Gotta love FFXIAH.
I'll have part 2 of "the frugal gourmet" up sometime after the holiday.
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
A nice Christmas Eve laugh
And this has nothing to do with Christmas whatsoever.
Gotta love FFXIAH.
I'll have part 2 of "the frugal gourmet" up sometime after the holiday.
Merry Christmas!
Gotta love FFXIAH.
I'll have part 2 of "the frugal gourmet" up sometime after the holiday.
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Blue Mage - The Frugal Gourmet Part 1
After seeing my share of 70+ blue mages still running around in full AF and MP gear within the past several days, I've decided to make this post on BLU gear that won't break the bank. The idea for this came from Ringthree's "On the Cheap" series and will follow a similar format.
For starters, you can't be dumb, and must be willing to spend a little bit of money. Also you should be able to do some endgame events. This means having sky and sea, preferably having done CoP to the end. You should also obtain all of your spells or be close to getting them all.
BLU is a job that requires a great deal of patience and luck in terms of spell acquisition, which in turn puts many people off from it. However it can prove very enjoyable and rewarding if you stick with it. Its power is derived from its versatility and the fact that it can fill a number of roles on the fly should the situation arise. You won't have the nuking power of a BLM, the muscle of a SAM or the healing prowess of a WHM, but you CAN still assist your party in many ways. However, because of this, I do believe that a number of people try to go for the middle of the road, which hinders their performance significantly in the end. Since we tend to guzzle MP like an old car guzzles gasoline, we need to get all we can from it.
If you happen to be one of those that run around in MP gear and aren't using it for other jobs, just sell it. Or just fucking quit now. Seriously. There are enough bad ones as it is, so stop contributing to the problem. I am merely providing this as a set of suggestions to help get you from where you are to where you should be.
Now, on to the gear.
Weapons
Swords: As a BLU, your primary weapon 99% of the time is going to be a sword of some kind. We have an A- skill level in that weapon just behind PLD. We get off fairly easy in this department. One of the best BLU swords in the game is the Perdu Hanger. While this does not cost any gil, it does require a substantial amount of legwork in terms of assaults as well as the quests involved with ranking up. On top of that, it requires 40,000 Imperial Standing. The latter should not be a problem if you spend a decent amount of time meriting. Another choice is the Koggelmander, which can be obtained by gathering a few friends to blow up Tanihwa in MMM. Next up is the Beast Slayer, which is easily obtained by defeating the ZNM Cheese Hoarder Gigiroon. For the off-hand, there is the Ifrit's Blade. Piece of cake if you can solo Ifrit Prime or have a couple of friends you can team up with. Failing that, you could use a Wing Sword, but that's suited more for Cannonball which I will cover later. Also worth noting is the Erlking's blade from the update this past Summer which has a chance for some solid augments. Like FoV augments, it will require you to get your hands dirty and beat up an NM, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue with any skilled group.
Staves: Now, at some point in time, you will be called upon to assist in healing or sleeping groups of mobs (particularly dynamis or einherjar), so it would behoove you to obtain a Light Staff. You should also have a Dark Staff by now, but really that should go for anyone with an MP pool. It's also nice to have around for casting spells like Eyes on Me. The Fire Staff can be used with Cannonball (coupled with a brave grip) in addition to Heat Breath and Firespit. Also worth note is the Water Staff for regurgitation and corrosive ooze.
Ranged/Ammo: The Jr. Musketeer's Chakram +1 is nice for pulling or if you're /THF in an area such as sea or your home nation doesn't have Tu'Lia. The accuracy from the Tiphia Sting is also a nice option for multi-hit spells.
Now, on to TP. Chances are you will be subbing Ninja, and most likely your accuracy won't be capped. As such, you're likely going to be eating sushi of some kind.
Head: Walahra Turban, plain and simple.
Neck: The Spectacles are a cheap and effective boost in accuracy, and can also be employed for multi-hit spells such as Frenetic Rip. The Chivalrous Chain is a popular choice for all DD's and BLU is no exception.
