Upgrading Help?

I'm trying to get to the point of being able to hit max damage with Carte Noire (220% damage, 200% post-nerf), and I've hit a wall with upgrading. There's not really much else I can do without innocent scrolling or recubing existing gear, so I wanted to ask for advice:

Here's my self buffed range:

Spoiler

http://puu.sh/1hU39

*I'm using Dark Serenity instead of SE because I have enough critical rate to hit 100% with Decent SE, and I think the +40 weapon attack is a greater boost than +15% maximum critical damage, especially when I really need +minimum critical damage...

I can think of a couple of things, but I don't know if they're worth it, it'd be very costly:

1. Enhance weapon to 10 stars (it's currently at 5, with 201 weapon attack)
2. Craft the Berserker's Guardian and Eternal rings and cube those for %LUK (currently using a DABR/Evo II Lvl 17)
3. Recube cape/branch nose/overall/belt/raccoon mask. All are Legendary except Branch Nose, and 12%/10%/18%/15%/10% LUK respectively, not including Nebulites (everything has a 2% LUK nebulite on it, except the Dominator Pendant)
4. Innocent scroll and chaos scroll Empress equips (most are fairly low attack, 9 on the hat, 12 on cape, 8 on overall, weapon, glove and shoe are all fullly 10% scrolled though)

I need to get to around 310k damage range fully buffed to be able to hit max damage with Carte Noire on bosses with Physical Resistance, which is ~60k range away. How do I do it?

Also I can't afford to just buy 500k NX on a credit card and cube everything to 24%+ LUK unfortunately. Though that'd be an easy option. I can only get NX through meso, so it'll take a while.

Thanks for any help!

*Here's a list of all my equips/stats:

Spoiler

Weapon attack: 617

Android +6
Empress' Blessing +30
Weapon +201
Will of the Alliance +5
Core Aura +13
Rage +30
Lune +30
Mastery +30
Hat +9
Face +8
Mask +25
Overall +8
Glove +37
Cape +12
Pocket +5
Medal +3
Shoes +29
Belt +10
Pendant1 +2
Pendant2 +25
Rings +28
Earring +20
Shoulder +6
Set Effect +15, +30

Total Damage: 30%
Aria damage +30%

Boss Damage: 180%
Fury Unleashed: 10%
Set Effect: 30%
Cane: 80%
Card: 60%

Crit Boosts: Minimum: +15%, Maximum +15%/30%

Sharp Eyes Max Crit Dmg +30% / decent 15%
Mastery minimum crit dmg +15%

Stat Boosts: 219% LUK

Hat +27 DEX +44 LUK | 21% ALL / +2% LUK
Nose +3 DEX +4 LUK | 4% ALL, 4% DEX, 8% LUK
Mask | 10% ALL +2% LUK
Overall +47 DEX +44 LUK | 14% LUK 6% ALL
Glove +31 DEX +27 LUK | 11% LUK 9% ALL 9% STR
Cape +22 DEX +11 LUK | 14% LUK
Pend1 +25 STR +31 DEX +35 LUK | 20% LUK
Pend2 +41 STR +48 DEX +48 LUK | 22% LUK
Belt +2 LUK | +15% ALL +2% LUK
Shoe +15 DEX +25 LUK | +23% LUK +9% DEX
Rings +27 ALL
Card +12% LUK
Cane +30 STR +53 DEX +71 LUK
Earrings +4 DEX +2 LUK | + 23% LUK +6% ALL
Shoulder +10 LUK
Android +3 STR

Set Effect +20 ALL
Codex +7 ALL
Devil's LUK +40
Final Feint LUK+60
Core Aura DEX +18
Core Aura LUK +3
Core Aura STR +7
DEX Training +40 DEX
Pirate Bless + 15 ALL

Also Priere D'Aria loses 10% damage in a couple of months, so that's going to suck.

edit: I also have a ton of +40 LUK potions, and I could steal Time Leap instead of Resurrection (..I guess) to reset Hero's Echo if I have to rely on that.

Pet w.att? Totems w.att and luck?

