Community Monk Guide

General Information

Roles

Monk in current content plays as a heavy dd most of the time, that said there are plenty of opportunities to become a tank for lowman in the right circumstances. Having an easy way to cap subtle blow, monk is desirable for certain fights to limit TP generation of the enemy to prevent annoying or dangeorous tp moves from going off. As an example there's been multiple instances of omen bosses being tanked/soloed by monks and in more recent content such as Odyssey Gaol monk can be seen tanking in certain occasions. With the help of mantra monk is also a great addition to help the survivability of a party when high HP is needed.

Abilities and Traits

• Hundred Fists Speeds up Attacks.
  • Hesy. Hose +4 Increases duration by 15 seconds.

• Boost Enhances the power of your next attack.
  • Should be macro'd with Ask Sash to generate TP prior to fights. Monk's mini Meditate.

• Dodge Enhances evasion and guard rate.
  • Anch. Gaiters +4 Dodge grants 19 Evasion if worn for activation.

• Focus Enhances accuracy.
  • Anchor. Crown +4 Focus grants an additional 21 accuracy and ranged accuracy if worn for activation.

• Chakra Cures certain status effects and restores a small amount of HP to user.
  • Anch. Cyclas +4 Increases M by 0.66 and allows Chakra to remove paralysis.
  • Hesy. Gloves +4 Increases M by 0.51 and allows Chakra to remove disease and plague.

• Chi Blast Releases chi to attack an enemy.
  • Hes. Crown +4 Augmented with Adds "Enhances 'Penance' effect". Enhances Penance by increasing Inhibit TP effect by 2% per merit level.

• Counterstance Increases chance to counter but lowers defense.
  • Hesy. Gaiters +4 Increases Counter rate during Counterstance by 21% if worn during activation.

• Footwork Increases Kick Attacks rate by 20% and boost kick damage by +20 DMG. Also effects Dragon Kick and Tornado Kick, which use kick base damage when Footwork is active.
  • Shukuyu Sune-Ate Increases Footwork's Attack modifier by 15% if worn during JA activation.
  • Bhikku Gaiters +3 Increases Footwork's Attack modifier by 16% if worn during JA activation.

• Mantra Increases the max HP of party members within area of effect.
  • Hesy. Gaiters +4 Increases HP by another 2% per merit level.

• Formless Strikes While in effect, melee attacks will not be considered physical damage. No effect on weapon skills.
  • Hesy. Cyclas +4 Increases duration by 6 seconds per merit level.

• Perfect Counter Allows you to counter the next attack directed at you.
  • Bhikku Crown +3 Increases the counter Base Damage by 35.

• Inner Strength Increases maximum HP and gives a 100% Counter and Guard rate.
  • Doubles maximum HP for its duration.

Martial Arts

The optimal amount of Martial Arts from equipment varies with your equipped weapon's dealay. For a mastered MNK (1200 JP is the last of the Martial Arts gift bonuses) with both Magic Haste and Gear Haste capped:

Weapon	Martial Arts Needed
Spharai	4.56
Glanzfaust	8.16
Verethragna	-8.04
Godhands	12.48
Sagitta	6.36
Varga Purnikawa	4.56

Additional Martial Arts will actually decrease your TP gain. For more information, see the Attack Speed page that was also linked above this table.

