Blue Mage: Best thread ever

[Kegsay]

I've been keeping a close eye on both WoE and Abyssea, both here and on Alla and JP wiki, and have yet to see where Tyrfing is found. I suspect Abyssea due to its rare/ex properties, one of the mega bosses.

[Villian]

I'm just curious but what gears do a blu/nin tank uses anyway? I'm curious about the gears and spell setup.

[Sho]

Actually been curious of that for a good while myself. I want to give it a serious go, this BLU tanking. I think there's a guide on it in these forums by Nicholette (spelling?), but no updated gear sets.

[Aben]

I can write a guide up for you guys on blu tanking. I kind of forced my way in on a Jailor of Justice once and smoked the plds in hate. My pld buddy took notice and started letting me fool around until I was given the actual tank spot in a lot of fights. Sadly that ls has died out so I'm looking for another group that would be interested in letting me lol.

Also in regards to the added effect elements, I can attest to head butt stun being thunder based. In zhao remnants, if we enter on thundersday I can't stun lock those frogs at all.

I'm going to go find the original alla testing on m.acc on the stun effect. I'll edit and add the link when I find it. I'll get the tank guide up by the end of the week also.

Got it:

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.htm...7923912&page=1

[Nightfyre]

Let me throw together some current and ideal sets I use for tanking (and reference) on FFXIAH real quick as a starting point and I'll tack on what commentary I can before I pass out.

[Aben]

Aben's Blue Mage Tanking Guide

*Large Credit to Kaeko's Enmity testing, which truly made this possible.

For those aspiring to take up blu tanking, understand that you will face some adversity. Many don't believe its useful or can be done. The easiest way to get started is to fight some mediocre NM with a good group of friends and a reliable cotank (Meno and Maimed on Fairy/Sylph). Learn from the experienced tanks and adapt to different situations. Take note of their strengths and weaknesses, and your own. The more prepared you are, the easier it gets.

Base Spell Set: Assuming 50 set points

1 Cocoon ~ 50% def bonus
3 Magic Fruit ~ Cure IVish

4 Jettatura (180 CE 1020 VE) - 120 sec recast ~ Terror
5 Temporal Shift (180 CE 1020 VE) - 120 sec recast ~ AoE Stun
4 Exuviation (640 CE 640 VE) - 60 sec recast ~ 90 hp/Erase
2 Blank Gaze (320 CE 320 VE) - 10 sec recast ~ Dispel

> Fast Cast
5 Bad Breath
4 Sub-Zero Smash

> Auto-Refresh
4 Actinic Burst (180 CE 1020 VE) - 60 sec recast ~ AoE Flash
5 Plasma Charge

> Conserve MP
2 Zephyr Mantle (320 VE 320 CE) - 60 sec recast ~ 4 shadow blink
2 Chaotic Eye ~ Silence

This starting set is pretty standard for me. Rarely do I deviate from it. This leaves 9 set points to be used depending on the situation.

Situational Spells

2 Regeneration ~ Regen
5 Animating Wail ~ Haste if you don't have support
3 Battery Charge ~ Refresh if you don't have support

1 Metallic Body
3 Diamondhide ~ Sometimes you are going to take a few big hits...

3 Head Butt ~ Sometimes high m.acc can help it land

1 Poison Breath ~ Mp efficient damage/hate
3 Frenetic Rip / Vertical Cleave ~ High att blue spells for some damage/hate

2 Sheep Song (320 CE 320 VE) ~ Possible adds
3 Saline Coat ~ 50 down to 10 MDB over a minute

> Counter
5 Enervation
2 Asuran Claws

> Magic Defense Bonus
3 Magnetite Cloud
3 Ice Break

> Killer Effects ~ Good if it affects the mob AND nothing is better

At this point if you find another spell useful, your a smart enough blu to realize it. Some more are definitely still applicable.

