Puppetmaster Guide by Poof

= Introduction = This guide is mean to serve as the most conclusive page of its kind and dedicated to the fine art of Puppetmaster. My goal is to avoid rumors and opinions, however, making a completely unbiased representation of Puppetmaster may prove to be impossible, at least, from a critic's viewpoint; so I will make it a point to acknowledge statements based on popular opinion while unacknowledged content can be concluded to be factual to the best of my knowledge and understanding.

= Getting Started =
 * Acquire & Register Treasures of Aht Urhgan
 * You'll need your Treasures of Aht Urhgan expansion installed and registered as an Expanded Service to flag the Puppetmaster job. If you have access to the ToAU areas, then you are ready to continue.


 * Complete the quest, No Strings Attached
 * The Puppetmaster job is an Advanced Job so you'll need to complete a quest to unlock the ability to change into this job. You'll only need the ability to Sneak and Invisible yourself, whether by items or magic, to complete this quest.


 * Optionally rename your Automaton
 * The original list that you get to name your Automaton is a little small. There are several more pages of names available if you speak to Abda-Lurabda in the automaton shop.  If you see something you like more than the original name that you chose, go ahead and rename your Automaton now, before you get used to seeing it as something else!


 * Outfit yourself and your new Automaton with Attachments
 * Equip yourself with the basics but don't forget about your Automaton with Attachments. The basics can be acquired from Yoyoroon in Nashmau.  You'll definitely want to collect all 48 of the attachments to maximize your Automaton's versatility, so go ahead and acquire the first 16 in Nashmau.  The Attachments page goes over the names of each attachment, its function, and how to equip them.  If you like, go ahead and obtain more attachments off of the Auction House.  If there's an attachment that you'd like to have, but it isnt for sale, check the list to see if can be crafted.  Purchase the ingredients and seek out a crafter!

Combat Skills & Race Attributes
Below is a series of tables that show the base attributes that a Puppetmater of each race will have at key levels. I've also included tables that detail the Combat Skills of the Puppetmater at these levels as a quick reference as well as the Combat Skills of the Automaton. While some jobs may use information like this to plan ahead with the gear they may wear, a Puppetmaster will most likely want to stick to Attack & Accuracy for a typical party and priortize Evasion for solo play.

Frame Upgrade Prioritization
I decided to review prioritization of Frame Upgrades because I think it is necessary due to problems I've seen with newcomer Puppetmasters having to struggle with when they finally attain all three of the additional frames. The primary need for this suggested prioritization is for the sake of the Automaton's skill levels and to maintain the Puppetmaster's versatility in a variety of situations. Does this mean there's a definitely order in which you should obtain frame upgrades? If you want to maximize your Puppetmaster's versatility with the minimal amount of trouble, then yes, there is a definite order. In conclusion, the only reasonable exception to this order is upgrading to the Valoredge second, and the Stormwaker last. You can use the Harlequin body to keep magic skill at a tolerable level until you acquire the Stormwaker frame.
 * 1) Sharpshot_Z-500.JPG[[Image:Sharpshot_Z-500.JPG|frame|Sharpshot Z-500]]While there may be cause to debate the prioritization of the other two additional frames, the Sharpshot Z-500 should be your first frame upgrade. Of the complete set of frames, only the Sharpshot's body is capable of Ranged Attack and therefore is required for your Automaton to level that particular skill.  At level 10, when your first upgrade becomes available, you are already ten levels behind on skill for Ranged Attack; at level 20 this becomes quite a chore to bring up to par.  I've seen instances where Puppetmasters that have waited to level 30 to obtain this upgrade have completely abandoned it all together.  Another key reason is the number of monsters that you will level on that are weak to piercing between levels 10 to 30 such as Pugils and Damselflies.
 * 2) Stormwaker Y-700While the Harlequin is capable of keeping Magic Skill at a reasonable level, it isn't everyone's frame of choice once they begin getting the upgrades. For this reason, you may want to consider the Stormwaker as your second frame.
 * 3) Valoredge X-900The Valoredge is extremely powerful and very useful, but its melee skill at level 30 is only a few points behind the capped melee skill of the Sharpshot and isn't even that far behind the cap for the Stormwaker. Thus, while you may find it quite useful throughout your adventures, waiting until level 30 to obtain it will help you maintain your versatility by keeping your Automaton's skills at viable levels.