Merits

Merit Points
Name	Description	Level	Notes
Group 1
Focus Recast	Shorten recast time by 4 seconds.	0/5	Not worth it.
Dodge Recast	Shorten recast time by 4 seconds.	0/5	Not worth it.
Chakra Recast	Shorten recast time by 6 seconds.	0/5	Sadly no.
Counter Rate	Increase counter attack rate by 1 percent.	5/5	Increases your counter rate when a mob is attacking you. This increases your survivability and damage output.
Kick Attacks Rate	Increase kick attack rate by 1 percent.	5/5	More kick attacks = more damage.
Group 2
Mantra	Increase the max. HP of party members within area of effect. Recast: 10min Increase effect by 4 percent.	4/5~5/5	Stacked with Hes. Gaiters which increases the amount by 2% per merit level, this can gain the party quite a bit of HP for 3 minutes. Very usefully when surviving burst damage. Note: This does override a DRK's drain effect.
Formless Strikes	While in effect, melee attacks will not be considered physical damage. No effect on weapon skills. Recast: 10min. Increase effect by 5 percent.	0/5~1/5	Has niche uses on things like Delve bosses and Caturae that gain resistance to specific damage types. Also hits through Invincible.
Invigorate	Adds a Regen effect when using Chakra. Increase duration of effect by 24 seconds.	0/5	Used to be good, but with the addition of Trust and idle regen pieces, there is really no need for it.
Penance	Adds an effect to Chi Blast that inhibits an enemy's TP accumulation. Increase duration of effect by 20 seconds.	5/5	This, plus the Plague from Shijin Spiral, can almost entirely prevent a mob from gaining TP for about 90 seconds. Use Hes. Crown +4 to increase the effect.

Support Jobs

Dragoon Highest DMG output subjob due to Dragoon's unique WS Damage Boost trait - unlike normal +WS Damage from items, it works on all hits of all weaponskills. Also, Super Jump and High Jump are great enmity management tools for long fights.   Warrior Next best after DRG. 12% DA and Berserk (and even Warcry) are decent boosts.   Dancer More of a utility-focused subjob. Has Waltzes and Sambas for self sustain and light party buffing, plus Spectral Jig and Chocobo Jig for traveling around.   Rune Fencer Useful for strange cases where you're solo and need extra elemental magic defense, like fighting Lilith in the Maiden of the Dusk HTMB.

Prioritizing Equipment

Job Specific Equipment
Item	Upgrade?	Notes
Anchor. Crown +4	Maybe	Macro piece and high acc. Grants an addition +21 accuracy during the 30 second duration of Focus
Anch. Cyclas +4	Yes, +2 is fine	Macro piece and high acc. Increase the potency of Chakra and allows the remove of paralysis. Paired with the Relic gloves +3, the +2 body should be enough to cap your HP.
Anch. Gloves +4	Maybe	Consider only making these if you do not have access to Path B Nyame and are using Spharai/Varga Purnikawa.
Anch. Hose +4	Maybe	Macro piece and high acc. Useful in a very niche counter build.
Anch. Gaiters +4	Yes	Used when Footwork is up for both TP and WS. Also an option for glass-cannon TPing (when -DT% and Subtle Blow don't matter) even without Footwork - a geared MNK gets 94% Kick Attacks rate with these even without Footwork up.
Hes. Crown +4 Enhances "Penance" effect	No	Macro piece. NQ is fine for the Penance effect, or go to +1 to be i119 if you worry about a momentary drop in your survivability. At +4, has WSD but no defensive stats, so only valuable for single-hit weaponskills. Only go that far if you're using Spharai.
Hesy. Cyclas +4 Enhances "Formless Strikes" effect	No	Macro piece. NQ is fine for the Formless Strikes effect, or go to +1 to be i119 if you worry about a momentary drop in your survivability. With that said, typically only one point is put into Formless Strikes. It is up to you to decide if an extra 6 seconds of the effect is worth the inventory slot.
Hesy. Gloves +4 Enhances "Invigorate" effect	Yes	Macro piece. Increase the potency of Chakra and makes it also remove Disease and Plague. Each reforge increases Chakra potency further.
Hesy. Hose +4 Enhances "Hundred Fists" effect	Maybe	A good TP piece until Bhikku Hose +3. After that, just a macro piece for Hundred Fists that doesn't need reforging beyond that.
Hesy. Gaiters +4 Enhances "Mantra" effect	Maybe	Macro piece for Mantra and Counterstance, increasing the counter rate with every reforge.
Bhikku Crown +3	Yes	Macro piece for Perfect Counter and a solid DT piece with Subtle Blow. Useful in Hybrid TP sets.
Bhikku Cyclas +3	Must	Best TP piece when Impetus is up.
Bhikku Gloves +3	Yes	Solid PDL piece for when you are attack capped.
Bhikku Hose +3	Must	Best TP piece, period. Kick Attacks +30, Store TP +10 and Damage Taken -14%.
Bhikku Gaiters +3	Yes	Solid DT piece and a mandatory macro Footwork piece.

