Blue Mage: Best thread ever

[eva00r]

so what equip should we focus on while casting pinecone bomb ?

my speculations
- INT/MND/CHR, for less resist on sleep duration but still we need to figure out which one based on the mystery of blue magic. This can be tested base on gathering multiple sleep durations versus INT/MND/CHR gear or even AGI lol.
- Pure Haste, just don't care about whatever and try to reduce recast time as much as possible.

I've tried BLU/NIN pulling Mamool Ja on merit camp (Jade S. and Nyzul top) before, use Pinecone Bomb/Sheep Song/Haste setup then Frightful Roar every shit and end up in 100+ chains. ~ no bard of course ~

[Caiti]

I posted this in the Moogle Kupo d'Etat thread, but I figure I would probably get better answers here.

Anwig Salade with these stats: STR+4 WS Acc +15 DEX+4 Crit Hit Dmg +2% VS. Gnadbhod's Helm.

Would Gnadbhod's Helm still be better for a /THF SACA Cannonball build?

[Sirrus_Asura]

I posted this in the Moogle Kupo d'Etat thread, but I figure I would probably get better answers here.

Anwig Salade with these stats: STR+4 WS Acc +15 DEX+4 Crit Hit Dmg +2% VS. Gnadbhod's Helm.

Would Gnadbhod's Helm still be better for a /THF SACA Cannonball build?

I was under the assumption that Mirage was better then both. Hard to say though. =(

[LD]

When it came to Orc hat vs. Mirage vs. whatever the Hell else there was with Cannonball, I don't think any one was that much better than the other. I personally prefer Mirage since it looks the coolest and covers the most bases, but that's just me.

Anyway, VIT is the other CB mod (not DEX), crit equipment doesn't affect BLU spells, and neither does WS acc. So you're just working with the +4 STR there. STR+4/Wacc+15 & VIT+4/Shield+5 would probably be superior in raw stat whoring. If you're going for something more flexible, STR+4/Wacc+15 & STR+2/Haste+2% has the same STR without the Slow crap.

I already have Mirage and I have no intention of using anything else, so I plan on using the hat as a Super Melee Hat for BLU, probably going with the 'Asuran hat' set-up, since I also have a MNK.

[BerenTebogo]

Crit damage +2% works on SACA CB...that's why people use brave grip

[Sirrus_Asura]

Crit damage +2% works on SACA CB...that's why people use brave grip

Yer. Wonder if that 2% added to crit brings the dmg up enough to use over other options? I'd assume it's probably around a 1% increase overall, since its only crit dmg.

[LD]

Oh, 'crit damage', not 'crit+x.'

[BerenTebogo]

I'm curious too, partially because I play caiti's BLU for stuff. She has AF2 head and has access to get Gnadbhod in a week or so.

I'd like to know strictly mathematically speaking which is going to win:
STR4 VIT4
STR6
VIT5 BLU5
STR4 DMG+2%

She has Morrigan's head too which has been rendered useless by AFv2 so yeah. If there's not going to be a noticeable difference I think we might have her do the BLM head since she just got dalm for her 64 BLM and has Genie and stuff.

[Dimmauk]

I posted this in the Moogle Kupo d'Etat thread, but I figure I would probably get better answers here.

Anwig Salade with these stats: STR+4 WS Acc +15 DEX+4 Crit Hit Dmg +2% VS. Gnadbhod's Helm.

Would Gnadbhod's Helm still be better for a /THF SACA Cannonball build?

Why not STR +4 WS Acc+15 STR+2 Haste +2% on the new Helm for CB and VC?

[LD]

Well, on average, the crit bonus will never net you more than ~+32 final damage, so it's mostly superior to Orc hat in that it doesn't have that slow effect. As far as CB goes, it's a toss up. Overall, it's superior to Orc helm in any form.

Also, I completely forgot about Mirage+1's 4 VIT.

[Yugl]

Gnads > Mirage/+1 for SATACA CB (Check Standard, there is a discussion in the "What's Better" thread). Whether that 2% Crit DMG Bonus out does the 2STR depends on the mob you're fighting and the gear you're wearing. Overall, I would suggest that if you have Gnads, save the hat for another class that can use the stat bonuses.

[Sirrus_Asura]

I'm curious too, partially because I play caiti's BLU for stuff. She has AF2 head and has access to get Gnadbhod in a week or so.

I'd like to know strictly mathematically speaking which is going to win:
STR4 VIT4
STR6
VIT5 BLU5
STR4 DMG+2%

She has Morrigan's head too which has been rendered useless by AFv2 so yeah. If there's not going to be a noticeable difference I think we might have her do the BLM head since she just got dalm for her 64 BLM and has Genie and stuff.

Ignoring Crit +2%

Edit: Cannonball is 50% str 50% vit; just in case anyone forgot. =P


Well, my understanding of things(More then likely wrong, so I'm asking someone to correct me on it), Base dmg from stats during CA are doubled(right?). Looking at 2ndary Modifiers alone;

During CACannonball:

Augment: STR4+VIT4 = 8 Base Dmg Gained

Gnad: STR6 = 6 Base Dmg Gained

Mirage: 5 skill(2dmg from tier up) w/ merrits) + VIT3 = 5 Base Dmg Gained (6 w/ HQ)


During Cannonball:

Augment: STR4+VIT4 = 4 Base Dmg Gained

Gnad: STR6 = 3 Base Dmg Gained

Mirage: 5 skill(2dmg from tier up) w/ merrits) + VIT3 = 3.5? Base Dmg Gained (4 w/ HQ)

Please feel free to correct me. Got my info from VZX.

