Suggestions for Galka WHM?

[Auron517]

Currently, I'm on the verge of taking White Mage up, in order to use it as a subjob for my Dragoon. Because I'm a Galka, i've had to put a little bit more thought into leveling the job.

I know that Galkas have the capability to be amazing mages, so i'd like the play the job to my fullest ability. I've put a lot of time into this, so I hope you guys can give me advice on equip, macros, tactics, etc.

Okay, for starters, I'll list my gear, and well as a few future items around my level.

11WHM/5BLM

Main: Freesword's Staff/ Pilgrim's Wand (for resting)
Head: Brass Hairpin+1
Body: Doublet
Hands: Zealot Mitts
Rings: Saintly Ringx2 (Level 14: Energy Ringx2)
Legs: Freesword's Slops (Level 14: Windurstian Slops)
Wasit: Heko Obi+1 (Level 14: Friar's Rope)
Feet: Solea+1
Ear: Energy Earringx2
Back: Mist Silk Cape
Neck: Justice Badge

As you can see, I'm basically going for all out MP setup. I've tried to fit in MND when I can, but I figure, it's useless if I don't have enough MP anyway.

For Food, I've planned on using Roast Mushrooms:

MP +10
STR -1
Mind +3
MP Regeneration while Healing +2
Enmity -1

As far as Macros go, I've pretty much got nothing. I play on PS2, so I pretty much don't need healing macros, I hear. I have one made out for party buffs, and a few for enfeebles, so I could use some pointers.

That's pretty much it. Sorry for the long winded post, but this'll be my first time partying on a mage job, so I'd like to do it right. I know the very basics of what a WHM's role in groups is, but nothing coherent. I'd really like some advice on how to manage healing, as well as some advice for the future.

[bikkebakke]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

My main advice is to not panic. Don't whip out an unnecessary Cure II. When you get it, use Regen. Regen is the most mp efficient spell through these levels.

[Taskmage]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

I would go with Pumpkin or Rolanberry Pie over the Roast Mushrooms. They give 40 and 50 mp respectively. As you said, the mnd isn't that important without the mp to use it, and while the healing mp will help reduce your downtime, that won't mean much to your party if you run out of mp before the fight is over.

Very little is required of a white mage's macros as far as gear swapping and notification goes. I have a party line in my cure macros along the lines of

/p (Cure)2=><lastst> | MP: <mp> (<mpp>)

to help prevent double curing and keep the party appraised of my mp status. If you're going to use the menu to cure, that's fine, but I would suggest having a macro that just says

/p (White Mage) MP: <mp> (<mpp>) <scall20>

That you can hit after each fight to give your puller a heads up. Also, if you're using macros to enfeeble, I'd suggest having a simple targeting macro that says

/ta <bt>

and have all your other offensive macros use <t> as the target. This helps prevent casting on the wrong target in the case of a link or such.

Your gear looks good, and you seem to be of a mindset that you will learn from your own play and become more efficient by yourself, so I don't really have any other pointers for you. ^^

[bikkebakke]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

My end of battle macro looks like this:

/p <White Mage> MP = <mp> <mpp>
/item "Ginger Cookie" <me>
/wait 2
/heal

However since you'll be using pies or mushrooms just take out the /item and /wait.

[Tirrock]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

Yeah, I'd definately go with as much MP as you can get, even in food. At least I would for a galka WHM below level 41.

I thought that ceramonial dagger couldn't be used by WHM. I thought it was every job but MNK and WHM, but I could be wrong, or they could have changed it without me realizing it... Either way, this is just a side-note. If you can get +10MP out of that thing, more power to you.

Edit/Addition:
Oh yeah, easter is coming up. You can probably get your hands on one of those eggs that go in the ranged slot. I've used that same egg on all my mage jobs (even BLM, since 1 INT wasn't worth 300k-400k and one less inventory space for me...). +1%MP is pretty handy considering that it's practically free. Just make sure that you get rid of the default shortcut to ranged attack so you don't throw it on accident, if there is one on the PS2 controller.

[Icemage]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

Depending on your finances you can probably get some good mileage levelling Cooking to level 30 for Pineapple Juice. While higher max-mp races can get a lot of mileage out of just resting a bit longer, juices really help when your max MP pool is lower if you're smart about when you synth and use them.

All +MP gear is a smart choice. +MND is good, but not essential unless you're casting enfeebles (maybe make a macro to swap between gearsets once you start partying to make Slow and Paralyze stick a bit better).

Food-wise, roast mushrooms aren't bad. If you have access to Kazham you can buy them for about 3500-4000 gil per stack depending on fame, if I recall.

If you can get a hold of it or make it yourself, Chocomilk is an excellent choice. +5 mp recovered while healing, lasts 3 hours. Ginger cookies are a reasonable second choice, especially for short parties, but you'll want to make a macro to eat them before healing if you use them, as it's terribly tedious to eat one every time you rest (3 minute duration ). Combine with the above-mentioned pineapple juice to keep yourself afloat in MP without breaking the bank.


Icemage

[Auron517]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

Ah, you're right, I can't use Ceremonial Dagger on White mage. I saw it on the AH, and snagged it, seeing the mp+ and not even looking at the jobs. >< Oh well, I'll just grab a staff that gives me the most mp bonus.