Idle Sets

Idle Regen/DT/Regain Staunch Tathlum +1 Null Masque Hiza. Haramaki +2 Rao Kote +1 Rao Haidate +1 Rao Sune-Ate +1 Bathy Choker +1 Infused Earring Dawn Earring Chirich Ring +1 Karieyh Ring +1 Null Belt Moonlight Cape Notes: For when strictly out of combat. This is just maximizing idle Regen and Regain, and you want 50% DT before experimenting with these pieces. See also Roller's Ring, if you're doing Aminon things in a full arty. Idle incapacitated Staunch Tathlum +1 Nyame Helm Nyame Mail Nyame Gauntlets Nyame Flanchard Nyame Sollerets Warder's Charm +1 Odnowa Earring +1 Tuisto Earring Defending Ring Gelatinous Ring +1 Engraved Belt Moonlight Cape Notes: When you get stunned/slept/etc. in combat, go full tank!

TP sets

These are example sets. For older or less challenging content, you can get away with being more of a "glass cannon". For more recent content like Odyssey or Sortie, you likely want to hit 50% DT even while engaged, and also consider your Subtle Blow.

The first few sets are intended for relatively new players:

• Do some Ambuscade, then either do Yorcia Alluvion Skirmish or get your Mellidopt Wings from some Adventurer Campaign. Either way, augment the Taeon Attire Set at Divainy-Gamainy once you have it.
• After that, some general paths to pursue:
  • Begin to reforge your AF, Relic, and Empyrean Armor via Omen, Dynamis - Divergence, and Sortie.
  • Start farming your Malignance Attire Set, some easier accessories like Petrov Ring, and save up gil to buy a Moonbow Belt +1.
  • Work on Odyssey to unlock and eventually augment Mpaca's Attire Set and the Schere Earring.
  • Do a lot of Limbus if you're truly dedicated to Monk and interesting in augmenting the Duty Armor Set

Once that's all done, you'll likely know where you want to go next. (This is when you start looking into RP farming for Mpaca's Attire Set / Duty Armor Set / Schere Earring and doing Subtle Blow math.)

