage and had 93% accuracy on parse, but that THF's set was 20 racc below set that I mentioned and since you have Kakka: Ichi, you could switch Chirich to Cacoethic R15 and end up with similar racc and still higher store tp than THF (im not sure about Innin bonuses too, maybe accuracy from JP also applies for ranged accuracy?), so would parse similar (probably slightly better).

NIN's archery damage is about the same place as THF's, they are on practically the same gear and use the two dual TP Bonus Katana's for 3K Empyreal Arrows. Innin actually helps a ton as the NIN never pulls hate while both the THF and COR have to be careful. Our THF recently had to switch in one or two -enmity items into his WS sets cause they were pulling hate near the last half of the fight. Our NIN had 35~50% crit rate standing in the back arc of the Lion which made procing the first blue !! super fast, but took awhile on the second one if we even get it off at all.

Is there a section of the spreadsheet that shows if you’ll be able to self skillchain? Like you plug in a gear set and it’ll tell you how often on average you should be able to self skillchain in that set. I’m working on my gear right now and I’m able to self skillchain maybe 20% of the time. I’d like to be able to see what upgrades I can get that will give me the most TP gain bang for my buck so to speak so I can prioritize them first.

No. I believe there is a TP/Second cell, but that's a pretty useless metric.
How many steps are you trying to do?

I’m trying to focus on Hi -> Hi right now, but like I said it’s not very consistent at my gear level. I guess I can probably just focus on dps upgrades and the TP gain will come with that.

If you can't get hi > hi off with basically 100% consistency, I have to wonder what wearing.

Post your tp set, can't give a priority with a base.

Yeah I’m kind of wondering what I’m doing wrong too. I basically started with no gear for nin and currently have kaja/shigi katanas, date shuriken, +2 Mummu, sanctity necklace, ebani/brutal earrings, rajas/mummu rings, DA andartia’s mantle, and windbuffet belt. When I use koru-moru and joachim I get to 1000 tp just barely past the time limit for a skillchain. I know my gear isn’t good so that could be the problem.

While mummu+2 isn't great you really shouldn't be struggling that much with a 2 step. cap gear haste, cap magic haste unless Joa is doing the old not giving march. (switch to Sylvie UC if it's viable)

Take off the eabani it's actually slowing your tp gain (a tiny bit), grab a cheap necklace like moonbeam/lissome/erudition and you're set to work on armor.

Thanks for the suggestions. I’m assuming my massive lack of job points is a factor as well. I’ve only got 150 or so. Slowly but surely working on everything.

What are you fighting, and do you have enough accuracy for your target? Do /check. Does it say high evasion? If so, you're probably missing a lot and are missing out on swings. Might need to eat some accuracy food (like sushi) and try again. If still high evasion, make gear adjustments or try a weaker monster to see if that fixes the issue.

Also, what buffs do you have from Trusts? You didn't mention any. Are you soloing? Are you calling the right trusts?

It's really not the job points thats only 12% daken, it's not enough STP/Xa mummu legs/feet/head have none and should be the first swaps. Body and hands are at least serviceable.

Just changing the neck and ear and grabbing like ryuo NQ legs from DI will be a huge difference. Swapping mummu ring to Hizamaru ring too

Right now I’m mostly solo in normal v2 ambuscade. Using Valaineral, Shantoto II, Joachim, Koru-Moru, and Yoran-Oran.

Well, that's probably a big part of your problem. I'll bet joachim is doing paeons 80% of the time and thats why you can't 2step.

I don't know if it's as spammy on N but that damn thing aoes constantly and if your trust hp is under 90% for half a second joa starts paeon.

There's nothing you can do about that except not use joachim and stack up DW gear instead.

There’s also big issue w/ both Koru-Moru & Arciela not supplying Haste2 or refusing to override Haste1 given by WHM assuming Yoran does the same as Apururu. Koru-Moru will give you Phalanx2 constantly & way more consistently than Haste2 while Arciela will give Haste2 more often yet I still find her not overwriting Haste1 sometimes as well.

Just manually remove Haste off you until you factually verify Haste2 received. Also try Joachim + Ulmia combo ditching Shantato all together. You don’t need Shantoto for such anyways. Just kill the Adds until 2 Bombs spawn and his DT should be drastically increased.

Valaineral, Arciela, Joachim, Ulmia & Yoran-Oran. That should fix it.

Yoran does not haste 1, thank christ

*** garbage programming haste 1 casting pieces of ***

Trusts cannot tell the difference between Haste I and Haste II because they have the same buff ID, so the only time they'll ever overwrite is if they were already in mid-cast when Haste I got applied. Sadly, you have to micromanage it manually if you're using trusts that use both Haste and Haste II.