Ever since we joined up with BBQ, I have been on BLM more and more. It's not my favorite job but it's not my least favorite either. BBQ likes to use BLM for a lot of mobs, and I am fine with that. It has just meant that I have had to move BLM merits up in my priorities, and that I might have to change what I want to get from my points in the LS but that is a discussion for another day.
BLM more than almost any other jobs need more "sets" of gear. Elemental, enfeebling, enhancing, standing, etc. Elemental and nuking sets are by far the most common set of gear and probably get the most focus from most BLM to start with. Mine is mediocre, and could still use a lot of improvement. A nuking set can vary based on the mob that you are fighting at the time but for the most part it tries to get a good combination of Elemental Skill, INT and Magic Attack bonus to ensure the highest damage without getting resisted.
Check below the cut to see how I set up my nuking set for my BLM.
I will not be coy here. I am not the best BLM in the world. I am getting better though, and I am always looking for more information to try to be the best player I can be. While this post doesn't fall into the "On the Cheap" series, I am in general very cheap when it comes to my BLM so you might be able to use it in the same way.
Head: Wizard's Petasos
A good middle of the road and easy item to get. You are going to have it from leveling anyway, may as well use it until you get something substantially better. The Wizard's Petasos +1 is a good standard upgrade if you do Limbus, and the Sorcerer's Petasos is great if Dynamis doesn't hate you.
Neck: Right now I am using my Elemental Torque to good effect. In the last update the Aesir Torque and Lemegeton Medallion were added and are definitely worth looking into in the near future. The Uggalepih Pendant is still your best choice for nuking under 50% MP.
Earrings: I don't find picking Earrings to be too hard or the Earrings themselves to be too helpful. I am sure I will get a lot of suggestions here but I currently use the standard issue Moldavite Earring and then a Cunning Earring because it is cheap. There are a ton of alternatives, some of which can get pretty expensive for a very small upgrade. I also have a Diamond Earring with a +2 Magic Attack Bonus on it from doing one of the mini-expansions. It's filling the hole for now, but once I get the points I am investing them into a Novio Earring.
Body: Igqira Weskit is the trade mark nuking body for BLM. There are lots of other options with small upgrades, and the Morrigan's Robe is probably the best upgrade that you can get even though the cost is still amazingly high.
Hands: I am luckily enough (or have been doing Salvage long enough) to have a set of Morrigan's Cuffs for my BLM. I think this is pretty much the best option available but the Zenith Mitts and the Vicious Mufflers are suitable replacements.
Rings: My rings are pretty gimp. I am using a Diamond Ring and an Omega Ring, neither of which I am too proud of. I really should get Snow Rings but man, at a cool half mil I can't really afford them right now. The Omega Ring definitely has more Magic Accuracy than my Diamond Ring, but it will be relegated if I get Snow Rings or eventually get a Galdr Ring.
Back: Generally considered to be an Elemental Skill slot because of the Merciful Cape I am using it as an INT slot because I don't have that cape yet. The Gleeman's Cape from Einherjar points is my favorite right now. I do think I will prefer the Merciful Cape though because that is a 45 MP turn around from the Gleeman's Cape and my BLM MP is a joke.
Waist: One of my rare high dollar BLM purchases is the Penitent's Rope, hey it was more expensive a while ago! The Witch Sash is definitely better, in fact it is best in slot, but the difference in price just don't meet the different in stats. I have bigger fish to fry.
Legs: In short order I will be getting my Morrigan's Slops completed, which are going to replace my Mahatma Slops. The price trade off for that exchange is going to be quite favorable.
Feet: Ugh, not a lot of good choices for BLM to begin with, but I don't even really have one of the good choices. I am rocking Rostrum Pumps right now, but I still dream of finally getting Yigit Crackows. They are good nuking feet, but with my lower INT (no jokes) and lack of merits right now, I am still hoping to pick up Shrewd Pumps but it may take a while.
And there you have a list of what I have and want. Yeah, it's not comprehensive but I think it's a good starting point. If you have suggestions, I would love to hear them as I am still learning the job and I want to learn as much as I can!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Getting to know my BLM: Nuking Gear.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
POL News: I play Diablo, no wait I play FFXI... ummm
Ok so I will be fair, this is a lot more sophisticated than the gem system in Diablo, but it doesn't change the fact that it is still a new system that encourages you to collect gems and slot them into your equipment for additional bonuses.
As much as there was of getting your gear turned into something pretty dismal with the randomness that came with the augment system in FFXI, there was a degree of thrill that came with the unknown. Will you get something amazing like +6 INT on a Weskit, or are you going to get -3 INT on your snow ring and +3 water resist, there was an air of anticipation.
Needless to say if you suffered the loss of an item due to augmenting without the financial backing to recoop the lottery that it essentially is, it quickly becomes a very expensive risk that has deterred a lot of people from using it at all.
Enter from stage left the augments sexier, more flexible younger brother, with a spring in his step and a gleam in his eye to catch you and ensnare you with a charasmatic smile.
