We did it again.

So we return to Valgrind for round 2 with the Dark Rider. This one actually went better than last time. We managed to take him all the way down to 1%, but in the end it wasn't enough, as the valkyries came on the scene to pick people off. The lack of manpower did us in once more, coupled with the fact he was maybe one or two good weapon skills away which didn't connect. Had we another tank or DD, things would've certainly gone in our favor.

I leave you now with the aftermath of our encounter.

What's next?

So, yesterday evening we were planning to use that Ultima pop set we've had for over a month, but the person that had it (who was a former sackholder) wasn't around. Therefore plan B involved our old pal Proto-Omega. So off to central Apollyon we went, and what do we find in the crate?



Now, one of those would've been mine, but I was outbid by a paltry 100 points. So close. >_> A brief twinge of buyer's remorse came over me for that N.body from our last Kirin but it was quickly assuaged when I get a tell saying "you're the only one needing legs with 750+ points." Or am I? N.body is a solid piece for DRG pre-Zahak's and is also nice for wheeling thrust so I'm happy. With all this time in Apollyon, the number of people needing homam is shrinking. It wouldn't surprise me if we end up doing Ultima chips for the rest of the year.

Yesterday was also a good day since I finally closed a chapter on BLU by getting the last group 2 merits I needed. I'm thinking of doing STR next, which is a whopping 360,000 limit points from start to finish.

Lately I've pondered my future in the endgame circle God forbid my current linkshell goes by the wayside. No (real) mage job? BLU, PLD, DRG, SAM? We got about 65536 of those. Sorry noroom4u. So let's look at some of the possible back-line options.

BRD - Probably the easiest trip to 75. Play songs, surf the web, rinse, repeat.... and repeat. Fuck no! On the other hand, you can be a total ass when it comes to merit parties since you're the onecontrolling the pace. I guess this is how some BRDs who are on said job 24/7 get heir kicks. "Everyone /NIN or I ain't pullin!"
RDM - Heal/haste/refresh slave. I'll pass. Though in a merit setting, you practically hold everyone's lives in your hands. Gimp DD? Let his ass die.
WHM - See RDM, minus refresh.
BLM - Blow shit up, make things go nighty-night in Dynamis. God help you getting this to 75 though. Assuming you don't live in East Ronfaure with friends. Of course that'll just mean your elemental skill will be gimped as cardinal sin by the time you reach 75.
COR - Expensive gambling pirate. Also see BRD, but with guns and dice. Not unless I get alchemy up to where I can make my own ammo. We already have a glut in those. Next!
SMN - Not your daddy's summoner from FF games of yore. Oh hey! Astral burn! Not long before SE wises up and fixes that.... then retroactively slaps everyone that did it with a big fat LM-17
SCH - You can change the weather? You must be a god! This one seems the most attractive one to me. And hey, the AoE stoneskin is even better than a BLU's diamondhide if you gear for it right!

But, this is all for another time. I need to "invest in the future" in another way by doing some more much-needed meriting first. No matter what, I'll still be a blue mage at heart.

One step closer...

So last night was a great night for Beyond having given us 9/9 Einherjar feathers. So if we win on Friday and next Tuesday, we're back in Valgrind next Friday for a rematch. Our first wave was a pack of Marids, which went down quite smoothly. Our next wave pitted us against a bloodthirsty pack of ahriman with a host of soulflayers waiting in the wings. We were also graced with the appearance of the boss for the night -- Freke.

We've had something of a sordid past with this particular boss, probably more so than the ever-annoying Motsognir. Actually it stems from a single incident a few weeks back. One night we got the big three-headed hell hound as our boss. Everyone was instructed to stand on its front paws. Simple enough, right? However, many people were everywhere BUT there, and several people kept running away like decapitated chickens when they drew hate. Despite the runners being told to stay put with varying degrees of urgency throughout the fight, it still continued, and we lost as a result. If I remember right it was so bad that some people were on the verge of being canned for that debacle as it cost us a crack at Odin. It was a touchy subject for a while, and the words "stand on the feet" were not well-received in any context. I may have left out a minor thing or two, but that was the gist of it. Thankfully last night's encounter went so much smoother and having a solid turnout didn't hurt either.

After our jaunt in Hazhalm, it was time to head off to Dynamis - Bastok to play with some overgrown turtles. Whatever AF's dropped that night, we ended up with more than one, with the exception of SCH and THF. Finally, after a year of waiting and crap lots, I finally managed to obtain my BLU pants, making me 4/6 for the set. Of course we had three more drop over the course of the run. I never thought I'd be so giddy over city AF2, but man did it feel good finally getting those!

One night in Valgrind...

Last friday's Odin sortie was a no-go due to several key people being unavailable as a result of Labor Day weekend. So we ended up doing a tier 1 because that was all one person needed for entry into Odin's chamber. However, that did not go over too well as we timed out on the boss.

Now, fast-forward to earlier tonight. It was decided that tonight would be the night that Beyond would square off against Odin for the first time. However, the iron colossus proved too much for the twenty valiant champions, but we did not go down without a fight.

We got Odin down to 7% but we ran out of time. Had we a few more people, we would've most likely emerged victorious.

We'll be back, horse-riding bastard!

O-DIN! O-DIN! O-DIN! O-DIN!

So after a long and arduous journey, Beyond will have its very first confrontation with the mighty Odin. Like some of us, this will be my first foray into Valgrind. I am a bit nervous though, but we are a solid team and I am confident we will be victorious.