Do I need to buy Ancient Magic?

[blueoakleyz]

Or at least all of em?
On my server, 2 or 3 are like 3k each, while another is 50k, another is 80k, and another is like 150k or something like that.
Do I need them all right away?
I've already purchased Freeze and plan to buy every BLM spell eventually

[Rodin]

I have a high level black mage friend, he's in the 60's. He says he only MB'd with freeze, if you plan to do any HNM hunts soon I would say buy all of 'em because they're good at MBing. If you're just going to be leveling I don't think any of them are necesarry seeing as you'll start learning to MB with Blizagga IV.

[Jinxie]

Yes, get as many ancient spells as you can. They own all as you will once you get them.

[Netrus]

i learned to MB when pts started getting WS down......what do u mean when we get blizzaga IV

[blueoakleyz]

Well do I need them in the 50-65/70 range? I'll eventually get them but I just wanted to know if I needed to get them right away

[Rodin]

If you're careful you can do a really good magic burst with Blizagga IV. And the ancient magic is strong, but it's not the own all as Freeze alone costs 307 MP. If it cost more in the area of maybe 70-100 that would be nice, but sadly it's an MP drain. I'd say they're more of a vanity item. Get them when you start HNM hunting.



Edit: I meant start learning to magic burst WITH blizzaga, not MBing in general, it's hard to MB with a -ga spell, I wouldn't recommend doing it before you get seasoned unless you have an escape macro close by.

[Faranim]

1. Level 75 BLM can't use Blizzaga IV. They can use Blizzard IV and Blizzaga III.

2. Blizzard IV does more damage, has shorter cast time, and uses less MP than Freeze.

3. You will want the Ancient Magics in the end-game, not for dealing damage, but for reducing enemy resistance to another element.

[blueoakleyz]

Well I definately plan to hunt HNMs so I would say I'd have them by then, so should I just wait until then?

[Rodin]

DOH!! >_O I meant Blizzaga III. Sorry I've been watching the .dat file hacks and I got mixed up, thanks Faranim.

[Icemage]

Pretty much the only Ancient Magic you need before starting HNM hunting (~70+) is Freeze, for those icky levels between 50-55 or so when everyone expects BLM to toss Ancient Magic "because they can".

Personally I think this is rather silly, but many players at that level would rather see a 4 digit damage MB than actually reach chain 5.


Icemage

[Yuanlung]

I got Freeze, Tornado, and Burst just for the heck of it. Freeze is probably the only one I ever use, and only in rare occasions on MB's. It's just too inefficient MP wise.

Most melees at my level are zeleous believers of distortion. Which is just as well, because with Ice staff, it's our best element too.

[AtraposBLM]

We had a huge discussion about this, but mainly, we came to the conclusion that the only reason to ever MB an ancient spell is if you're at the end of a chain, and have 2 blm's to burst off a relatively weak skillchain. Then, the added killspeed can make up for lack of damage dealers elsewhere, and more or less one-shot kill something for an easy chain 5.

As far as needing AM for HNM...iunno. 300+ mp seems like a silly way to reduce resists when you could just buy the corresponding staff and get 10% bonus damage and increased accuracy for the proper spells, especially because you wouldn't be using the spell the HNM is "weak" against (HNM's aren't really weak to anything, it's just that some things they resist completely, and others they resist like 60%), so you'd get like 200 or so damage off of it. You'd be better off casting 2-3 IV spells instead

[Jinxie]

Originally posted by Icemage
Pretty much the only Ancient Magic you need before starting HNM hunting (~70+) is Freeze, for those icky levels between 50-55 or so when everyone expects BLM to toss Ancient Magic "because they can".

Personally I think this is rather silly, but many players at that level would rather see a 4 digit damage MB than actually reach chain 5.


Icemage

Actually, you can get chain 5 with BLM doing Freeze MBs, depending on how they play, your party make up, and the equipment the BLM has. Refresh, drinks, and a Dark Staff works wonders.:spin:

[MMan530]

Originally posted by Jinxie
Actually, you can get chain 5 with BLM doing Freeze MBs, depending on how they play, your party make up, and the equipment the BLM has. Refresh, drinks, and a Dark Staff works wonders.:spin:

Refresh + Drinks?

[Yuanlung]

Refresh overwrites drinks. They are concidered the same effect.