This of course is SE's newest "take it to the players" system they are looking to introduce in the next update. Called Evolith, it essentially breaks down into the augment system with choice. Collect the gems/crystals/evolith from various targets in Vana diel and bake them into your equipment via an oven in town.
The ability to remove these evolith stones offers a very attractive incentive to boost your gear as you can play around with different options and see how it affects your game play, plus it is nice to see that it will actually be available through a whole host of original gear as well as some new items you can beef up
Just from the snippets offered up by SE, the augments seem to be fairly interesting, although to add a pinch of salt here you could quite quickly see a bottleneck at the NM pops of some of the stones that offer the more immediate and obvious stat boosts.
This idea is most certainly following in the footsteps of the recent trend in FFXI by the development team, where they are encouraging the playerbase to take a much more hands on approach to designing their own gear. All the joys of augmentation, without the tears essentially. I can see this being one of those rare updates where SE might potentially just void one of their own systems ingame for something that is a lot more player friendly.
I have to say it is quite an interesting method to get around the continual stream of complaints I have NO doubt SE get about why this, that and the third are not done for mememe. Instead of getting grumpy about it they introduce game mechanics to feed the wolfpack.
This definately looks to have the potential to be a worthwhile system to invest time and effort in for those players dedicated to tweaking their gear to the nth degree for that fraction of more damage, along with appealing to the more casual player base with some more obvious and easy augments for instant gratification. One to keep an eye on for sure.We're pleased to announce a new system that promises to offer adventurers unprecedented customization options for their equipment! Named the "Evolith" system for the curious stones whose powers must be harnessed to reap the benefits, it will be introduced in a version update coming as early as late November.
Introducing Evolith
Little more than nondescript rocks at first glance, the substance known as evolith has long escaped the notice of the inhabitants of Vana'diel. Closer investigation, however, has revealed that these ancient stones harbor elemental power to rival that of crystals. With advances in the emerging discipline of synergy*, the time has come that their latent potential may at long last be tapped...
*Synergy is a new form of synthesis conducted using a "synergy furnace."
This system will be introduced in detail in a future Topics article.
With each piece of evolith possessing unique properties (*see example screenshots), adventurers may mix and match them in various combinations to bolster compatible equipment with the exact combination of attributes they desire.
*Development screenshot—subject to change.
Evolith 101
Adventurers may enhance their equipment with evolith through the following procedure:
1. Acquire evolith
- Evolith can be obtained by completing new NM hunting regimes accessible from "Hunt Registries" that will be introduced to certain areas alongside the Evolith system.
- Note that each piece of evolith is defined by a unique shape, size and elemental affinity.
2. Choose the base equipment you wish to enhance
- A vast assortment of equipment will support evolith, from several hundred existing items spanning a wide range of levels to new equipment slated to be introduced alongside the Evolith system.
- You may check whether or not a particular piece of equipment supports evolith by trading it to one of the "Synergy Engineer" NPCs that will be dispatched to certain cities.
3. Prepare your equipment
- A maximum of three evolith-holding "slots" may be etched into a given piece of equipment via synergy.
Note that each slot will have its own shape, size, and elemental affinity, to correspond with the evolith itself.
- The etching process will require the use of dedicated items.
- Similar to augmented items, etching evolith slots into a piece of equipment will render it untradeable and unauctionable.
4. Confirm compatibility
- Ensure that the slot is of the same shape and elemental affinity, and is large enough to hold the piece of evolith you wish to attach.
5. Attach evolith
- Evolith may be attached to a compatible piece of equipment via synergy.
- It is possible to outfit a piece of equipment with as many pieces of evolith as slots it contains.
*Development screenshot—subject to change.
The Finished Product
Should your synergy be successful, congratulations! The help window for your newly evolith-enhanced equipment will appear like this:
*Development screenshot—subject to change.
- Evolith Replacement and Slot Removal
Should you wish to replace an attached piece of evolith with one offering different benefits, this may be done at time via synergy. It is also possible to remove evolith slots entirely—thereby returning the equipment to its original state—through synergy using a dedicated item. Note that in both cases, the previously attached piece of evolith will be lost.
With countless varieties of evolith in existence, the possibilities are endless. Seek out the combination that best suits your playing style, and the equipment of your dreams can be yours!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Sir Iron Will's Wisdom: Ask A Ninja! (PLD/NIN That Is).
Sir Iron Will's Wisdom is here to bring you everything you ever wanted to know about tanking, and probably some things you never wanted to know and now wish to blot out of your memory, whether you like it or not, Izman is here with the do's and don'ts of tanking, in general, solo or end game. This week, after a short disappearance in the hinterlands of Arkansas, Izman is back to hide from you some more behind his shadows.
Ahh, it seems like it has been forever since last I posted. I did miss last weeks post from being too tired and lazy. To make up for it, today I'm going to go over some of the things I do when tanking subbed NIN, which is for just about everything I do. Most of this you will know because I honestly don't do anything special or different. I'm just going to cover how I gear for NIN sub and how to use the sub to its maximum potential.
