Lowest number for practical Sky farming

[drwaffles]

Suzaku solo, impossible. However it is easily managed with 3 RDM/NIN's using the triangle tanking technique. That is, assuming all the RDM's are quick thinkers, responsive, well versed in tanking and have some experience in solo/low man situations.

Really you make it sound harder than it probably is, considering duo doesn't look that difficult at all.

[Thorny]

Everyone who can do the higher tier solos likes to make them sound hard so they can think they're skilled and/or better than anyone else. Fact is, they're easy as hell if you have the gear and know the strategy.

[Kaeko]

It's not hard to solo something as much as it is to solo something first. Copying a strategy is much easier than making a strategy or showing a certain strategy is possible on something most think is impossible. Low manning HNMs, etc. works the same way.

As far as the OP's question, I would look to try something with 6. Generally, 6 is the 'magic number' for low manning most LS events... 6 man Jorm, 6 man Limbus bosses, etc. etc. All triggers are pretty simple with 6. Might be best to have 5 + a RNG floating around looking for things like MG or Zip.

For the lesser gods... Genbu you can do anything you want. Suzaku, I'd personally use Shadowbind, but if you want to keep your jobs more flexible, you could just get a fire resist setup on your tanks and sit during chainspell. Seiryu, ES bind works from anyone with that combo. Byakko, you just need to make sure you stack enough stunners. My personal favorite setup for tanking would be a PLD/NIN + NIN/DRK combo, since you have the hate sealing ability and extra stun of NIN/DRK, but the security and timely JAs of PLD as well.

PLD/NIN
NIN/DRK
RDM/DRK
BRD/WHM
THF/DRK
BLM

This would be a pretty reasonable setup for the non-Genbu gods. You still get Treasure Hunter, a ton of stunning, and a very secure tanking setup. Obviously certain fights can use more specialized setups, and there are a million ways to do this... mage heavy DD, melee heavy DD, all RDM team, etc.

[Thorny]

There aren't many 'first' solos that were very different from previous ones, unless you're going to claim someone invented the liberal use of bind or on mobs that build resist to it the ability to blink tank and wear damage- gear when getting hit. The idea of soloing is to get something done without relying on others, not flaunt your epeen.. because when it comes down to it they all fall into one of 2 or 3 basic strategies with tiny modifications anyone could figure out.

[Kaeko]

There aren't many 'first' solos that were very different from previous ones, unless you're going to claim someone invented the liberal use of bind or on mobs that build resist to it the ability to blink tank and wear damage- gear when getting hit. The idea of soloing is to get something done without relying on others, not flaunt your epeen.. because when it comes down to it they all fall into one of 2 or 3 basic strategies with tiny modifications anyone could figure out.

I think that certain mobs are redundant and are essentially the same strategy, but just with perhaps higher execution required. A good example, as you mention, is the general RDM Bind DoT kill idea, which works so well on so many things in the game. I think that the strategy would not be so well known, popular to RDM soloists, and not almost standard if it weren't for those first couple RDMs essentially video taping themselves doing it (Avesta for example). What is obvious to people now was not obvious before.

I'm personally more into 'zone solos' since you have to employ a bit more unique strategy towards the zone in addition to just generally good solo basics. It's a nice mix of keeping sharp on solo skills as well as having to plan. I dunno maybe most others don't feel this way, but to be in very top shape for the harder solos, I have to personally practice and keep sharp. Things can look easy on paper, but much for difficult in practice, especially on the things where you can die in seconds with 1 mistime and you have to play perfect for hours.

I think soloing is good for team situations since you can handle so much on your own, but there is a huge epenis component as well which shouldn't be overlooked. Just like LSs still find some pride in doing something first, I think players find pride in being the first to accomplish certain harder solos. Every once in awhile someone solos something that others who play that job can 'wow' at, and I think that's not necessarily a bad thing to strive for if you truly enjoy soloing.

[ringthree]

Everything in Sky aside from MG, Byakko and Kirin can be done duo or solo. Suzaku can indeed be duo'd by two RDM/NINs without the use of Bind since you can actually survive a good while with Suzaku right on top of you (unlike Seiryu, who's just a monster). He doesn't have the same extremely potent TP regen that Seiryu does and I'm pretty sure his melee attacks aren't quite as viscious, so all you need to do is bounce hate between you and kite it around.

MG can be done with three people and I'm told that Byakko is also trio-able by three RDM/NIN bouncing hate as you would do when duo/trio-ing Rapido or JoT.

Pretty sure that all Sky gods can use TP moves pretty much at will. I have never really seen a correlation between TP given and TP moves used on Sky gods.

[Tsuko_Asura]

Again, its been ages since I've actually 'done Sky', but there's no way in hell Genbu has any sort of TP-regen.

[Liseth]

I think soloing is good for team situations since you can handle so much on your own, but there is a huge epenis component as well which shouldn't be overlooked. Just like LSs still find some pride in doing something first, I think players find pride in being the first to accomplish certain harder solos. Every once in awhile someone solos something that others who play that job can 'wow' at, and I think that's not necessarily a bad thing to strive for if you truly enjoy soloing.

