Apoc. Nigh Earring Choices With BLM & PLD

[Midge]

I need a little help with my Apoc. Nigh earring choices, I have my BLM at 75 already and I'm working on getting my PLD to 75 soonish too (71 atm).

My question is; which earring do you think would be most value/ of most use to me with my jobs, Static or Ethereal?

It seems to be a question between an extra 5% MB damage or 3% damage > mp.

I'm currently leaning towards static as I do seem to MB quite alot with my shell still and I would spend most of my time subbing NIN on PLD, (with the odd exception such as dyna and misc events etc), making ethereal not paticularly useful.

Is this a horrible misconception on my part?

Also, RDM will be my next job to 75 (if you think that could influence my decision)

Thanks

[Eldelphia]

The best earring is ethereal - depends how serious you are on PLD tbh. Suprised you ruled out magnetic entirely though.

[Tomiko]

Ethereal or Magnetic

Even though you plan on subbing Nin for Pld, you're still going to get hit sooner or later.

Since you have Blm and are planning Rdm, Magnetic is worth looking into. Static may be nice for MBs, but realistically you're not only going to be casting to MB. And all the stats on Magnetic will be nice for both Blm and Rdm.

[Delekii]

Magnetic is very over-rated, but do a search to find out why because it has been argued about 15 times so far In short, it gives you about 1.5% more mp over time which is almost insignificant, and BLM has other ear choices that are almost as good or better for almost every application.

Certainly Ethereal is more use for PLD than Magnetic is for BLM.

[rithridan]

Isn't static kind of useless in the end for a blm? Technically a blm can get +5 MAB and +7 MAB on their ear slots, so why get a +5 MAB on MB earring? Ofcourse not every blm can get both MAB earrings but still...

[Blabj]

Magnetic, so you can sell your antivenom (or keep it if you don't have a second resting earring)

[fantasticdan]

If you're not taking a lot of damage with pld/nin, wouldn't you be better off with magnetic or an enmity earring?

Both earrings are pretty overrated IMO, it really depends on which jobs you want to pimp out I guess. The only game-breaking use of any of these earrings is probably ethereal for drg solo...

[Shuemue]

Isn't static kind of useless in the end for a blm? Technically a blm can get +5 MAB and +7 MAB on their ear slots, so why get a +5 MAB on MB earring? Ofcourse not every blm can get both MAB earrings but still...

Static is +5% on MB, not +5 MAB.

If you MB a lot, grab static and play with it at least for a while, it's epeentastic. After all, you can change it relatively easily.

[Midge]

I've got to admit I agree with Shue here, I do like big numbers :D

I have never placed much emphasis on conserve mp, I cant decide if its just a placebo or not. Its nice when it happens but its not something I'd like to rely on. One of my BLM friends in the LS cant get enough of it and he went with Magnetic.

Thanks for all the responses so far, much appreciated. I've found the responses regarding PLD usage very helpful as I've yet to tank at endgame myself (the main reason for the thread in the first place^^)

[Aymee]

The only game-breaking use of any of these earrings is probably ethereal for drg solo...

I was thinking exactly this as I was reading down the thread, lol.

In my head, it's a toss-up on what to pick. Ethereal is like a pleasant toy for PLD that makes life a little easier but is far from necessary. I guess it'd also depends on what your use for your pld/nin is for, since you didn't say. The more general dmg you might take the better theoretical use. If it's situations where you're trying to outlast, I think more useful.

Err, but yea. Mostly would depend on your seriousness on whichever job. What I tell people for AN is that, when in doubt go with Ethereal, kinda like the default/"I'm not sure" reward for DM is Supp.

[Therin]

Go with Ethereal, undoubtedly. <_>

BLM can get other earrings which can replace Static/Magnetic, but there is no other earring that does for a PLD what an Ethereal will.

[Diamanti]

I have BLM and PLD 75. Went with Ethereal for 2 reasons.

1. I'm more serious about PLD.
2. Ethereal has a unique stat that is very good, while the others have good stats that are not unique to that item.

[Amele]

1.5% over time is quite a bit honestly, but this is coming from the perspective of a whitemage who's used to being nickel and dimed in terms of mp recovery.

since you can change them easily, I'd say try out every earring you're thinking of getting.

[Midge]

I see your point Therin, but nothing besides Novio is more potent that Static in MBs (Static outperforms Moldy in MBs)

[Judai]

Ethereal. kthxbai. I mean, how often do you MB? Ethereal will be a full time earring, unless you macro swap it out for 2s during hate moves for Hades+1. BLM earrings will be MB only unless you believe in Conserve MP gear.

[Suiram]

I see your point Therin, but nothing besides Novio is more potent that Static in MBs (Static outperforms Moldy in MBs)

Static is better than Novio in MBs (not that you can't just wear both).

[Amele]

I see your point Therin, but nothing besides Novio is more potent that Static in MBs (Static outperforms Moldy in MBs)

Static is better than Novio in MBs (not that you can't just wear both).

this statement is only true in certain circumstances (specifically, that 5% damage is more than the boost of in damage of MAB+7; which is not always true.)

a trivial counter-example is at +0 MAB.

a realistic counter example should be all cases in which total MAB is less than about 40 (being the equivalency value in 1.05 * (1.00+0.01*MAB) ?= (1.00+.01*(MAB+7))


(yes, I'm aware that a naked blackmage has 32 MAB)

[Suiram]

I see your point Therin, but nothing besides Novio is more potent that Static in MBs (Static outperforms Moldy in MBs)

Static is better than Novio in MBs (not that you can't just wear both).

this statement is only true in certain circumstances (specifically, that 5% damage is more than the boost of in damage of MAB+7; which is not always true.)

a trivial counter-example is at +0 MAB.

a realistic counter example should be all cases in which total MAB is less than about 40 (being the equivalency value in 1.05 * (1.00+0.01*MAB) ?= (1.00+.01*(MAB+7))


(yes, I'm aware that a naked blackmage has 32 MAB)

Well I figured we were talking about BLMs, which means we can take for granted the 32 from job trait and at least 5 from body, and since we've got another ear slot and we're comparing Novio vs. Static we can add the 5 from moldavite and we're already above the fixed point, or if you don't want to assume that, can assume they have at least 2 potency merits (which anyone serious enough about BLM to pick static earring likely will have). In any event, you're technically right but it's a bit more misleading than it is informative, I feel.

[Amele]

until you start talking about salvage where you can't take any other pieces of gear for granted at all (except the other earring and two rings, in this case) but yeah, generally speaking a blackmage will have enough MAB that they'll be right to wear a static over a MAB earring. (and yeah, I realize it's highly unlikely a blackmage would have magic and rings but not body cell lol)

it's still worth mentioning if only because blackmages (while the subject of this thread) aren't the only ones who MB and might end up needing to pick item choices (it's relevant for the case of novio+static vs novio+moldavite too for redmage, for instance.)

[Septimus]

until you start talking about salvage where you can't take any other pieces of gear for granted at all (except the other earring and two rings, in this case) but yeah, generally speaking a blackmage will have enough MAB that they'll be right to wear a static over a MAB earring. (and yeah, I realize it's highly unlikely a blackmage would have magic and rings but not body cell lol)

it's still worth mentioning if only because blackmages (while the subject of this thread) aren't the only ones who MB and might end up needing to pick item choices (it's relevant for the case of novio+static vs novio+moldavite too for redmage, for instance.)

While it is true that Red Mages can magic burst as well, but when a RDM Magic Bursts it is instead called "Wasting MP".