= Attachments Overview = There are 6 complete groups of 8 attachments which represent each of the elements. Furthermore, there are seven basic types of attachments. Standard, Horological, Transpositional, Ability, Trait, Rejuvinative, and Correlational attachments. Many of these are passive and will generate a bonus whether or not you have any maneuvers up, but several of them will require a maneuver that corresponds with its elemental base in order to grant any bonus or activate an associated ability.


 * Standard Attachments
 * These attachments augment your Automaton in steady increments based on the number of maneuvers that are active that correspond with their elemental value. Some of these will grant a minor base effect if no maneuvers are up that correspond with its elemental base.


 * Ability Attachments
 * These attachments will grant your Automaton a Job Ability. Unlike typical job abilities, some of these may be an effect that would normally require a spell to be cast.


 * Trait Attachments
 * There are a couple of attachments that will grant your Automaton a Job Trait if equipped. If there are maneuvers corresponding with attachments elemental base, the trait may become even more effective.


 * Rejuvinative Attachments
 * There are two attachments that grant your Automaton the effect of Regen and two more that grant the effect of Refresh. While the Regen and Refresh effects require maneuvers to activate, all four of these Attachments also provide a passive bonus your Automaton's base HP and MP.


 * Correlational Attachments
 * There a few attachments that grant bonuses that cause a variance, usually detrimental, to another particilar stat.


 * Transpositional Attachments
 * These attachments allow you to transpose one or all of your current maneuvers in exchange for a particular event.


 * Horological Attachments
 * These mysterious attachments grant bonuses to your Automaton that improve over time.

Stacking
Also, note that you will have to permanently attach them to your Automaton's Inventory. You've probably noticed that attachments are stackable but this is for crafting purposes only and there is no reason for you to acquire more than one. If your Automaton has received a specific Attachment into its inventory, it can not receieve another. Your Automaton will have to have the attachments attached via an NPC in the Automaton shop. Once attached, it will become permanently apart of your Automaton and will show up in their inventory which is seperate from yours. Thankfully, they have their own inventory and don't require you to carry around all those attachments!

Collect'em all!
You'll definitely want to collect all 48 of the attachments to maximize your Automaton's versatility, so start collecting as soon as you are financially capable. Below is an outline discussing

Yoyoroon in Nashmau
You can buy the first 16 attachments and it's a good idea to go ahead and do so. Make the trip to Nashmau to save yourself some gil because the Auction House tends to list these for twice what they are worth. You can purchase all 16 for a total of 118,920 gil from Yoyoroon or wind up paying double that if you try to buy them from the Auction House.

Pulling the Strings
The ENM8 will be your biggest challenge because they can only be acquired when a level 60 Puppetmaster wins the ENM battle Pulling the Strings. On top of that, most level 60 puppetmasters are likely to immediately equip an attachment they don't have, if it drops. When these attachments are posted on the Auction House, it tends to reflect a situation where the Puppetmaster has acquired a duplicate of an attachment they already own. Another catch to the ENM8 is it can only be attempted once every five, real-life days, win or lose, and the attachment only has a chance to drop on top of the reward of 2000 Experience Points.

These attachments are valuable at any level, though, and can take some time to collect. If you have the gil, start collecting early by snatching them off the Auction House. Look for opportunities when more than one are listed to possibly get a better price.

The Basic 16
The first 16 attachments cover basic behavior and status enhancements. They are easily acquired for a total of 118,920 gil from Yoyoroon in Nashmau. If you don't have that much gil on you, then just focus on the attachments that you think will best suit your playing style until you can afford the rest. While information on these attachments already exists, I'm decided that some may find it useful if I want beyond the basic descriptions by explaining them in further detail and offering recommendations for their usage.


 * Tension Spring (Standard)
 * The increase to your puppet's attack is useful for all frame combinations, though too much attack may give your puppet unwanted hate. When using a mage setup in solo play, you may prefer tanking while your puppet heals you, but an early Slapstick from your mage puppet may cause it to get unwantedly smacked around a bit.


 * Loudspeaker (Standard)
 * This attachment can wait until you get the the Stormwaker frame, but that doesn't mean its useless for getting started with your new Harlequin frame.


 * Accelerator (Standard)
 * This attachment can wait until you get the Sharpshot because until you get that frame or obtain a Turbo Charger you'll probably never have Wind Maneuvers up. The evasion is nice when farming with your Sharpshot to keep it from getting hit if the prey you are sniping doesn't die quicky.  Due to the damage output of the Sharpshot in solo play, you are likely to see your Sharpshot dropped fast by a monster that can land decent attacks on it.


