Elvaan WHT, Effective if Used Wisely? Yes or No?

[jnixon16]

Just looking for other Elvaan WHT's out there in higher levels, I'm going to level mine from 15 and up, so just seeking general adivce. Thanks.

[AnubisBlue]

The only problem you'll face as an Elvaan WHM is MP! So for equipment make sure that for each new level you get the equipment that adds the most MP. RSE is great for this and better than most of your AF. The only piece of RSE you won't need as a WHM is the body armor which only adds +4mp.

At level 47 Im currently wearing the 3 remaining RSE, Royal Squire's Robe, 2 electrum rings, electrum hairpin, AF Hammer, Aurora Mantle, Holy Phial, 2 Enhancing earrings, Friar's Rope, and the Morion Tathlum. With my SMN sub I have a total of 573 MP. Eat an Apple Pie and I'll have 597. Eat a Pumpkin Pie and I'll have 613 MP.

I have more MP than any Elvaan mage I've partied with and Im usually on par with Taru mages who have neglected their equipment. However, rich taru usually have about 50-100 more mp at my level. This gap will most likely increase with more levels.

However, there are some RSE equipment for latter levels that Taru cannot equip that will add tons of MP for us. Forrest Rope for instance is Elvaan only and adds +60 MP.

Anyway, you're going to want to try your hardest to have the most MP you can possible have.

[Wrath]

If they manage their MP wisely, then yes. If not, no.

[bakasan]

Asked and answered many times already.

Short answer: yes, you can be a very effective Elvaan WHM.

Longer answer: semi-covered above, you'll be at a mathematical MP disadvantage. Just compensate with food, equipment and smart play. The argument that "more MP = better" doesn't float with me, at higher levels (40s+, when Mage Ballad II, Refresh come more into play; if you sub BLM, at 50 you can aspir as well), it's more important *how* the MP is used, not that you have a larger reserve.

51 Elv WHM, very happy with his 600+ MP (for what it's worth, i'm about 60 MP behind a Taru in my set party of the same level who has up to date gear, and I'm about the same amount ahead of a Mithra RDM in my party, again with up to date gear--though she obviously didn't focus on +MP gear as much as I did).

[Miriamel]

I usually have more MP than Hume whm's at my level, and that is without RSE yet. ^_^ Don't worry, you can be very effective. Another nice thing is that my Cure I seems to be capped at 31HP now, not 30 anymore. Gotta love Elvaan MND. ^^~

[Tobold]

How many MP your character has doesn't matter all that much. It is like the tank of your car: unless it is too small to drive from one petrol station to the next, the size of your tank doesn't matter. It matters how much petrol you need per mile, and how you get the tank filled up again.

An Elvaan Whm armed with juice would be superior to a Taru Whm without. Because the downtime of the whole group is often dependant by how long it takes the Whm to fill up his mana pool again. The 100 points more of a Taru only come into play when things go wrong, and there are adds. But that is something that a good group should be able to avoid anyways.

[Calianeri]

The 100 points more of a Taru only come into play when things go wrong, and there are adds.

That's just not true. Extra MP is far more useful than that. Tarus can use all the extra MP for when things go bad, but that same MP lets them (us, I guess) extend xp chains much easier and use more varied spells that other races may have to avoid because of the MP cost. Juice is great for certain situations, but it's not a real solution to the MP difference between races, and is expensive even if you make your own.

But, as long as an Elvaan was serious about conserving MP and getting +MP or HP->MP equipment, he can be a fine WHM.

[bakasan]

More MP is always nice, but the higher the levels you get, the less the difference is such a pressing matter IMO. Again, refresh, bards come more into play. Fancier +MP, HP->MP equipment comes into play (RSE, AF, BCNM drops, etc.). At the higher levels, if you're in trouble, sorry, but it's likely that 50, 60, even 100 MP isn't gonna save the party if they truly are in trouble. (heh, Antican trains are no fun)

Hell, there's a 68,70 galka summoner/whm running around on bismarck, and having XP'd near him, looks like he was a primary healer for them too--and they seemed to be doing just fine.

It all boils down to playing smart. You have less MP, compensate. Just like my Taru mage friends have a good deal less HP and are *always* having to be *VERY* careful about attracting hate.

[Valerathon]

What AnubisBlue said was right on. If you keep up to date on equipment, you'll be fine. Today, I was in a PT with more MP than the Hume BLM we had with us (yay RSE!!). And like bakasan said, I don't have to worry about dying from two or three hits from a monster, like I've seen alot of Tarus do (especially if they don't manage hate well, and burn through their MP). As for the extra MP helping in emergencies, its already been said: 1) shouldn't happen if you know what you're doing, 2) its not going to make or break the situation - I know how fast I (or any other mage) can burn through 100 MP in a pinch, and it doesn't make a difference if its an emergency. And BRDs are a wonderful, they really make a difference , and at higher levels, race won't matter.