Solo RDM Advice

[Skeetaru]

So basically my RDM is 70ish, within the next week it will be 75 and for all intents and purposes it will be a "Solo RDM", also RDM/BST, but anyway. My questions to you guys are as follows:

1. The main question is what, if any, are your "indispensable" pieces of equipment for your RDM, I am in an endgame LS so Dalm is not an issue. Also, we do xarc at least once a week and have gotten a ton of RDM hats so that isn't a big issue. I'm looking more at the Cheviot Cape type of not as sexy items. Money isn't really an object, neither is assistance for the rare/ex stuffs so throw out whatever ideas you may have.

2. My merits plan on going as follows: Convert - 5, Ice acc - 5 Slow 2 - 3 Para 2 - 3. Good, bad? I have 8 ele and 8 enfeeble merits from my blm already as well as 5 int merits.

3. A RDM friend of mine has said that +haste can be a big deal to solo RDMs, have you seen this be the case? I'm assuming this means Nashira, which before now I've never had a taste for.

4. Any good advice in general will be appreciated too, I have had plenty of experience doing bio kiting with blm + gaiters and grav. (Mostly for fun) but just feel free to add any info you deem noteworthy to this thread. RDM/BST ideas much appreciated too.

Thanks.

[Medivac]

i would say merits go somthing like:
5/5 wind merits
5/5 ice merits
cap bioIII
350 stoneskin set up
hq staves, w.legs etc.

pretty much everything you will solo you will be kiting. and about haste gear, i don't see any relivence in it due to the fact that you are going to want max enfeebling skill, then stack as much int/mnd gear in every possible spot

[bebeci]

http://belkinator.livejournal.com/
Give it a read, he lists out certain gear/merits that are useful/necessary.

[Isiolia]

Well, a big thing is your focus for soloing. The common thing of course being to use your head and come prepared.

1. The main question is what, if any, are your "indispensable" pieces of equipment for your RDM, I am in an endgame LS so Dalm is not an issue. Also, we do xarc at least once a week and have gotten a ton of RDM hats so that isn't a big issue. I'm looking more at the Cheviot Cape type of not as sexy items. Money isn't really an object, neither is assistance for the rare/ex stuffs so throw out whatever ideas you may have.

HQ staves. Joyeuse for melee of course (Justice Sword is a fine addition/alternate). Genbu's Shield is great for melee soloing, to name a few. Crimson Cuisses are obviously huge for kiting.

IMO, 90% of the time it's about having and using standard gear than really rare stuff.

2. My merits plan on going as follows: Convert - 5, Ice acc - 5 Slow 2 - 3 Para 2 - 3. Good, bad? I have 8 ele and 8 enfeeble merits from my blm already as well as 5 int merits.

Personally I'm at 4 Convert 3 Ice 3 Wind, 2x Para II, Slow II, Phalanx II. But I'm pushing more of an all-around build.
One thing to consider with elemental ACC is that two of your must-lands are Wind based (Silence and Gravity). Bind is the only Ice based one.
I'd also give a hearty "meh" towards Paralyze II. Tons more MP to use, and the results don't really reflect that.
Phalanx II is situationally very nice to have, though solo isn't one. If you forsee bringing RDM to a small-man Dynamis run or Salvage or something though, it can be quite handy.

3. A RDM friend of mine has said that +haste can be a big deal to solo RDMs, have you seen this be the case? I'm assuming this means Nashira, which before now I've never had a taste for.

Haste and Fast Cast are extremely handy for RDMs in most any circumstances. You can use them to cut down Refresh/Haste recasts, Stun timer, Utsu, Sleep timers...it's a matter of how much you can or want to macro.

Nashira is far from the only way to go for it. Really, the only slot that it's the only/best option is the legs.
For the body you have Relic, which has a Fast Cast enhancement. Goliard body has 4% haste as well.
Head, Walahra of course, hands and feet there's Dusk. Swift Belt, Loq. Earring as well.

RDM/NIN rarely evades anything, so being able to toss shadows back up constantly is quite useful, though for some things it's a matter of throwing up Utsu Ni to recast Stoneskin.

4. Any good advice in general will be appreciated too, I have had plenty of experience doing bio kiting with blm + gaiters and grav. (Mostly for fun) but just feel free to add any info you deem noteworthy to this thread. RDM/BST ideas much appreciated too.

