Puppetmaster 201

Mar 02, 2007 17:00

Table of Contents:
1 Equipments and gear for master.
2 Choosing the frames.
3 Recommended frames for each ten levels.


Puppetmaster is not an ordinary job out of all 18 jobs available. This is not a guide about how to play the job, instead, I want to bring the excitment and let people understand how to enjoy playing this job. With a sense to control your automaton, some basic knowledge from Summoner, Dragoon, and Beastmaster is required. There were many arguement saying neither the master nor the automaton not powerful enough, however, it could be bias if the master controlling skill doesn't bring up the best of his automaton. This is obvious if a Puppetmaster cannot control his automaton behavior with Stormwalker frame. For the master-pet relationship, it would be closer to compare with a Dragoon than either Summoner or Beastmaster. Automaton is a very sharp weapon, it often out damage the master in many situation. Let's break it down, an automaton needs the command and maintance from master while master is controlling the automaton to output 70% of the total damage or variable duties.

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1-0
Puppetmaster doesn't have a lot choices of gear. Some of them are laughable mage gear such as Seer's set on a job that doesn't have any natural MP! Anyway, since Puppetmaster solo a lot most of the time against Even Match to Very Tough mobs, it is the best to pick some of evasion gears. PUP has access to most light clothing mage gear, therefore, some of the gear not everyone can remember if they existed can now be good choice for PUP. Light Soleas, Martial Slacks, Battle Gloves, and Emperor Hairpin build up your basic 19 evasion. This is often more evasion than Ninja or Thief have access to. Second pick would be accuracy and STR gear, even PUP has C or C- for most of the combat skills, fighting mobs with the range of Even Match to Very Tough wont have much problem with accuracy and damage. For weapons, PUP cannot use Kunckles or Cestis for H2H weapons, in most case HQ Claws are the best pick for the levels. Other than the general equips, Puppetmaster require an Animator to give automaton command. At level 15, PUP learns job ability Repair. Carrying Automaton Oil can save your automaton from serious damage. The 20mins recast on Active is often resetted with Stormwalker frame to do the Deactive-MP recover trick. There is not so much to do for a Puppetmaster after losing the automaton for at maximum 20 mins. Keeping your automaton alive should be the supreme piority over everything else. If the automaton is hurt, the master is hurt at the same time, this bond between master and pet is tight beyond DRG, SMN, or BST.

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2-0
It is important to understand how Puppetmaster works, otherwise it is underrated as one of the job doesn't fit in mages, DD, or tanking catagory. The ideal design of Puppetmaster is similar to Blue mage on battle. There are 3 armor frames for your automaton, chosing the right frame for situation would improve how battle goes. The nature of the job tend to be very good on solo but it can be significant in party. A person can only be a good Puppetmaster if he understands the frames, attachments, Maneuver, and his automaton behavior.

2-1
Sharpshot frame has proven to be the most powerful frame against most of the mobs. It is a total damage dealing type with possible melee and ranged damage or ranged attack from distance to avoid AOE damage. Puppetmaster can do a skillchain with automaton to combine the highest damage possible. PUP can self making a Fusion skillchain with Arcuballistic > Combo/Raging Fist. Automaton's Arcuballistic is a very good weapon skill with good acccuracy and damage, it is the same place as Flaming Arrow/Hot Shot in skillchain chart. In order to make a skillchain happens with master closing it, and Inhibitor is NOT to be attached to your automation. It influence your automaton to save up TP and use Weapon Skill triggered by seeing a weapon skill from party member have done on the targeted mob. Without Inhibitor, automaton will do its weapon skill every 100 - 125 TP, master should have no problem catching up the speed of automaton's TP, in most situation master has 100 - 175 TP for Combo.

2-2
Stormwalker frame has three functions: Magic Nuking, Magic Debuff, or Backup Healing. In most case the Magic Nuking mode is the most effective. Stormwalker frame is very sensitive with attachments on the automaton, with or without one or two attachments can totally change the behavior. The attachment Scanner can control automaton to cast spells of mob's weakness, without it the auotmaton will cast the highest level possible spell. Sometimes this is not the right attachment to output the best damage. Besides, one general mistake for some PUP is not knowing the attachments and Maneuver, they put everything possible attached. Sometimes this yield a negative effect and it is best to test out each attachments and know how to use them. With the right attachments and Ice Maneuver, automaton would behave accurately nuking non-stop and try to Magic Burst after a skillchain. Usuaully giving a single Ice Maneuver before deploying to a mob could limit automaton to nuking only. With Mana Tank and Mana Tank II, a single Dark Maneuver can give automaton 3MP/tick Refresh on MP. Automaton should have plenty of MP most of the time, otherwise, there is a Deactive-MP recover trick. In order to do that, keep automaton HP to full, Deactive and Active it again. It will have 1 minute cooldown on Deactive recast and possible Overloading within this time period, so go light on it for a minute. Some Maneuvers order automaton to cast certain types of elemental debuffs. For example, a single Earth Maneuver can order automaton to cast Slow on mob right after Deploy. Automaton cures by nature, it doesn't cure very often but when master or itself has very low in HP it will cast the highest Cure spell to recover HP. With the attachment of Damage gauge and Light Maneuver, automaton would take piority in curing depends on how many Light Maneuver is on and the pecent of damage eith master or automaton has taken. For more analyzed information please read this link:
http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/Puppetmaster:_Behavior_of_the_Stormwaker_Frame

2-3
Valoredge frame would be one of the "tanking" frame people expected from the look. It has pretty much a Paladin build for how your automaton grows and abilities. This frame is usually combine with Flashbulb and Analyzer for flash and shield bash. It has a lot of HP and Defence with Armor Plate and Armor Plate II attachment. It is a varsity friend for tanking mobs below Very Tough.

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3-0
Puppetmaster can obtain a new set of frame every 10 levels. I would recommend people leveling from 1-10 with Harlequin frame and try to skill up magic skill as much as possible. At level 10, obtaining Sharpshot frame allow your automaton starts skilling up on its ranged attack skill. At level 20, Stormwalker would be a better choice than Valoredge because of the magic skill levels direct affect the spells available to your automaton. At level 28 with capped magic skill automaton can cast Cure II which is very helpful for solo situation. It is always good to keep all three type of skills capped for available weapons skills and magic.

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puppetmaster, advanced ffxi with professor jax

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