Earrings: This is a pretty easy slot. The first choice being a Suppanomimi. This reduces the delay of dual wield by 5%. Even if not /NIN, the sword skill is also nice. The Brutal Earring with its 5% double attack will help you gain TP faster. The Ethereal Earring is particularly advantageous in solo situations where you are taking damage and are low on MP.
Body: Here is where things get interesting. Many would argue that this is a toss-up between the Homam Corazza and the Mirage Jubbah. The corazza offers 5 more accuracy than the jubbah and a bit more MP plus some HP as well as triple attack. The big draw of the Mirage Jubbah is the refresh effect. If you don't have either of these, then a Scorpion Harness will do. You really should be aiming for one of the first two, if not both. Any Dynamis shell worth its salt should be able to clear the four cities. If not, you're simply wasting time and experience points.
Hands: As with the other jobs that can use them, the Homam Manopolas are the cream of the crop, followed closely by the Dusk Gloves. Also worth mentioning are the Enkidu's Mittens, which provide a decent amount of accuracy but you give up the haste from the other two.
Rings: If you have other DD jobs, chances are you'll already have a Rajas Ring. If not, then a Blood Ring or an Ulthalam's Ring paired with a Woodsman or Sniper's Ring will work.
Back: The Amemet Mantle +1 and the Mirage Mantle are your best bets given that other options are a bit on the pricey side. The accuracy from the latter will also help with multi-hit spells.
Waist: The Swift Belt, with its mix of haste and accuracy, is tough to beat and worth every bit of effort. If not, there's always the Life Belt or the Potent Belt which is somewhat more balanced.
Legs: The Homam Cosciales are the creme de la creme of this slot, and with good reason. After that would be the Mirage Shalwar. If you lack either of the two, the Prince's Slops will suffice. They offer a nice bit of HP and MP plus some accuracy.
Feet: OK, now for the home stretch. Once again, a piece of the Homam set is on top. The Homam Gambieras provide everything you want in a TP slot - haste, accuracy and a boost to HP and MP. Behind these are the Enkidu's Leggings, but honestly those are more of a THF piece. After that are the Dusk Ledelsens, which have equal haste to the Enkidu boots and some HP. Anything after that is a step down given the lack of haste, but the Tabin Boots +1 could be used until something better comes your way.
Whew... So there you have the basis for a potential BLU TP build. I have chosen to break things off because the casting part is where things start to diverge. This is where the intricacies of the job begin to show. Casting gear is going to depend largely on what you're doing and what spells you have equipped in addition to your blue magic skill merits, if any. Stay tuned! :)
For starters, you can't be dumb, and must be willing to spend a little bit of money. Also you should be able to do some endgame events. This means having sky and sea, preferably having done CoP to the end. You should also obtain all of your spells or be close to getting them all.
BLU is a job that requires a great deal of patience and luck in terms of spell acquisition, which in turn puts many people off from it. However it can prove very enjoyable and rewarding if you stick with it. Its power is derived from its versatility and the fact that it can fill a number of roles on the fly should the situation arise. You won't have the nuking power of a BLM, the muscle of a SAM or the healing prowess of a WHM, but you CAN still assist your party in many ways. However, because of this, I do believe that a number of people try to go for the middle of the road, which hinders their performance significantly in the end. Since we tend to guzzle MP like an old car guzzles gasoline, we need to get all we can from it.
If you happen to be one of those that run around in MP gear and aren't using it for other jobs, just sell it. Or just fucking quit now. Seriously. There are enough bad ones as it is, so stop contributing to the problem. I am merely providing this as a set of suggestions to help get you from where you are to where you should be.
Now, on to the gear.
Weapons
Swords: As a BLU, your primary weapon 99% of the time is going to be a sword of some kind. We have an A- skill level in that weapon just behind PLD. We get off fairly easy in this department. One of the best BLU swords in the game is the Perdu Hanger. While this does not cost any gil, it does require a substantial amount of legwork in terms of assaults as well as the quests involved with ranking up. On top of that, it requires 40,000 Imperial Standing. The latter should not be a problem if you spend a decent amount of time meriting. Another choice is the Koggelmander, which can be obtained by gathering a few friends to blow up Tanihwa in MMM. Next up is the Beast Slayer, which is easily obtained by defeating the ZNM Cheese Hoarder Gigiroon. For the off-hand, there is the Ifrit's Blade. Piece of cake if you can solo Ifrit Prime or have a couple of friends you can team up with. Failing that, you could use a Wing Sword, but that's suited more for Cannonball which I will cover later. Also worth noting is the Erlking's blade from the update this past Summer which has a chance for some solid augments. Like FoV augments, it will require you to get your hands dirty and beat up an NM, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue with any skilled group.