Core aura isn't very expensive to cube to be way better, it took me like 20k nx to get 3x attack 3x luk, and since you're already leaning towards the options of cubing, I don't think spending the NX would be much of a problem. As for equips I don't see much room to upgrade without costing a ton and getting very little out of it unless you buy completely new ones, putting stars on your cane is probably a nice way to go, but could end up being extremely expensive.

you could use apples? idk

Crafting the rings might help a lot, but cubing them is fairly difficult unless you can buy pre made ones, and without a decent luk % cubed on them, evo rings would probably still be better.

You could get 21 attack out of pets, and totems are really cool, as zantgx said. The totems would give 13 attack and 46 luk.

Gallant battle manual <Practice>

You could also attempt to use additional potential, in my world the carvers are dirt cheap, if it's the same in your world, you could attempt to get lucky additional potential on adding the slot. This happened to my cape, I got +16 luk just from adding additional potential. You could also reveal to +attack (8-10 max on rare I think) and 2% stat.

What's your PDR? If you don't have 100%, you can get more from Pirate card set, Luminous link skill, and maxed ambition. You can also steal Threaten.

You can get an extra 5% boss damage from having 3 lvl200s in a deck and another 3% from having 3 lvl120s.

Core Aura could be easily bumped up to 20watk.

One thing I recommend is getting a top and bottom: perfect homecoming top and bottom is 18 and 20 watk respectively. I say this because when Evolving world releases, they will release the Empress Shoulders and it DOES count as a set effect. This means you can get the 30% boss damage effect without your overalls. Also, those shoulders are pottable so that's more potential you don't have.

However, if you do keep the overalls with the shoulders, you get the new final set effect which is like 15% HP/MP and some atk.

Another thing is to get all the decent skills on a different equip. Decent AB and Decent CO goes heckuva long way in boosting your strength. It's not hard to switch and rebuff especially if you're this strong or you like to dojo.

I don't have any totems, nor any attack pets, missed out on the Red Leaf High event and those are the only available totems currently right?

I forgot about additional potential. I've been trying to find the 10% success carvers that don't explode from bosses and have had very little luck (found 1 and it failed, of course). 80% ones are about 400-500mil but the cubes are so expensive which kind of puts me off.

I already have a <Practice> manual too, forgot about that as well.

The pets seem like a good idea, providing they're released again soon. Kicking myself for not taking advantage of the Red Leaf event, seeing as there probably won't be any new totems in a while. >_<

edit: I have 100% PDR too, 30% from Codex/Aria, 21 + 15% from Nebulites, 6% from Pirates, 6.5% from Ambition.

Sub the nebulites or the pirate set since Luminous will give you 10%.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mazz

I don't have any totems, nor any attack pets, missed out on the Red Leaf High event and those are the only available totems currently right?

I forgot about additional potential. I've been trying to find the 10% success carvers that don't explode from bosses and have had very little luck (found 1 and it failed, of course). 80% ones are about 400-500mil but the cubes are so expensive which kind of puts me off.

I already have a <Practice> manual too, forgot about that as well.

The pets seem like a good idea, providing they're released again soon. Kicking myself for not taking advantage of the Red Leaf event, seeing as there probably won't be any new totems in a while. >_<

edit: I have 100% PDR too, 30% from Codex/Aria, 21 + 15% from Nebulites, 6% from Pirates, 6.5% from Ambition.

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I also want reinforce what Proxied said about the Core Aura cubes.
I was able to get 25Luk 22W.ATT. Remember you can also turn the Aura using the Cosmic Dust Shifter (i think that's what is called).
My guildmate was able to get ~40 W.ATT wasn't sure if he was trolling.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zantgx

I also want reinforce what Proxied said about the Core Aura cubes.
I was able to get 25Luk 22W.ATT. Remember you can also turn the Aura using the Cosmic Dust Shifter (i think that's what is called).
My guildmate was able to get ~40 W.ATT wasn't sure if he was trolling.

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I thought 33 was max

A 25% boss damage Nebulite would be a HUGE help, but they're impossible to find in the Free Market. I've been looking for weeks, I should probably mention that too.

I guess if I can find a boss damage nebulite I could replace the 15% ignore defence one with that, then I'd still have 100% ignore DEF (after Luminous/Ambition). That might even be enough of a help if I can get like.. 3-6% more LUK on a few equips.