Main Equipment Sets

1. Enm/Haste Relevant improvements include Ocelot Trousers, Odium Ring, and Goading/Speed Belt.

http://www.ffxiah.com/item-sets/147492

2. - Physical Damage Taken Succor Ring, HQ Darksteel/Umbra

http://www.ffxiah.com/item-sets/147493

3. - Magical Damage Taken HQ Coral, Add any MDB gear in the slots that remain after you cap -MDT% at 50%

http://www.ffxiah.com/item-sets/147494

4. Cure Cheat Highly user dependent. Whatever hp gear you can macro in so that magic fruit can be used fully, use it. Cure cheats are mostly not needed, and only used in desperate situations.

5. - Spell Interruption Allows you to get off any spell without a hitch while being hit. A real lifesaver. Merits can offer 8%, and there are multiple options as shown below to hit 102% total.

http://www.ffxiah.com/item-sets/147497

6. HP Set Whatever gear you have for breath spells are useful here. They can be used for large hits forseen, poison breath hate, or Spirits Within to start a fight.

7. Fire Resist Useful for Tiamat, Cerb, or Saramaya. Some of these could easily be replaced by all the resists you get on augments.

http://www.ffxiah.com/item-sets/147495

8. New Swords The new magian swords offer MDB, -PDT, and OAT. If you want to spam Sanguine Blade/Spirits Within or CA a spell, the OAT may help you a lot with tp gain. Idling in the MDB or -PDT swords during fights may be very good for your health as well.

Useful tips:

*Poison breath is a very mp efficient hate gainer as well. Low mp cost, quick cast, hp dependent damage.

*Diffusion > Exuviation with 25 enm+ can grant 4800 CE and 4800 VE right off the bat, but it only counts if you hit the person.

*You can cycle ichi > ni > ichi > zephyr mantle as its blink is quite reliable on fast mobs.

*-102% interruption set still applicable to get any spells off.

*Actinic Burst, Temporal Shift, and Jettatura have longish recasts, but once you're capped cycling them does the job easily.

*Sanguine Blade offers us a new, consistent damage ws as long as the HNM does not have insanely high mdb.

*Can now be as self-sufficient as a rdm if needed through battery charge/animating wail.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Blu tanking is a mix of pld, nin/drk, and old rdm tanking.

Pld: cure IV, flash, shield blocks to mitigate damage, Atonement ~ Magic Fruit, Actinic Burst, Cocoon to greatly reduce an HNMs natural pdif advantages, Sanguine Blade/Breath spells

Nin/drk: Stun, More shadows ~ Temporal Shift, Zephyr Mantle

Rdm: Stoneskin, Fast Cast, quick cast CE spells ~ Diamondhide (AoE, but weaker), lower Fast Cast, Blank Gaze/Exuviation

Strengths:

*Extra stun for a bad moment
*AoE stoneskin for your cotanks if no sch is around
*High hate spells
*Magical/Physical forms of damage
*High def (yes, +50% makes a noticable difference)
*Extra 4 shadow spell
*Can be self-sufficient if necessary
*Can dispel buffs on your own
*High MDB when wanted (gear + Saline Coat + trait)

Weaknesses:

*Main VE spells are AoE and can hit adds
*Weaker stoneskin than rdm
*Zephyr Mantle, though high, not 100% block rate
*Lower damage than atonement spam
*No OHSH*T button (i.e. Sentinel, Invincible, or Chainspell)

This last weakness is probably my least favorite. If something goes terribly wrong, we dont have an immediate, save our butts ability. If fighting anything tough, make sure to have a cotank that does have this ability. It is a good way to avoid trouble in a tight spot.

HNM Strategies

Taniwa: noted for practice

This monster drops Koggelmander. Granted, this sword has become obsolete, but the fight is a great practice tanking situation. No huge pressure from your ls, and you can pick up on the flow of a fight. If using a divine rune, Taniwa will use Flash, Banishga III, Dia etc. The only big spell to stun is Banishga, and you can have your Temporal Shift ready to stun it. Flash will make you lose a shadow faster than you expect, simulating some Double Attacks. There is a shadow wiping TP move, and a stuning move. Both types are common on big NM in some aspect.

