Can someone check my math on this? A few quick calculations show that this staff should slightly outperform NQ staves (at least with my set-up as outlined below) but will fall short of HQ ele staves. I think SE is implementing this to try and free up some BLM inventory, but if its gonna be rubbish compared to what I'm already walking around with, then I don't see that its worth the effort.
Prologue: The magic damage formula is as such (credited from damage formula on Alla):
Terminologies
Elemental Spell Damage - hereafter just called "damage."
Magic Attack Bonus - abbreviated as "MAB."
Spell Damage Constant - abbreviated as "SDC."
Elemental Staff Bonus - abbreviated "ESB."
Day/Weather Bonus - abbreviated as "DWB."
INT - you should know what INT stands for.
Caster INT - abbreviated as "cINT."
Target INT - abbreviated as "tINT."
Tier INT Multiplier - abbreviated as "TIM."
Main Formula
Damage = [(cINT - tINT) x TIM + SDC] x MAB x ESB x DWB
Specifics
- A 75BLM will have MAB IV as a job trait, which is MAB+1.32 (MAB is calculated as a percentage, thus all gear is actually +% MAB. A Moldy earring is 5%, which is .05 in the equation. A 75 BLM with MAB IV has 132% MAB, or 1.32 in the equation)
- Currently I am geared to MAB+44 with my nuking gear: Genie, moldy, novio, yigit, sorc ring, ugg pendant, z.mitts
- COR can increase this by MAB+16 (roll 11)
- When nuking with Ice or Thunder element (both capped merits) this increases further to MAB+10 (2 per merit)
- (Obviously I'm talking best-case scenario here, but disregarding weather bonuses as I want to see a difference in MAB vs. ele staves only by boosting my possible MAB as high as possible)
Assuming all of the correct elements are in place (and taking out any possible weather bonuses) that leaves me with a MAB+202. In the equation, that results in a multiplier of 2.02.
Simplifying the formula a bit, lets say that everything within the brackets equated to 10 (for ease of math) that leaves us with 10x MAB x ESB x DWB.
Staves are calculated as NQ=(damage) x 1.10 and HQ=(damage) x 1.15.
MAB, similarly, is calculated by moving the decimal 2 points to the left. My MAB+202 is, as I said above, a multiplier of 2.02.
Math
HQ Stave and current MAB set up:
10 x 2.02 x 1.15 = 23.23
NQ Stave and current MAB set-up
10 x 2.02 x 1.10 = 22.22
Dorje Stave (MAB+25) and current MAB set-up
10 x 2.27 x 1 = 22.70
So, its marginally better than an NQ stave, but falls short of the HQ? Am I calculating this correctly?
Further Calculation
Assuming no gear whatsoever (only MAB IV from job trait as 75 BLM), the Dorje excels over the staves:
HQ stave and no MAB gear:
10 x 1.32 x 1.15 = 15.18
NQ stave and no MAB gear:
10 x 1.32 x 1.10 = 14.52
Dorje Stave (MAB+25) and no other MAB gear:
10 x 1.57 x 1.00 = 15.70
Eliminating the variables from above (COR rolls and merits) leaves us with a MAB of 1.76
HQ stave and MAB+1.76:
10 x 1.76 x 1.15 = 20.24
NQ stave and MAB+1.76
10 x 1.76 x 1.10 = 19.36
Dorje Stave (MAB+25) and no other MAB gear:
10 x 2.01 x 1.00 = 20.1
Conclusion
There is a diminishing return here, and it seems like the weapon is best-suited to BLMs with lesser gear choices and lower merits. If there are glaring errors in my math above, please let me know.
From what I can tell, this weapon will not help career BLMs who currently have full HQ stave sets and good MAB set-ups.