The Elvaan BLM: INT>MP or INT<MP???

[elledan]

------DISCLAIMER! LETS NOT TURN THIS INTO A RACIAL FIGHT PLEASE!--------


Ok, so I play an Elvaan BLM (I love it by the way, so don't even bother). What I want to know (from the other BLMs/Elvaan), especially since at lvl 40 you can be wearing some AWESOME gear, what to focus on as an Elvaan. Elvaan are cursed with Naturally low MP and INT and up to this point, I have been focusing on increasing my INT as much as possible (+19 ATM @ lvl 40/20). But now as fights start to increase in duration, I find that i REALLY need more MP. What should my focus be now? I'm thinking of switching out some of my +INT gear to get some more MP. I have an Electrum/Goshenite swap macro already set, so Rings are ok. The rest of my equipment is as follows:

• Weapon: Solid Wand
• Ammo: Morion Tathlum
• Head: Electrum Hairpin
• Neck: Black Silk Neckerchief
• Body: Magna Jerkin
• Hands: RSE gloves
• Rings: Electrum/Goshenite
• Ears: Enhancing/Morion
• Back: Black Cape
• Waist: Druid's Rope
• Legs: Combat Casters Slacks
• Feet: RSE Boots

Im thinking of replacing the Neck with the item that gives +10MP and +5evasion. I need some opinions on what to do now, and in the next few levels (I've also been considering the +1 and +2 versions of the slacks which give +15 to MP while in an area under your nations control)

Comments appreciated!!!

[AtraposBLM]

I'm a taru...but I would tell you to use both

As far as going from the electrum hairpin to the +10 mp +5 evasion...doesn't the electrum give more than 10 mp? I never had to wear it...but I'm fairly sure the hairpin I have for leveling my whm gives close to, if not more, than 10 mp. So if you're debating the switch for +5 evasion...don't bother.

As far as additional equipment goes:

You may consider getting an erudite's headband. It's a lv10ish head item that gives +1 int and some evasion. I don't know how much you really care about 1 int, but you could macro switch it with your hairpin...it's fairly cheap (2-3k) so it's something to consider.

Black Cape +1 - another reasonably priced item...I'm still wearing it at lv69, so it's a good investment. You get your moneys worth for that extra 1 int (it's about 30k on midgardsormr).

Mercenary Captain's Belt - again, a reasonably priced item (12-16k on midgardsormr) that can give you +1 int. Lasts until lv66, so yet another investment that gives you your money's worth. You could either macro switch it in...or just have it replace the druids rope. Then again, I don't remember how much MP the rope gives off hand...so you can make the choice as you feel its neccessary.

The mage's slacks that give +1 int are 50k on midgardsormr, so I deemed them unccessary. As an elvaan, you may want to pick them up...however, I'd say you might want to wear the RSE pants instead of them or the combat caster gear. The combat caster gear HQs may be ok, but I wasn't in that level bracket when they were added, so I never had a chance to use them, so I don't know if they're worth the price tag.

Other than that, you seem to be pretty much uptodate. Other things to consider:
At lv51, you'll have 2 staves to buy. They'll run you a pretty penny, but I can't really tell you how much because Midgardsormr is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than any other server (Ice staff is still 600k, and I've heard other people buying it for ~200k). Dark Staff will make a dramatic improvement immediately at lv51, but you can save on the ice staff until about lv60 or so, because you get your AF gloves at 54, and you level on crabs from 52-60, so you won't really have any problems landing spells with the +15 elemental magic skill they give you. I held off on Ice Staff until lv61, when I started leveling on torama and I noticed a significant increase in the amount of resists I got. The Dark Staff I got at the same time...but mostly because it had been beyond my price range at the time (it was 2 million gil when I hit lv59). Now, of course, the dark staff is at 420k and dropping....so it's a good thing I took a temporary break from exping, sold it while it was at 540k (which is just under what I orignially paid to have it crafted), and am waiting for the price to level off somewhere in the 200-300k range. Both staves on your server may be something like 150k each...so its probably not that much worse than the gear you've already gotten ^^

Another thing - look into finding a high level cook that speaks english, and make a deal with him to make you some apple pie +1. I currently get mine made for about 5k per stack, which is just slightly higher than the price of melon pies in jeuno (3.5-4k per stack), so I get a much bigger performance jump without having to spend the 8k they are normally. The pies help a ton...+2 mp recovery is a really noticeable thing, and it also tends to impress people a bit...which is always nice, because then you get more repeat invites. That never hurts, last time I checked



Hope that was helpful, even though I'm not an elvaan ; ;

[Coinspinner]

Re: The Elvaan BLM: INT&gt;MP or INT&lt;MP???