 * Armor Plate (Standard)
 * A good piece to have on any of the frames, especially at lower levels, but most useful for the Valoredge so it doesn't have to be a priority unless you feel your puppet pulls hate too often and takes too much damage.


 * Stabilizer (Standard)
 * This attachment should be an undebated priority. Accuracy is one of the most expensive stats in the game.  Fortunately, its much easier to acquire accuracy for your Automaton.


 * Mana Jammer (Standard)
 * There is little use for this attachment unless the monsters you are fighting like to use -ga elemental spells. Think of this attachment like you would the spell Shell and how often you really need the Shell buff.  However, this attachment and its Tier II version can be vital in soloing an Avatar battle.


 * Auto-Repair Kit (Rejuvinative)
 * Consider getting this attachment from the start; it's very useful in maximizing uptime when you are soloing your way to a level high enough to get a group in Valkurm Dunes.


 * Mana Tank (Rejuvinative)
 * A great starter attachment for the your first frame and also very useful with the Stormwaker frame. Combined with the Tier II version, your Automaton will be able to regenerate MP at a rate that would make any Red Mage jealous.


 * Inhibitor (Standard)
 * This attachment has its uses for any frame at any level, so go ahead and pick it up right away. It will encourage your Puppetmaster to hold its TP until you have TP or until a Skillchain is opened that it can close.  It's very useful in parties because your Puppetmaster will constantly try to close Skillchains with other party members as well as you.


 * Mana Booster (Standard)
 * This is another nice attachment to start out with because it can be useful on the Harlequin frame.


 * Scope (Standard)
 * There is no reason to get this attachment until you obtain the Sharpshot frame. Since many people choose the Sharpshot first, you may want to plan ahead and obtain it if you have the gil.  Unless you are sniping very weak monsters and farming their drops, you'll always want this equipped on your Sharpshot frame.


 * Shock Absorber (Ability)
 * This attachment is required to trigger the Stoneskin ability for your puppet and it is very useful when fighting monsters that have AOE type attacks as well as just plain soloing and keeping your repair time down to a minimum. A definite grab for the new Puppetmaster.


 * Volt Gun (Trait)
 * Though not very popular because it requires two thunder elements to equip, I like this attachment. I used it quite a bit when starting out to zap all the crabs and fish that are the typical prey until the jungles at around level 25.  Unless you bought and planned to fill up your thunder elements with the Stabilizer attachments, go ahead and grab this one.


 * Stealth Screen (Standard)
 * This is a decent attachment for soloing, but once you start collecting alot of attachments you'll probably see this one start to collect dust. Not a bad grab for the early Puppetmaster if you don't mind using hitting it with the Water Maneuver to keep it from getting hate and getting pummeled.  This attachment can be a nice companion to other water-based attachments that you would be more likely to use the water maneuvers for.


 * Damage Gauge (Standard)
 * Though an absolute must for mid-level to high-level solo play, getting this attachment from the very beginning isn't a bad idea either. The Harlequin is able to cast Cure and may save your life with it.


 * Mana Conserver (Trait)
 * This is a great companion to the Mana Tank, Mana Tank II, and Mana Converter for the Harlequin and Stormwaker frames. Unlike the Black Mage Job Trait, which activates randomly, this attachment will consistently reduce the amount of MP a spell consumes in direct relation to the number of Dark Maneuvers that are active.

The Advanced 16
The attachments divided into two more groups of 8 that represent each element. All of them may be crafted with Alchemy or Goldsmithing, but the second group of 8 can also drop a Hilltroll_Puppetmaster. The first group of these attachments focus more on controlling your Automaton's behaviour such as using Provoke or Flash. The second group consist of Tier II attachments of the original eight. These Tier II attachments can be stacked with the first Tier attachments for a combined bonus.


 * Strobe (Ability)
 * The only frame that you'll ever seriously use this on is the Valoredge, however, grabbing it when you are just starting out isn't a bad idea either. If you run into trouble, you can toss up a Fire Maneuver and make your Harlequin frame provoke and hold the mob while you make a clean get-away.  Later on, when you get Repair, you can put even more distance between you and the mob by invoking the Repair ability on top of the Fire Maneuver that makes your puppet provoke allowing it to stay alive longer while you run to the zone.  Of course, this will usually sacrifice your puppet and you'll have to wait til Activate if the timer isn't ready.


