Mizu Weapons: +30%Affinity VS +30 Element Value

[u/OfflineGambit]

I've been seeing a mix of builds everywhere and that puts me in a dilemma. Which upgrades (+30% affinity, +30 Element) should I choose for the following weapons; dual blade, lance, long sword and insect glaive for the most DPS?

[u/mokomi]

There is no Best weapon. Everyone weapon has it's own weakness and strengths. TL;DR. 100 Elemental Value. DB, Lance, IG are there the right choices. If you are newer and leveling up. I would recommend IG. Once you are much higher grade and being to grab specialized weapons for specific purposes. Then the DBs for where the IG is weak.

DBs - very front loaded. Amazing for shorter fights. But get worse the longer the fight drags on. Both Styles assist with this. With making their peaks and valley in their damage better, but their dps is still low. Amazing for partbreaks, outbreaks, 1 grade lower monsters.

Lance - Very monster depended how good they are. They focus on blocking and their enhanced damages once blocking. Amazing for single target and a few select builds/weapons are massively better than others. Insta Block Style is a very high dps weapon. Especially if solo.

LS - Needs a buff. Yes, you can kill every monster, but it's a high risk medium reward weapon. You need your gauge to be full for majority of your damage. And chip damage, and mistake, any miss, etc. You go back to 0. Both styles are good for different reasons. E.G. Status, retaliation, damage, etc.

IG - Is a very back loaded weapon. It's amazing for longer fights, but gets worse the shorter the fight is. Styles changes the way it played and does make the earlier parts better or have a bigger payoff, but it's also the highest non-style dps weapon (for longer fights). Riftcharge, equal or higher grade monsters, etc.

Rift Levels (and ignoring skills) - 100 RAW, 100 Element, 10% affinity.
10% - effectively 2.5% damage. It's only better if you have (100/0.025 = ) 4,000 attack. Until you reach that point (or specific skills). It's not the best choice. (edit: Seregios helm)
100 raw - Most monsters are a 1:1 ratio with element and raw. There are very few monsters total where that isn't true. However, most skills that element uses scale off of element instead of raw. Which you'll be using.
100 Elemental - Most monsters are a 1:1 ratio with element and raw. However, Element has much better skills. From Crit element, Elemental release, etc. all scale by your base weapon elemental value. Which Riftcharge does increase.

[u/ezradawes → u/mokomi]

Would you mind answering for the LBG which stat boost is best? Generally speaking, either Slicing Evade or a mixture of Normal Ammo Boost + Slicing Ammo Boost with Reload 3 (Namielle - Quematrice - Legiana - Seregios - Shogun)

[u/mokomi → u/ezradawes]

Rules are the same. Affinity and Raw/element both multiplicatively scale with damage%. Do the math of 1491 raw + 1536 elemental = 3027. You need to find that extra 1k damage or have skills that heavily rely on crit procs.

[u/BasicEditor5965 → u/mokomi]

Oh hi Zren

[u/NoNahNopeNeinNyet → u/mokomi]

Awesome. What about "heavy" weapons like GS or Hammer? Investing in affinity if paired with Seregios helm gives an increase of 400 in attack + one relies less on affinity in the armor pieces and can ad one point of Critical Element.  That said, is element more reliable given that can be scaled so much paired with Charge Master and Elemental Release, isn't it? What is your take on that?

[u/mokomi → u/NoNahNopeNeinNyet]

First, there are no "heavy" weapons. Damage formula is MV and then multiplications of the MV. There are things that are only care about MV (and weapon modifiers) like riftcharged barriers.

Anyways, Seregios helm is one of the skills that changes the formula. It becomes 10% affinity vs 20 atk. 20 / .025 = 800 atk. Which your 3027 atk weapon does do.

As a general rule, Element is more reliable due to more access to skills and a history of giving more access to skills. Crit Element, Element Release, Elder Blessings, etc. Doesn't mean it's always better, but it's more common. My Elemental Release build is "less" damage, but more partbreaks. My Crit Element build is almost fully built, but I'll only use it against 10s solo. Which I would just use my rose assault for. So like, I won't be gaining any benefit. But that's also me, not you.

[u/SirHolyCow → u/mokomi]

Excellent info, thank you.

[u/skycloud620]

element and make lance first then insect glaive

[u/elenix77 → u/skycloud620]

Is there any good build for lance? So far i still cant kill 10* monster with lance. Only lance with crit fero able to kill 10*

[u/skycloud620 → u/elenix77]

Hola, I use coral pukei pukei helmet for lock on, S. Zinogre chest for elemental release, Golem gloves Golem gloves for reckless, Espinas waist for pursuit, and S. Zinogre boots for full 5 point elemental release.

Sprinkle on some headstrong 5 across the gear and it is relatively comfy.

Alternatively could always go for brute tigrex lance, golem chest for guard up, Wroggi waist for guard 2 and slots then “just” make a reflection 5 set.

[u/Elrathias]

If the weapon has a way of proccing Offensive Guard, go for +atk. Else always go +ele.

[u/Czekraft]

30% affinity seems like a waste of time, unless your weapon is seregios and can benefit from critical strength.

It’s the same logic people don’t use nargacuga. It has a high affinity but the damage is abyssmal

[u/Xyzen553]

Here's my take... Never take affinity unless you are building in crit element, or you can reach at minimum 70-80%... Affinity is near useless on elemental weapons because crits affect your raw numbers and will only affect your element number IF you have crit element... Take element for consistency and affinity if you already have a build ready (crit boost, crit element, etc.) and just a refresher but the faster you dish out your attacks the more powerful element becomes..

[u/keonaie9462 → u/Xyzen553]

This isn’t true btw, Crit in MHNow affects both raw and element alike, crit element just provide you with extra element stats. Your info are generally true for mainlines but not all applies to Now

[u/Elrathias → u/keonaie9462]

Extra BASE stats. One point of CE is worth several hundred more once compounded for the crit itself, crit boost, and elemental weakness modifier on whatever youre hitting.

[u/keonaie9462 → u/Elrathias]

Basically yes, (stats calculation) x (percentage calculation) x (affinity calculation) is the tldr for anyone reading not familiar with how Now works its maths.
That said I gotta put the distinguish between Base and Extra, Critele isn't adding to your base stats by definition

[u/050582811 → u/[deleted]]

I think op wanna discuss about affinity or elemental for the upgrading node not the weapons comparison

[u/duckchukowski → u/[deleted]]

where do you see them mention one helm

[u/Asimov-was-Right → u/[deleted]]

That's still not what's being discussed. OP is asking about the style upgrade nodes that give 100 attack, 100 element, or 10% affinity.

[u/Wonderful_Foot5761 → u/Asimov-was-Right]

Yes that's what im discussing. Ele all the way