I've not done -tons- of stuff RDM/BST, but generally it's safer than BST main at 75. One caveat is that you pull hate pretty easily with enfeebles. Really helps give your pets an edge at times though. I've usually used it for messing with Corses or Tonberries, but I've also duoed with a BST for XP in Bibiki and Mount Zhalyom.

[Zoot]

1.) I hate to say it but I rarely use my cheviot cape on RDM. I have it macroed into my "oh shit," Utsusemi and standing gear macros. It's nice, but I don't find it indespensable.

R/EX: Altruistic Cape, Duelists's boots, Mouldavite Earring, Yigit Gages, Duelist's Tabard, Nashira Serahweels, Loquac. Earring, Swift Belt
AH: HQ staves, Dusk gloves and feet, Elemental Torque Enhancing Torque, Enfeebling Torque, Mahatma or Morrigans Legs and Feet, Penitents Rope

2.) Those seem like good choices!

3.) Yea, I really notice a difference. Haste set = Dusk gloves and feet, nashira serahweels, Swift Belt
Fast Cast = AF1 Hat, AF2 Body, Loq. Earring

These should be equipped to Utsu, I also use some for stoneskin (along with some MND) and stun macros.

I think you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly if you're used to soloing on BLM. Hmmm general tips, keep a vile elixir +1 on you for a mini convert at all times lol. Also, a reraise pin. Don't forget to unequip dusk when running. Keep a terra's staff equipped when not casting. Poison II doesn't break bind or give TP. Keep yourself hasted for bind/gravity/sleep etc recast timers. Can't think of anything else right now lol.

Edit: Wow that's one sexy LJ

[shukuffxi]

1) Duelist's Chapeau, Dalmatica (Or Morrigan's Robe, preferably the robe). I'm not lucky enough to have a Refresh body piece, though I do have the chapeau. The extra MP is just fantastic, and invaluable. Basically any Enfeebling Skill+ gear you'll want for things like Bind / Silence / Gravity. Some people like to use a bit more INT on Bind/Gravity, but for me, the best results on those come from going full blown Enfeebling Skill +, as well as Poison II. Slow II/Paralyze(2) You can get away with AF2 Hat and Torque, and MND everywhere else on most mobs, as your Enfeebling Skill is capped, adjust for more Enfeebling Skill as needed.

While i've done plenty of DoT solos, things are much more fun, and faster, if you can throw in nukes. With full Elemental merits like you have, you should be able to put in a nice amount of damage. Upgrade your AF1 hat to AF1+1, you already have 5/5 INT merits, and get your Merciful and Altruistic Capes.

AF1 Hat, Elemental Torque, and your best friend Aquilo's Staff go along way to reducing your resist rate , and if you're having serious issues, feel free to swap in AF2 legs as well. Your base Elemental Skill @75 is 230, which seems rather paltry, but add in AF1+1 hat (+10), Elemental Torque (+7), Aquilo's Torque (+10) and your merits (+16) and you're looking at +43 Elemental Skill (+53 if you want to equip AF2 legs, at the cost of 7~10 INT) and you're looking at 273 Elemental Skill (or 283 Elemental Skill), with an HQ staff, you're good enough to nuke almost anything. Moldavite Earring and Novio Earring are your friends, and if it's at all possible, Morrigan's Cuffs >>> Zenith Mitts. Generally I don't have any trouble sticking Thunder III in many cases in a setup similar to what i've listed, minus the Morrigan's Cuffs, and no AF2 legs, and I only have 2 Elemental Skill merits (6 Enfeebling, 2 Elemental, 8 Blue).

Outside of Enfeebling/Elemental sets: You'll want a max Fast Cast setup for Stoneskin casting, as well as Utsusemi casting obviously. But a 45%~ish casting Stoneskin is very very nice to have, as long as you make sure to max it out to cap. A solid defensive set will also benefit you a ton (Earth Staff, Cheviot Cape, if you're hardcore, some Darksteel pieces, and even an Ethereal Earring). We can take a huge amount of damage fully buffed and in defensive gear. I can't stress how important Fast Cast is, because you will be casting *A LOT* in most solo cases. And of course, since I forgot to mention it above: Crimson Cuisses are incredible, for obvious reasons. INT+5/MND+5 rings, etc, the obvious. The best sensible Convert gear is also highly desirable, I like to have enough to at least use "excess convert mp" to plant at least a Cure 3/4 on myself, a Regen, and renew my Haste and Refresh, if applicable, since these things don't require me to swap into a potency/skill setup to achieve the best results

2) Convert 5/5 = Winner. Even more so for soloing and nuking, it allows you to speed things up, and have more MP, faster. There is literally no down side to maxing out Convert, it works marvelously for solo play, as well as for team play.

