Club vs. Staff

[Lenous]

So I'm relatively new to FFXI (or at least to rolling a WHM. I played two years ago and almost capped a THF, but that's really neither here nor there) and I was curious to know what you all think is the better weapon choice for this aprticular profession, a club or a staff.

I recently bought a willow staff + 1 (DEF. 6, INT +3, MIN + 3) and have been pretty impressed with the boost that it's given my character in terms of magic potency, however I have pondered on the idea of buying a staff sometime... I was looking at a particular staff at the AH (don't remember the name) and it gave a boost of HP +6 and MP +6. So the matter at hand here is this: I am curious to know your guys' opinion on what you personally prefer.

I was thinking about it and here's how I saw it (through my noob vision if you will). Using a staff that grants a character +6 on both HP and MP (just using this as an example) benefits you in a couple of ways:

1. It gives you more hit points in which a WHM (and a TaruTaru) is lacking in comparison to other Jobs (and races) so therefore if you pull hate in a PT you might be able to take an extra hit or two. However one could argue that hit points don't truly matter if you're in a party that operates efficiently and effectively seeing as a WHM shouldn't have to worry TOO much about being hit.

2. Having an additional amount of MP also could be extremely useful in the sense that that extra X (or in this case, 6) MP could potentially offer just enough to grant you an extra spell which could save your life, or your pt's.

A club on the other hand, which (from what I've seen thus far, and remember I'm a newbie) allows the player's INT and MIN stat's to be increased a bit which could ultimately make your spells all the better.

I personally am leaning more toward the club-side of the spectrum but am very interested in hearing some expert opinions.

[KoukiRyu]

The HP and MP boosts from a staff that gives some thing like +6 HP/MP isn't enough to take a hit, or throw someone a cure, so I'd strongly suggest using a club instead. It's what I've always done, and unless the HP/MP boost is substantial, I personally believe that the INT and MND you get from the club will do you more good than a couple HP/MP.

[Lenous]

That's exactly what I thought and I'm glad you replied because while I was curious to know what other players are using for their setup, I was also hoping to confirm my notion that boosts in the areas of INT and MIN are more important than boosts on HP and MP while playing as a WHM.

[silentsteel]

Well, Int doesnt matter as much, but 3 Mnd is More important than 6 mp in place of usefulness, the 6 mp can only get you one more Low mp spell, not even enough for cure. Not to metion that you can have a shield with it to boost your Def a tiny bit in case you get a spike of hate. Not that it'll make that much of a difference.

[Cotners]

Use wands til you hit 51 for light staff or 55 for healing staff. As far as meleeing (much later, and only for fun) whm's are more efficiant with a maul or cudgel (both clubs).

[Auron517]

I agree, the +6 MP is neglible.

Club is going to shine over staff for WHM all the way until Level 51, mostly because we can land enfeebling debuffs pretty well those levels.

[Ameroth]

I'm not very skilled in WHM (only whm39), but I've found that clubs are mostly more beneficial.

You didn't mention what level you are, but here's a few clubs that are particularly useful:

Lv9: Willow Wand
Lv18: Yew Wand (I'd definitely recommend the +1 version of this because they're usually not very expensive)
Lv28 Eremite's Wand (I'd recommend staying with Yew Wand unless you're worried about getting hit a lot)
Lv32 Solid Wand

-----

Heh, not too sure after that. Like I said, I'm only WHM39, and it's definitely not my main job so.

Another plus of clubs is Hexa Strike. This is an incredible weapon skill offered to only WHMs. It's a skill that's quite a ways down the road, but it's still very impressive. My good friend is a WHM75 who subs /nin to dual wield clubs and let me tell you he can do some damage.

[KingOfZeal]

Hexa Strike. Do I need to say more?

That, and the *traditional* White Mage weapon has always been the Hammer/Great Hammer. Oh how I wish we could get Great Hammers in this game...

[Olorin401]

Hexa Strike. Do I need to say more?
That, and the *traditional* White Mage weapon has always been the Hammer/Great Hammer. Oh how I wish we could get Great Hammers in this game...

You can.

[silentsteel]

/sigh I want that... but I think he was referring to 2h hammers

[KingOfZeal]

Yes. In the same way that Great Katanas are two-handed katanas, and Great Swords are two-handed swords, and Great Axes are two-handed axes... Great Hammers would be two-handed Hammers.

[Auron517]

Hexa Strike. Do I need to say more?
That, and the *traditional* White Mage weapon has always been the Hammer/Great Hammer. Oh how I wish we could get Great Hammers in this game...

In what Final Fantasy game did White Mage get Great Hammers? I'm trying to think but I can't remember two handed hammers in the series at all.

[KingOfZeal]

I believe FF3 or 4 had them? I can't remember which one off hand, but I know at least one of the sprite-based 2D ones had them. Not sure of any of the 3D avatar based ones, though.

[Lenous]

It must've been three, because I know it wasn't four, and considering I've played all of the installments in the series with the exception of III, I'm gonna say that it's probably FF3.

[Irisjir Callard]

My setup at 75:

Healing staff
MP+50 cure potency 10%
I don't know the damage on this one.
Dark staff
hMP+10 and a bunch of other junk
Wind staff
For sneak and invis onry

When I get to have fun, it goes more like:
Darksteel maul +1
I like the dmg but it's kinda slow...now that I have haste+ gear it's not so bad.
*drooooools over Mjollnir*
Viking sheild
attack +12
...wow...people tell me I need to get Genbu's, and I say, what's the point of living longer if you can't hit the mob hard enough to kill it? Mere mortal words do no express my deep attachment to this sheild.



When 40-capped

Holy Maul
I think this is what it is? It's got mind+ on it, and fairly decent melee stats. Yeah, I get kinda hands-on.
Some random ass sheild that I don't really care about much.
Pilgrim's Wand
Which is pretty much my weapon of choice for all situations below 40 cap, even though it does nothing for me standing. It has hMP which is by FAAAR my favorite stat. And even at 40 and 50 cap situations (dark staff being level 51) I have it with me macroed into my resting equipment.