 * Scanner (Trait)
 * This attachment was a complete waste until the December 2006 update which dramatically improved its usefulness. This is very nice to have right away for the Harlequin and will continue to prove its usefulness on the Stormwaker.


 * Pattern Reader (Horological)
 * I like this attachment because it only costs one wind element to equip but as with the rest of the evasion attachments, it can wait until you have the gil to burn on it because of its limited, situational use.


 * Analyzer (Ability)
 * This is just a terrific attachment for your Valoredge frame. It mitigates a monster's special attacks by using Shield Bash in an attempt to stun the mob and prevent the special attack from executing.  I love how it stuns a goblin's Bomb Toss.  Don't bother getting this, unless you have the gil, until you have the Valoredge frame; but definitely grab it when you do.


 * Heat Seeker (Horological)
 * This is a nice Accuracy enhancing attachment that only costs a single Thunder Maneuver. Accuracy is never a bad thing and any of the frames can make use of it so grab it right away, if you can.  Stack it with Stabilizer and/or Target Marker and toss up Thunder Maneuvers to really see it shine.


 * Heatsink (Correlational)
 * This attachment is very useful when you are pouring on Fire Maneuvers and don't want to Overload. You probably won't start spamming Fire Maneuvers until the Valoredge so this little doohickey can wait, if you want to preserve gil.  A nice way to use it is to do a set of Double Water Maneuvers in between a serious string of Fire Maneuvers.  Do your own testing to find a nice balance.


 * Flashbulb (Ability)
 * This little beauty has an effect similar to the Flash spell and activates when a Light Maneuver is up. With practice, you can use it during a mob's special attack and make it miss!  Don't start leveling without this gem!


 * Mana Converter (Standard)
 * Without this attachment, Puppetmaster would lose an incredible amount of its viability as a solo artist. Get this attachment as soon as possible and don't even think of getting the Stormwaker frame if you haven't obtained this yet.


 * Tension Spring II (Standard)
 * As far as Tier II attachments go, this one should be at the top of your list. It has a use for virtually every frame and head combination, so get it as soon as you can.


 * Loudspeaker II (Standard)
 * This can wait until you get the Stormwaker frame and is compliments the frame very well. I wouldn't suggest waiting too long to get it after you obtain the Stormwaker or you might find yourself largely disappointed with the frame's performance without this attachment.


 * Accelerator II (Standard)
 * Another evasion attachment that has limited situational use and can easily wait until you just have gil to burn.


 * Armor Plate II (Standard)
 * This little wonder is useful for any frame and help's increase your Automaton's survivability. Get it as soon as you can, especially for your Valoredge frame.


 * Stabilizer II (Standard)
 * Another accuracy enhancing attachment that's probably worth its weight in gold. Missing is equal to zero damage.


 * Mana Jammer II (Standard)
 * This attachment grants your puppet a Magic Defense Bonus similar to shell and has limited situational use. Feel free to put this one off until you have gil to burn.


 * Auto-Repair Kit II (Rejuvinative)
 * This is a fun attachment to stack with the Auto-Repair Kit for some incredible Auto-Regen. Anytime you are fighting mobs with AOE abilities you are going to find it much more economical to use activate these attachments than burn a bunch of Automaton Oil.  At Melee Skill level 150 when your Valoredge gets Cannibal Blade, you won't really need to worry about having these attached and can use the slots for something else.


 * Mana Tank II (Rejuvinative)
 * A great attachment for your Harlequin frame to start out with if you can afford it. The Harlequin has a small MP pool and this will help allieve that as well add a more potent Refresh effect than the Mana Tank.  Don't forget though, this attachment can stack with Mana Tank as well and having both of them for your Stormwaker frame is invaluable.

The ENM 8
The rarest of the attachments, and therefore the most expensive. These attachments are acquired from the ENM Pulling the Strings. I purchased all of these before I was eligible to do the BCNM and have found them to be priceless. Depending on your server, the price may be somewhat affordable to outrageously expensive. Though, not required to perform well, you'll definitely want to grab them as soon as you can. The drop rate in the ENM is random and not 100% so you may end up with duplicates that you can use to sell and try to purchase attachments you haven't obtained. However, getting 8 drops, regardless if they are duplicates or not, can prove to be quite a chore. You can only do this battle once very 5 earth days, the battle itself, can be difficult to win, and you may just end up with 2000 Experience Points and a handful of Worm Mulch and no attachment.
 * Attuner (Standard)
 * This Attuner ignores a percentage of defense based on the number of Fire Maneuvers up. In other words, this attachment will focus on keeping your puppet's attacks at the higher end of the calculated damage curve of its attacks versus the defense of the mob you are fighting.