Ice Acc 5/5 = Not bad. Some people really prefer to have 2 or 3 merits in Wind Acc, because of Silence and Gravity. Personally, at this point, I don't agree, as Silence and Gravity are always getting a full Enfeebling Skill+ set from me, and the resist rates are virtually nil, i've already removed my Wind Acc merits, in favor of more Ice Acc. I find this more important since since a patch a while ago, many NMs build a resistance to Gravity over time, and your Acc merits are not going to affect this. But there is no such resistance for Bind, and this is the one you want to stick, without fail, non stop.

Slow II/Para II max... Not so certain. I used to be more of a tank PT RDM, so my setup was Slow II x2 Para II x1 Phalanx II x3 (Salvage RDM also, previously). If you're an extreme DoT soloer, you might want to toss at least 2-3 points in Bio III, as well as make sure you have enough INT to reach the highest tier of damage you can get from Bio III. That being said, you can get away with Bio II and a good set of INT gear, it shouldn't hamper you too much. Bio III costs a lot more to cast, however it can also land for a fair bit of damage, though I do not have much experience with this. Slow II is worth casting on most things you're soling, as it lasts a fairly long time, while Paralyze II is less so due to it's random duration, and heavy MP cost.

3) You want enough Haste+ gear on several things: Utsusemi (obviously), and sneak in whatever Haste+ you can get on to your Bind and Gravity without gimping their m.acc, as both have fairly long recast times. Nashira Seraweels as well as the feet are good for this, as they both offer Haste and M.Acc, though the M.Acc and Haste on the feet (or hands) are paltry. You'll have to mix and match, and decide what works best with your setup.

4) I think I covered most of my advice above, and I don't have any experience with RDM/BST, all I can tell you there is: Your BST main will have to be 75 for you to be able to charm anything, with RDM/BST, not just BST37. CHR+ gear helps, as well as some of that Ogre gear. I know several RDMs have subbed BST to solo XP, as well as NMs, however my experience there is very limited.

If you have any questions (or anyone wants to laugh at my ideas ; feel free to ask/laugh at me.

[Skeetaru]

1. I have Novio Zenith Mitts+1 as well as morrigan mitts and elemental magic sea cape . Ive gotta get another blm to come do ixdrk for enfeebling cape. Also have all HQ staves, I think ill have a pretty good nuking set that wasnt a huge worry to me.

2. I think that for the most part im set on the convert -5, ice -5 for first set of rdm merits. Bio 3, doesnt that not do more dmg/tick? Just last longer? Id be willing to skip para 2 because ppl say it sucks, but if its just a longer bio i dont see the value.

3. Thank god i use windower macros because i have a feeling when soloing im going to be constantly blinking haha. I have dusk from my war, so I should be ok until i pick up some more Nashira.

4. Yeah my bst is 69, should be 75 shortly so my rdm/bst wont be gimped .

Great info so far, keep it comin!

[chapstick]

I don't find Bio III worth it. Seems like you don't need any advice in the gear department, but Nashira legs are very good. And since you have experience in kiting things etc already, I think you should be ok as long as you are good at keeping focus.

[shukuffxi]

Something else I wanted to add in, after I posted:

Remember that any damage has a chance of breaking your Bind, even a Dia for 1 damage. Poison II will not break a Bind. I've solo'd plenty of Energetic Erucas as RDM/BLM, stacking on Elemental Enfeebles as well, /NIN isn't the answer to EVERYTHING. In some cases, /BLM or /WHM is more useful, or even /SCH might also be useful, but my /SCH isn't finished, and seems heavily limited to the 60 second recasts on Light and Dark Arts.

Learn your distances as well, for casting from max range. I try to leave Gravity off many NMs I solo, usually only on the pull, and if Bind wears off quickly, will I re-apply it. If you can afford to cast from max range, that's more "safe" time, to cast whatever else needs casting before the mob reaches, i.e: re-applying Bind, or breaking Bind from max distance, etc.

