Old School MNK Returning To The Job

So, I'm looking for some pointers from you career MNKs that play nowadays. I played MNK from release straight until around 09 when I quit the game. Now I play on a different character and server, and lately seeing all of these bad bandwagon monks around have sparked up an urge for me to take up the job once again.

Basically, I'm wondering how much has changed in the job since the olden days of Asuran Fists. What Magian H2H should I be aiming for outside of Verethragna? Do MNKs rely on footwork and X-hit builds now for dealing damage, or just TP up normally? What WSs are used now? What Atmas would I be using? Etc etc.

Any info is greatly appreciated. I've never been fond of doing things wrong, and I'm definitely not going to start with MNK, as it's one of my favorite jobs next to SAM.

For weapons outside of Verethragna/Rev. Fists+2:
Taipan Fangs +2 STR+9 ATK+20
Taurine Cesti

Footworks was a cool thing back at 80 with multi-hit Ursine Claws but lost its usefulness at 85+ when mnk got an upgrade to martial arts.

Inside abyssea you'd use Ascetic's Fury, outside is probably Asuran Fists but I don't exactly know. Victory Smite is better in both situations, though.

Second best would probably be Revenant Fists +2, Victory Smite is just too good to pass up.
Otherwise probably STR/Fire path Taipan Fangs.
Those will require quite a few days/weeks of work, so you might want something to use meanwhile.
Then probably you could aim for Taurine Cesti, or Furor Cesti (these last ones should be very very fast to get, like 30 minutes? and you can use them until you get something better)


LOL no way they still use Footwork :P
Altough to be honest with the right gear I think Footwork outside of Abyssea can still be pretty nice, especially with X-hit build and /SAM. Just not as good as the other options. The new tier of Martial arts we got and the -5 we get form +2 body, plus no upgrade for "feet weapon" since level 85 cap, really hurt Footwork badly.
Also, it requires a *** of specific gear, and even with all of that you'd just be "good", not even "the best", so is it even worth bothering? If you're particularly bored and want to be original maybe lol
I guess if you were still playing at level 80 and still have your Footwork build gear, then probably that might be your best setup atm, at least outside of Abyssea. Really depends on your current gear options etc


Inside? Victory Smite > Ascetic's Fury > Backhand Blow I guess?
Outside of Abyssea Vsmite if you have it, if you don't it's probably the same things you used in 2009 :D


I think the best possible Damage output combination is Razed Ruins/Alpha&Omega/Apocalypse. But I tend not to use A&E because I hate its lack of versatility.
Most people, rightfully, stick either a Voracious Violet or a Gnarled Horn in place of A&O, I personally go with the 2nd because I love the versatility of the AGI and Counter, plus the increased crit rate :)


As for now I think you should probably just focus on getting your MNK seals, all of the MNK AF3 pieces are really awesome.
Meanwhile, if you got money to burn and a friend with Synergy (or you have it leveled yourself) you could try to get some nice pieces by augmenting your current gear, while waiting to get enough seals for AF3+2.
Byakko can get some really awesome augments, same applies for Kirin's Osode. Don't know about Shura Togi but it might be worth looking that as well :)
To "augment" these pieces you need items which are "made" with synergy from either abjurations of the same family (Dryadic) or sky Seals (seal of Byakko for example).
Don't need to make/farm these items yourself, you can buy them in Bazaars :)

MNK has changed immensely since those days, after doing some reading up myself in the past.

You want to go for Rev Fists +2 > STR Taipan +2 > Taurine Cesti > Furor Cesti > Savate Fists (dom augmented) > Heofon Knuckles in order of effectiveness for standard H2H weapon sans Vere.

Ascetic's Fury in Abyssea, Asuran Fists outside, Victory Smite for both when obtained as Yarly mentioned.

You also want Black Belt & AF3+2 Body (not +1, but +2). Both are huge boosts to MNK. Actually MNK Body+2 is more of a significant boost to MNK that any one can make because of how it works with Impetus. You want to work towards obtaining all of the +2 pieces, however. If Brown Belt only, AF3+2 feet become less significant in favor of Fumas to reach 26% haste.

You also want to try and reach subtle blow cap via means of Agasaya's Collar, Heed Ring, Rajas Ring and Tantra Crown +2. In a perfect situation for MNK however, you'll be replacing collar with Faith Torque and ring with Epona's Ring.

Apoc/RR/GH is still a standard, however I see some people using SS/RR/GH and even Apoc/RR/SS. Not sure which is best however, I use the first two depending.

Also, you could have asked this in game, lol.

Thanks for the input. I already have a bunch of seals laying around to upgrade Tantra +1, and I'll probably go with those Taurine Cesti as a temporary solution until I do some Magians. My questions are pretty much answered, I just didn't know how the whole footwork thing fit into the job, but I suppose if it's that behind from normal TPing then I won't even bother with it.

Would this be a decent TP set to start off with? Black Belt is a possibility, not really sure what kind of ammos exist now. I'll also work on Epona's Ring and +2's.



