Easy Button

How to use SMN Burn tactics to cheese lowman your way through Aeonics and get mad lootz.

Note: The methods employed remove 99% of the challenge/fun of endgame, but can provide a path for a group of friends a pathway to non-SMN Burn endgame activities.

This guide is currently under heavy and slow construction!!

HP Scaling

Each HELM NM will get ~200k more HP per person you add. So your SMNs will have to carry that much more damage for any leeches added on. If you are a SMN who can't crack 200k, you won't "carry yourself". If you can do 400k, you are much more useful to the run as you can carry yourself and a leech (or if you want, you can say you are carrying the GEO/RUN!)

Here's a table I've built in the past tracking HP, your final HP counts may vary from mine based on final damage done over the limit/math errors.

You can see that while the HP amounts are near the same, the amount of Volt Strikes to take them down changes- such as Schah having very high defense. If you can squeeze in 42 VS in the time needed for Schah, go ahead. But 14 VS within an AFAC window is not something a fresh player will do- we usually see them get 8-10 off due to timing.

If you are extremely excellent with your timing, you can get ~17-18 AFAC VS in, and roll into Apogee for 2 more (depending on your timing, you may have to wait for the BP timer). Try to aim to win within 14VS for smoothest runs.

You can extrapolate for your own need needs based on your party size.

NM	# of Characters	Total HP	# of SMNs	SMN Damage Required	# of VS/FC Need
Maju	6	700k	2	350k	11
Neak	6	520k	2	260k	9
Yakshi	6	550k	2	275k	11
Teles	6	1.2M	3	400k	22
Erinys	6	1.2M	3	400k	29
Schah	6	1.2M	3	410k	42
Vinipata	6	1.1M	3	365k	21
Zerde	6	1.1M	2	570k	12
Albumen	12	2.4M	6	400k

RUN

YOU DON'T NEED AN EPEO BUT DON'T YOU WANT ONE?

The RUN has a fairly easy if not extremely important job: hold the NM until the GEO gets done with Bolster and the SMNs get AF+Assault prepped before launching into Astral Conduit.

What can you do to better prep:

• Get to that -50DT threshold for tanking, max that HP too.
• Pre-fight buffs, like Phalanx and food.
• Max out enmity and get as much hate as possible ASAP.
• Use Odyllic Subterfuge to prevent nasty effects impacting the avatars
• Use Elemental Sforzo to protect yourself from magic.
• Don't Die. Use Battuta and keep Albumen block-locked
• I dunno, use a TP wing Armor Break if you get cocky at the start

GEO

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN IDRIS, BUT OH LAWDY IT MAKES THINGS EASIER

Seriously, start your coalitions now. In six months, you'll be so happy you did.

And if you aren't a GEO/RUN, you still would be- it's done forever, and you are closer to the +1 SoA rings/Ygnas trust.

Note that the JSE Neck +1/2 can be bought and used in the interim and resold if you never start the augmenting process!

And all the above is because the GEO's job is simple- drop the NM's defense and evasion. Here's how things line up:

Bolster	Effect	900 Skill Only	Dunna	JSE +1	JSE +2	Idris
Geo-Frailty	DEF	-29.6%	-56.6%	-62.0%	-67.4%	-83.6%
Indi-Torpor	Evasion	-100	-150	-160	-170	-200
Indi-Malaise	Magic Defense	-30	-60	-66	-72	-90

The boost to Frailty is just catastrophic for NMs and is why an Idris puts you into a different tier vs. Nirvana or Regal/Rostam.

However, you can make up the ground between Dunna +5 and Idris +10, it just is more complexity.

That being said, here are other things a GEO can also do to assist an AFAC run:

1. Dia II will drop defense by 15.23%, and a COR's Light Shot can increase that to 17.96%
2. Impact will drop NM stats by 20% - this would include VIT (Defense)
3. Provide backup healing once spells are done

You may not feel comfortable being up close and personal with the NM and choose to stay in the backrow. Entrusting an Indi spell can work, but you lose your Geomancy+ bonus, which for something like Torpor would be 50 evasion from 900 Skill only vs. Dunna

TBD fast cast, impact, healing sets

COR

DO NOT LET SOMEONE TELL YOU A REGAL NECKLACE IS NEEDED TO DO AFAC

A Rostam/Regal Necklace is extremely helpful for COR, but the difference between a Barataria Ring and Regal neck/Rostam for Beast Roll is ~6/9%

The COR has a simple job- buff the SMNs.