A macro for gear swapping just to avoid being locked in place by the casting animation is also largely of benefit, as you often don't want to be forced to stand still, even for an instant. Learn the casting speed of your spells in your normal gear you cast those spells in, so you can move just an instant before, for more rooms (you can see this in a lot of BLM videos, on Youtube or Stage6 if you want to look)

I'm jealous of your Morrigan's Cuffs And well, a lot of your other stuff, but I severely gimped my mage jobs for a few months to finish my Ares's Cuirass XD If you have practice with BLM solo, this shouldn't be a big adjustment for you.

[Skeetaru]

Something else I wanted to add in, after I posted:

Remember that any damage has a chance of breaking your Bind, even a Dia for 1 damage. Poison II will not break a Bind. I've solo'd plenty of Energetic Erucas as RDM/BLM, stacking on Elemental Enfeebles as well, /NIN isn't the answer to EVERYTHING. In some cases, /BLM or /WHM is more useful, or even /SCH might also be useful, but my /SCH isn't finished, and seems heavily limited to the 60 second recasts on Light and Dark Arts.

Learn your distances as well, for casting from max range. I try to leave Gravity off many NMs I solo, usually only on the pull, and if Bind wears off quickly, will I re-apply it. If you can afford to cast from max range, that's more "safe" time, to cast whatever else needs casting before the mob reaches, i.e: re-applying Bind, or breaking Bind from max distance, etc.

A macro for gear swapping just to avoid being locked in place by the casting animation is also largely of benefit, as you often don't want to be forced to stand still, even for an instant. Learn the casting speed of your spells in your normal gear you cast those spells in, so you can move just an instant before, for more rooms (you can see this in a lot of BLM videos, on Youtube or Stage6 if you want to look)

I'm jealous of your Morrigan's Cuffs And well, a lot of your other stuff, but I severely gimped my mage jobs for a few months to finish my Ares's Cuirass XD If you have practice with BLM solo, this shouldn't be a big adjustment for you.

Ya the only way i keep buffer on my blm is to solo. I dont do manaburns because i always end up tanking too. So i understand max casting ranges etc. Also moving while casting has saved my ass/made me a more efficient. My Morri cuffs aren't even an item i wanted lol, they kind of just fell into my lap on a few random runs >.>.

Im quite excited to have a new job to toy with. My blm is pretty much done besides a couple morri pieces. My war is just waiting for me to get enough currency to finish my lolGArelic. So i can really put some time into playin around on rdm solo.

[shukuffxi]

The Cuffs are awesome for RDM, since they have the +5 M.Acc, and same MAB as NQ Zenith Mitts, without -HP, and +MP, it's just all around delicious for a RDM nuker. I have Ice 4/5 now (1 in Wind, just rebuilding merits again ._.) and full Ice Acc + Morrigan's Cuffs is great for our nuking, I really wouldn't wanna put on AF2 feet unless I had to... Sadly Macha's Cuffs refuse to drop

[Skeetaru]

The Cuffs are awesome for RDM, since they have the +5 M.Acc, and same MAB as NQ Zenith Mitts, without -HP, and +MP, it's just all around delicious for a RDM nuker. I have Ice 4/5 now (1 in Wind, just rebuilding merits again ._.) and full Ice Acc + Morrigan's Cuffs is great for our nuking, I really wouldn't wanna put on AF2 feet unless I had to... Sadly Macha's Cuffs refuse to drop

we got 3 hands and 2 legs in 1 run >.>

[shukuffxi]

We've got 2 Cuffs complete at least ;/ /derailed ;; Nothin else to add now!

[Belkin]

So basically my RDM is 70ish, within the next week it will be 75 and for all intents and purposes it will be a "Solo RDM", also RDM/BST, but anyway. My questions to you guys are as follows:

1. The main question is what, if any, are your "indispensable" pieces of equipment for your RDM, I am in an endgame LS so Dalm is not an issue. Also, we do xarc at least once a week and have gotten a ton of RDM hats so that isn't a big issue. I'm looking more at the Cheviot Cape type of not as sexy items. Money isn't really an object, neither is assistance for the rare/ex stuffs so throw out whatever ideas you may have.

2. My merits plan on going as follows: Convert - 5, Ice acc - 5 Slow 2 - 3 Para 2 - 3. Good, bad? I have 8 ele and 8 enfeeble merits from my blm already as well as 5 int merits.

3. A RDM friend of mine has said that +haste can be a big deal to solo RDMs, have you seen this be the case? I'm assuming this means Nashira, which before now I've never had a taste for.

