Which Weapon Is Best For My LvL 21 WHM?

[Snowball]

Hi.

I bought myself a Holly Pole (http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?fitem=231) a while ago because of the ''DMG : 20'' on it, so I assume that this particular weapon would give enemies 20% damage.

But yesterday, a friend ingame kindly bought me some new LvL 20 equipment, one of them being the Misery Staff. (http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?fitem=1995) But now I feel a bit confused because this staff has a less dmg% than the Holly Staff I bought originally.
but what confuses me more, is that the Holly Staff I bought, is lvl 16 with more dmg than the Misery Staff at lvl 20 my friend bought for me.

So because of this, I'm thinking that my choice of weapon may be better than the one I was given, and I'm not sure why lower lvl weapons have more dmg than higher lvl weapons.

can someone help me out and tell me which of these two choices of weapon is the better one for my LvL 21 WHM, and why this is please?

Thanks :cool:

[neighbortaru]

you should seriously stop meleeing and use your spare time to rest for mp. dmg for weapons are irrelevant. you should be using items with stat bonuses. +MP and +MIND stuff.

[Jei]

Get a Yew Wand, level 18 +3mnd and int. And a mahogani shield I think is around your level?

As a Whm, concentrate on healing. It's ok if you sure you have enough MP to give your PT chances to chain exp, you can melee to get your skill up. But never concentrate on damage at this level. It's pointless. For a new player I reccomend you don't melee at all too. It takes some time to learn about exp chains and MP management.

[Snowball]

Originally posted by neighbortaru
you should seriously stop meleeing and use your spare time to rest for mp. dmg for weapons are irrelevant. you should be using items with stat bonuses. +MP and +MIND stuff.

I do! Those bonuses are on other items though.
For e.g. earrings, waist belt, and tunic. :cool:

[neighbortaru]

get it for your weapon too. Wands, as Jei posted, are really great.

[Snowball]

Originally posted by Jei
Get a Yew Wand, level 18 +3mnd and int. And a mahogani shield I think is around your level?

As a Whm, concentrate on healing. It's ok if you sure you have enough MP to give your PT chances to chain exp, you can melee to get your skill up. But never concentrate on damage at this level. It's pointless. For a new player I reccomend you don't melee at all too. It takes some time to learn about exp chains and MP management.

I've been doing a bit of soloing for a short time now, as I've taken quite an interest in farming, to collect stacks of items to sell at the AH. (been trying to raise myself quite a bit of gil for items and hopegully become quite rich. Infact I have to say that my ingame character is already wealthier than I am in real life too, but I still don't feel I have enough to buy my character some of the things she still needs) Also been farming items for a guild I'm in too, so that helps. So just for the moment, this is mostly for solo purposes. PTing will come in a bit later on.

Meleeing - whenever anyone mentions that word, I feel confused about what it means. I know it's a fighting position with weapons, but you suggested/reccomended that I get myself a Wand and a Shield.
Aren't staves 'AND' Wands both melee weapons then?

Also, maybe if I use a Staff for solo purposes, and a Wand for PTing. Would that be okay? :cool:

[ibroyles]

Originally posted by Snowball
Also, maybe if I use a Staff for solo purposes, and a Wand for PTing. Would that be okay? :cool:

Yeah, you've got the right idea. 'Meleeing' as they are talking about is the act of engaging the monster with your weapon, and actually attacking it. In a couple of levels, meleeing as a whm will get to be dangerous. For example, in Yuhtunga Jungle its best for the WHM to stay out of range of Mandy's AoE sleep attacks. If you are meleeing when the sleep attack goes off, there will be nobody to 'cure' and wake the rest of the party up. Just an example.

[Snowball]

Originally posted by ibroyles
Yeah, you've got the right idea. 'Meleeing' as they are talking about is the act of engaging the monster with your weapon, and actually attacking it. In a couple of levels, meleeing as a whm will get to be dangerous. For example, in Yuhtunga Jungle its best for the WHM to stay out of range of Mandy's AoE sleep attacks.

Mandy? Is that another NM??:confused:

If you are meleeing when the sleep attack goes off, there will be nobody to 'cure' and wake the rest of the party up. Just an example.

This wouldn't be a party though. In a party, being a WHM, I'm always the one to heal everyone else, when I'm standing at the back with 2-3 others healers too.

But my choice of weapon is just for solo purposes only, I think. you know..... for farming stuff. :cool:

[Metrou]

Mandy is just short for Mandoraga, its not a NM.:)

[Snowball]

So, overall..... in a pt, is it best to use a Wand and Shield (for MND and other stats. Also need a build up of MP too, but they weren't noted on the Wand and Shield mentioned by Jei when I checked them out at allakhazam.com. Guess I'll get my MP from other equipment instead hey?) then?
Then for solo/farming I could use a Staff. :cool:

[Tokitoki]

If you want a high damage weapon for soloing, get a hammer of some sort. Less delay than a staff

[Jei]

hmm at your level it's a bit hard to consider what weapon to use for farming. It will be a painful thing to do regardless.

Later one you'll get Hexastrike, a 6 hit 1hand mace WS which is totally awesome and for that you should keep your mace skill trained (wand is considered a mace too.) So it might be best if you use hammer maybe... Mace are really weak at low level tho so prepare to spend lots of time if you really are planning to go farm.

I would go for fishing skill if I'm a whm. Teleporting to different locations gathering fish for sell while waiting for PT... Icemage once told us he can make 90k/hour just fishing.

[Marvul]

WHM solo = Hammer type weapon. Much faster and do more damage. Plus Hexa-strike at club skill 220 is a godly weapon skill.

[McMeanass]

Guess I'll get my MP from other equipment instead hey?

Pies. That's always been my mp solution as a mage type, especially since I'm Mithra.

[Tokitoki]

Originally posted by McMeanass
Pies. That's always been my mp solution as a mage type, especially since I'm Mithra.

Mithras MP isnt bad >.> now if you said "Thats always been my mp solution as a mage type, since im a Galka"... that would make more sense. Mithra's mp is about the same as Hume