Dynamis

Two blu's can control all the adds in dynamis easily. The only reason you even need two is for when your puller screws up and gets a 3x pull even. When a group comes in, Cimicine Discharge. It has a long range for casting and AoE to hit all the mobs. Pop off an Exuviation/Battery Charge/Regeneration after and you easily have more hate than the sleepers with ENM+. Blank Gaze any mobs you missed, whm, pld, etc to debuff. If you get a group after you, temporal shift or actinic burst, then sheep song them. If a mnk mob pulls Hundred Fists on you, have Plasma Charge up in advance. It will slow him way down. Blu is rediculous here for holding all the adds.

Special note to Xarc. Eyes cannot be slept, but they can be bound with regurgitation, as can some of the NM. So not only can you control the regular mobs, you can be a huge help on the tougher ones.

Limbus

*Bring echo drops for both mobs

Omega

Blu has got to be the best tank for this guy. We can hold hate easily and parse high on damage. Breath spells during the magic phase, and cannonball during the physical. Bring echo drops and save Diffusion > Exuviation for the hate reset move "Pile Pitch". It's really the only majorly annoying move he uses. Standard straight tanking works a-ok here, but some LS's prefer to kite to try to botch pile pitch and colossal blow. It's all in there preference.

Ultima

Once again, we can do quite a bit of damage on this guy. Darkness SC with vertical cleave and breath spells still work well. I have heard of a high m.acc Head butt set even managing to reliably stun him. Save temporal shift for the dissipations at 79, 59, 39, and 19%. It will save you a lot of grief from that terror. Watch out for instant cast Holy II if your shadows are going to be down. As for Citadel Buster....psh no big. He announces when you should cast Saline Coat and gives you time to put up a bit of stoneskin. There is a very small chance you will die from it lol.

Sky

*Good to start every fight with a big Spirits Within

Genbu:

Piece of cake. Just keep an eye out for Poisonga and Waterga. Otherwise he's easy, kited or straight tanked.

Suzaku:

This fight is quick enough, I would advice trying to keep Amplification or Saline Coat up, as you don't know when Chainspell will go off. Have your -mdt gear readily macroed, and a good strategy to contain Suzaku when Chainspell goes off, and you shouldn't have any problems tanking.

Seiryu:

This is a little tougher. He can AoE dispel your shadows and Hundred Fists can hurt. I would advice having a pld cotank to Sentinel during Hundred Fists if you aren't shadowbinding Seiryu. Definitely have your +interruption set ready, as you may need to cast ichi when your shadows get wiped.

Byakko:

Keep your -pdt stuff on typically. Same deal as Seiryu except with Triple Attack. As long as you do, he shouldn't ever Triple critical you.

Sea

Odin

ZNM

Khimaira

Cerberus

Tiamat

[Nightfyre]

FFXIAH item sets are borked so I'm using screenshots of a single set recycled.


Idle. Axe Grip, Colossus/Ethereal, Warwolf, Eyepatch because the CHR helps with hate because I'm a boss. Swap PDT for MDT as appropriate. Eventual goal is



Hairpin being the Refresh+1 augmented version from Abyssea-Konschtat and rings augmented with PDT/MDT, also from Konschtat. Prior to that the goal was Crimson Mask for head gear. Legs are sort of for show, I'm not a fan of the subligar. Being able to GTFO when a nasty but dodgeable TP move is incoming is nice too.


Enmity gear. Big flashing NEEDS IMPROVEMENT sign on this one, but I only just started rebuying this gear and most of my gil goes elsewhere at the moment.


Also, I use a Cache-nez for Blank Gaze due to its naturally low recast timer. Toreador's Cape sidegrades to Cerb +1 and is much cheaper, I just put Cerb +1 here since it has other uses.