4. Any good advice in general will be appreciated too, I have had plenty of experience doing bio kiting with blm + gaiters and grav. (Mostly for fun) but just feel free to add any info you deem noteworthy to this thread. RDM/BST ideas much appreciated too.

Thanks.

1. Dalmatica, Duelist's Chapeau, Terra Staff, Jelly Ring, Cheviot Cape and Crimson Cuisses are in a standing macro I always default back to after doing anything. You can take the Jelly Ring out for stuff that casts magic, but the rest should be on every time you are just standing there. Another "Standing" investment would be that Orochi neck piece (Regen). Not really necessary, since I think it's only 1 HP per tick, but it would maximize your standing macro.

Also, as far as "little things" go, don't underestimate the usefulness of HMP gear. If you are fighting something that can be slept, you can Sleep II and rest and get a good amount of MP back in the time it takes for the mob to wake up.

It seems like you got the nuking setup down nicely, which can be a great staple of any solo RDM if geared correctly.

Make sure you have a Stoneskin setup that reaches the 350 cap. Try to incorporate AF1 hat, AF2 body and Loquacious Earring (Makes it fire around 40%) because otherwise, its a long tedious cast when a mob is barreling toward you ready to eat your testicles. I get 350 Stoneskin using those 3 items, Enhancing Torque, AF2 gloves, AF1 pants and MND filled in in the rest of the slots. Recast it every time you get hit, even if it doesn't break.

----


2. Personally, with Dalmatica and Duelist's Chapeau, you can deal without the Convert merits. I capped Ice and Wind accuracy and they are both incredible let me tell you. Ice accuracy works great for Bind, Blizzard III and Paralyze for standard non-solo stuff. Wind accuracy is really the gem, I didn't have it capped for a while because I didn't think it would make a huge different, but I can basically use Gravity any time I need against things like Zipacna and Fuast now and have it not get resisted at all. It is so incredibly nice to know that you can count on a full strength Gravity when you are in a pinch.

As for tier 2 merits. If you are serious about soloing on RDM, capped Bio 3 is definitely the way to go. It's either 3 merits in it or none. Casting Bio 3 that only lasts 30 seconds is a HUGE MP sink. And Bio II is pretty meh. RDM can only hit the second Bio damage tier (211+ Dark Magic Skill), making Bio 2 only do 6 damage per tic. Bio 3 with 211 Dark Magic Skill will do 8 damage per tic. Some numbers for you...

Ix'Aern MNK has 9,000 HP.

Bio 3 will do 160 damage per minute.
Bio 2 will do 120 damage per minute.

With Bio 3 only, the fight will take 56 minutes.
With Bio 2 only, the fight will take 75 minutes.

Keep in mind Poison 2 is 8 damage per tic on anything which cuts those times in half basically, making it seem a lot closer. But things with much more HP (Gration, Seiryu, Genbu) the numbers really speak for themselves in terms of time. Also things that cannot be poisoned, your only real source of reliable damage is Bio.

You don't really need to Slow 2 or Paralyze 2 anything you are soloing, because most of the time they aren't hitting you that often anyway, making them a waste of MP. I have capped Bio 3 and Slow 2 (Just for general use).

As far as other shit, 8 Elemental and 8 Enfeebling is the only way to go. Meriting anything other than those 2 accomplishes virtually nothing. And yes, capped INT is the best for Gravity, Bind, and nuking.

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3. AF1 hat, AF2 body, and Loquacious Earring are the only "haste" items I have on me when I solo. Cast Refresh, Haste, Cure, Utsusemi, Stoneskin and Bio in those pieces of gear. You don't need haste gear ever, just those 3 items. If you cast Bind in haste gear trying to get low recast timers, you are dicking yourself because it will just last for 5 seconds then you'll be getting your ass kicked while you wait for the recast anyway. NEVER skimp out on full strength enfeebles/nukes trying to cast faster/get lower recasts. It's just stupid.

So moral of the story, you don't need haste gear.

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4. Start with something easy. The pressure can get to you if you are inexperienced (Especially if you have a whole crowd of people around waiting to take the mob...cough Despot/Zipacna). Capped merits do help tremendously. Good macro's are ESSENTIAL. Without good macros that swap in the right gear at the right time, you are gonna be running at half capacity. Make sure you field test them before you start soloing. Aura Statues at Ullikummi is a good place to get your macros down. As they share similar magic resistance rates as many mobs you solo...and they are good for EXP/Diorites.

