Alternate XP Spots at 61+

[Grizzlebeard]

Just wondering where people xp grind at these levels other than Onzozo. I'm currently 61 and xp'ing in this place and I have to admit I hate the zone so far. My gear is respectable, I'm using Shallops Tropicale or Fish Mithka depending on party duration and yet I'm feeling like a paper tank in this zone. Toramas are hitting me for 70-110, most often 90-100 range, and critting for 170-200 pretty often, however, xp gained per kill at 61 ranges from 180-203 with chain 5's. General opinion is paladins stay there till 63 or so then move to somewhere like Bibiki Bay.

So, I guess the question is, do any of you know any alternatives or is this some form of paladin purgatory I have to get through because right now the temptation is so high to level my Nin as I'm wondering where my supposed ability to soak up damage is when I'm being beaten so badly right now.

My gear is here (http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/profile.xml?8943) if anyone has any alternate gear suggestions as well.

Thanks in advance, any advice is appreciated.

[Mephisto]

70~110 isnt a lot, get used to it cuz you're never gonna get hit for less in exp pt until... forever.

[Elesirdur]

If 61 is your highest level in a PT you can also exp in Monastic Cavern off Orcs. I'm kind of in the same boat as whenever I try and exp in Boyahada Tree lately we can't go 15 minutes without an elemental popping in any of the good campsites.

[Dark Aphalite]

I'm afraid there isn't much choice at that level.
Perhaps you can try and squeeze as much out of Valley of Sorrows and MAYBE get to 63 there.

[Thoronas]

Oddly enough I had an exp pt in onzozo awhile back where I was taking pretty much the same damage as grizzle was and the whm left because according to him I was taking too much damage. Nice to know I wasnt as gimp as I felt.

[Kilgraw]

You could level off of Gigas and maybe Magic Pots, if your Whm has Erase, at Upper Delkfett's Tower.

[kuu]

with the 300 xp system, you can try your luck in higher level spots. But be extra careful and the like.

[Rai]

try looking through this : http://mysterytour.web.infoseek.co.jp/ffxi/us/tips/hunt/hunt.htm

You could try chaining like mad on Gobs in Kuftal. Or hold out a little bit longer in Onzozo until 63 and go after Cockatrice in Cape Teriggan.

[Damane]

Originally posted by Grizzlebeard
Toramas are hitting me for 70-110, most often 90-100 range, and critting for 170-200 pretty often, ....

If thats the case tell your blm to do his work to lower your dmg token, by casting bio and the varius elemental spells with status down effect. IF that doesnt still help with the dmg token use an Earth staff to tank them. but 70-100 is still not bad, dhalmels in bibiki bay can hit you for 150 with earth staff on, if they go berserk, make you defense down, and dont get biod... now imagine dhalmel skill AGI up ¬.¬ death

Btw: i think you could go to boyahda tree if you might want to skip ozonzo (thats what I did because of incompetent paralyna silena whms), But then again at lvl 61 you end up useing earth staff for fighting processionairs at that lvl. And I would suggest haveing the pople at your lvl, and the melees 2 lvls higher then you, unless all the lvl 61 people are (Impossible to gauge)

[Icemage]

Torama actually aren't that hard to kill if you know what you're doing. Slow, Elegy, Rasp, Bio II, and/or Flash to cut down how often you get hit, and for how much (and any WHM at level 60+ who hasn't learned how to use Flash in conjunction with a paladin doesn't deserve to level up any further IMO).


Icemage

[Gman]

Stick it out there until 62-63 if you can. At 63 melee, 62 mage, you can do Processionares in Boyhada, but that place is so busy on weekends. You can stay here up until 66 if you mix in some gobbues and steelshells. Once one person dings 67 exp here sucks... time to move on.

As for the damage youre taking, its normal. I also thought the same way as the white mages, thinking PLD are paper thin, but after seeing every PLD take huge damage, I realized it was normal.

You should see how fast a DRK can get killed from a Processionaire with Last Resort + Souleater + Guillotine if not covered by PLD... scary.

There are tons of places to level, but each require a slightly different party setup to be successful. Gustav Tunnel, and Cape Terrigan come to mind too.

[Ariagiovanni]

Nothing more frustrating on whm as a tank taking too much damage.

Honestly I'd stay in onzozo til 62 or 63, that's what my static did, onzozo wasn't a challenge at all. Although being a whm there gives you cramped fingers.

[CarbonFibre]

Originally posted by Icemage
Torama actually aren't that hard to kill if you know what you're doing. Slow, Elegy, Rasp, Bio II, and/or Flash to cut down how often you get hit, and for how much (and any WHM at level 60+ who hasn't learned how to use Flash in conjunction with a paladin doesn't deserve to level up any further IMO).
Could you explain this further Icemage? I don't think I've seen it used effectively in a party setting from a WHM. I might just not know how it would be used though, so I'm curious.

[csBahamut]

PLD casts flash for hate. Flash wears off. PLD takes a few hits. WHM casts flash. PLD casts a cure to get more hate and avoid more damage. Repeat.

