Okay, let me see if I've got this right about Tiamat...

[Kabbalah]

I'm not sure if I've heard anything to the contrary, but when Tiamat is airborne, her fireballs do qualify as a breath attack (and can thus be reduced by items with "Breath Damage Taken -XX%"), correct?

Common sense says "Yes, it does," but this is SE we're talking about, and knowing them, it might not. Supposing that it does, however, would it make more sense to use an item with fire resistance for a higher chance of resisting damage or "breath damage taken -XX%" items (what little there is to use, in any case) to reduce the damage outright?

[Wizerd]

I'm not sure if I've heard anything to the contrary, but when Tiamat is airborne, her fireballs do qualify as a breath attack (and can thus be reduced by items with "Breath Damage Taken -XX%"), correct?

Common sense says "Yes, it does," but this is SE we're talking about, and knowing them, it might not. Supposing that it does, however, would it make more sense to use an item with fire resistance for a higher chance of resisting damage or "breath damage taken -XX%" items (what little there is to use, in any case) to reduce the damage outright?

I don't think Tiamat's airborne attacks are based on his current remaining HP, so naturally I would assume they are magic and that breath damage reduction gear does nothing against them. <- Assumption.

[Raineer]

The people who initially mastered the resistance method of tanking Tiamat (read: Rukenshin) don't use -breath gear.

You shouldn't either.

[Seditedi]

Pretty sure they are considered fire based magic attacks, not breath attacks.

[Kabbalah]

The people who initially mastered the resistance method of tanking Tiamat (read: Rukenshin) don't use -breath gear.

You shouldn't either.

"The people who initially created a working model of the solar system (read: Ptolemy) were more esteemed than you (read: Aristarchus) and didn't believe the earth rotated around the sun.

You shouldn't either."

There's nothing wrong with asking questions and testing assumptions to find out new things, though. Otherwise, it's all just a matter of "let's do what Ruke does." (No disrespect intended, but I'm fairly certain that there have to be more ways to lower Tiamat's aerial damage than simply piling on fire resistance.) Anyways, your response is a poor one because you're using Ruke as a proxy to answer my question without giving an actual reason for your answer.

Also, Ruke plays a NIN, while a PLD is the only tank character that has access to any meaningful amount of breath reduction gear (the question about the Hrotti should have been a dead giveaway). The question might be moot, anyway: a Hrotti (fire resist +15) and a Numinous Shield +1 (15) give more fire resistance than a Neptune's Staff (20). However, the NIN's Dino Trousers (4) have an alternative in the Bahamut's Hose (breath damage -5%) available to the PLD, which is a more suitable comparison because it's very nearly 1:1. Crimson Scale Mail has -10% breath damage, which makes it 2:1 versus the Legionnaire's Harness (5).

I'm not too sure about the rest of the breath resistance options, though, because few other pieces offer more than 1-2% (and they'd have to be damned effective to be considered, IMHO); there are also many alternatives to the Cerberus Mantle (resentment, lamia +1, for example).

Pretty sure they are considered fire based magic attacks, not breath attacks.

Do you think the attack can be considered both? If it's just an elemental attack, then that makes breath damage reduction gear fairly limited in usage (even more than it would be if it worked on the aerial attacks of wyrms).

[Seditedi]

Shell which is -% magic damage taken, reduces Tiamat's aerial attacks, so I'm pretty sure that it is a magical attack, not breath attack. (Shell doesn't reduce damage taken from breath does it?).

[Raineer]

The people who initially mastered the resistance method of tanking Tiamat (read: Rukenshin) don't use -breath gear.

You shouldn't either.

"The people who initially created a working model of the solar system (read: Ptolemy) were more esteemed than you (read: Aristarchus) and didn't believe the earth rotated around the sun.

You shouldn't either."

There's nothing wrong with asking questions and testing assumptions to find out new things, though. Otherwise, it's all just a matter of "let's do what Ruke does." (No disrespect intended, but I'm fairly certain that there have to be more ways to lower Tiamat's aerial damage than simply piling on fire resistance.) Anyways, your response is a poor one because you're using Ruke as a proxy to answer my question without giving an actual reason for your answer.