Don't forget Reraise items...EVER. I often bring a Reraise Gorget as well as a Reraiser potion. Use the Gorget before you start, use the Reraiser if you die mid fight and are trying to recover and reclaim quick (Ix'Aern DRK/MNK come to mind).

For more information about RDM/NIN soloing in general, you can visit my LJ below.

belkinator.livejournal.com

If you have any more questions, just ask, I solo pretty much every day. I am also open to new project ideas. If you have any NM in mind, let me know.

[chapstick]

Make sure you have a Stoneskin setup that reaches the 350 cap. Try to incorporate AF1 hat, AF2 body and Loquacious Earring (Makes it fire around 40%) because otherwise, its a long tedious cast when a mob is barreling toward you ready to eat your testicles. I get 350 Stoneskin using those 3 items, Enhancing Torque, AF2 gloves, AF1 pants and MND filled in in the rest of the slots. Recast it every time you get hit.

This is very important. Make sure you have full 350stoneskin on you as often as you can. I see alot of rdm's not do this and I can just tell they are going to get owned. Good post Belkin.

[Liseth]

Decide to solo something and do it. You'll probably die a few times but it will give you a good feel for what to expect. A lot of the rarer items like Duelist's Chap and Dalmy are nice but are not needed to solo most things. W legs are nice to have though.

[shukuffxi]

The only thing I really disagree with is not doing 5/5 Convert merits. To each their own I guess. I already encounter virtually no resists on Gravity without 5/5 Wind Accuracy, same with Silence, as long your Enfeebling Skill is meritted to max and you have an AF2 hat. The rest of the average Enfeebling Skill+ items make sure you won't get resisted much, and if you have 2-3 Nashira pieces as well, the Wind Accuracy merits lose a lot of their shine, in my opinion. Having Convert available 1:40 earlier beats it hands down in my opinion, because shit *WILL* happen more often, and you'll want that MP. Or for a timed fight, like Fenrir and such, you want to have more MP, faster.

[Araius]

Hollow Earring or bust.

Yes I'm pretty much joking, yes I actually use it.

The enhancing/MND setup cannot be stressed enough. Not only for stoneskin, but it's also handy to have to nail down that 1 more damage absorbed for Phalanx and 1 more damage caused by en-spells. It might not seem significant, but due to the drawn-out nature of RDM soloing (or more specifically, actually killing things), it can make a world of difference. AF2 Gloves, AF1 Legs, Enhancing Torque (it's cheap as hell so why not).

I -just- got a Cheviot Cape and haven't used it yet, but I don't believe it to be a make-or-break piece. If you're doing RDM/BLU or anything besides /NIN, it will be much more beneficial to you than as /NIN, since in that case you'll be mostly Shihei-burning anyways.

If you have any other jobs at 75, particularly DD, look into getting Pahluwan Body. If for no other reason than it's sexy. RDM evasion is shit no matter what you do, so I much prefer it to SH. That's assuming 2 things of course: you don't have Dalmatica, or if you do, you don't find yourself needing the MP.

Para 2 is likely not worth the extra MP, but Slow 2 can be pretty useful, especially with a good MND setup when you cast it (which, if you have MND gear suggested for Stoneskin, you'll have on you anyways). Personally I don't find Bio III worth the MP unless you're /SCH and loaded up on Dark skill+ gear to hit that highest tier.

If you can manage to get AF2 body and hat, they're both invaluable for soloing. AF2 body is great not only for faster Utsu/Stoneskin (though if you need MND on your body to hit the cap, do that) casts, but more importantly for the recast timers. 1 or 2 seconds off your Utsu timers will save your ass more times than you'll be able to count. AF2 hat because..duh. I have body but no hat, and honestly for RDM/NIN soloing, the body is arguably just as useful if not more, since you'll be using AF1 hat for Utsu casts anyways. Again that's only if you're not hard pressed for MP though.

[DanielRemora]

Edit: Added Merit's.

There's a lot of different sets your RDM can have, it depends really on what you are going to solo. Some won't be required if you avoid certain mobs.

I'll give a run down of what I use (Mostly. I'm still lacking one or two pieces myself,) maybe that will give you an insight. Anywhere I miss gear, it will usually be replaced with relevant Enfeebling+ gear. Some pieces will be obvious, but I'm putting it there for completion purposes

Enfeebling - I don't have the Earring because I honestly have not noticed a difference when I've used it in the past :/

Duelist's Chapeau, Warlock's Tabard, Nashira Seraweels, Enfeebling Torque, Altruistic Cape, Master Caster's Bracelets.