Edit: awesome, I'll try cubing my Core Aura then when I get a little more NX, is there a recommended way to upgrade it? Or do you just use the expensive cubes until you land on something good? I've only ever really used the Star Dusts on it before.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Proxied

I thought 33 was max

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This is the highest I've seen for Core Aura.
http://www.southperry.net/showthread...l=1#post993602

Inner Potential? If you save all of the circulators you get / that go on sale from Jean that are lvl 7 or below you should be able to get 1-2 good inner potentials once you reach lvl 70 and unlock all 3.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Schrono

Inner Potential? If you save all of the circulators you get / that go on sale from Jean that are lvl 7 or below you should be able to get 1-2 good inner potentials once you reach lvl 70 and unlock all 3.

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He has crit IA, which is pretty much the best one a phantom can get.

@Mazz; - have you tried replacing your empress gloves with Hero's gloves? (or are you already considering that) I know you're capable of getting them, and the 20%td/40%boss damage still beats the set bonus. Give that a shot and see if it helps, or just run the math if you have a "range calculations spreadsheet".

I would skip the ark rings unless primals are cheap on your alliance (like less than 800m or something). They're not a HUGE benefit and there's supposedly 3rd tier pottable rings incoming.

Dualing up on alchemy potions will help as well. Stack resistance pots + 70+luk potion, or if you're feeling really bold, 70luk potion and 24/30att potion. (your overall DPS will probably drop from the downtime though).

Finding a decent AB hat to swap on and off when rebuffing will be a good boost. IIRC it's 20 attack. May as well get decent CO if you see it cheap, it'll improve your carte dmg and Dark Harmony.

You can try using dice instead of Dark Harmony, although it's only 1/6 chance you get a 20% dmg boost

@Schrono; I already have 16% critical rate on Inner Ability, which I'm not getting rid of. 16% extra Carte Noire activation is a godsend for Phantom.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aflac

He has crit IA, which is pretty much the best one a phantom can get.

@Mazz; - have you tried replacing your empress gloves with Hero's gloves? (or are you already considering that) I know you're capable of getting them, and the 20%td/40%boss damage still beats the set bonus. Give that a shot and see if it helps, or just run the math if you have a "range calculations spreadsheet".

I would skip the ark rings unless primals are cheap on your alliance (like less than 800m or something). They're not a HUGE benefit and there's supposedly 3rd tier pottable rings incoming.

Dualing up on alchemy potions will help as well. Stack resistance pots + 70+luk potion, or if you're feeling really bold, 70luk potion and 24/30att potion. (your overall DPS will probably drop from the downtime though).

Finding a decent AB hat to swap on and off when rebuffing will be a good boost. IIRC it's 20 attack. May as well get decent CO if you see it cheap, it'll improve your carte dmg and Dark Harmony.

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I already have a Decent AB hat, but it's on my Dual Blade.. I'll have to remember to scissor it over next time I have NX. Decent CO would be great, I haven't seen a shoe with that on for sale though. I'll try and get Hero's Gloves tomorrow morning before work and see how much of a difference that makes - I was able to get 36 heals today at Empress (with a lot of lag) trioing, but I cheated and had ADA active for basically the entire fight. I'm hoping to get to the point of not needing it anymore.

So, my list of things to do now:

1. Try and get a boss damage nebulite.
2. Get my Core Aura to 25+ ATT/LUK
3. Move decent AB hat over
4. Fix my cape. It's only 12% luk and legendary, that won't take too many cubes.
5. Start farming for Resistance potions. Oh god, I am going to hate this so much, but it's a really good idea. I'll skip the LUK/ATT potions, I already have a ton of +40 LUK ones and those are good enough and hilariously easy to craft.

I won't bother with the Arkarium rings, I had no idea there was a 3rd tier ring coming, which KMS patch had that? I could replace my Evo 17 when we get that.
Also, I guess I could either switch my overall with a top and bottom and use the Empress shoulder pad when we get that, or get rid of my gloves and use Dojo gloves + the shoulder for even more boss damage. I hope I won't need to though, I want to cube as little as possible xD

Thanks a ton for all the help guys, I appreciate it a lot!

edit:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 66alex66

You can try using dice instead of Dark Harmony, although it's only 1/6 chance you get a 20% dmg boost

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I had thought of trying that before, but I really need to be able to rely on buffs. Having a 1/6 chance would probably end really badly if the 20% damage boost was pushing me over the edge into max damage territory.

You can also try and improve your card through nebs, boss damage seems more vaIuabe to you