Originally posted by elledan

• Weapon: Solid Wand
• Ammo: Morion Tathlum
• Head: Electrum Hairpin
• Neck: Black Silk Neckerchief
• Body: Magna Jerkin
• Hands: RSE gloves
• Rings: Electrum/Goshenite
• Ears: Enhancing/Morion
• Back: Black Cape
• Waist: Druid's Rope
• Legs: Combat Casters Slacks
• Feet: RSE Boots

Im thinking of replacing the Neck with the item that gives +10MP and +5evasion. I need some opinions on what to do now, and in the next few levels (I've also been considering the +1 and +2 versions of the slacks which give +15 to MP while in an area under your nations control)

Comments appreciated!!!

Get your RSE pants instead of CC slacks, +12 MP anywhere. The torque you could also MP swap like your rings, asuming you can find one, that item is rarely sold on Cerberus. You can also get a Shaman's Belt instead of the Druid's Rope, +5 MP and +1 Int.

Edit:
Pssst... Atrapos... that torque is a neck item and Druid's Rope is +1 Int/Mnd -10% interuption. >.>

[AtraposBLM]

confusing my items ... forgive the post...haven't slept yet today... ; ;

[elledan]

Thanks for the comments...

A few things:

-The RSE Legs is the only piece I haven't picked up. I suppose i dont really need the CC slacks when i really think about it, but might pick them up just for the heck of it.

- I'm already saving up for Ice/Dark Staff @ 51. The prices on my server are significantly lower than on your server (Dark 375/Ice 295). Thanks for the info about not needing the Ice right away. I'd really like to have both AT 51, but thats kind of unrealistic .

- I have a few cook friends in my Linkshell who are moving up to being able to do +1's. I usually use a combination of Melon/Pumpkin depending on the party make-up.

- I think you guys are confused on the rope. ( http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?fitem=1460 )I was using the SHamans belt, but decided to switch to the rope (Only 4k!)

Rare
Type: Belt
Slot: Waist
Def: 3 INT: 1 MND: 1 CHR: 1
Spell Interruption Rate: -10%
Jobs: Bard, Black Mage, Ninja, Ranger, Red Mage, Summoner, White Mage
Races: ALL
Level to Use: 40

Thanks for the good info guys. Keep your thoughts coming!!

[Kirara]

balance it out, don't add too much of either one, with the main focus on elemental skill
elvaan blm don't suck at all

can wear rse set untill af,
levle 68 black cloak

that's about it for black mage
if you fancy, get the entire set of elemental staff

[DrMrLordX]

When I did the Elvaan BLM thang(I'm glad that's behind me) I put my total emphasis on +INT gear. +MP was secondary.

Ditch the Combat Caster's slacks for Mage's Slacks(level 20, HQ of Black Slacks, +1 Int). Ditch the Electrum hairpin for whatever is the best +int head armor at your level. It may be a tie between Erudite's Headband and Sage's Circlet. Get a Black Cape +1 for your back slot, or just wait and get a Red Cape +1 at 43(the MND will help your sub). Ditch the enhancing earring for another morion earring, or if you want to wait, just get the moldavite earring at level 47. Ditch the electrum ring and the goshenite ring and go for two wisdom rings or two eremite's rings +1(if the cash is available. Use 2 goshenites or 2 eremite's otherwise).

You don't really need more mp as long as you're intelligent about how you use your spells, and as long as you use +MP per tick resting food whenever possible. Try pamama tarts. opo-opo tarts, sweet rice cakes, or whatever the HQ of sweet rice cake is for starters, and if you can get it, try brain stew. Brain stew is probably the best BLM food you can get short of ambrosia. Melon Pie +1 is certainly good, too, as is Bijou Glace(HQ of Marron Glace).

You can also do the juice thang in a pinch.

[DrMrLordX]

Bah, double post. How lame *P

[neosoul]

I would just use the best intel and mp foods

[AtraposBLM]

The best exping food that I've found so far is Apple Pie +1. I get it for 5k/stack (AH price is 8-9k/stack), so I actually *save* money on it over using regular melon pies (3.5-4k/stack at AH). For things like HNMing, I tend to use a Serving of Royal Jelly (+10 mp recovery). It's rare/ex, but you can get one fairly quickly by killing some bee's in CN.

[Coinspinner]

The weak ones at the entrance?

[AtraposBLM]

yessir...the ones people say can get you to 150 weaponskill, but I stopped getting skill ups at 125...which prompted me to use my jelly

[riceburner4540]

+10 mp recovery....?!? so one of those on a blm thats 50 or so + dark staff = 41 mp for the initial tick? good lord...

[AtraposBLM]

exactly. I eat one during HNM's...you don't understand just how fast I get MP back with ballad, refresh, black cloak, dark staff, and the jelly. It's really, really sweet.

[riceburner4540]

so i went to crawler's today to farm up a royal jelly. turns out it was ex, not rare which prompted me to get a few more. i tried it out in an exp party. it gives +3 mp per tick, not +10 . it also lasted an entire hour, i was praying that it would wear off so i could use my melon pies...