Staves: Now, at some point in time, you will be called upon to assist in healing or sleeping groups of mobs (particularly dynamis or einherjar), so it would behoove you to obtain a Light Staff. You should also have a Dark Staff by now, but really that should go for anyone with an MP pool. It's also nice to have around for casting spells like Eyes on Me. The Fire Staff can be used with Cannonball (coupled with a brave grip) in addition to Heat Breath and Firespit. Also worth note is the Water Staff for regurgitation and corrosive ooze.
Ranged/Ammo: The Jr. Musketeer's Chakram +1 is nice for pulling or if you're /THF in an area such as sea or your home nation doesn't have Tu'Lia. The accuracy from the Tiphia Sting is also a nice option for multi-hit spells.
Now, on to TP. Chances are you will be subbing Ninja, and most likely your accuracy won't be capped. As such, you're likely going to be eating sushi of some kind.
Head: Walahra Turban, plain and simple.
Neck: The Spectacles are a cheap and effective boost in accuracy, and can also be employed for multi-hit spells such as Frenetic Rip. The Chivalrous Chain is a popular choice for all DD's and BLU is no exception.
Earrings: This is a pretty easy slot. The first choice being a Suppanomimi. This reduces the delay of dual wield by 5%. Even if not /NIN, the sword skill is also nice. The Brutal Earring with its 5% double attack will help you gain TP faster. The Ethereal Earring is particularly advantageous in solo situations where you are taking damage and are low on MP.
Body: Here is where things get interesting. Many would argue that this is a toss-up between the Homam Corazza and the Mirage Jubbah. The corazza offers 5 more accuracy than the jubbah and a bit more MP plus some HP as well as triple attack. The big draw of the Mirage Jubbah is the refresh effect. If you don't have either of these, then a Scorpion Harness will do. You really should be aiming for one of the first two, if not both. Any Dynamis shell worth its salt should be able to clear the four cities. If not, you're simply wasting time and experience points.
Hands: As with the other jobs that can use them, the Homam Manopolas are the cream of the crop, followed closely by the Dusk Gloves. Also worth mentioning are the Enkidu's Mittens, which provide a decent amount of accuracy but you give up the haste from the other two.
Rings: If you have other DD jobs, chances are you'll already have a Rajas Ring. If not, then a Blood Ring or an Ulthalam's Ring paired with a Woodsman or Sniper's Ring will work.
Back: The Amemet Mantle +1 and the Mirage Mantle are your best bets given that other options are a bit on the pricey side. The accuracy from the latter will also help with multi-hit spells.
Waist: The Swift Belt, with its mix of haste and accuracy, is tough to beat and worth every bit of effort. If not, there's always the Life Belt or the Potent Belt which is somewhat more balanced.
Legs: The Homam Cosciales are the creme de la creme of this slot, and with good reason. After that would be the Mirage Shalwar. If you lack either of the two, the Prince's Slops will suffice. They offer a nice bit of HP and MP plus some accuracy.
Feet: OK, now for the home stretch. Once again, a piece of the Homam set is on top. The Homam Gambieras provide everything you want in a TP slot - haste, accuracy and a boost to HP and MP. Behind these are the Enkidu's Leggings, but honestly those are more of a THF piece. After that are the Dusk Ledelsens, which have equal haste to the Enkidu boots and some HP. Anything after that is a step down given the lack of haste, but the Tabin Boots +1 could be used until something better comes your way.
Whew... So there you have the basis for a potential BLU TP build. I have chosen to break things off because the casting part is where things start to diverge. This is where the intricacies of the job begin to show. Casting gear is going to depend largely on what you're doing and what spells you have equipped in addition to your blue magic skill merits, if any. Stay tuned! :)
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