RDM vs Operation Desert Swarm - Thoughts?

[LoneGamer]

Tonight, I plan to solo Operation Desert Swarm (http://ffxi.somepage.com/bcnm/57)! My plan is...

1) Go in on Lightningday (8:29 PM Pacific) to gain the day bonus to my nukes
2) ES+Sleepga to open
3) Chainspell nuke the first Scorpion with Thunder 3 until it dies, Converting if necessary
3a) If Chainspell is still active, re-sleep the scorpions with Sleep 2
4) Re-sleep with Sleepga as necessary
5) Sleep-nuke the rest of the scorpions one at a time

If I can kill a scorpion in under 5 minutes without Chainspell, I should be set.

Now for some questions!
1) What should I do for food? INT, MP, or both? I'm thinking between Brain Stew, Marron Glace, and Rolanberry Pie.
2) How much medicine? I was planning on several Yagudo Drinks, some Super Ethers, and one each of the Vile Elixirs. Is that overkill?
3) I have one merit point unspent right now. Should I put it into Convert Recast, Lightning Accuracy, or something else? Currently I have one merit in Enfeebling Magic and one in Sword.
4) Do you think I can do this?

[Hamlet]

I would be impressed if you could do it. I would overload on medicines, maybe even more than you have, because you can always sell them back. Also, I'd wait till after the update because there could be something that would really help you do this (like fast cast merits). GL keep us posted on how it goes.

[Icemage]

Tonight, I plan to solo Operation Desert Swarm (http://ffxi.somepage.com/bcnm/57)! My plan is...

1) Go in on Lightningday (8:29 PM Pacific) to gain the day bonus to my nukes
2) ES+Sleepga to open
3) Chainspell nuke the first Scorpion with Thunder 3 until it dies, Converting if necessary
3a) If Chainspell is still active, re-sleep the scorpions with Sleep 2
4) Re-sleep with Sleepga as necessary
5) Sleep-nuke the rest of the scorpions one at a time

If I can kill a scorpion in under 5 minutes without Chainspell, I should be set.

Now for some questions!
1) What should I do for food? INT, MP, or both? I'm thinking between Brain Stew, Marron Glace, and Rolanberry Pie.
2) How much medicine? I was planning on several Yagudo Drinks, some Super Ethers, and one each of the Vile Elixirs. Is that overkill?
3) I have one merit point unspent right now. Should I put it into Convert Recast, Lightning Accuracy, or something else? Currently I have one merit in Enfeebling Magic and one in Sword.
4) Do you think I can do this?

Only 3 total merit points and you want to try to solo a BC that normally requires 5-6? I hope you have all possible gear in HQ then.

Darksday + Anrin Obi. A bit more Thunder III damage isn't going to win you this fight. As I recall, scorpions are vulnerable to Light and Fire, so in the interests of MP efficiency, I'd say Fire III is a better bet due to improved accuracy.

I very much doubt this is soloable by anyone without nearly perfect gear and maxed merits. The last scorpion's AoE hurts a LOT (read: 600ish damage).


Icemage

[Bitter Wisp]

A master soloist BLM can do it.

[Feba]

Yes, but a BLM also has access to high -ga damage, and sleepga II.


All RDM gets is gimp ones from sub.

[LoneGamer]

Hamlet: After the update, the magic resistance changes will make my strategy ineffective.

Icemage: Light and Ice. I didn't realize it was that difficult. I guess Avesta makes things look too easy. As for gear, I'm stuck on 4-2 so no Obi, and my only HQ piece is my Pluto's Staff

Feba: I was entertaining the thought of Chainspell Thundaga briefly.

[Feba]

I don't think you could get enough damage out of a teir I spell to make it worthwhile.

[LoneGamer]

Probably not.

I ended up party fighting it with my HNMLS, too many sources were telling me not to go solo. In the last fight, I discovered that my strategy probably could have worked. I decided to Chainspell nuke a scorpion, and got it down to half HP before Convert. I sleep to Convert.. Paladin wakes it up. I sleep again.. Paladin wakes it up. I run out of his melee range, sleep, Convert, hit my Cure 4 macro.. Paladin hits it and the scorpion drops me before Cure 4 goes off, costing me RDM75. WHM R3s me after the fight and I'm back at 75.

I think if I could reliably sleep the scorpions and had enough MP recovery, I could have soloed that BCNM.

The reason I wanted to try this was so I could say "I've soloed something crazy." It's what I've wanted to do for a long time, it's time to do it.

How resistant is Ark Angel HM to Gravity?