 * Drum Magazine (Correlational)
 * This attachment sacrifices Accuracy for speed in Ranged Attacks. You can help offset the loss in Accuracy with other attachments.  While you may not want to equip this attachment 100% of the time, its nice to have on if you plan to hit Overdrive with the Sharpshot frame.


 * Equalizer (Standard)
 * This attachment outright reduces the actual physical damage being done to your Automaton by a percentage, in respect to the the calculations between the attack directed at it and your puppet's defense and vitality. In otherwords, if your puppet's vitality returns a curve of 50-100 and its defense is checked on an attack that returns a value of 65 points of damage, this attachment will reduce the number 65 by a fixxed percentage based on the number of Earth Maneuvers that are active.  This attachment is phenomenal for any frame, especially a tanking Valoredge!


 * Target Marker (Standard)
 * The Targer Marker is another priceless gem that makes your puppet a force to be reckoned with when paired with the Attuner. This attachment will allow your puppet to greatly ignore a percentage of a mob's evasion in relation to the number of Thunder Maneuvers that are active.


 * Mana Channeler (Correlational)
 * This attachment is a very nice compliment to the your Stormwaker frame, especially if you have the Tactical Processor equipped. The indirect, and often unforseen, result of this attachment is that your puppet will do more damage per point of MP and will also prevent it from nuking its MP too quickly.


 * Eraser (Transpositional)
 * This attachment will remove all maneuvers, providing one of them is a Light Maneuver, and remove a bad status effect on you or your puppet. If you both have a bad status effect, the puppet will prioritize itself over you.  I like this attachment when fighting stuff that has silence or paralyze attacks that can quickly sour what would typically be an easy battle.  For example, if you are fighting an Antican and it silences you both, but you need your puppet to cure you, this attachment allows your puppet to erase the [Silence effect off itself so it can continue to keep you alive.


 * Smoke Screen (Correlational)
 * This is a good attachment for your a variety of frame combinations for many different situations. I like to use it with the Valoredge when I'm using it to tank while soloing because Dark Maneuver also helps trigger Cannibal Blade if I have other maneuvers up.


 * Tactical Processor (Correlational)
 * This is a beautiful companion to the Mana Channeler and priceless for your Stormwaker frame. If you are a big fan of the Stormwaker, get this one as soon as you can.

The Fantastic 4
These attachments were released in the October 2006 update and focus on adding major enhancments to your Automaton. The sooner you acquire these, the better.
 * Dynamo (Standard)
 * Increase your critical hits with this delicious attachment and get it as soon as you can possibly afford it.


 * Turbo Charger (Standard)
 * This attachment only affects melee attacks which are great for seeing your puppet perform weaponskills more often. I especially like to put this on the Sharpshot because I always have Wind Maneuvers up.


 * Reactive Shield (Ability)
 * This is a great attachment for your Valoredge, or any frame you'd want to use in Ballista. With just one Fire Maneuver, your puppet engages a very nasty Blaze Spikes that causes quite a sting to anything or anyone that hits it.


 * Optical Fiber (Standard)
 * This attachment is pure genius and you should grab it as soon as you can. As its description suggest it helps enhance any attachments that you have equipped.  However, it can't be used to trigger the abilities granted with some attachments such as Blaze Spikes or Stoneskin; you'll need to put up a Fire Maneuver or Earth Maneuver, respectively, to activate those.

The Final 4
The Final 4 attachments, released in December 2006, completed the elemental set that was partially released in the October 2006 update. These 4 attachments are specialty attachments that will builty on circumstantial events; providing moments of levity in situational use.
 * Tranquilizer (Standard)
 * A wonderful companion to your ice-based attachments for your Stormwaker and Harlequin frame, this attachment helps you achieve more consistent numbers with your Automaton's spells.


 * Schurzen (Transpositional)
 * A great attachment for the Valoredge, this attachment may allow an Earth Maneuver to blink the effect of an attack that would have caused substantial damage to your puppet.