New to 99 TP Set Pre-1200 JP     (MA capped with Mache NQ.) Kaja Knuckles Ginsen Taeon Chapeau Attack/Accuracy +20, Triple Attack +2%, STR/DEX +7 Taeon Tabard Mummu Wrists +2 Taeon Tights Taeon Boots Asperity Necklace Brutal Earring Mache Earring Rajas Ring Epona's Ring Cetl Belt Segomo's Mantle DEX +30, Attack/Accuracy +20, Double Attack +10%, Physical Damage Taken -10% Notes: You can upgrade to Karambit when you have a spare Pulse Weapon, but you'll hopefully move on to Godhands relatively soon afterwards. This set is fragile. Consider RSE +1 if you're worried about the damage you're taking, and a good next step is to enter Limbus for Murky Ring and Alabaster Earring if you are still sweating it. The combined Attack/Accuracy augments can be difficult to roll on Divainy-Gamainy (consider taking just 25 Accuracy or 25 Attack instead), and same with the STR/DEX augment (consider taking just DEX instead.) At 1200 JP, you will be over cap on Martial Arts while wearing Mache Earring. Move on to Cessance Earring if this occurs. As a Monk, if you sub White Mage it's very easy for you to Rani for Epona's Ring. Midrange Player TP Set Martial Arts capped   Godhands Coiste Bodhar Malignance Chapeau Malignance Tabard Malignance Gloves Bhikku Hose +1 Malignance Boots Asperity Necklace Cessance Earring Mache Earring +1 Petrov Ring Epona's Ring Moonbow Belt Segomo's Mantle DEX +30, Attack/Accuracy +20, Double Attack +10%, Physical Damage Taken -10% Notes: If no Godhands, then Karambit. and you won't need the Mache Earring +1, so go with your old Brutal Earring for now. All the gil you can spare should go to buying the Moonbow Belt - and when you can spare more, resell the NQ and buy a +1 and you'll never need to worry about your waist slot again. You can swap in the entire Malignance Attire Set if you prefer the survivability. Even a R0 Coiste Bodhar is fine and can be attained solo with Trusts. Consider a NQ or +1 Monk's Nodowa - the augments give a lot of Kick Attacks even if you can't afford the +2 right now. Established Player TP Set Weapon Selected Randomly     Subtle Blow capped (50+25) Godhands Coiste Bodhar Bhikku Crown +3 Mpaca's Doublet Malignance Gloves Bhikku Hose +3 Anch. Gaiters +4 Mnk. Nodowa +2 Sherida Earring Schere Earring Niqmaddu Ring Gere Ring Moonbow Belt +1 Segomo's Mantle DEX +30, Attack/Accuracy +20, Double Attack +10%, Physical Damage Taken -10% Notes: This set is PDT capped with Mpaca's Doublet on, but you should use Bhikku Cyclas +3 when Impetus is up for greater damage. This set is not MDT capped (only -36%) without Shell V. However, it is capped with Shell V. When using Godhands or other high delay weapons, Mache Earring +1 is the best way to cap Martial Arts. Ilabrat Ring is okay until Gere Ring. Augmented Duty Armor TP Assumes R30     51 PDT, 41 MDT Godhands Coiste Bodhar Duty Crown R30 Duty Cyclas R30 Duty Gauntlets R30 Bhikku Hose +3 Duty Sollerets R30 Mnk. Nodowa +2 Sherida Earring Schere Earring Gere Ring Niqmaddu Ring Moonbow Belt +1 Segomo's Mantle DEX +30, Attack/Accuracy +20, Double Attack +10%, Physical Damage Taken -10% Notes: 51 PDT (capped), 41 MDT (capped with Shell V), 50+25 SB (capped) Continue to swap in Anch. Gaiters +4 for Footwork and Bhikku Cyclas +3 for Impetus, if you can survive. Mache Earring +1 is still the best way to cap Martial Arts. You can remove Schere Earring without losing SB cap.

Weaponskill Sets

A few things to keep in mind for WS sets:

• For most Hand-to-Hand weaponskills, Weapon Skill Damage is a lousy stat, since it only applies to the first hit of a weaponskill. Double Attack (also Triple and Quadruple Attack) are far better.
  • Final Heaven is single-hit. If you're rocking the Spharai, WSD is just fine.
    • There's a cap of 8 hits on any WS, but this rarely comes up because Asuran Fists is the only native 8-hitter and it's way worse than it was 20 years ago. Maybe at the very high end ditch some Triple Attack for Physical Damage Limit gear instead.
• For weaponskills with additional effects, Magic Accuracy governs landing it. While the Stun from Shoulder Tackle is not used in modern strats, the Plague from Shijin Spiral and the Defense Down from Shell Crusher are both important enough to at least consider your MAcc stat.
• There's the All_Jobs_Gear_Sets/Monk page with mathematically calculated top-tier sets (including the Duty Armor Set) for every single WS, so I won't be duplicating that redundant information here.
  • This means that the below sets are intended largely for new players.

The Taeon Attire Set is a brand-new player's best friend again - and with the same augments and everything since MNK doesn't care about WSD!

