BLM Solo problems

[Yondaime]

OK, so I've heard about the elemental resistance screw-up SE made and recently admitted to (I knew something was screwy). Is that what could be causing a sudden inability to solo things that most people say I should be able to solo as 74BLM? Or is it a problem with gear, tactics, etc? Trying to solo Wamoura Princes on Mount Zhayolm, sleep-nuke with gravity applied. Sleeps are maybe half duration at best, which I heard was part of the resistance fuckup...

Gear is:
NQ staves (Thunder and Ice HQ), saving for HQs
Bugard Strap +1
Phantom Tathlum
Wizard's Petasos
Elemental/Spider Torque, saving for enfeeb torque
Moldy/Phantom Earrings
NQ Weskit/Wizard's Coat for enfeeb
Wizard's Gloves
Diamond Ringx2
Black Cape +1 (Saving for Prism)
Ocean Rope (Hume RSE70 belt)
Jet Seraweels
Cobra Crackows

Don't have much endgame access, and don't really have a whole lot of gil to burn on stuff. Think it's gear or the nerf? Any help/advice is appreciated.

[Thorshammer]

what?
you must read more BG... somewhere here was a thread about it..... oh and POL news....

[Yondaime]

lol I said I'd heard about it and was wondering if there was anything *I* could do to improve it, or if I'm screwed till SE fixes what they broke. Thanks anyways

[Kaylia]

NQ staves (Thunder and Ice HQ), saving for HQs
Bugard Strap +1
Phantom Tathlum
Wizard's Petasos
Elemental/Spider Torque, saving for enfeeb torque
Moldy/Phantom Earrings
NQ Weskit/Wizard's Coat for enfeeb
Wizard's Gloves
Diamond Ringx2
Black Cape +1 (Saving for Prism)
Ocean Rope (Hume RSE70 belt)
Jet Seraweels
Cobra

Weapon
Get HQ dark staff next. Drain, aspir, and sleep are some of the most useful spell.

Head
Aim for Wizard petassos +1. It's possible to solo/duo it in limbus, while making money. Also, get your hand on Iquara tiara as soon as you can. It's cheap (50k?) and give you +10 enfeebling

body
Oracle body is better i think if your ls do ZNM, otherwise, save for HQ weskit or morrigan.
AF1+1 body. It got +2enfeebling, and you can toss errant for hmp after.

glove
Oracle glove are relatively easy to get (+5enfeebling). It's tier 3 ZNM, and you can beat most of them with 4-6 players.
Morrigan hands are sweet, but you need a salvage group
Yigit Gages are a nice alternative for nuking (and int enfeebling)
Or goliard/vicious muffler if you just want m.atk.
About everything is better than AF1, unless you get resisted a lot (HNM)

belt
Get penitant imo

legs
HQ errant
Iquara lappas for another +10enfeebling


Feet
Get yigit/rostrum (rostrum are cheap, and the nm can be soloed/duoed/trioed with the proper method)


I understand you don't have much money, but most of this can be done with small party and a couple of friends.

Iquara tiara, HQ staff and getting a better pairs of glove should be your next target. After that, get lappas, and better shoes.

[Drago]

Feet
Get yigit/rostrum (rostrum are cheap, and the nm can be soloed/duoed/trioed with the proper method)

not nessesary Rostrum or Yigit, Yigit are the best for blm but you can get Goliard Clogs from nyzul isle floor 20, are the best for enfeebling magic and nuke, INT+4 Macc+2

[Bakthi]

The resistance issue has already been fixed; your problem is more one of NQ staves + no igqira head/legs. I guess if you're broke you'd have to save a bit for the legs, but the head should be pretty cheap. +20 enfeebling is a big difference. I didn't have problems with the princes when I tried them at 73, but I had HQ staves, igqira, an Enfeebling Torque, and 2 merits in Enfeebling Magic. Once you get the two igqira pieces (assuming you didn't just forget to list them), go for Pluto's and then Auster's, and only then would I try to upgrade the Spider Torque.

btw, people in my LS who don't read update notes or POL news items and then ask all kinds of questions bug the shit out of me. Don't be that guy >.>

FINAL FANTASY XI Official Web Site

Edit: wow, severely beaten while typing.

[Kaylia]

These work fine too...if they drop

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/ff...t_Pigaches.jpg

[Drago]

These work fine too...if they drop

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/ff...t_Pigaches.jpg

but those are for enfeebling, yeah those are good but nuke/grav etc... i prefer goliard clogs, for me these are the best and well goliards are cheap and easy to drop than avocat

[Kaylia]

Well, goliard aren't the best to nuke. You will need two pair of shoes either way.

[Drago]

ofc arent the best, but if u dont have anothers, is better use them xd

[Izlude]

This seems to be mostly a gear/level issue. Just work on Pluto's staff and igqira's head/legs and those should do you relatively well. Until than just try to stick with a few other BLM's when you see them.