 * Condenser (Transpositional)
 * A nice addition to any frame, especially those you like to setup with many attachments of the same element. Your automaton may sacrifice a Water Maneuver instead of overloading, with the Condenser equipped.


 * Economizer (Transpositional)
 * This attachment allows your Automaton to sacrifice a single Dark Maneuver to replenish some of its MP if it is running low. Thusfar, this seems to only have situational use, so don't break your wallet trying to get one.

Elemental Maneuvers
Elemental Maneuvers have a direct and immediate effect on attachments, that are equipped, whose base element corresponds to the element of the maneuver. In most cases, the more maneuvers you have up for the same element, the bigger the enhancement for attachments that are based on that element. The exception, thus far, is the Optical Fiber, which increases the efficiency of all attachments regardless. However it seems to require a Light Maneuver either to be active, or to have a noticeable effect. Also, note that all the maneuvers share the same ten-second recast.

Elemental Fatigue
The more maneuvers you use of a particular element, the more fatigue you accumulate for that element. There are Attachments like the Heatsink that can help lower your fatigue on Fire Maneuver by countering it with Water Maneuver, but other than that, you'll have to just pace yourself and pay attention to what Maneuvers you are using; with practice you'll develop a keen second-nature instinct of what your limits are and be able to "sense" when your fatigue for a particular maneuver is high.

Overload
This status effect is the result of becoming overburdoned in any particular element. The only cure is to wait a few moment's for it to wear off. The time it takes to wear off seems to depend on the level of burdon associated with it. For example, try to imagine that each maneuver as a percentage scale and at 100% or higher you'll reach an overload. As you use maneuvers to build to the 100% that will cause an overload, you'll also have some of the burden because fatigue decreases as time passes; this is why the length of time in Overload will be a little random. If your burden for a maneuver was around 99% and the next maneuver for that element pushed it way over 100%, your wait will be longer. If your burdon was around 85% and the next maneuver caused an overload, your wait will be shorter. In theory, the Puppetmaster's Overdrive job ability will increase the rate of descension for the burden associated with maneuvers; because of this, if you used Overdrive while you were overloaded, you may recover more quickly from the overload status.

Weapon Skills
Note: The Dec. 2006 version update added a new Weaponskill for each automaton frame (Harlequin/Stormwaker share the same new Weaponskill). The Valoredge frame recieved the Cannibal Blade weaponskill, the Sharpshot frame recieved the Daze weaponskill, and the Harlequin/Stormwaker frame recieved the Knockout weaponskill. These weaponskills are supposedly obtained at a melee/ranged (depending on frame) skill of 150.

Weapons
Puppetmasters have native combat skill in Hand-to-Hand, Dagger, and Throwing Skill as well as complimentary defensive skill in Parrying and Guard; you'll need to have Hand-to-Hand type weapons equipped in order for your Guard skill to take effect, and Dagger for your Parrying skill to be checked. Oddly enough, Throwing Skill is our highest combat skill but there aren't any Throwing-type weapons that we can equip, minus the rare/ex level 70 chakrams that anyone can wield. Of course, that would require us to unequip our Animator and Automaton Oil as well as reset our TP to zero in order to equip any of those worthless weapons. Perhaps SquareEnix has something in store for us, yet!

Throwing
(No Comment)

JSE

 * Cerise Doublet
 * Lv: 50 DEF: 28 Accuracy +3 Attack +3
 * Acquired when completing the quest Brygid the Stylist Returns by trading in the Libra Subligar that drops off Fomor Bard in Phomiuna Aqueducts. The Fomor Bard could be relatively easily soloed by two skillful puppetmasters!  This is the best piece of body gear for the Puppetmaster until the Puppetry Tobe, the Artifact body armor, at level 58.  For most races, this armor upgrade is a relief from the RSE body piece that many Puppetmasters are stuck with since level 33.  This Armor can also be used by BLU, RDM, & BRD and also great in any areas with a level 50 cap.

Meals & Drinks
A versatile job like Puppetmaster isn't typically restricted to a single, preferable type of Food or Drink. In a typical experience points party, you'll probably want to stick to the popular sushi diet such as Sole Sushi or Sole Sushi +1. During solo play, however, you may prefer a food that can compliment your Evasion Bonus and provide a boost in your melee accuracy such as the Jack-o'-Lantern; this food can also offset the detrimental effects of accuracy that lowers your resistance to Darkness such as the Peacock Charm or Sniper's Ring. If the situation calls for it you may want to focus on something a little defensive such as a Tavnazian Taco or similar food. Finally, if accuracy isn't a problem, and you aren't worried about your defense or evasion, you might want to consider the raw power that comes from eating Carbonara or Carbonara +1.

