Samurai flexibility.

First things first, yesterday I was wrong about the amount of Store TP you need for a 5-hit build with a Masamune or Amanomurakumo. I multiplied when I should have added.

When you are putting together your gear for your 5 or 6-hit build, the best place to start is with your WS set. This is because your WS set is almost always going to have less Store TP than your melee set, and it is important to know how much extra Store TP you are going to need to make up for the deficit. Lets take a quick look at my current WS set up. It has not been perfected, and having perfect gear doesn't really matter all the much when it comes to learning how to create your build.

Well, let's not because Photofucket is failing again. Just take my word for it that I have 61 total Store TP on during a WS and that give me 17.8 TP return on a regular WS. That means to get to a 5-hit build I will need at least 20.6 (rounded up, of course) to make sure I get to 100. That means I will need to get a whooping 86 Store TP. Of course, 35 of that Store TP will come from traits and merits, but that still means I will need to come up with 51 Store TP from gear.

A few critical pieces of gear:

Rajas Ring: The goto for SAM's ever since the X-hit builds were created. I would be nice if it continued to scale, but it is still great even though it doesn't.

Rose Strap: Obviously not the best for the slot when it comes to pure damage output, but it is usually critical for getting to that max Store TP build. Take the hit to your damage so that you can WS a lot faster.

Unkai Nodowa: Another piece that is a sacrifice in damage for more Store TP. It doesn't hurt as much if you think of Store TP as Haste. You like haste right? Then just grin and bear it.

Getting these pieces will be critical to any Store TP build for a SAM, but they are not enough. You will need several more pieces of Unkai +2, and you will still need old Usukane gear if you really want that perfect set. If you have any suggestions for more critical pieces, be sure to include them in the comments.