Ok, some things you need to ask yourself if your going to use PLD/NIN a lot first. Can I count to three (I can but its really hard to play with one hand and count with the other)? Do I even have NIN sub? Do I have a bajillion Gil for Shihei and the Ni scroll?
If you answered yes to all this then you're on the right track.
In essence, when subbing NIN you are just trying not to get hit. This means your gear will be a little different from other subs if you have the gear to optimize for subbing NIN. For example, a Terror or Wivre Shield with more enmity and less block rate than the Koenig shield with less enmity but a higher block rate.
The weapon I use almost always with NIN sub is the Macuahuitl +1 with its +4 enmity it's to good to pass up. You can use the Joyeuse and others I suppose but on mobs that you can't hit this is the one I love to use. And don't be a cheap bastard and get the NQ version. LOL
I mentioned shields right before swords and there is not really a lot of variety at end game for shields. Koenig Shield is a must have and is a great shield but with NIN sub a Wivre or Terror Shield out shine it. If you're new to subbing NIN stick with the Koenig till you master threading shadows.
At this point, the line blurs from on gear depending on your race, your own style of tanking, and the gear you are able to obtain.
I will go over what I use for /NIN but keep in mind if you're a Taru or Galka this will most likely not be ideal for you. For the most part I just stock up on enmity. If you have Iron Ram gear from the past that is great stuff to use. I know I use the hat and boots all the time. The legs and hands are also very amazing but I tend to use Homam in those spots.
There are a few bodies you can use. AF body if you're a cheap S.O.B. who wont buy Adaman gear, AF +1 body to sell that Adaman piece you bought with a few others that are harder to obtain like Valor body and Ares. There is also the Nuevo body that you put fast cast and enmity on, right?
Hands that are great for subbing NIN are Homam (Iz)Manopolas, Askar hands, I.R. hands, and Adaman (I think).
Legs, the bane of my existance. Homam legs, more Homam legs, I.R. legs, and Adaman once again if you just dinged 73. I think that is about it.
Boots. OK, you win this one you cheap bastards. AF feet are still really great even for NIN sub and the HQ even better but it's only something I macro in when shadows are down. When I do have shadows up, I use I.R. boots with all of its enmity but Adaman, Homam, and Askar are all great choices and the best will vary on your play style.
For rings I use a Hercules' Ring and if you don't own one you get my Cheap S.O.B. Seal of Approval™! I mainly use a Bomb Queen Ring on my other finger but the CoP ring is also amazing. I would wear more but I lost my other 8 fingers in the Dunes to a crab.
Waist is easy enough, a Trance Belt being the better choice but a Warwolf Belt is also very good and very cheap. I wouldn't use anything other then these unless I was a Taru or Galka.
Ears! A lot for choices for ears. I use a Loquacious Earring and a Ethereal Earring but those don't come until later in the game. A Buckler Earring is fine or HP Earrings of any sort and the Cure Potency +5% are all nice until you can get a Loquacious and Ether earring.
The neck slot, the only exposed spot on your body besides your face. Parade Gorget is amazing as well as the Ritter Gorget and the last choice I can think of is a Shield Torque for when those shadows are down.
Bow? Well, the Lamian Kaman or the +1 are the best. And here is where I become the cheap sob that uses a NQ. A Rosenbogen is fine I guess but the point is not to get hit so the VIT and HP become less important than MP and Magic Defense.
The back. A Cerberus Mantle is amazing with its 3 enmity and it is also becoming more affordable. The Gigant Mantle is OK
but I think costs more then a Cerb Mantle now, and a Boxer's Mantle rounds out the top 3 choices besides a Cerberus Mantle +1, but I don't have the 20+ Mil for one of those. If you don't have those then just about anything will work to fill in space.
Well, that's it for the gear part now lets talk about counting shadows.
Threading shadows is the term I use when I cancel my shadows to put up a fresh set. To do this properly you have to cancel your shadows at the top of your screen right before the third attack comes in while you are casting a new set of shadows. This can be difficult at times with lag and spell lock but with enough practice it will become second nature to you.
Some things to keep in mind when doing this is that Ichi will overwrite itself so no need to cancel shadows if you're casting Ichi over Ichi. The only time you will have to cancel is when you're casting Ichi and have shadows up from Ni before. One other short tip is to save Shield Bash to stun a enemy to get a Ichi up in time of need.
Here are some final tips and good things to have with NIN sub: 1. A shield set that you can swap into when your shadows are down. 2. The less blinking the better and your mages will love you, the more you blink the higher your chance of death. 3. Keep in mind to not swap out anything that will make you lose TP.
That's it for this week, I'm sure I have missed a few things or there are things I didn't think of but playing PLD really is more dependent on skill than gear, more then most jobs I would think. So go practice threading those shadows until you have 1-2-3 pounded into your little concussed PLD head. Lets all cross our fingers and hope the I.R. body is at least half as awesome as we all think it will be!
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