Is DRK MB worth it?

[modnar]

I posted this subject in the BLM forum. Not sure if I should restate it here or link it... oh. I will do both.
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I was in a party where a DRK and I (MNK) were skillchiaining. We set it up so that he would start and I would finish. After I finish my WS, he would MB with AIR (forgot what effect it was, but the MB was AIR).

I am not too sure if the MB was worth the bother. We were 38-40, and he had only Aero I (not Aero II). Not sure what your impressions are about DRK MB.

I for one was thinking of switching to DRK BECAUSE of MB! It gives a DRK so much more to do...


http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/sho...threadid=42700

[XIX]

According to http://www.ausystem.org/~aushacho/gbox/ff/skill-e.html , DRK's have just as much skill in dark magic as BLM, and more elemental skill than RDMs.

It's just a question of whether or not you have them capped.:sweat:

[tfung]

I think elemental MBs are not worth the MP for drk's to do (except if you're taru).. the elemental skill lvl for drk is quite high, but INT is kinda low for drks.... I usually only bother to drain MB if it's for a dark or gravitation SC....

[Karinya]

But as all RDMs know, the main reason their bursts are weaker than BLMs is not a lack of skill, but a lack of spells. You're bursting with Fire I while the BLM is bursting with Firaga or Fire II.

All nukes do roughly the same damage per MP at the same level (and INT, and elemental magic skill). A nuke that costs twice as much MP does twice as much damage. So the BLM's advantage in bursting is that he can spend more MP on the burst (and has more INT, and usually has elemental magic skill capped while many DRKs and some RDMs don't).

DRK has the problem of having to burst with a small spell even more than RDM; but the burst is still MP efficient, so I'd go ahead and do it (if you keep your skill up). It isn't going to take off half the monster's life like the BLM's burst, but it adds some more damage for a low mp cost (since DRK only get low cost nukes). The BLM will probably spend twice as much MP as you to do 2.5-3 times as much damage.

For the record, RDM don't get Aero II until 45. DRK get it at 54. BLM, 34. But if it's a Fragmentation chain they can both do Thunder instead.

[Ghostraven]

unless the drk has +int gear and is taru, MB'ing drain seems like the only thing worth bursting.

Even with a bard AND a rdm I would rather the drk just save mp for absorb spells and for pulls. I bursted with abs-str a few times and it doesnt add any extra stats so thats not even worth it either.

[Zafron]

imo MB is not worth it. I am a juice user, and am constantly in a state of mp refresh when i xp. I will generally cast 3-4 absorb spells per fight. When I am in a fast chaining group, even stacking my juice refresh ontop of RDM refresh or ballad i am still using my mp as fast as i regen it, and sitting is out of the question imo.

Consequently my elemental magic skill is only at 127(dark magic is at 156 for comparison), and its only that high because i pull with stone. Every now and then when Aspir manages to drag in more than 14 mp, i will try an MB.

The last MB i did was back in lv50 against a chamber beetle in Garlaige following a 72 mp aspir. I used my strongest spell Water II and MBed on Distortion. Now i know every little bit helps but my 15 dmg MB just felt a little sub-par next to the 1178 dmg Freeze MB that our BLM did.

[Tonkz]

It depends on the PT ... at lvl 54-60, I was MB'ing 150 with Aero II off fragmentation but the PT had a bard.

So really, without anything debuffing the mob, then it isn't as worth it because it gets resisted WAY too often.

But with a bard, I did decent MB's very often.

[gix]

I MB with poison off Distortion to keep my skill up in addition to pulling with it, but other than that I don't MB much. From what I hear MBing drain off darkness sc is good.

[FattMusiek]

Bursting Drain or Aspir after a Darkness skillchain is great. I use this a lot:

Souleater + Sneak Attack + Trick Attack + Cross Reaper and burst Drain to regain most of the HP you lost. I've burst for drain over 350+ HP.

[dworkin]

i mb as much as i can, it does about 72 most of the time. i think of it as a second atk. also every little bit counts in the end. also i notice most of the people i pt with are glad i do it to. shows them im trying everything i can to bring the best drk to the pt.

[Mikasa]

original poster:

In my experiences the only real asset MB a DRK can bring to the party 65+ is a Drain or Aspir after a Darkness Renkei, which you will be completing with Cross Reaper.

So after your Cross Reaper line in your macro, don't put any wait lines, just go straight to "/ma "Drain" <t>" etc....

other than our dark spells, I don't really think DRK can contribute anything to a magic burst in terms of elemental spells and damage.

I hope this helps.

[Awntawn]

If you have it capped, it's worth it, as it should do up to the 200's in a burst for the better level 2 spells. if not, then not really. In bone parties, you do no absorbing; your MP is just sitting there. If you've got a RDM in the party, might as well, since the MP is there. It's virtually impossible to cap your elemental magic skill as drk from just levelup parties though, so either you have it from BLM or RDM first, or you join skill parties. It's one of those luxury things that's nice to have but aren't really needed.

Also, DRK wouldn't fair well with level 3 spells, Square planned it real well ending us with level 2's. Any more and 1) our limited MP pool simply would not be able to take it, 2) cast time would be too long, wouldn't be able to burst. In terms of MP though, most of the 2 spells MP usage isn't THAT far off from PLD's cure4. The MP pool isn't that "limited", as hume 75 I have a good 348, that's quite a bit there. Simply refresh can keep it up just fine. Elvs and galkas can go whine all they want for all I care ;p Besides, whenever you're low on MP just stop casting until it gets higher. Not like you were using it for anything else anyway.

[Varo]

Originally posted by Awntawn
It's virtually impossible to cap your elemental magic skill as drk from just levelup parties though, so either you have it from BLM or RDM first, or you join skill parties. It's one of those luxury things that's nice to have but aren't really needed.

Thank the good lord. I thought I was gimped to hell and back for having my elemental and enfeeble so far behind. I ALWAYS keep drk magic capped but I just can't keep enfeeble and elemental capped.

[tfung]

hmm.. I find that the II spells take too long to cast.. in the same time that it takes to cast, I would have gotten an extra swing in, maybe doing a tiny bit less than what a MB (if it doesn't get resisted in the first place). But I to build TP a bit quicker for the next SC from that extra swing... (provided I don't miss )

[Sorath]

Awntawn brings up a good point with the bone PT example. You're not going to Drain/Aspir/Absorb crap from undeads anyway, so might as well use that refreshed MP for bursting Fire II after your light renkei.

Other than that, I feel the MP is better used to MB Drain/Aspir on dark/grav renkeis, or saved besides that for absorbs and the all-important stun. And as tfung mentioned, the time taken to cast a series II spell could have meant one more swing, more damage, more TP ^^.

Both valid points that I believe should be taken into consideration in your judgment on whether to MB or not.

So, just manage your mana well, drain after a souleater 2hit xreaper darkness to get back the hp you lose + deal dmg, and save your mages valuable MP from curing your soul-sucking habits ^^

Adapt to the situation, there's no one solid way to skin a cat (or drain a pugil). Adapt and improve~ ^^b