Grinding weapons and units
Weapon and unit grinding is the most basic thing anyone will do at the item lab, and yet is the most important thing you can do to strengthen you're equipment.
Weapons and units both have a maximum grind value of +10, with varying costs and difficulty upgrading based on rarity, though units are always easier to grind than a weapon of the same rarity.
Grinding always requires an item called a grinder, which can be found from fun scratch, some client orders, and commonly drops from enemies. The amount of grinders needed per attempt varies depending on the rarity of an item. There is a chance of failure while grinding, and while it will not destroy a weapon or unit, it can either leave your item at its current grind level, or make it go down between 1-4 levels, dependent on rarity and grind level.
Weapons and units both have a maximum grind value of +10, with varying costs and difficulty upgrading based on rarity, though units are always easier to grind than a weapon of the same rarity.
Grinding always requires an item called a grinder, which can be found from fun scratch, some client orders, and commonly drops from enemies. The amount of grinders needed per attempt varies depending on the rarity of an item. There is a chance of failure while grinding, and while it will not destroy a weapon or unit, it can either leave your item at its current grind level, or make it go down between 1-4 levels, dependent on rarity and grind level.
Potentials
Potentials are hidden abilities that most, but not all, weapons 7* and above have. These abilities vary greatly from one item to another, and can do anything from boost a skill or PA, to increase power depending on the weather, to allow you to heal yourself with attacks.
To unlock a potential you first have to get an item to +10. After doing so, you can choose to unlock it's potential and pay the cost in meseta and photon spheres, and gain the level 1 version of that weapons hidden ability. ALWAYS be aware that adding a potential to a weapon reverts it to an ungrinded state, so you WILL have to grind it to +10 again. Also be aware that potentials have 3 levels, so to get the most out of it you would basically have to get a weapon to +10 4 times over, 3 times for the potentials, one time to leave it at +10.
Some weapons will have more than one potential to choose from, but it can only have one at a time. If you have say, knockback resistance already added onto a weapon and you choose to add fury stance boost potential to it, you would lose the knockback resistance potential
Adding potentials to a weapon is something generally reserved for items you plan on keeping for a great length of time, since it can be very costly, particularly at rarity 10* and above.
For a list of potentials and what weapons have them, please visit the Japanese Pso2 wiki, with Google translate if needed to understand it.
To unlock a potential you first have to get an item to +10. After doing so, you can choose to unlock it's potential and pay the cost in meseta and photon spheres, and gain the level 1 version of that weapons hidden ability. ALWAYS be aware that adding a potential to a weapon reverts it to an ungrinded state, so you WILL have to grind it to +10 again. Also be aware that potentials have 3 levels, so to get the most out of it you would basically have to get a weapon to +10 4 times over, 3 times for the potentials, one time to leave it at +10.
Some weapons will have more than one potential to choose from, but it can only have one at a time. If you have say, knockback resistance already added onto a weapon and you choose to add fury stance boost potential to it, you would lose the knockback resistance potential
Adding potentials to a weapon is something generally reserved for items you plan on keeping for a great length of time, since it can be very costly, particularly at rarity 10* and above.
For a list of potentials and what weapons have them, please visit the Japanese Pso2 wiki, with Google translate if needed to understand it.
Element grinding
Less understood than regular grinding, but no less important. All rare weapons ( 7*) or above have an elemental attribute and value that ranges from 1-50, with 50 being the best you can have, while 1-6* weapons randomly come with or without them.
Unlike past Phantasy Star games, elements in Pso2 have no downside, so even if you're weapon has a dark element, you will NOT do less damage attacking an enemy who is dark element itself. Any attribute on a weapon boosts the damage of that weapon, so any weapon you plan on using for a decent period of time should not only have an element, but be 50 element as funds permit, since you get a "free" damage boost out of it.
Element grinding requires you to have a base weapon you want to increase the element of, and either duplicates of that item, or items of the same weapon type and rarity, in addition to the synthesizers required to complete the process. You keep the base weapon, but the weapons used to boost it's attribute are destroyed in the process, so keep that in mind.
Using a weapon of the same rarity but different name will always give you a +1 element bonus
Using a weapon of the same name but different element always gives a +10 bonus
Using a weapon of the same type and element adds both element numbers together
To give examples, let's say you have a 24 light element claymore, and you want to increase it's attribute.
Unlike past Phantasy Star games, elements in Pso2 have no downside, so even if you're weapon has a dark element, you will NOT do less damage attacking an enemy who is dark element itself. Any attribute on a weapon boosts the damage of that weapon, so any weapon you plan on using for a decent period of time should not only have an element, but be 50 element as funds permit, since you get a "free" damage boost out of it.
Element grinding requires you to have a base weapon you want to increase the element of, and either duplicates of that item, or items of the same weapon type and rarity, in addition to the synthesizers required to complete the process. You keep the base weapon, but the weapons used to boost it's attribute are destroyed in the process, so keep that in mind.
Using a weapon of the same rarity but different name will always give you a +1 element bonus
Using a weapon of the same name but different element always gives a +10 bonus
Using a weapon of the same type and element adds both element numbers together
To give examples, let's say you have a 24 light element claymore, and you want to increase it's attribute.
Scenario |
Item 1 |
Item 2 |
Element bonus |
Different weapons |
Claymore 24 light |
Random 4* sword |
+1 bonus |
Same weapon different element |
Claymore 24 light |
Claymore 17 fire |
+10 bonus |
Same weapon same element |
Claymore 24 light |
Claymore 17 light |
+17 bonus
|
Generally speaking you should aim to use a weapon of the same name and element whenever possible. For high rarity items however, you may not always be able to find duplicates, or the cost may be too high. In those cases, using items of the same type and rarity may be easier, if more time consuming, due to more frequent droprates or cheaper cost etc.