Is Faith Torque still viable, or does it not add a damage tier anymore?

faith torque adds a tier with +2 hands, tantra tathlum is 100% drop off ironclad cleaver in abyssea - attohwa.

Honestly Sho, I completely forgot you were a Monk!

Faith torque is still best piece for neck afaik.
Not sure if it was an additional tier when combined with +2 or +1 hands @90.
sounds like a question for tiger to answer.

EDIT: I wouldn't do Taipan fangs+2 fire path if you ever intend on getting revenants or verethragnas. Do Earth Path. you get -10% PDT from them (something you will still enjoy after getting revenants/verethragnas) and they are pretty decent on dps. Think they were only 1% less overall dmg than fire path+2s.

Atmas: apoc/rr/ss is nice since they removed the crit+% dmg cap.
With aftermath up on verethragnas you can crit for as much as 1k depending on the mob with impetus and +2 body up.
However, I've been told that it still falls behind apoc/rr/gh in total dmg.

It's all good. I don't like MNK as much as most of these peeps do, but I stalk-read their posts seeing as most give good advice on the job, and there's less BS talk going on than other job forums. Help'd my gimp MNK out immensely!

Also hi Lorzy !

hi :o

Helping those hobos with good advice I see!

i don't know anything about mnk D:

Definitely don't bother with it.
Footwork outside of Aby could have been a "temporary" setup to use as you work for better setups since, like I told you before, it's not THAT bad outside.
But that would have been logical only if you had all or most of the footwork required gear already. Since you don't, it's just absolutely not worth to bother about it. Focus on the plenty of other things you'll have to be working for :)

Thew Bomblet looks good for ranged.

Ryuga Sune-Ate is at some retardedly high price atm, Fuma it up.

I didn't feel like making a new thread, so...

Between these two sets, which one wins for TP?



26% Haste w/ Fumas



24% Haste + AF3 Feet

I know the obvious answer is get a Black Belt. Well, I don't have one currently, maybe if I was back on my old char a few years ago then I'd have it again! I'd like a legit and simple answer on which would be better though. Wondering if the loss in 2% Haste is worth the kick attacks damage bonus. Would the answer change if they were Usukane instead of Fumas? (Don't know if the STP allows one less attack round or not, don't feel like checking.) I know I can use Tiercel Necklace on the second set to close the Haste gap more, but I'm not up for spending the gil currently, I dislike spending gil on stuff before big updates.

Thanks in advanced.

You can do either, but when going for Brown Belt, delete Tantra Feet+2 for Fumas or Usukane regardless. 26% Haste should be achieved in anyway possible before looking into any other options.

I think it depends on how much haste you have in buffs, but I'm too lazy to check. =(

I agree with that.
I'd just take the first set, unless you're emberrased using twilight belt.
In which case, I'd use brown belt and some haste feet, for the sake of capping haste before looking for any other improvements.

Honestly, top one. More haste = more DoT. Also, Twilight belts additional double att. with atheling and brutal is greatly noticeable. (Personally i've never used my mnk since i got 'em but i use them on BLU because i think it's a reliable source of DA.)

I might even be tempted to drop the twilight in case of brown just to hit the "true" haste cap. But it's the dbl.att. that makes me lean towards that option.

Edit: Brainfart. Top one is at true haste cap. Definately that one.

The brownbelt/tantra feet +2 set is better. Yes Usukane changes the answer to favor twilight setup. However, brownbelt+Usukane is better than all 3 setups(bb/+2, twilight/fuma, twilight/usu)

Anyone know if jailer of faith can be duo'd by a 90 vere mnk and whm dual box straight tanking? or would i be safer going bst and blm, or even pld/rdm and whm?

I really need to work on this torque...but ive never fought the nm before and idk if its possible to duo it with that combination. Ive read that bst can solo it with dipper and im kinda leaning in that direction to get it.

MNK/NIN + WHM/SCH, did it without verethragna even. Just bring a PDT set for Vertical Cleave and petrified, because it still hurts with counterstance up.

Yep, it's quite easy to duo at 90 now actually. MNK WHM is fine

K thanks, dident want to waste time with bst if i can just do it with mnk. What sub would u suggest? /nin?

THF and WHM should just as easily be able to handle Faith I'm sure then? Obviously slower, but with TH! Also, with a solid MDT set I highly doubt Stone/Quakes posing a threat at all in conjunction with barstonra.

o ok so i might just go thf instead, but my thf isent nearly as good as my mnk. other then faith, ill just need an epona ring to finish my mnk tp set.

one draw back though, my pocket whm dosent have capped enhancing magic, and i think i can only get up to +101 resist with bar spells atm...skilling it is so damn hard i kinda gave up and im just letting the skill come from haste's and pro/shells lol.

well last i did it I was mnk/war and the whm had far from capped enhancing. It really isn't anything to worry about anymore was a joke of a fight.