Blue Mage: Best thread ever

[Lordender]

yeah LE but I'm debating adding +enimity merits for my PLD so that may become an issue, and I'm guessing by your jobs you have -enimity merits? Still ya better tanks do help, but not all of us have tanks smart as Vygun ;p

I havent touched + or - enmity merits >.> I don't think it would matter much.

[Kaslo]

yeah LE but I'm debating adding +enimity merits for my PLD so that may become an issue, and I'm guessing by your jobs you have -enimity merits? Still ya better tanks do help, but not all of us have tanks smart as Vygun ;p

I havent touched + or - enmity merits >.> I don't think it would matter much.

None the less my Vygun comment stands! >.>b

[Arkanna]

My Cannonball setup:

Weapon: Vulcan's Staff (Ifrit's if I can build TP first)
Sub: Mythril Grip +1 (Acheron Shield when I use Ifrit's)
Ranged/Ammo: JM Chakram +1 (Conquest area) or Bibiki Seashell (non-Conquest area)
Head: Wivre Mask
Neck: Chivalrous Chain
Ear1: Minuet Earring (eventually a Triumph or Waetoto here)
Ear2: Triumph Earring
Body: Magus Jubbah
Hands: Creek F Mitts (Alky's would be better, but gil is a bit tight)
Ring1: Flame Ring
Ring2: Flame Ring
Back: Amemet Mantle +1 (Commander or Forager would be better, but again, gil is tight)
Waist: Warwolf Belt
Legs: Magus Shalwar (It has Def and VIT, but I'd like to replace these)
Feet: Creek F Clomps

There's room for improvement, but it's not my top priority at the moment because I'm usually BLM for most things. Suggestions would be welcomed.

My top Cannonballs so far have been 2200 something on Long-Armed Chariot (100 TP, Sword/Shield, Tacos of course, Cocoon, Azure Lore, STR/VIT etudes because my mathematician BRD friend feels for this particular mob, Etudes would be more effective than double Minnes), and 1975 to Byakko (300 TP, Sword/Shield, Tacos, Cocoon, no other buffs because they wouldn't give me a BRD).

[Tomino]

about Cannonball, there is something I cant understand clearly:
why does everyone report damages made using this spell instead of, say, Vertical Cleave? is it because this spell the best choice for CASA?
I equipped Cannonball for a BLU/THF run in limbus and I it wasnt nice as I'd had expected; without particular features like ProtIV, Tacos or a BRD helping me (so just gear swap+Cocoon), I got damages far behind those of Death Scissors, for ex. in both SA and CASA. same during a recent Salvage run.

so, maybe Cannonball is the spell with the most damage potential?
or something else i am missing?

[Lordender]

Cannonball has far range(think its a tad bit over 23 away from mob) to stay out range of any aoe, can hit wyrms when they fly, has the most potential dmg due to being able to charge it up.

str/vit/ setup, Cocoon, taco, P4 or P5, double minne is serious business >.>. I think death scissors even has more potential growth dmg than vert. cleave but not as consistent as vert.cleave.

[Swampthing]

Why would you use a Vulcan's staff on a physical spell, even for the STR? Obviously accuracy doesn't matter in this case, but doesn't the sword skill matter for damage on physical spells?

[Arkanna]

Cannonball has far range(think its a tad bit over 23 away from mob) to stay out range of any aoe, can hit wyrms when they fly, has the most potential dmg due to being able to charge it up.

str/vit/ setup, Cocoon, taco, P4 or P5, double minne is serious business >.>. I think death scissors even has more potential growth dmg than vert. cleave but not as consistent as vert.cleave.

Plus, the way Cannonball's damage is calculated makes it better for HNM's as long as you build right with STR/VIT, buffs, and DEF food (DEF = Cannonball Attk).

[Arkanna]

Why would you use a Vulcan's staff on a physical spell, even for the STR? Obviously accuracy doesn't matter in this case, but doesn't the sword skill matter for damage on physical spells?

No, sword damage doesn't matter for physical spells. They all have their own D rating. It wouldn't matter if you CASA Vertical Cleave'd a mob using Perdu Hanger or an Onion Sword, the results would be the same (within a certain margin of course).

*edit* I misread part of that post; sword skill doesn't matter either in this case, all it affects is spell accuracy. With SA, you have a guaranteed hit anyway.

[Swampthing]

Sword skill, not the damage value on the sword.

edit: thanks

[nekoshoonen]

Quick Question for anyone good at the crazy Cannonball math..