[fantasticdan]

Please feel free to correct me. Got my info from VZX.

You're mostly right but you're forgetting fSTR. (+1 for each 4str over mobs vit) Numbers should look like this for CA cannonball assuming I didn't make any dumb errors:

4 str 4 vit augment = +9

gnad = +7~8

mirage = +5

Non CA cannonball:

4 str 4 vit augment = +5

gnad = +4~5

mirage = +3~4

Mirage only comes close on cannonball because of the 3 vit, for other physical spells it's not very good. For diss/FR/VC it's even worse than voyager sallet.

[Ladydeathstrike]

assuming before head equipment you have 140 str 100 vit and you ftr is 15
comparing to relic head +1 to negate chance for wsc difference

non chain affinity

damage using relic head +1 will be (71 base dmg + 101 WSC + 15 Ftsr) * pdif * ftp
or 187 * pdif * ftp

Dmg with New heqd w/ str + 4 and crit dmg +2%

(69 + 101 Wsc + 16 fstr) *1.02 * pdif * ftp = 186*189.72 (not flooring since bonus dmg probably multiplies at after pdif multiplier)

new helm will be about 1.45% better than relic +1 during non ca

During CA

(71 + 202 +15) = 288
(69 + 202 +16)*1.02 = 292.74
for about a 1.65% increase during ca cannonballs

[Suiram]

Mirage only comes close on cannonball because of the 3 vit, for other physical spells it's not very good. For diss/FR/VC it's even worse than voyager sallet.

Just to clarify, that's on CA for those multihit spells. On non-CA, voyagers and mirage are equal a little over half the time, and when they're not equal Mirage is better slightly more often, worse slightly less. Plus when they are equal you're getting whatever that "Attack" bonus may be from skill, as well.

[Sirrus_Asura]

You're mostly right but you're forgetting fSTR. (+1 for each 4str over mobs vit) Numbers should look like this for CA cannonball assuming I didn't make any dumb errors:

4 str 4 vit augment = +9

gnad = +7~8

mirage = +5

Non CA cannonball:

4 str 4 vit augment = +5

gnad = +4~5

mirage = +3~4

Mirage only comes close on cannonball because of the 3 vit, for other physical spells it's not very good. For diss/FR/VC it's even worse than voyager sallet.

With all this in mind:

During CA

Wivre +1 (3str 3vit) = 6~7(Most likely 7; Slightly worse the Gnad, but def better than mirage)

Freecast = 3~4?(Not sure about this one, probably ties with mirage)


Sorry mirage =(. Shame too, got my mirage head the other day.


Edit: Yea, the attack bonus leaves me wondering, at least as for as Big-3 go, not that I think it stands a chance against Gnad's.

[Valisk]

Anwig Salade with these stats: STR+4 WS Acc +15 DEX+4 Crit Hit Dmg +2%

I'm going with this also. Will be my BLU CB head piece and my THF Eviscretion WS head piece (not uncursing NHead until I have -1)

I'd go with whoever said just pass on this and augment something for another job if u have it. With access to Mirage head and Gnadbhod's Helm, even if Anwig was better, it would be ever ever so slightly if at all. Just going to sell my Wivre Mask +1 and pocket the 1.2M until the expansion.

[eva00r]

All of you guys' equations did not include DEF or Hidden Attack or the influence of "Physical Potency" on them, so they prove nothing.

All of BLU spells have hidden attack modifier which proportionate to both blue magic skill and physical potency. (It could be attack = blue magic skill x hidden attack modifier for each spell x physical potency x some value derived from DEF for cannonball) Adding 5 blue magic skill from Mirage will as well increase this value, while adding pure STR or VIT does not. Actially nothing can increase this value except blue magic skill. For some info, I've never break 2000 damage Disseverment on Lesser Colibri in front of town with anything else but Mirage.

It's a shame to trash Mirage with your false equation.


- For new hat -
I'll pick STR+4 WSACC+15 ACC+10 ATK+5 and I'll replace whatever +Acc pieces with +Atk on Vorpal Blade. It should give me at least +40 attack without sacrificing any accuracy.

[Sabishii]

Question, I didn't want to pose this in the new addon thread, but would I be completely insane if I do ACP and the Kupo addons, and put like fast cast+5% and eva+10 on the body, and +5% fastcast on the helm, and use it for a utsusemi macro on top of my loq. earring and homam pants for my BLU? I'm not using my DRK enough, and I don't have SAM up to 75 yet. With all that gear combined, I'd have 16% faster utsusemi casts and ~8.5% off the timer (ignoring the recast time from haste). Would that make a noticeable difference in performance?

[eva00r]

I suggest you to put other thing rather than eva+10 since BLU can't evade shit (Enmity +5 recommend for BLU tanking) and I bet with 3rd expansion you will get another +5 Fast Cast.