Also, Ruke plays a NIN, while a PLD is the only tank character that has access to any meaningful amount of breath reduction gear (the question about the Hrotti should have been a dead giveaway). The question might be moot, anyway: a Hrotti (fire resist +15) and a Numinous Shield +1 (15) give more fire resistance than a Neptune's Staff (20). However, the NIN's Dino Trousers (4) have an alternative in the Bahamut's Hose (breath damage -5%) available to the PLD, which is a more suitable comparison because it's very nearly 1:1. Crimson Scale Mail has -10% breath damage, which makes it 2:1 versus the Legionnaire's Harness (5).

I'm not too sure about the rest of the breath resistance options, though, because few other pieces offer more than 1-2% (and they'd have to be damned effective to be considered, IMHO); there are also many alternatives to the Cerberus Mantle (resentment, lamia +1, for example).

Pretty sure they are considered fire based magic attacks, not breath attacks.

Do you think the attack can be considered both? If it's just an elemental attack, then that makes breath damage reduction gear fairly limited in usage (even more than it would be if it worked on the aerial attacks of wyrms).

Your post is interesting, however it doesn't make the Tiamat fireballs into breath attacks. Sorry.

[Kabbalah]

That is, if it's confirmed. I can always check next time it pops.

[Aragon of Odin]

IIRC, I think I've read that they are considered breathe attacks I just can't remember where I read it. In your post you mention using the Bahamut's Hose for the -5% Breathe Damage taken cause it's available to PLD. You also have available to you the use of W.Legs which has +25mp&hp and +20 fire resistance. I'm not sure which would make the bigger difference tho.

And yes it would only make sense that these be considered breathe attacks but as stated this is SE so anything goes lol.

[Raineer]

I'll ask a question I don't know the answer to (risky, yes....)

Are there any *known* breath attacks which are not the standard conic-AOE sort of Fafnirbreath?

I know she's breathing the fireballs, but they have always seemed to be single-target magic attacks to me.

[Wizerd]

I'll ask a question I don't know the answer to (risky, yes....)

Are there any *known* breath attacks which are not the standard conic-AOE sort of Fafnirbreath?

I know she's breathing the fireballs, but they have always seemed to be single-target magic attacks to me.

Plenty, Bubble Shower being one as far as I know.

[Raineer]

-breath damage gear affects Bubble Shower?

[Wizerd]

-breath damage gear affects Bubble Shower?

It's based on the mob's current HP, so I would assume so. *shrug* Purely assumption based on how the damage is done though.

Edit: Flying Hip Press would be an AOE breath one for sure.

[archibaldcrane]

I believe that any AoE (conal, full AoE, whatever) whose damage is based on the mob's current HP, is considered a breath attack.

Bubble Shower included. Might need to test on Flying Hip Press - if -breath damage gear works on that then I think we've cinched it.

[Ehran]

Shell which is -% magic damage taken, reduces Tiamat's aerial attacks, so I'm pretty sure that it is a magical attack, not breath attack. (Shell doesn't reduce damage taken from breath does it?).

Aerial attacks are in fact magical. They can be negated by a Shadow Ring.

[Suiram]

Shell which is -% magic damage taken, reduces Tiamat's aerial attacks, so I'm pretty sure that it is a magical attack, not breath attack. (Shell doesn't reduce damage taken from breath does it?).

Aerial attacks are in fact magical. They can be negated by a Shadow Ring.

Ironically, someone just reported the other day in the Heat Breath thread that shadow ring annuls some (if not all) breath attacks, suggesting that either shadow ring is mislabeled, or that breath is a classification apart from physical/magical, depending on the view you take (see that thread for more details on that question).

[bigrougabagel]

if you really want to know if aerial attacks are breath based, go load up your best breath dmg reducing gear and poke jorm, hes usually up.

[Naramaska]

You know Kab, you could have just asked me this


Tiamat's airborne balls-o-lol are elemental, not breath damage. Tamian and I tested this out a looooong time ago; Hrotti makes jack-shit for a difference in damage taken.

[Kaeko]

Interesting discussion about breath attacks. I think this is most useful for some sort of Jorm strategy though (where it is difficult to impossible to pile sufficient Ice Resists).

On Tiamat or Ouryu, I highly suggest you stick to resistance stacking. I understand the idea of looking for new ways of doing things (which is great), but it doesn't get much better than stacking resists and layering a Phalanx 2 for 0 damage most shots. I guess it could be useful for a low man initial hold before you get a WHM and BRD there.

Also, keep in mind the resist gear will also help on TP moves like Tebbad Wing and spells like Firaga 3.

[BerenTebogo]

That is, if it's confirmed. I can always check next time it pops.

I use hrotti in air, no, it's not a breath attack.