Dusk Mask NQ or Wivre Mask NQ (not paying the ridiculous price for HQ atm).. cause i have dusk but would be nice to be able to sell...
thanks

[Arkanna]

Quick Question for anyone good at the crazy Cannonball math..

Dusk Mask NQ or Wivre Mask NQ (not paying the ridiculous price for HQ atm).. cause i have dusk but would be nice to be able to sell...
thanks

They're probably roughly the same for most things. Dusk has higher DEF which translates into higher attack for Cannonball, plus 5 VIT. Wivre Mask has slightly less DEF, and only 2 STR and 2 VIT, but STR is used twice when calculating Cannonball's damage.

Speaking strictly in terms of value per gil, the Wivre Mask wins out easily on my server. It bounces between 100k and 150k. Dusk Mask is still 1 mil. Incidentally, so is the Wivre Mask +1, which is almost definitely better for Cannonball than Dusk.

Sorry if I'm confusing. >.>;;

[nekoshoonen]

Dusk is 1-1.2 mill and Wivre+1 is about 4 on my server lol

If the damage is equal/almost equal i'm selling my dusk asap
thanks

[Arkanna]

Dusk is 1-1.2 mill and Wivre+1 is about 4 on my server lol

If the damage is equal/almost equal i'm selling my dusk asap
thanks

Np, but if you're really concerned about it I'd wait til someone chimes in that's better at the math than I am. Plus I've never owned a Dusk Mask to test against; all my thoughts on the matter are pure speculation.

*edit* stoopid laptop k/b <grumble>

[DragonCloud64]

Attack has zero influence on BLU spells. We can reach around 300 base defense without a shield, so that after Pro + Cocoon (not to mention Minne if we can get a BRD) the 28 defense from Acheron is just not needed. Diminishing returns from more defense when you end up getting that high. The two grips being discussed actually have a much greater impact on the damage than 28 defense ever could as well.

So if you had 0 attack all your spells won't be affected?

[Tonko]

Welcome to the blue mage thread, have you READ it?

[Swampthing]

So if you had 0 attack all your spells won't be affected?

correct

[Tomino]

str/vit/ setup, Cocoon, taco, P4 or P5, double minne is serious business >.>. I think death scissors even has more potential growth dmg than vert. cleave but not as consistent as vert.cleave.

so, basically

Cannonball + gear + food + WHM buffs + BRD buffs > Death Scissors + gear + food + BRD buffs?
this with SA, CASA or even 2hCASA

[Arkanna]

str/vit/ setup, Cocoon, taco, P4 or P5, double minne is serious business >.>. I think death scissors even has more potential growth dmg than vert. cleave but not as consistent as vert.cleave.

so, basically

Cannonball + gear + food + WHM buffs + BRD buffs > Death Scissors + gear + food + BRD buffs?
this with SA, CASA or even 2hCASA

It depends completely on the mob you're fighting. For EXP, Limbus, Dynamis or similar situations, Death Scissors/Vertical Cleave will always have as much or more potential than Cannonball. Cannonball only shines on tougher mobs and HNM's, and only if you gear it right.

The exact reason for this is, Cannonball differs from all other physical blue magic in that your defense is used to determine the spell's attack value, ie, the spell's ability to pierce enemies' defenses, while all other physical blue magic use your blue magic skill instead. Currently it's impossible to push blue magic skill past a certain threshhold due to lack of skill gear, while is it very easy to push DEF to insanely high amounts through gear, food, buffs, etc.

[Drunkenmonk]

chiv chain or fortitude torque for cannonball?

[Delekii]

Quick Question for anyone good at the crazy Cannonball math..

Dusk Mask NQ or Wivre Mask NQ (not paying the ridiculous price for HQ atm).. cause i have dusk but would be nice to be able to sell...
thanks

Work out your WSC.

floor(floor(STR+VIT)*.5)*.83) with both dusk and wivre. If that extra vit gives you the next whole number, then its at least equal with wivre nq on base damage alone, as well as slightly more defense.

If both heads give you the same wsc, then wivre mask gives you a 50% chance to get 1 more fstr, so its a comparison between maybe 1fstr, and however much pdif ~18 attack after buffs translates into. Id go with Wivre in that case since its a bucketload cheaper, and has no -movement speed. I recently bought one of the first wivre +1 to pop on pandy for 1mil 8)