I'd also suggest at level 75 (not that I know your magic merits situation) to put a few merits into enfeebling magic beforehand. It's makes solo'ing things like wamouras/puddings a lot more consistent and than can increase your damage once you're comfortable with your enfeebles.

[arshesney]

Sell the Jet seraweels and get NQ errant + Igqira tiara, you can upgrade hands to Vicious mufflers or cobra hands (that paired with cobra feet grants you a m.acc bouns, ableit a slight one). If your elemental magic is capped you should not need the 15 skill from the AF hands, better focus on damage in that slot.

[Day]

Also, what's your casting cycle like? I'm thinking you're sleeping too much, wasting too much mp here and there.
Open with nuke, take a few steps grav, get to 20ish range, nuke, bind, etc.. only sleep when you're low on mp or have run out of room. You should be able to kill them with one bar of mp.

[evilpaul]

If we're talking about Princes I'd only open with a nuke (at a distance) to start if it's uncurled as nuking makes it change and keeps it out of melee range easily to cast Gravity.

Bind is preferable to Sleep as well because it's a lot less MP.

And definitely improve Enfeebling Magic skill and try to get HQ staves.

[Yondaime]

Whoops, didn't put the Igqira head in there, yeah, I've got that already. I *was* doing Gravity, walk back, nuke, sleep and repeat... didn't think Bind would stick all that long but I'll give that a try. As for the gear recommendations, it's appreciated that no one said anything that's way out of my reach (ie sea or sky, as I don't have sea access or a sky LS) or nothing that I'm not planning on getting already, save for the Igqira legs.

I've already got capped Enfeebling skill from RDM75, Elemental's capped at 74, so those won't be a problem, and I've put 1 merit into each so far.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll get to work on a lot of those ASAP, I didn't know the AF gloves were one of the worst pieces for the hands, heh.

[Knightfell]

Didn't see anyone mention this, if it was my bad.

It's been a while since I last xp'd off of roaches (I tend to xp in sea nowadays), but if I remember correctly I would open with a T3 to get them to uncurl (since they seem to have a magic defense bonus while in that position) Gravity, then nuke nuke nuke all the while keeping my distance from them.

I stuck with AF hands for awhile due to not having any elemental merits (at the time) and I did notice without them I would see more resists. Now of course if you have elemental merits disregard that last portion.

Bind is actully a really useful spell, can last pretty long and with the proper enfeebling skill and should not have much trouble landing. Oh, and this is just personal prefrance but I like the 2nd and 3rd roach camps over the one behind the gate due to the proximity of the zoneline.

2nd one is right past the pudding camp, run through the nearby tunnel, if moths are up just MGS past them, (I tend to sleep em and wait by zoneline for em to chase me to cause depop)

3rd Camp is just past 2nd through Halvung where the Dahaks play, just beyond that is a great camp for manaburns as well.

(Note: I just refer to them as 2nd and 3rd camp)

Best of luck!

[Kohan]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll get to work on a lot of those ASAP, I didn't know the AF gloves were one of the worst pieces for the hands, heh.

There are plenty of superior Rare/EX alternatives, but that doesn't make them AF hands bad. Don't be ashamed of using them until you get something better. One of the potentially easiest replacements to obtain is the Vicious Mufflers. It's a great stop gap till you can acquire better.

Vicious Mufflers - BGWiki

[Raineer]

There are plenty of superior Rare/EX alternatives, but that doesn't make them AF hands bad. Don't be ashamed of using them until you get something better. One of the potentially easiest replacements to obtain is the Vicious Mufflers. It's a great stop gap till you can acquire better.

Vicious Mufflers - BGWiki

Seconded, there are more potent pieces but if you need the skill then hang onto them until they should be replaced...don't do it for the hell of it. Reminds me of the RDM's I've seen recently casting all their debuffs in Goliard body. I guess AF1 is "too old" and errant is too..idk...good?

[Devdas]

You really shouldn't need to sleep them unless your resting for HP for a long period of time, gravity and nuking should be enough to get them low and then bind and rest. If you don't get the Mp you need to kill them then you can sleep and heal up fully, but spamming sleep is just asking for trouble when you really need them zzzing.

[Pooky]

Seconded, there are more potent pieces but if you need the skill then hang onto them until they should be replaced...don't do it for the hell of it. Reminds me of the RDM's I've seen recently casting all their debuffs in Goliard body. I guess AF1 is "too old" and errant is too..idk...good?

On exp mobs (Mamools usually) I tend to cast in goliard body simply for the fact that the added MND isn't going to have that much effect on something that will be dead in the next 20-40 seconds. On anything important I toss on Errant, but for exp i tend to like the Haste, -Emnity, and lolConserve Mp.