[Hguols]

I figured it would make sense to start a thread of this sort. I'm sure some of you are or will be building a plethora of armor sets in order to mix and match skills.
Whether past present or future, you'll probably be torn between one skill vs. another.

Whether to poll or to really inquire, this is the place to do that.

I'll start.
________________

For my bow user, I've just put together most of a Garuga set. (I'm not going to mess with wings for the plate - I've just gemmed in the remainder)
I was curious as to which would be better:

Attack up (Small) or Pierce S Up

I'm aware pierce only applies to bows that have a pierce...
To be honest, I'm not even sure if I notice a significant increase in power with the attack up Small or not.

I have yet to do any extensive field tests - I was curious if anyone here actually knew which would be the better choice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another one (also between this and my other set)

Earplugs or Status Attack Up

(Basically the difference between switching between my Garuga Helm and Chaoshroom.)
Roars never bothered me a whole lot. I can roll through a small percentage even sans evade, but there's been a time or two I've been caught at the wrong place at the wrong time and paid for it with a loss of consciousness.
The only earplugs I've ever tried out were on training missions, and its nice to get multiple free hits while a monster double roars.

I do bring a lot of coats with me, and use bows that can use most of the above. Between poison, paralysis and sleep, I think I've noticed a several shot difference with inflicting the said status with Status Attack Up. It can mean the difference between causing the effect twice or just once with 20 coating allotment.

[Usul]

Attack Up[sm] vs. PierceS Up

For the first, I'd say it depends on your HR. Much like the Attack Up vs. RA, since shot ups generally do percentage-based damage, they give more damage the further you improve your weapon. If you intend to choose between the two from a general-use armor set perspective though, going with Attack Up[sm] does have it's merits.

Earplugs vs. Status Atk Up

I'd go for Status Atk Up if you have no problems with roars as you say. Bows have enough mobility anyway to be out of reach for some roars, though yeah, there will always be those moments that you'll get fucked up.

This post has been edited by Hamtaro: 23 August 2010 - 02:48 AM

[Gary]

Hamtaro, on 22 August 2010 - 10:42 PM, said:

Bows have enough mobility anyway to be out of reach for some roars, though yeah, there will always be those moments that you'll get fucked up.

And diablos is the master of this =(

I'd go with earplug between those 2 because without making more coatings, you will only be able to inflict a status once or twice even with status attack up (but that depends on how aggressive you play), and not all bows have good status coatings.

Between pierceS up and Attack up (s). I'd go with the attack up. It's more reliable and should benefit you in the long run (of course, the pierce should be better of you bow grav, plessy, or Lao, most other monsters should take more damage from a good rapid shot

[Hguols]

Hamtaro, on 22 August 2010 - 08:42 PM, said:

Attack Up[sm] vs. PierceS Up

For the first, I'd say it depends on your HR. Much like the Attack Up vs. RA, since shot ups generally do percentage-based damage, they give more damage the further you improve your weapon. If you intend to choose between the two from a general-use armor set perspective though, going with Attack Up[sm] does have it's merits.

Really? Interesting! My current HR is still 1. I'm currently clearing out the Elder quests first. My Blue Blade Bow I is my pride and joy - and it has a Pierce 3, attack of 204. I took out Lunestra last night with Pierce up - the fight went pretty good....

I was curious if there was any measurement of how much stronger pierce up makes the pierce shots.

Hamtaro, on 22 August 2010 - 08:42 PM, said:

Earplugs vs. Status Atk Up

I'd go for Status Atk Up if you have no problems with roars as you say. Bows have enough mobility anyway to be out of reach for some roars, though yeah, there will always be those moments that you'll get fucked up.

Yeah.

Still, between the first and second, it's kind of nice that I can switch between both options easily if I wanted.

This post has been edited by Hguols: 23 August 2010 - 04:17 PM

[Hguols]

I'm curious as to what you think of these skills vs. each other.
One thing to keep in mind, this is in regard to me using bows.

Attack Up (Large)
Reckless Abandon +1
Earplugs

or

Reckless Abandon +2
Reload Speed+1
Abnormal Sts Atk Up

Unfortunately, between these skills sets is choosing between a low gunner set, and a high rank gunner set. (the latter skill set being the high rank set) ....so I think I've pretty much made my choice as far as that goes.