Enhancing - En spells, Phalanx, Bar spells. You don't need JSE body to reach the cap (Without merits, at least).

Augmenting Earring, Warlock's Tights, Duelist's Gloves, Merciful Cape, Enhancing Torque.

Dark - You can get away with Blood Fingers for Bio II. I use everything when casting Bio III. I have no idea if it does, but it *seems* to help reduce damage from the initial cast (Usually ~140).

Dark Torque, Dark Earring, Merciful Cape, Crimson Hands.

Fast Cast/Haste - Mainly used for /NIN, but also for some select spells.
Warlock's Chapeau +1, Duelists Tabard, Loq Earring, Nashira Seraweels, Dusk Hands, Dusk Feet, Swift Belt.

MND - This varies a little depending on what I am fighting. Generally I can land Full MND (Inc. Wands/Shield) on most mobs, but some require me to swap in the relevant HQ stave, and other require a little more Enfeebling.

2x Mythic Wand +1/X Staff, Nms Shield +1
Mahatma Hat, Promise Badge, 2x Communion Earring
Errant Hpl. (Try for HQ. I'm 0/50+ atm.), Devotee's Mitts +1, Communion Ring, Tamas Ring
Prism Cape, Penitent's Rope, Mahatma Slops, Mahatma Pigaches (Goliard Clogs).

INT - I'm lacking on, but it hasn't prevented me from soloing anything. Infact I find it enough at the moment for anything. Again, I use staves and/or Enfeebling+ for certain things. I always put full enfeebling on for everything but Bind. The only difference is, with Bind, I use Warlock's Chapeau+1 instead of Dueslist's.

X Staff, Bugard Strap +1, Phantom Tathlum
Warlock's Chapeau +1, Morion Earring +1, Loq. Earring~
Duelist's Gloves, Snow Ring, Tamas Ring
Prism Cape, Penitent's Rope, Mahatma Slops, (Goliard Clogs).

Physical Damage% - This is where it isn't entirely required. A semi-decent set is more than enough for most things. It's pretty much used only when shadows are down~
Terra's Staff, Genbu's Shield, Full Darksteel +1 set, Umbra Cape, Jelly Ring.

Magic Damage%/MDB - Again, some aren't required. I place INT where I can't get direct Stats, some place MND instead~
Lamian Kaman +1, Coral +1 set (I lack Dalmy, you could use that), Lamia Mantle +1 (Resentment Cape), Mermaid Rings/Earrings, Fencer's Earring

Nuking - Often depends what you are nuking. generally a full INT/MAB set is ideal. But sometimes you need the Skill. Duelist's Tights and Feet are great. I'd reccomend Ugg Pendant, and of course use Torque at all times.

Then of course, you have the melee side. I'm going to be a little less specific. Gear should obviously be aimed at Accuracy, whilst not compromising MP. Aiming Bracelets are good if you are using Ceremonial Dagger, as is any -STR so that you are hitting for 0's, ideally during crits, too. Fencer's Ring is great.

After that, you have random pieces which you use from time to time. Zenith, Crimson, Goliard, BQR, Resting Gear, tanking gear, etc... Seriously. I have something for literally everything, which some might consider too much, but I think it's fun, lol.

GL, lol.

Merits

Convert 5/5
Ice 5/5
Bio III 3/3
Slow II 3/3
Int 5/5
MP 8/8
Dagger 8/8
Sword 8/8
Shield 4/4
Enfeebling 8/8
Elemental 8/8
Enemy Critical Hit Rate 4/4
Spell interruption rate 4/4

MND is the only diffent choice I may have made. Obviously combat skills are due to me not having a "Melee" job, other than BST. Given the choice between INT/MND now, I would still go with INT.

Convert enables be to kill much faster over long fights, as does Bio III.

Earth/Wind I see no point to. Gravity will pretty much always land, unless you are literally spamming it (Which Ice obviously helps to prevent). Slow 3/3 Gives Accuracy anyway - and it really isn't hard to land at all. I land slow with full MND on practically everything except Cerb/Khim.

[Titanss]

Yes I ran across Belkin's LJ awhile ago and couldn't believe that thing doesn't get as much attention(or that I've seen) as it should. Its fucking amazing. Or mabe people that know about it just keep it on the dl.