Absorb-Mnd or Absorb-Int to assist blm?

[Nazo]

This came up in a party I had the other day and I wasn't really sure of the right answer. I've heard it said that mnd contributes to magic def. (kinda like vit for physical defence I guess) so draining that would increase dmg.
But I've also seen it said that the spell-casters int is compared to the targets int when determining resist rates so maybe draining int is good too.

I'm more inclined towards mnd as it would presumably help with enfeebles too, but which do you think is the better option?

[Mhurron]

Assist BLM - Absorb-INT
Assist RDM - Absorb-MND

Most BLM won't need the help from Abs-INT but RDM (especially from 50-60) could benefit a lot from Abs-MND. I'd go with MND personally.

Oh and just to complete the list:
Assist WHM - Don't steal hate from your tank :P

[hongman]

As an RDM I would say MND. Christ know I got triple the resists at 57 than I did at 56 lol - wtf is going on there??

[Brayden]

I too would choose abs mind given the choice between the two. Also if you are using a WS that has a mnd modifier, this in turn helps you out some as well.

[Celeal]

From a Tank or DD point of view, I would say those Absorb spell can spike a significant amount of hate. The hate of absorb spell alone is subtle, but when combine with DRK's spike damage, DoT, JAs, it matters.

The reward of Absorb-INT or Absorb-MND is nice if there is a lot of nuking or debuffing going on. However, it is not for those party that lacks of nuke or debuffing, or when MP (for DRK or PT) is an issue.

[Taskmage]

Int and mnd are both used for magic defense. Lowering a target's mnd makes white magic stronger against it. Lowering its int makes black magic stronger against it. So which one will help out the casters depends on what kind of caster they are and what spells they're using.

Having higher int will also make your own black magic stronger, as well as increasing the damage of Frostbite/Freezebite and Dark Harvest/Shadow of Death, so if you use those you might want to try using Absorb-INT first and see what it does to your damage. 12 more int for you and 12 less for the target will probably make a worthwhile swing in damage.

[Nazo]

Thanks all, do Scythes / GSs have any mnd based weapon skills? I notcied some drk AF pieces have +mnd on them.

[IfritnoItazura]

http://www.freewebs.com/vzx-01/index.htm

Scroll down, look for "Great Sword WS", and check under the "Secondary Attribute" column.

[Taskmage]

Huh. Guillotine and Cross Reaper use mnd as a secondary modifier. I wouldn't have figured on that.

It's important to point out that secondary modifiers on weaponskills are just that: secondary. Physical weaponskills are primarily affected by the difference in your str and the target's vit, and magical weaponskills' damages are based on the difference in int. See here (http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/Calculating_Weapon_Skill_Damage). Guillotine, Cross Reaper and I think Shockwave are all physical damage weaponskills, so you'll get a lot more bang for your buck by increasing your strength and attack, and lowering your target's vit and defense as opposed to increasing your mnd stat.

[Shinhiryu_Kage]

Secondary modifiers, to me, seems like adding 0.01% to your damage. Its very negligible. Even when adding it in the +10 and +20s.... Most I've ever seen is about a point or two more in dmg. That's it.

Abs Int + Burn was friggin awesome when I played BLM. Only problem is, Abs Int only lasts so long lol.