Call me crazy, but that Reckless Abandon +2 seems to put more hurt on monsters than Attack up Large and RA+1.

[Kaos]

As far as ive ever been able to tell, Crit > Attack in unite. to an extent. Crit +3 is better than attack up L, unless your using GS. Which you can simply use full losx armor to get the most out of a GS, But anyway, thats a long ways from you and we are on the subject of bows. Good enough, i solo'd a good chunk of the beginning of this game with bows. i still use them today. they are a very fun and unique weapon. i cant think of which armors to tell you to use, since it was way back when i played MHF2. BUT, keep your peirce bow. IMO, peirce got me the farthest out of anything, unless fighting kutku or dromes. the smaller monsters i used rapid. i never fancied spread shot very much. just wasnt me. uhm, make ALOT of bows. thats all i can say. the more you have, the more choices youll have, the more things you can do to fuck that monster up. get where im going? element is a pretty big deal with bows.

Pwer coating is really nice. oh and 1 VERY IMPORTANT thing. USE THE CLOSE RANGE COATING!!!! get right up in that monsters ass and shoot it with whatever is your strongest shot. it causes soooo much damage in just a few shots. also, you CAN cut tails. do it. aim for the tail every once in a while.once, youve hit it quite a bit, and the monster hasnt flinched from the hits to the tail, equip a close range, and fire them off at whatever you want but dont shoot your last one, instead, spend the next 5 minutes or so, utilizing all weak points and melee that tail. itl come off. you can do 2 melee attacks combod. now, sometimes, the monster is just not the right monster to cut a tail off of. such as blos, or possible los. ian should be fairly easy though.

uhm, oh, whenever you get to HR6, make 2 of the fata bows. proceeed to make the white AND black one. the white one is really nice when used with the full HR9 crimson and white armors. and black has some very nice uses to it too.

lastly, status up isnt really what you want. sure, sleeping the monster and then bombing it can be good. but only need to do that once. para is roughly useless, because you then have to switch coatings and then begin charging again. getting off roughly 2 shots before you get anything done. poison has its uses, like for those elders so you have some time to hit it without your stupid arrow flying away. lol. took me a while to figure out why i was randomly getting hit when bowing kusha when i shot him.

i think i covered everything, but i feel i missed something. unsure. hope this helps.

[tobyaG]

Kidkaos707, on 09 September 2010 - 09:58 AM, said:

Pwer coating is really nice. oh and 1 VERY IMPORTANT thing. USE THE CLOSE RANGE COATING!!!! get right up in that monsters ass and shoot it with whatever is your strongest shot. it causes soooo much damage in just a few shots. also, you CAN cut tails. do it. aim for the tail every once in a while.once, youve hit it quite a bit, and the monster hasnt flinched from the hits to the tail, equip a close range, and fire them off at whatever you want but dont shoot your last one, instead, spend the next 5 minutes or so, utilizing all weak points and melee that tail. itl come off. you can do 2 melee attacks combod. now, sometimes, the monster is just not the right monster to cut a tail off of. such as blos, or possible los. ian should be fairly easy though.

IIRC the Close Range coating only applies to the melee attack of the bow not the ranged attacks. Close Range coating is only for Cut damage which the melee attack deals and the range attacks deal Shot damage so it won't work for range.

[Kaos]

tobyaG, on 08 September 2010 - 06:35 PM, said:

IIRC the Close Range coating only applies to the melee attack of the bow not the ranged attacks. Close Range coating is only for Cut damage which the melee attack deals and the range attacks deal Shot damage so it won't work for range.

it does more damage the closer you are to the monster. if it doesnt do that, then im crazy because it flinches faster than power.

[Hguols]

Not only that, but has anyone noticed how HUGE the "damage sparks" are with a close range coating?
It appears to me that it does more damage up close too. Which is ideal for a spread shot.

Way ahead of you Kidkaos707! I'm doing most of what you're talking about already! Thanks for clearing that up with RA vs. Attack.

I don't mind tail runs at all using just a bow, at least when they're necessary.

I'm not going to waste time on a blos tail just for a few extra shells.

