**Reaper Stat Priority in FFXIV: A Guide to Maximizing Your DPS**
If you’ve ventured into the mysterious and scythe-wielding world of the Reaper in *Final Fantasy XIV*, then you know that while this job may seem all about style and flair, there’s a good amount of math and number-crunching behind the scenes. Much like a scythe through the battlefield, getting your stats right is crucial to optimizing your performance as this edgy harbinger of doom. But here’s the thing—understanding what stats to prioritize can sometimes feel like trying to decipher an ancient text in a dark crypt.
Fear not, dear Reapers! In this guide, we’ll break down the Reaper stat priority in FFXIV, making sure your scythe isn’t just for show and is cutting through enemies like butter.
The Reaper’s Stats: What Do They All Mean?
First things first: let’s get familiar with the main stats that impact your Reaper’s performance. At a glance, this might look like a long list of numbers, but don’t worry, we’ll break it down. For Reapers, the following stats play the biggest roles in your DPS:
– **Critical Hit (Crit)**: The chance for your attacks to land with extra damage. This is one of the most important stats for maximizing your overall damage.
– **Direct Hit (DH)**: When your attacks score a direct hit, they do more damage than usual. Direct Hit can often compete with Crit as one of your go-to stats for high damage output.
– **Determination (Det)**: The flat increase to your damage dealt. It’s consistent but typically ranks below Crit and DH for Reapers.
– **Speed (SkS)**: This stat decreases the global cooldown (GCD), allowing you to dish out attacks more frequently. While tempting, this one can sometimes be a trap for Reapers who may end up overcapping it.
– **Piety**: Not exactly a stat that you’ll focus on unless you’re building a healer Reaper (don’t do that—just don’t).
Knowing how these stats work together is key to building an effective Reaper. But how do you figure out which to prioritize?
Reaper Stat Priority: The Big Question
If you’ve read some guides, you might have come across conflicting advice. Some say Crit is the way to go, while others swear by Direct Hit. So which is the true path to mastery?
**Spoiler Alert**: The answer isn’t quite as clear-cut as we’d like it to be, but we’ve got you covered with a detailed breakdown. Based on most Reaper theorycrafting and community feedback, here’s the stat priority in general:
1. **Critical Hit (Crit)**: Reaper’s toolkit thrives on landing high-rolling crits, especially when combining it with your main abilities like “Harvest Moon” or “Silent Reaper.” Crit increases the chances for your big hits to land harder, and let’s face it, nothing feels better than watching your scythe slice through an enemy for a massive crit.
2. **Direct Hit (DH)**: Direct Hit follows closely behind Crit in terms of priority. It increases the consistency of your damage by making every hit more impactful. For a Reaper who likes to play fast and loose with abilities, this stat really helps keep up the damage flow.
3. **Determination (Det)**: Determination is great for Reapers who want reliable, steady damage over time, though it generally takes a backseat to Crit and DH for maximizing burst damage. Still, it’s definitely not something you want to ignore entirely.
4. **Skill Speed (SkS)**: Some Reapers may fall into the trap of prioritizing Skill Speed to reduce their GCD, thinking that more attacks mean more damage. While this can be true to a degree, too much SkS can lead to diminishing returns and a reduced ability to keep your damage uptime high. It’s important to be cautious with this stat and not overstack it.
How This Plays Out in Actual Combat
Alright, so let’s get into the nitty-gritty: What does this look like in a typical Reaper rotation during a raid or dungeon?
– **Opening Up**: You’re starting with your big cooldowns, and you want your Crit stat to ensure that your burst hits with devastating force. Direct Hit is a close second, pushing that consistent high damage forward.
– **Sustaining DPS**: Once you’re in the thick of battle, your Determination will keep your damage steady, while the Crit and Direct Hit will still do the heavy lifting for any big abilities you’re casting.
– **Skill Speed Considerations**: If you’ve been tempted by the GCD reduction, you might notice that too much Skill Speed can mess with the flow of your abilities—timing is everything when you’re in Reaper mode. A well-timed ability combo can be ruined by an overcapped GCD!
Player Feedback: What Are Reapers Saying?
From the FFXIV community, the feedback on stat priorities can vary, but most players seem to agree that Crit and DH are your bread and butter. Some players in the Reaper discord channels have reported that stacking a little more Determination than they originally thought has led to more consistent results in both raid and high-level content.
“Honestly, I didn’t think Crit would make that much of a difference until I hit those 80-90% crit chances in Savage Raids,” one player remarked. “Suddenly, my DPS was shooting through the roof. Direct Hit definitely helps too, but Crit feels like the real magic.”
However, a few seasoned Reapers have warned against overloading on Skill Speed. “I went full SkS once and felt like I was pressing buttons faster than I could keep track of what I was doing—definitely not the way to go.”
Wrapping It Up: What’s the Final Verdict?
So, what can we conclude from all this? When it comes to Reaper stat priority in *FFXIV*, **Crit** should generally be your top priority, followed by **Direct Hit**, then **Determination**. **Skill Speed**, while it can help in moderation, should be approached with caution.
**Bonus Tip**: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different stat setups based on your personal playstyle. A little trial and error might reveal the sweet spot for your Reaper build, especially if you’re trying to fine-tune your DPS in specific content.
Your Turn: How Do You Build Your Reaper?
Now, we want to hear from you! Have you had any success with a particular stat setup for your Reaper? Maybe you’ve had some crazy DPS spikes or surprising setbacks. Whatever your experience, drop a comment below and let us know how you approach the Reaper stat priority!
**Summing It Up**: Crit > Direct Hit > Determination > Skill Speed. Get those right, and your Reaper will be a force to reckon with on the battlefield!