-interrupt gear. Druid's Rope, Solitaire Cape, Willpower Torque. Caps with merits. Adding Mountain Gaiters to this allows you to cap with only 1 merit in -interruption.


A non-merit setup that still achieves 0% interruption. Karasutengu are not easy to come by though.


My cure gear. Just a hodgepodge of MND gear with no -enmity and some enmity+ gear at the moment. Supports a Wild Carrot cure cheat with one or two -hp pieces, but I rarely do that.

PDT and MDT sets should be obvious enough. Aben covered spells.

If the swapped weapons and Terra's Staff didn't tip you off, I don't try to gain TP when tanking on BLU. Personal choice there; I find it not worth the TP fed. It is an option though, especially now since VIT Shamshirs have -8% PDT on them. Wouldn't surprise me if dual Shamshirs surpassed Terra's next update.

Passing out now, will post more tomorrow.

[Sho]

Oh, hot compilation of information on gear swaps. I'll destroy my BLU next month and rebuild it for tanking purposes now, muhaha.

Also thanks guys.

[Kegsay]

I'm going to go find the original alla testing on m.acc on the stun effect. I'll edit and add the link when I find it. I'll get the tank guide up by the end of the week also.

Got it:

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.htm...7923912&page=1

I remember that thread now, though I'm going to re-do some of his testing with a larger sample size. I hypothesise that MACC and INT do indeed help on the proc rate (note: not the duration; I showed previously that duration cannot be enhanced at all, it's random.) as his testing has hinted at. As for the element of the stun, it's widely presumed to be lightning-based (which I agree with) but I shall also test that for the sake of completion.

[Kegsay]

Started off with the easy bit, element testing. Most of this is just re-confirming earlier reports/eyeballs/etc:

Target: Elementals in Ru'Aun Gardens (Lv78 only; using /check to confirm)
Aim: To find out the element that the additional effect is on Head Butt and Blastbomb.

Notes:
-Tests used the same gear at all times.
-Tests were not done on the suspected elements weak days.
-Additional effects were counted as 'landed' if the message "Monster is no longer xxx." appeared.
-'fails to take effect' spells were not included.

Head Butt
Proposed Elements: Earth, Thunder
Proposed Elemental Targets: Water, Thunder
Reasoning: Earth is strong vs Thunder. Thunder is strong vs Water. One of these tests will resist more than the other, which should identify the element.

RESULTS

Water Elemental: Land:80 Resist:0
Thunder Elemental: Land:0 Resist:80

A clearly obvious result, I was pretty surprised I didn't even get one successful stun on the Thunder Elementals, but there you go, Head Butt stun is Thunder based.

Blastbomb
Proposed Elements: Fire, Ice
Proposed Elemental Targets: Water, Fire
Reasoning: If it's ice based, it'll resist heavily on ice/fire targets. If it's fire based, it'll resist heavily on water/fire targets. Testing both these elements should clearly identify the element of the bind.

RESULTS

Water Elemental: Land:60 Resist:0
Fire Elemental: Land:0 Resist:60

Slightly disappointed by the result, but it's again very clear. Blastbomb bind is, surprisingly, Ice-based.

I am aware that many who read this thread know this already, but when the inevitable question does pop up in the future, here is the evidence.

tl;dr = The additional effects of ALL blue magic appear to be linked to their native types (bind=ice, stun=thunder, etc)

[Nightfyre]

Always good to have additional confirmation. I did similar tests on our Gravity spells a while back along with Jettatura with correlating results.

On a related note, brb random question thread. I think it's time I took care of those macc tests I proposed a while back.

[Demonofhunger]

/

[Necronus]

Started off with the easy bit, element testing. Most of this is just re-confirming earlier reports/eyeballs/etc:

Target: Elementals in Ru'Aun Gardens (Lv78 only; using /check to confirm)
Aim: To find out the element that the additional effect is on Head Butt and Blastbomb.