[Solyeuse]

I'm pretty sure the Close Range coatings dealing more damage at, well, close range, is a myth that has been debunked. I'm not too sure why your monster flinches more, but maybe it has to deal with your bow's optimum range - IIRC a bow should deal maximum damage if the arrow hits just at the peak of the aim line:

_____-----_____ => aim line, it's roughly in the shape of an arc. The maximum damage is at the bit represented by -----.

If your arrows all hit at that distance, it may not be too far a shot to say that it outdamages Power Coatings at a less optimal distance. We also have to take into account constant elemental damage regardless of range... don't look at me.

[Hguols]

I'd like to see some actual evidence/proof.

That's all I've witnessed was someone stating,
"Close Range coating only effects the melee attack."
Proof? Evidence?

An article @ the Monster Hunter Wikia states that it increases damage at a close range.

A debate on a gamespot forum people state that it does more damage for melee attacks as well as a close proximity.

The Monster Hunter Unite Compendium compares the close range coating as a "White vial that increases damage like a shotgun, closer the better".

Makes sense to me.
I still have yet to know of any proof for that either.

EDIT! This very detailed FAQ states that Close Range Coating does a 1.3x damage increase with melee and a 2 backhop distance from a monster. It states the power coating is a 1.5 increase PERIOD and a 1.5 for melee as well.

This post has been edited by Hguols: 09 September 2010 - 02:49 PM

[Kaos]

Hmm, learn something new every day. Guess I was wrong.

[Solyeuse]

I'm pretty sure some guy ran extensive tests back on the old forum. Not sure what happened, though.

[Hguols]

Well, with the Hidden Bow in my collection now, I'm thinking about swapping armors.
...but I'm not sure.

The current armor setup I have is a Ceanataur U set, with a Chaoshroom helm. Gemming the -Health out and some Celebrity Jewels for more affinity, I'm currently sporting these skills:

Abnormal Sts Atk Up
Reckless Abandon +2
Reload Speed+1

....which puts my affinity at 70% in using the Hidden Bow. I'm ok with the affinity of the Narga bow alone, at the prospect of some different skills.

I'm contemplating on going with a Narga set, yet still retain my Chaoshroom. (gem in the missing parts with those slots.)
I could pull off making the Narga armors - the "ingredients" for the Evade Dist. gems look a bit difficult to obtain.
Do you guys think is worth it? These are the skills I would be going for...

Abnormal Sts Atk Up
Constitution +2
Evade Distance Up

....I've found it a little difficult to still have my bow out to do damage without eating raging Tigrex or blos charges. ....I figure the evade distance up skill would take care of that.

[Kethezara]

You can always have more than one set instead of just completely switching to another,
Use for different situations and bows.

[Hguols]

Kethezara, on 12 September 2010 - 03:32 PM, said:

You can always have more than one set instead of just completely switching to another,
Use for different situations and bows.

._. Yes I know.

I was simply probing for feedback between those skill sets - to see if someone had a standing opinion on either one.

....I wasn't really fishing for apathy.

....not that you don't care. I'm sure you do.

[Kethezara]

If playing multiplayer that set would work well with the status's.
Solo I would go for a set with Pierce Up instead of the Status.

But for what you are looking for the set would work if having trouble with evading.

[Gary]

if you are using a bow or HBG, always make sure you have extra time to evade an attack (like stop attacking before the monster completely turns to face you and charge). i'd say the naruga set would be fine to switch to for now, but dont get too used to the evade dist up, use it as help for now

if you are going to use the naruga bow, get a set that gives PierceS Up. you will be doing more damage with that than the extra status infliction with Abn Status Up.

if you want an all around good set for High Rank, look into Rath Soul U

[Hguols]

I know you guys are mentioning pierce up, but I can't find a set I could just go out and get that has this, unless I want a useless skill with it. (pierce add)

Rath Soul U has good skills, but if I had to choose between Ear Plugs and Reload speed, I'd rather go with reload speed.... and stick with the Ceanataur U.

Why would getting used to Evade Dist. be a bad thing?
My other game using only great swords, I got used to focus - and thrived with it.

[Kethezara]

Silver Sol has pierce up, and Attack up small.
Also 10 open slots you can gem a skill with.

Don't think that is all that useless.

This post has been edited by Kethezara: 12 September 2010 - 11:42 PM