I agree. Mostly. But soloing things doesn't necessarily make a person a good team player, or teach a person to be self sufficient during group events in any way. I've resigned myself to the simple fact that any monkey can pull off a solo after watching someone else do it. Like you mentioned there IS a difference between soloing something that other people have done prior to you than soloing something for the first time. Those are the players I truly commend, the monkeys not so much. Thanks to a few outstanding members (*wink wink* Kaeko, *nudge nudge* Avesta) in the FFXI community soloing difficult things on RDM and BLM has become a staple of both jobs and isn't nearly as special as it initially was. Again for some people I'll agree that soloing can make you more self sufficient in group situations, but only if you can play every aspect of the job you happen to be playing and not just the solo aspect of it.

[Callisto]

Pretty sure that all Sky gods can use TP moves pretty much at will. I have never really seen a correlation between TP given and TP moves used on Sky gods.

I'll have to back this up, we've seen some Seiryus that apparently went Meikyo Shisui on us at times, both normal and Kirin mini.

[Mojo]

Genbu does not, I don't think Suzaku does either. Seiryu definitely does, I'm not sure about Byakko.

[Tsuko_Asura]

I think its fairly safe to say that Seiryu is the only one with that quality.

[drwaffles]

Pretty sure that all Sky gods can use TP moves pretty much at will. I have never really seen a correlation between TP given and TP moves used on Sky gods.

No, Suzaku definitely does not have Seiryu-esque TP regen. Seiryu has a ridiculous level of TP regen and will constantly use a TP move when he closes in on you or spam Wind Wall on himself when he's unable to reach his target, whereas when we last 5-manned Suzaku he used TP moves at pretty much the same rate a normal mob would use them (we had a PLD engaged and a BLM nuking for damage, so he was even being fed a certain amount of TP).

[Thorny]

Genbu does not, I don't think Suzaku does either. Seiryu definitely does, I'm not sure about Byakko.

In my experience, byakko doesn't have any noticable TP regen.

[Tubbers]

Suzaku can definitely be duod, the only remotely difficult part would be surviving 2-hr, but if both people have somewhat even hate it shouldn't be that hard, just run in opposite directions, he'll cast on one, run to the other, etc. He should only get 4 casts off before it is over. PLD/NIN + RDM/NIN or 2 RDM/NIN should be able to do this, it would just take a long, long time.

6 People is the magic number for low-man sky, as Kaeko said.

For byakko, don't forget you're going to want paralyna. 2 BRD/DRK is completely unecessary. I've had a lot of success with WHM/DRK RDM/DRK BRD/WHM THF/DRK NIN/DRK NIN/DRK. WHM with /DRK is just for emergencies, /SCH would also work fine. With 5 stuns and having the two DRK spread out about 16-20' his attack rate is very managable. It will take a while with THF as the only DD, however, make sure Bio is on at all times and just marathon it out.

If you have some flexibility, these are the other setups I would recommend.

Genbu: Just have everyone come BLM or RDM, kite him around and laugh at him.
Seiryu: NIN/DRK NIN/DRK RDM/DRK RNG BRD THF(if you want, for moar $).
Suzaku: One good tank is enough for this, and one RDM. NIN/DRK RDM/DRK RNG RNG BRD THF(if you want, for moar $). You can have the RNG sub NIN if you'd like, just in case the NIN dies. Suzaku isn't too hard to tank.

[stinkypoo]

MG has been duo'd with blm + rdm, blm kiting MG while rdm nukes the pods I think. I never did figure out how exactly to do the pull with just duo though.

Clear the Orbs in front of the room by the porter. RDM aggros and BLM ga3 asap. Fully buffed RDM can hold the orbs just long enough, just need to be fast. Both RDM and BLM need to be /NIN. BLM Stuns/Kites/Nukes MG when he can. RDM nukes down babies. It's a tough duo, alot easier with 2 RDMs+BLM or 3 RDMs.

Never done it, but Powder Boots should make this part a lot easier.

[Thorny]

The orbs run flee speed.

[Judai]

Never done it, but Powder Boots should make this part a lot easier.

Considering the point is to gather the orbs and aga3 them asap, no, powder boots won't do anything. Also, as was said, Orbs move fast as shit. It's actually easier if you have to barely move. I aggro'd them when they were in nuking range for the BLM, so he could start casting and I just had to move behind him a bit to gather them.

[Wizerd]

Seiryu's TP regain is less potent than you guys make it out to be in this thread. It's noticeably different to fight him with 1-2 melees on it as opposed to 4-5. He still uses a TP move every 15 seconds or so, based solely on his regain, but it's nothing like the back to back spamming he'll do with 4 on it.

Byakko, Suzaku, and Genbu definitely don't have any TP regain outside their elemental day. Our last Byakko hardly TP'd at all with only myself DDing it - only as much as something would TP for a solo THF/NIN. There were occasional nukes and hits from the tanks but other than that..

As for Suzaku, we killed it quite easily with RDM/DRK, DRK/THF, PLD/NIN, BLM/RDM, and myself dual boxing THF/NIN and BRD/WHM. The only death was the RDM/DRK after chainspell stun, but he did fine during weakness. Suzaku is such a joke.

[drwaffles]

If what looks like (from your description) permanent ~20TP/tick isn't "potent regain" then I'm not really sure what is.

[Pergo]

the past few seiryu i've done, we've had no melee on it, and it still uses a move like every 10 seconds, if not sooner. definetly something going on there.

edit: orz said suzaku spams, i meant seiryu... suzaku's never shown any weird tp issues