As such, get to know Phantom Roll page fairly well.

Usually, you will be Crooked rolling Beast (Pet Attack) and Drachen (Pet Accuary). You will sometimes require Puppet (Pet Magic Accuracy/Magic Attack) for Flaming Crush.

An important FYI: Trusts count for Job bonuses, and the boost does not disappear if you dismiss. You do not need to hope for a lucky proc on Relic head.

A free forced almost 10% bonus? Yes, Please.

Beast Roll can be proc'ed by Ark Angel MR

Drachen Roll can be proc'ed by Ark Angel GK

Puppet Roll... don't think has a Trust that can proc it. I tested Nashmeira I/II with Diabolos Nether Blast, and it showed no change at all from the static damage. More testing needed to confirm...

Forcing the job boost is something very easy to do to lift a +5 roll COR into a higher tier (in fact, forcing the job boost 9.76% is higher than the extra 9.36% you would receive upgrading Barataria Ring to Rostam).

After 20,000 Escha kills you can buy Super Revitalizers. As such, you could, if you wished, lock in a Crooked XI roll or two.

Now, the concept of a "Drop COR" is designed to keep Aeonic NM HP as low as possible by rolling and then dropping out of party. A good enough party can carry a COR, but here are a few ways the COR can add value to the run:

1. Light Shot after Dia II
2. Backup, or primary, healing via /WHM or /RDM
3. Random Deal to restore Apogee/Convert/BP
4. Wild Card to potentially hit VI and restore SP1/SP2 for a second AFAC (it happens- saved a WoC run for me once!)
5. Rolling on COR and then switching to a job that does not require rolls (such as WHM, GEO, RUN, etc.)

The last option, switching jobs, would be made a lot easier if your COR has max roll duration. This can provide 9-10 minute rolls, providing a 3-4 minute window to warp out, swap jobs, and come back and still be good to go for AFAC. I'd recommend against this unless you HAVE to.

TBD gear for above

SMN

DO NOT LET SOMEONE TELL YOU A NIRVANA IS NEEDED TO DO AFAC

Properly geared and experienced, a non-Nirvana SMN can reach Nirvana level damage - enough to win Aeonic fights.

This isn't to say a Nirvana isn't helpful, but it isn't something that should be required!

Also, SMN JSE+2 is also not required.

What IS required, is to be a Master SMN, or at least 1200+JP in to max AFAC damage.

Ramuh

The following set is my recommended Volt Strike set, no need for Nirvana, JSE+2 Neck, or Cait Sith gear.

Volt Strike     HELM Max Damage

Gridarvor Elan Strap +1 Sancus Sachet +1 Apogee Crown +1 Path B: MP+80 Pet: Attack+35 "Blood Pact" damage +8 Con. Doublet +3 Merlinic Dastanas BPD+9~10 & Pet: Attack/STR Apogee Slacks +1 Path D: Pet: STR+20 Pet: "Double Attack"+4% "Blood Pact" damage +14 Convo. Pigaches +3 Shulmanu Collar Gelos Earring Lugalbanda Earring Varar Ring +1 Varar Ring +1 Incarnation Sash Campestres's Cape Pet: Acc./Atk +20, Pet: Acc.+10, Pet: Regen+10

Ifrit

The following set is my recommended Flaming Crush set, no need for Nirvana or JSE+2 Neck.

To be honest, if you are only targeting Zerde, you can re-use your VS Head/Hands/Feet. Do remember you can quickly and cheaply change your Apogee Augment if you wanted to move your Head to path A.

