Picking Up The Scythe?

Hello fellow DRK’s

Been a few years, how are things all. Getting the twitch to pick the scythe back up ?

Is this a question or a statement? Because it feels like it might be a statement.

I use Apoc for self-healing/tanking/ohshit scenarios and Calad other times.

I rarely use Redemption and don't have Anguta yet...but meh :/

Welcome back

Hi mate. Seriously tempted lol

Loving the bikes still but costing my a fortune. Can’t beat the buzz, even if I do fall off occasionally

Caladbolg got repetitive for me. Having fun with Liberator.

I only have Apoc atm, so im using that,
and my other weapon is a Ragnarok.

I'm not a career DRK by any measure, but its definitely my current buildup project and something I'm really enjoying getting more familiar with its mechanics and strengths.

That being said, having the options of Caladbolg, Liberator, Anguta, and Redemption does produce some interesting situations.

I find Caladbolg to be the simplest to use. Build an AM-down set designed to get you AM-up asap- high MA, enough STP. Build an AM-up set around MA and crits. Build a Torcleaver set with enough Acc to fight that annoying weaponskill, and a metric *** of VIT and WSD. Go have a beer, your DRK is now functional.

Liberator feels the most natural to me as a non-lifer DRK, as a mythic AM3 really helps if you're not used to DRK's typical swing rate. Not to mention the AM3 set built around STP I found easier than other options. There's also more accuracy on the weapon itself Lib vs Calad. Not saying that can't be overcome, but its the starting point. WSs aren't as direct as Torcleaver in terms of gearing for them, but Ratri is so strong in many slots at least you dont' have to deal with Oseem!

Redemption at first looks like a hybrid of the two, but in reality that's very far from the truth. Yes, you have the ability to solo multi-step with a scythe that isn't nearly as effective on great sword, but you still have to design aftermath sets for it that contain enough MA to execute those 3 and 4 step chains. You do gain the lovely Empyrean Weapon aftermath which DRK can so effectively use for great spikes in white damage. Its my newest toy, so I'm still figuring it out, but I do like what its capable of in the right situation.

Anguta can do some interesting things with a 3 hit build (discussed by much better DRKs than me earlier, and a set on the 1st page of "high end sets" thread), and Cross Reaper can be a monster on pretty much all the scythes. I use this the least, but that's mostly because I need a slightly better foot augment to really pull it off competitively.

Only reason I don't own an Apoc is laziness. I have other jobs for soloing, so DRK is a job I only use in group situations. Apoc can certainly be valuable then, too, but like I said I'm not a lifer, so I'm ok not having that option in the toolbag for how I play the job. But major bravos to those who have built it and VERY effective ways to play with it.

tl;dr- scythe is really fun, and its in a better place than it was when you left. I think its a good idea to have scythe build options- but you needn't immediately build multiple RMEA scythes. Pick one to add to your Caladbolg that catches your play style, and go from there.

those are fighting words. Torcleaver is the best!!

The only WS that whiffs more when there's no mathematical reason that it should is Tachi:WhiffffFudo.

It's an incontrovertible fact with lots of scientific data backing it up that Catastrophe will only miss when you're one hit away from death.

LOL no truer statement than this!

I don't have Empy GS yet, but for most DRKs, it's between that and the Apoc. Some go for Angunta or Liberator if there is really no concern for self-healing. I also picked up a Father Time for when I fight undead (since Apoc doesn't drain them). Fully augmented, I imagine it could give Caladbolg a run for its money.

Lol

Liberator >

Redemption is lol (except its kinda nice on w3)

as a returning drk i'm looking at options. i have 119 apoc/rag and 85 calad. The calad is the long term goal but i need a starter weapon so i can farm. I'm 8k short on plutons for apoc 119-3 (is that what its called?) i've been gone since 2016 so no shell to help me. I was thinking of getting apoc to 119-3 then going balls to the wall on calad, or should i do something else? just looking to optimize my time.