Your subjob will probably reflect the type of Drinks you'll want to have on you. If you are using a mage subjob such as Red Mage for Phalanx, Blink, Stoneskin, and Enspells, you might want to be prepared with any of the variety of MP refreshing juicies such as a Yagudo Drink. On the other hand, if have no use for MP, a particular variety of milk such as Persikos au Lait might be something you'll have a need for. Vampire Juice has the ability to rejuvinate both HP and MP if you feel the need will arise for such an occasion.

As you can see, there's quite a bit of versatility in what a Puppetmaster may want to snack on while in the field. Do your own experimenting with your race and gear to see what particular diet best suits your needs.

Frame sets & Behaviour
The head of a frame seems to decide most of the behaviour of the Automaton particularly where it positions itself in battle. The body is responsible for most of what your puppet is capable of doing. While most of what an Automaton's behavior may be relatively expected while experimenting with different head and body combinations, some yield suprising and powerful results.


 * Sharpshot head & Sharpshot body
 * The head of this combination tends to keep the puppet at a distance until certain conditions are met since the body is capable of using ranged attack. You may find yourself using Retrieve fairly often in parties that have tanks who aren't very good at holding the mob in one place because you'll typically want the puppet to be right next to the mob; this will allow your puppet to melee in between ranged attacks.  There are some cases where you may actually prefer your puppet to keep it's distance to avoid AOE attacks and this is a good frame for doing just that.  The Sharpshot body is the only way to skill up Ranged Attack and will execute a piercing-type damage.


 * Stormwaker head Stormwaker body
 * Like the Ranger, the head of this setup tends to keep the puppet at a distance unless its deployed next to the mob you are fighting. The melee skill is a little weak and the Slapstick weaponskill is quite inferior to the nukes that your puppet is capable of, so you'll probably find yourself not really worried about its positioning unless you want it as far away as possible to avoid area-based attacks.  The Stormwaker body, like the Harlequin body, is the part of the frame that grants you the ability to cast spells and is responsible for your MP pool as well.  The body of the Stormwaker can skill up your melee skill, but not as well as the Sharpshot or Valoredge can, and it executes a form of blunt-type damage.


 * Valoredge head Valoredge body
 * The most durable setup and a lot of fun if you are just in the mood to go kick some butt. This combination, with the right attachments, can actually tank pretty well for you and will Provoke and Shield Bash.  You can even use Analyzer attachment to encourage your Automaton to stun a mob while it tries to execute special attacks or cast spells!  This Valoredge body is capable of the highest melee skill and executes a form of slashing-type damage.


 * Valoredge head Stormwaker body[[Image:ValoredgeX-900head_StormwakerY-700frame.jpg|thumb]]
 * Commonly referred to as the "Healer Puppet", this combination, with the right attachments, becomes an extremely powerful ally. Due to the Valoredge's head behaviour, the puppet will remain by your side as usual, but when paired with the Stormwaker body, you get an interesting result.  Your puppet will have a decent MP pool but without the intelligence to cast any of the enfeebles or nukes.  However, it is perfectly capable of casting all of the Cure spells, up to Cure IV if needed.  Equipping your Automaton with a Damage Gauge and a Mana Converter will turn it into a healing machine with virtually limitless MP.  Once you are level 50, you can skill your puppet's magic high enough to grant it Cure IV and open up a whole new world of Puppetmaster for you both.


 * Valoredge head Sharpshot body
 * One of the issues with the Sharpshot is that it likes to keep its distance, unless you deploy it right beside the mob. Equipping it with the Valoredge head will give it more of a melee instinct and the puppet will position itself alongside the monster.  This allows for melee attacks in between ranged attacks, and your puppet will also skill up both of the skills.  This isn't the greatest solution to an Experience Points party because of the sacrifice in skill but its really nice for farming when you want your puppet to just deal out the damage.

Meripo
= See Also =
 * Puppetmaster
 * Puppetmaster: A History
 * Automaton & Attachments
 * Puppetmaster: Upgrading Your Automaton
 * Pulling the Strings