I will use pies over mushrooms then, my cooking isn't level 30 yet, so i'll spend an extra day or two skilling up.

As far as curing goes, what a good cycle to get into? Constant curing as they take damage, wait until they get into the yellow/red? I'm pretty clueless about this.

[Icemage]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

Rest as much as is practical.

Don't over-cure (so if your Cure heals 27 HP, don't cast it until the target has at least that much damage).

Making macros is a good idea once you get past the first 15 levels or so. You'll want them later, and it's never too early to start learning how.

Don't cast cures right at the start of a fight if you can avoid it - cure spells generate a lot of enmity, and it'll very likely make the monsters attack you instead of the tank, especially at low levels when warriors/paladins/ninjas don't have good aggro control tools yet.

Oh, and be careful with Benediction. It instantly heals all party members within a few steps of you, but that tends to make monsters quite angry. This is OK if you have a paladin tank who can use Invincible to take control of aggro. Not so OK if you have some other sort of tank. You get some tools at level 19 (Blink), 20 (Crow gear) and 29 (Stoneskin) to make it somewhat more survivable, and as a Galka you'll have a bit more leeway in the HP department to give the monster time to cool off, but avoid using it if you can.


Icemage

[Auron517]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

Hmm, what is my role on enfeebles at this level? I know a little, like using Dia on crabs, but like all the things about whm, my knowledge is pretty limited. What mobs do my spells work best on?

Should I even worry about enfeebling, or just leave it up to the other mages in the group?

[Tsikuro]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

Seems to me like later in the game the most useful thing WHM can do 'debuff-wise' is alternate flashing with PLD, or flash when PLD is low on health and halfway through casting a spell. Also helps NINs with shadows down.

[bikkebakke]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

As a Galka I wouldn't waste the mp enfeebling. As for a cure cycle, as Icemage said don't overdue it. When you get regen, cast that on the tank then hold of on curing till he's yellow or close to it. No need to cure to 100% between fights, just get them to at least 85-90% then rest. Honestly, I used regen/cure I combo all the way to about the mid-30's and never had a pt complain. We never had long downtimes with the exception of the rare crazy shit, and I always got complimented on doing my job well and managing my mp extremely well. Other than curing, make sure to barfire with gobs and silence when you get a casting gob if no rdm to do it for you. Stay out of range of things like sleep aoe's so you can wake the party back up. I can write more, but I'm short on time... hope this helps.

[Taskmage]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

Enfeebling is not a waste of mp.

Always enfeeble if there isn't someone else there to do it. Paralyze only costs 6 mp. If it goes off even once, that means one less Cure spell you have to cast, so you've saved 8 mp already. It's a good deal. Same goes for Blind if you can stick it.

Slow at low levels may not be a shoo-in debuff. It costs 15 mp, and I think Apple Pie said it reduces the number of swings a mob takes by 15% at minimum. Soo ... *fiddles with calculator* if you don't see the mob swing at least 12 times after slow lands, you didn't get your money's worth out of the spell. So don't use it on short fights.

[Icemage]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

Paralyze is useful at all levels. Saves a lot of MP, costs very little. Dia is optional at early levels, as the 5% defense penalty is negligible, as is the 1hp damage/tick. Dia is worth casting, however, if for no other reason than to keep your Enfeebling Magic skill capped.

At low levels, unless your tank is a WAR/NIN (warrior with a ninja subjob) using Utsusemi : Ichi, you can probably just attempt Slow once at the start of a fight and ignore it if it fails to stick.

WHMs have reasonably good enfeebling success until around level 40. After that, you need pretty good gear to stick much of anything until 51 and elemental staves, and even that boost only lasts for about 10 levels, after which landing Slow/Paralyze/Silence becomes increasingly difficult.


Icemage

[Ridgual]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

after i get DRK to 60 and have my fun with guillotine i also plan on testing out the galka mage role. just wanted to say thanks for the info stated, because i'm pretty much in the same boat as Auron. All of my WHM info has come from what i've read in forums or from partying experience, other then that i'm gonna have to learn as i go on.

Also, i'm definately gonna have an astral equipped, you should definately try and get your hands on one for they are a great mp boost for us labrats. >.>

[Auron517]

Re: Suggestions for Galka WHM?

I've actually discovered from leveling White Mage, that astrals, even for Galka, aren't a necesity. I have no doubt, they'd be useful pieces of equipment, but not having them doesn't hinder you at all from leveling the job.

I sought out gear that gave good MP/MND bonuses, ate Rolanberry Pie, (50+ MP same as Astrals) used a Pilgrim's Wand and Juice for MP regen and never had many MP problems. If I did have trouble, it was because the party was fighting a monster that was too strong, expierence happy pullers that ignored my report macros, or simply shitty tanks that either took too much damage, and/or couldn't keep hate.

My beginning familiarity with White Mage went pretty smoothly. I was the main healer in all my parties (made sure to disband the ones that had a PL), and only recieved help in one of my groups from a RDM/WHM. I don't know what I was worried about, healing isn't nearly as horrific as I'd imagined. I find that I enjoy this job, and I'm definately taking it past level 37.

Playing a Galka Mage can be pretty expensive, but I feel Astrals are a little bit over the top. They're nice to have, provided you have the gil, but they aren't a requirement. As long as you learn how to utilize and conserve your MP correctly, you'll do a fine job.