In an example Zerde run, the below set averaged 90k FC vs. a JSE+2 Neck/Crown/Magic Hands/Apogee Feet +1 at 99k FC

Flaming Crush     Zerde FC

Grioavolr BPD+9~10, Pet: MAB 20+, Pet: MAcc 20+ Elan Strap +1 Sancus Sachet +1 C. Palug Crown Con. Doublet +3 Merlinic Dastanas BPD+9~10, Pet: MAB, Pet: Attack/STR Apogee Slacks +1 Path D: Pet: STR+20 Pet: "Double Attack"+4% "Blood Pact" damage +14 Apogee Pumps +1 Path A: MP+80 Pet: "Mag. Atk. Bns."+35 "Blood Pact" damage +8 Adad Amulet Gelos Earring Lugalbanda Earring Varar Ring +1 Varar Ring +1 Regal Belt Campestres's Cape Pet: Acc./Atk +20, Pet: Acc.+10, Pet: Regen+10

Boosting your Attack and Accuracy

SMNs can check their base attack/accuracy using /checkparam Ramuh (when their avatar is selected).

In Escha/Reisen, the formula for stats is approximately:

Attack: =(Base Attack *(1+(Roll Boost + Gear Modifiers + Job Modifiers)* Crooked Cards +(Vorseal Attack Value * Fortitude Blessing))+(Vorseal STR Value*Fortitude Blessing*0.56)) + Food Attack Boost + Food Attack via STR Boost

So let's take a SMN at 1238 attack outside Escha/Reisen. The maximum boost to attack would be:

=(1238 Base Attack *(1+(31.25% XI Roll + 24.96% Rostam +8 Gear Modifiers + 9.76% Job (AAMR/BST) Modifiers)* 1.2 20% boost via Crooked Cards +(11% Vorseal Attack Value * 2x Fortitude Blessing))+(33 11/11 Vorseal STR Value * 2x Fortitude Blessing*0.56)) + 80 Grape Daifuku +1 Food Attack Boost + 1 (or 2) Grape Daifuku +1 Food Attack via STR Boost

That'd end up with ~2608 attack!

Obviously, you may not have the gear/vorseals/food to go this way. Personally, I usually do AFAC with 9/11 Vorseals, job boost, NQ food, and Crooked Lucky (IV vs. XI) roll. So, most of my 6 man attempts are at a more reasonable 2455 attack, or 2309 attack without the job boost.

Scenario	Base Attack	Roll Value	Roll Boost	Job Boost	Gear Modifier	Vorseal STR	Vorseal Attack	Fortitude Bonus	Crooked Cards	Food Attack	Food Attack via STR	Final
Lowman Goal	1238	4	25%	9.76%	24.96%	27	9%	2x	1.2x	75	1	2455
Alliance Goal	1238	4	25%	0%	24.96%	27	9%	2x	1.2x	75	1	2309
Dream	1238	11	31.25%	9.76%	24.96%	33	11%	2x	1.2x	80	2	2608

Accuracy: =(Base Accuracy *(1+(Roll Boost + Gear Modifiers + Job Modifiers)* Crooked Cards +(Vorseal Accuracy Value * Fortitude Blessing)) + (Vorseal Accuracy++ Value * Fortitude Blessing))+(Vorseal DEX Value*Fortitude Blessing*0.56)) + Food Accuracy Boost

Scenario	Base Accuracy	Roll Value	Roll Boost	Job Boost	Gear Modifier	Vorseal DEX	Vorseal Accuracy	Vorseal Accuracy++	Fortitude Bonus	Crooked Cards	Food Accuracy	Final
Lowman Goal		4	40	15	40	27	22	40	2x	1.2x	105
Alliance Goal		4	40	0	40	27	22	40	2x	1.2x	105
Dream		11	50	15	40	33	22	55	2x	1.2x	110

If you are using AFAC strats outside of Escha/Reisen (say the 135 Unity NMs), drop off the Vorseal section of the equation. Also, in case you were wondering, Cheer effects from Monster Rearing do not provide the bonus to avatars like Vorseals do.

BRD

Bards can be used to assist HELMs in the following ways:

Vinipata/Albumen

Sleep the adds. Soul Voice + Nitro (Elemental Seal if you have to).

Zerde

Soul Voice + Nitro Fire Threnody II Zerde, could also be the pop Stun if /BLM and Elemental Seal (and your Magic Accuracy set is very good)

You'd be best off following Funkworkz's guide here for Lullaby/Threnody MAcc sets.