Melee FOnewmn = suicide? Can it be done?

[chibiLegolas]

I've played a FOmar for so long back in PSO days mainly because he's really cute (looks are really important to me for long hrs of play. And this time around, it's the FOnewm I find really cute.) and fits my playstyle of a versatile battle mage. Plus I've always have loved how slicers worked. Now seeing how slicers made a come back here in PSZ, I wish to take over my husband's FOnewmn character (a straight MST FO) and use him as a melee FO.
And as crazy as it sounds, did anyone attempt to make a melee Fonewmn and succeeded?
Is the damage worth it? I can only imagine dealing out pure techs would just be quicker and easier to finish the job as a FOnewm. But I can't imagine myself doing that for hrs and having fun with it.

I've compared both stats for a FOmar and FOnewm and by lvl 100, I think their stat differences are negligable by Super Hard/Very Hard mode (correct me if I'm wrong). I'd say the biggest difference (stat wise) is that the FOnewm has +32 MST more than FOmar. And FOmar has +43 ATA over FOnewm.
It's the levels getting to lvl 100 that they drastically differ.

What this sounds like to me, if I attempt to make a melee FOnewm, I have to pump stats into his low ATA to actually hit stuff with. And concentrate on which weapon to specialize in. Melee play only sounds feasible for crowd control, and to survive boss fights, I'll have to use range through techs.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I see, slicers seems to be the fitting choice of weapon on a melee FOnewm. The damage on slicers is MST base, right? So I don't have to worry about ATP. I just have to concentrate on ATA to hit. And being more or less part range weapon by it's nature, I hopefully don't have to concentrate too much on DEF or EVADE as well.

So for a FOnewm who specializes in slicers (main) and techs with an occational atp melee weapon (for kicks), I'm thinking a mag of:
75 ATA / 25 MST
Materials to use: 80x HP

I'm not sure what's more important to survive in Super Hard mode / Very Hard for a force, both in mobs and bosses. But from what I remember in PSO days, having more HP for a Force is more important than having Evade or Defense. How much does this differ now in PSZ?
Having no mats or mag on evade or defense, am I leaving myself too vulnerable?
What I am relying on is Shifta/Deband and my +160 HP.

[Akaimizu]

Good questions there. Especially since there are some big enemies (as well as bosses), with good high damage single strike attacks that aren't always something you'll avoid. (Some bosses have some pretty nasty area attacking moves that hit a lot of places).

Since I kind of balanced my play with multiple characters, I have not so much experience with Super Hard with Newmans. I kind of started off with FOmar and did some RAmar in there. Funny enough, I picked the FOmar for the same kind of reason you picked the FOnewm in this game. I thought the FOmar really looked sharp, in this game. He reminds me of the gentleman that's dressed to kill, in a way.

[Java378]

I have a FOnewmn alt. Currently level 28.

1-10 sucks for most classes. Fonewmn included.
Then my main cracked eternal tower and gave their +40 lvl 15 beginner armor over to it and it rocked.
11-15 were nicely coming. 16-18 was even better.
Then I hit level 22 and really got some great weapons to literally pwn.

Haven't finished the game as my alt, but it's really there. I'll trade you some stuff to give your FOnewmn once I finish Eternal Tower on Hard tonight(9PM).


Oh wait, you're on Super hard? Super hard is suicide for anyone(except Niered and a few others).

[Akaimizu]

It's kind of an easier climb for the FOmar. Their melee isn't that hot only in the first handful of levels. However, they can pretty much be played like Mages that cast a little and then go smacking around with their staff weapons almost from the get go. And I enjoy their ability to take damage.

There are some cases where good PAs like Rodeo Drive rule all. Sometimes over your technics. Just letting you know, there were cases in which the boss seemed a bit resistant to taking damage fast from my techs, but the melee staff PA still did great damage to multiple parts of them.

[DanMalak]

I wanted to test this out also, let me know if it goes well...

Using Slicer with a FOnewm, and my pallete being Strong attack-roll-Zalure; Resta-Shifta-Deband.

[Moniker]

For the record, any FO that carries a slicer into a fight with Octo Diablo/Mother Trinity/Dark Falz will win. Ludicrous amounts of damage.

I haven't tried FOnewm yet (mostly because FOmar has the elemental spell boost, rather than the Megid/Grants) but I'm excited to see how well he does.

[beatrixkiddo]

If you consider slicers as melee, then sure! All I use on my FOnewm is Grants and Megid with Caduceus, and Hit slicers. Bosses get slicers with Photon %s since their evade is lower than normal enemies (or so it seems to me anyway).

[Trina]

You'll get nowhere as much damage melee compared to the hunters. The staff/rod is simply inferior when it comes to attacks compared to daggers/doubles.

TBH here even a HUnewearl specced in MST will outdamage you in melee with staff/rod. FOnewm/FOnewearl simply have too low ATA to be doing melee, people may say get use ATA mats and mag but that's simply not enough to make up for how low it is compared to the other classes. Plus you need HP/Def there instead so you don't get onehit and stuff.

[Donnikun]

Super Hard Mode a level 83 FO newearl and me a level 64 FOmar (our levels at the time, im level 70 now, the FOnewearl is around 90, he levels his char fast) we beat Mother Trinity and Dark Falz armed wiht slicers, resta, and some moon atomizers and Scape Dolls, and lots and lots of fluids. either we are really good(which i see a lot of you people on this site are much better players than me), the game is insanely easy(which a lot people talk of Super Hard being suicide without a full group), or slicers are uber OP along with Forces(which a lot of people claim forces are OP). one of the three.

Frankly if i can beat Dark Falz on Super Hard at level 64 with only one companion at level 83, anyone can, i personally dont think im very good compared to what a lot of people accomplished, but maybe i just have confidince issues. Anyway if you dont belive me ask username FeiRayne, he was my level 83 partner, yes its a he, despite the avatar icon.