New Player Generic Set If WS Stat isn't STR     Change Accessories Appropriately Kaja Knuckles Thew Bomblet Taeon Chapeau Attack/Accuracy +20, Triple Attack +2%, STR/DEX +7 Taeon Tabard Taeon Gloves Attack/Accuracy +20, Triple Attack +2%, STR/DEX +7 Taeon Tights Taeon Boots Fotia Gorget Brutal Earring Moonshade Earring Rajas Ring Gaiardas Ring Fotia Belt Segomo's Mantle STR +30, Attack/Accuracy +20, Double Attack +10%, Physical Damage Taken -10% Notes: Oshasha's Treatise, while lousy, is also free from The Voracious Resurgence Mission 9-2 if you truly have nothing better. Until you make the full Fotia Gorget and Fotia Belt, concentrate on farming the relevant Gorget/Belt for your WS. For example, for Victory Smite, grab wind or lightning - Breeze Gorget and Thunder Belt will do. Okay, you can't get the Moonshade Earring right away, but it's still priority #1. Shell Crusher Relatively Early 99     (Not BiS) Kaja Staff Flanged Grip Hydrocera Azimuth Turban CS Tunic +1 CSM Gloves +1 CS Slacks +1 CSM Boots +1 Sanctity Necklace Alabaster Earring Enchntr. Earring Mummu Ring Metamor. Ring +1 Acuity Belt +1 Magic Accuracy +15 Segomo's Mantle 30 INT, 20 Magic Accuracy/Magic Damage, 10 WSD, -10% PDT Notes: RSE +1 (Hume M version used, visit that page to learn more) has 40 Magic Accuracy per piece and is totally fine rather than bothering with anything dedicated. You can replace it with Bhikku Attire Set +2 or better or Mpaca's Armor Set as a stopgap, which also has 40 MAcc but more raw stats. Other good MAcc options specifically include Null Loop and Null Shawl and Stikini Ring +1, but if you're not playing mage jobs, don't go overboard.

Other Miscellaneous Sets

Capped Counter and DT Crepuscular Pebble Bhikku Crown +3 Mpaca's Doublet Rao Kote +1 Anch. Hose +4 Bhikku Gaiters +3 Bathy Choker +1 Evasion +15, "Counter" +10 Cryptic Earring Bhikku Earring +2 Defending Ring Niqmaddu Ring Moonbow Belt +1 Segomo's Mantle Counter +10 Notes: 53% Counter Rate and 50% DT. With mastered Job Points, Monk only needs 53% counter (58% without counter merits) to hit cap. Counter Options Spharai (Level 119 III) Amar Cluster Rao Kabuto +1 Path D Mpaca's Doublet Rao Kote +1 Anch. Hose +4 Malignance Boots Bathy Choker +1 Evasion +15, "Counter" +10 Cryptic Earring Bhikku Earring +2 Defending Ring Niqmaddu Ring Moonbow Belt +1 Segomo's Mantle Counter Notes: 73% Counter and 30%PDT/20%DT. With mastered Job Points, Monk only needs 53% counter (58% without counter merits) to hit cap. Counterstance Staunch Tathlum +1 Bhikku Crown +3 Mpaca's Doublet Malignance Gloves Anch. Hose +4 Hesy. Gaiters +4 Loricate Torque +1 Sherida Earring Telos Earring Defending Ring Niqmaddu Ring Moonbow Belt +1 Segomo's Mantle DT DT Staunch Tathlum +1 Malignance Chapeau Malignance Tabard Malignance Gloves Malignance Tights Malignance Boots Mnk. Nodowa +2 Sherida Earring Telos Earring Gere Ring Niqmaddu Ring Moonbow Belt +1 Segomo's Mantle PDT Chakra Aurgelmir Orb +1 Null Masque Anch. Cyclas +4 Hesy. Gloves +4 Tatena. Haidate +1 Path A Bhikku Gaiters +3 Path A Unmoving Collar +1 Handler's Earring +1 Tuisto Earring Niqmaddu Ring Gelatinous Ring +1 Latria Sash Segomo's Mantle VIT Fast Cast Sapience Orb Herculean Helm Fast Cast 5 Adhemar Jacket +1 Path D Leyline Gloves Herculean Trousers Fast Cast 5 Herculean Boots Fast Cast 5 Orunmila's Torque Enchntr. Earring +1 Loquac. Earring Prolix Ring Rahab Ring Black Belt Segomo's Mantle 10 Fast Cast