Notes:
-Tests used the same gear at all times.
-Tests were not done on the suspected elements weak days.
-Additional effects were counted as 'landed' if the message "Monster is no longer xxx." appeared.
-'fails to take effect' spells were not included.

Head Butt
Proposed Elements: Earth, Thunder
Proposed Elemental Targets: Water, Thunder
Reasoning: Earth is strong vs Thunder. Thunder is strong vs Water. One of these tests will resist more than the other, which should identify the element.

RESULTS

Water Elemental: Land:80 Resist:0
Thunder Elemental: Land:0 Resist:80

A clearly obvious result, I was pretty surprised I didn't even get one successful stun on the Thunder Elementals, but there you go, Head Butt stun is Thunder based.

Blastbomb
Proposed Elements: Fire, Ice
Proposed Elemental Targets: Water, Fire
Reasoning: If it's ice based, it'll resist heavily on ice/fire targets. If it's fire based, it'll resist heavily on water/fire targets. Testing both these elements should clearly identify the element of the bind.

RESULTS

Water Elemental: Land:60 Resist:0
Fire Elemental: Land:0 Resist:60

Slightly disappointed by the result, but it's again very clear. Blastbomb bind is, surprisingly, Ice-based.

I am aware that many who read this thread know this already, but when the inevitable question does pop up in the future, here is the evidence.

tl;dr = The additional effects of ALL blue magic appear to be linked to their native types (bind=ice, stun=thunder, etc)

Not sure if elementals are the best test site, but are obviously the intuitive start spot. Although they have the elemental resistances you sought, I also think their status immunities are fixed and not due to elemental resistance. i.e. I actually think that if SE made an Earth based stun spell, a Thunder Elemental would resist the stun (but not any potential damage component) simply because they are set to be immune to stun.

While I admit this is mostly baseless speculation on my part, my one hold up is the fact that we know SE already assigns immunities to NMs but not necessarily the matching elemental resistance.

I dunno, just a random thought I had, and you're probably right anyway, but I still thought I'd mention the one last possibility.

[Kegsay]

On a related note, brb random question thread. I think it's time I took care of those macc tests I proposed a while back.

Looked at your question, trouble with Qiqirn Poulterer is they are too weak to use as targets. I tried using them by following instructions by Robonosto on his blog, but I had a 95%+ land rate with head butt stun, and that was at Lv75 prior to the update.

[Marcicus]

Gnadbohd's Helm vs Maat's cap for CA Cannonball? Figured I'd just ask this here.

[Nightfyre]

Looked at your question, trouble with Qiqirn Poulterer is they are too weak to use as targets. I tried using them by following instructions by Robonosto on his blog, but I had a 95%+ land rate with head butt stun, and that was at Lv75 prior to the update.

Yeah, I get the feeling I'll actually need to pay attention for these tests Going to check out Aura Statues next to see if I can kill two birds with one stone, as I'll be needing Haidate soon.

Gnadbohd's Helm vs Maat's cap for CA Cannonball? Figured I'd just ask this here.

Wish Suiram was here right now Gut says Maat's but it probably depends on what you're fighting and how well buffed you are. I could see Gnadbhod's winning if the defense mattered.

[fredjanx]

Maybe most people don't care, but, messing around with ffxicalc and two pieces of new gear, I found a way to almost cap accuracy on BLU against exp mobs without food or expensive gear <.<
Set
(one of the swords is a dex/accuracy shamshir)
although we're better off using sushi and a full haste/attack based setup

[jimbobsonofgod]

almost cap accuracy on BLU against exp mobs
Set

If you are talking purely about acc why Ulthalam's ring

[fredjanx]

If you are talking purely about acc why Ulthalam's ring

without expensive gear

check again =P
honestly, though, I don't see any situation where this setup would be useful

[Kyte]

Blood/sniper's/woodsman's are expensive?