Duoing

[Verranicus]

A friend has recently joined FFXI with me and I'd like for us to at least avoid the horrors of Valkurm. I'm a warrior or monk and she's a white mage. Where can we start duoing at 10+?

[Silent Howler]

La Theine Plateau, Konschtat Highlands, or Tahrongi Canyon should work okay. But one thing to keep in mind, the Dunes aren't always bad. It's generally worse if you're at the lower end of the scale (lvl 10-12 vs. 12-14) but it doesn't have to be skipped entirely. If you manage to get a good party setup with people you know it can actually go quite smoothly.

[Clever Ninja]

The K Highlands or La Thiene are both acceptable, just stick to the EMish mobs, depending on your job combination.

And also, depending on your job combination, you can start moving into the Dunes at the 15+ level range. I soloed a Lizard as NIN at around 15-16 although it took awhile, but completely doable.

[Verranicus]

It's not so much that I hate dunes as it is that I hate parties with 3+ dancers and 3 PL's that still have someone die every other pull.

[Haggai]

Yeah, I agree with everyone else. Have her dawn a nice hammer, Level 5 Bronze and Level 12 Brass Hammers come to mind, both purchasable in Bastok Markets for cheap. She can slap a Dia on it and whack the mob right beside you. Starting at level 10 is a good idea, that way you can sub WAR for voke so that it stays on you while she keeps you alive. No nuking for her, not even Banish. Have her stick with dia, paralyze, and maybe slow.

[Theyaden]

To be honest it's going to Quifin Island that always has me groan. Eventually unless someone wishes to solo all the way you are forced to go through the 1st learning pains of discovering how to party. If you learn in the dunes at least everyone expects it to be first timers when people solo past those levels there is the problem of the learning curb being in a higher zone than people expect to educate newbies. As a result there is less patience for the mistakes that will be made during your 1st party.

[fallenintoshadows]

Ghelsba Outpost, somewhere like that but I'd recommend going into at least a couple of parties in VD with your friend just so they get that experience from it. easy solution to getting invited to a bad party is to make the party yourself. At this time, also reduces the chance of getting stuck with a party full of dancers.

[Verranicus]

Til what level could we stay in Konchstat?

[Balfree]

I got to 18 duoing RDM MNK in the La Theine Plateau, i started partying at this point, however, i've recently discovered that a healer + dd combination at 18~25 is marvelous in qufim, fighting worms and the occasional crab and bat.

MNK will tear through those wormies in no time, and the WHM can silence them and paralyze them for maximum pwnage.

Anyway, go all the way from 10 to 18 in one of the "coming of age areas", that is La Theine, Kons and Tahrongi

[Caspian]

You can also go to Korroloka tunnel at ~15 or so and fight the worms there, too if I'm not mistaken.

[Silent Howler]

I soloed my Monk to 16 in Tahrongi Canyon, but the higher you get the more difficult it is to find good prey.

And yeah, 15 is an alright time to head over to Korroloka Tunnel (for party, not solo).