Also i only have 12mil so funds are limited atm. also looking for info on ways of farming plutons/beis etc

Apoc is solid, and you'll want it afterglowed anyway. Another great option is the ambuscade great axe if you happen to have a pulse weapon, or come into one (they're a bit cheaper than afterglowing apoc would be).

My Apoc is R15, and it drops some serious damage, specifically when using Catastrophe. It's probably not Calad. damage, but it's still good damage. I've always been somewhat upset that Scythe is DRK's A= weapon, but GS can do more damage depending on the weapon and WS.

Apocs utility is great and fun. But it doesn’t come
Close to Cala DPS.

Liberator only the other hand is about par and comes with standard scythe advantages.

Discounting skillchains, Liberator is still behind Caladbolg by about 8-10%, but that's a lot closer than any of the other scythes.

Fighting an enemy that resists Light SCs can easily make Liberator do more damage if you're taking advantage of closing Darknesses.

IS Apocalypse a good option for doing Sheol C farming? Or would the Aeonic weapon [Anguta] be better?

FYI - not a "career DRK" -- just exploring other jobs for the fun of it -- If I can build something that also has practical value relative to the ongoing "hot button" content and periodic shouts -- thats all a bonus

I am a very firm believer that any DD in Sheol C needs TWO forms of damage of varying types. SAMs and WARs can naturally have choices between Slashing and Piercing, and Shining One is a very reachable 2nd choice option for them. DRGs can switch between those two damage types easily as well with Naegling.

DRK does not get as clear-cut options, as we just don't have a good Piercing option. The best I have found has been Blunt, and I use a build of Loxotic Mace+1/Blurred Shield+1 when needed. I still use Slashing at least 80% of the time in our runs- but some families are just super resistant to a single type of damage in there. You never really encounter the typical "weakness" like we're used to talking about in other content ("so-and-so is weak to dark damage" "this guy is weak to piercing!" etc), instead mobs in Sheol C seem to have a strength, so you need a backup.

In terms of Scythe Choice for your primary damage (Slashing)- I'd probably alter it based on the support you have. If you're expected to be self-sufficient, I'd go Apoc and just spam Cata>Cata for a simple 2step chain that will kill any Nostos mob in C. If you've got high-end support and healers/tank, I would likely try out Anguta and see if I could one-shot those guys after building TP for a high-TP Cross Reaper.

Thank you for the insight -- very useful information.

Apocalypse is going to be your best option for soloing Odyssey, including soloing Halos in Sheol A and B. You're asking about Sheol C though, which I assume means you are talking about a group farm. In that scenario you have real support and are expected to focus on damage output, and Anguta will be better, but no matter what content you are doing its always good to have Apocalypse as a backup option for when things go wrong.

Right now the best weapon in general for Sheol C farm is Caladbolg because of how well it synergizes with the Sakpata set. I suppose an argument could be made for Redemption as well, but I'm just not a fan of how much you have to hold back on TP in order to really get good numbers with Cross Reaper. If your DD partner is a Warrior it gains a lot of ground though when Warcry is up, I'll give it that.

I respectfully disagree here. In general an Odyssey group has two dedicated DDs, and one of them absolutely needs to be flexible with damage type options. WAR and SAM do multiple damage types really well, and DRK just doesn't. Yes, we can equip Loxotic and Blurred, but we don't have the Fencer bonuses that WAR gets to really make good use of them. In general for something like a Medusa Halo I will focus on the Nostos mobs while my partner takes down the slashing resistant Medusa, and when I absolutely have to I'll just east the 50% slashing resistance on some mobs and just two-shot them with Torcleaver to Torcleaver. The loss of attack, haste, and self-skillchaining that comes with changing to a non-slashing weapon type on DRK is just too much.
This would be a different story if mobs in there had higher weapon type resistances, but as-is its fine to get by with simple "haha torcleaver goes brr"