The WHM can also save if for big hitting WS, like Sickle Slash. Ass soon as it hits, flash, then cure.

The 2-3 hits that a WHM's flash can cause you to evade is a big MP and HP saver. If you and the WHM space your castings out just right, you will take very little damage. For example: Just today I was fighting Dhamles in Bibiki Bay. Those things hit pretty hard at 68 (80-120, but usually over 100, per hit). Between my flash, and the WHM's, I took a lot less damage. So much so that I didn't need to use defender, and I could renkei with the SAM for faster killing. Which saved me even more MP/HP.

[Grizzlebeard]

Thankyou for all the helpful advice guys. So far I've just stuck it out in Onzozo and will probably do so till 63.

Must admit, on the Flash front I've seen very few whms who do this. Seems more and more I come across now bemoan the fact they have to use their mp to heal let alone cast Flash. :sweat:

[Cuer]

Unfortunately, there are far too few level 60+ exp zones in the game. Once you do hit 63, if you wish to avoid the madness of Boyahda Tree, you can do quite well in the lower section of Bibiki Bay, one of the new zones in Chains of Promathia. There are a handful of goblins down there that repop every 5 minutes, which makes camping them pretty easy. Unfortunately there aren't enough unique spawns to support more than 2-3 total camps, but it can be quite nice for those who can get a whole group together of people with CoP. (It's also quite profitable for any thieves or /thf in the group, since you can steal Gold Beastcoins off them.)

[Gman]

I think 63 might be too early for Bibiki Bay. If you have a PLD tank (no offence) you will get creamed.. the gobs just hit way too hard, that you basically need the NIN so they simply avoid getting hit. Some gobs will seem to take forever to kill too.. 64+ is probably optimal for this location.

[csBahamut]

The bibiki bay gobs don't hit too hard at 63. It's the suicide bombs that suck. Heh, getting hit for over 100 dmg is normal for 60+.

[Verus]

Originally posted by Gman
I think 63 might be too early for Bibiki Bay. If you have a PLD tank (no offence) you will get creamed.. the gobs just hit way too hard, that you basically need the NIN so they simply avoid getting hit. Some gobs will seem to take forever to kill too.. 64+ is probably optimal for this location.
I was there the other day as a 62 PLD. We were alternating between a venerer and fascinator spawn with a RNG, MNK, and BLM for damage. Pulls were a bit slow waiting for the spawn but with a lower level, the exp/kill made up for it. We averaged 3.5-4k/hr (I think, didn't keep close watch) and even though my damage intake may have been up a little, it was nothing that couldn't be dealt with. An Earth/Terra staff could work well in this situation as well I suppose.

[Grizzlebeard]

I did Bibiki Bay from 63 to 65, xp kind of drops off on gobs at 66. Fascinator is the biggest pain if he gets a level III spell on you because he often follows up with a bomb for 600+. I wouldn't recommend an Earth Staff though as I found my Flat Blades were needed when the Blm or Drks fell asleep instead of stunning. :sweat:

[Fuzzbox]

Depending where you camp in Bibiki Bay, there are another tier of Hobgoblins right down at the south end (South East of the F-10 dead-end camp).

From what I can gather there seems to be 3 "tiers" of Hobgoblins there:

Martialist (WAR), Venerer (RNG), Fascinator (BLM) - doable 62-65 I would say
Alastor (DRK), Physician (WHM), Blagger (THF) - doable probably 64-67, beware the Blaggers as they have insane evasion
Angler (WAR), Animalier (BST), Toreador (RDM) - going by the other levels I am guessing these could be done from 66-69 however I have not tried these myself

You can add Alastors in to a 64/65 party at the end of chains however they have a fairly wide spawn level - sometimes they would hit me for only ~90 without Defender up and other times they would hit for ~130.

I've also found that the Alastors and Blaggers have an annoying habit of suicide bombing very early on (a la Gustav goblins) which can either make a chain #5 or kill the PLD/RNG/BRD even with Barfire up.

[JP_Ikari]

Damn, how much do those bombs damage everyone???

JP

[Macht]

Originally posted by JP_Ikari
Damn, how much do those bombs damage everyone???

JP

The suicide bombs seem to be related to the monsters current HP (For the early bombers) and to how much HP is lost (For the near dead bombers). Which is why some suicide early (It a kamakaze style >.> ), Their damage isn't to bad if the RNG can shave off a good chunk of HP before the gob finishes the suicide bombs. Odd of getting that much damage out before then though is pretty slim to none.

Those bombs are nasty though the higher level monsters you fight they start getting to 800's and 1k.

[Elesirdur]

I was fighting a Hobgoblin Alastor (the IT++++ ones to lvl 65's) and before I could even get off my second 'voke he suicide bombed us. I must have had about 1200+ HP up and was left with something in the order of 113 after the bomb. The pt was pretty happy since we got about 268 xp off a Chain #4. :cool: