How do you solo skillup?

[Kaylia]

Crab are the best, but I like terrigan when I dont feel like running to zitah.

Signet and Npc fellow on healer is generally enough to handle anything EM on any jobs. /dnc -> /nin or /rdm -> /thf in order for the sub.

[Zhane]

sorry to bump this but was having a difficult time skilling up around 200-210. Robber Crabs in tree were slow and over-crowded and I would only get .1-.3 per Steelshell. So letting ppl know Wootzshells in Mt. Z were giving me .4-.5 per mob. Robber Crabs in Gustav are a little higher than tree crabs but lower than wootz so those might be even better alternative if you are having trouble around 200.

[Max™]

Wootz give no signet eva/def though, which is meh to me.

It's workable, but I could afk beating on a Steelshell and Drain samba II will keep me alive against a DC, just a little maintenance for an EM.

[Zhane]

ya it's great having the added buffs from signet. I just wasn't getting any skillups. It was like they were too high for me.

[The Stig]

ya it's great having the added buffs from signet. I just wasn't getting any skillups. It was like they were too high for me.

Skill ups are as random as shit. Watch TV/browse web while doing it but keep an eye out on HP.

[Fogo]

In my experience the 190-210 range is just terrible in general for skillups on any weapon, mostly because there are so few mobs that are "easy" (like crabs) to give good skillups for that range. for any weapon B skill and up, you have to find mobs that are very high EP to very low DC, which is exactly between the robber crabs and the steelshells in boyahda. If you can do a search (maybe tempt old somepage.com) for mobs that are level 67-71 (maybe 72), thats your target for that skill range.

Try uleguerand range, Brontotaurs, Giant Buffalos, and maybe the Nival raptors (down the ramp past the first tunnel on your way around the map). Just don't get Mortal Rayed :D.

[Okan]

Try uleguerand range, Brontotaurs, Giant Buffalos, and maybe the Nival raptors (down the ramp past the first tunnel on your way around the map). Just don't get Mortal Rayed .

Try uleguerand range, Brontotaurs, Giant Buffalos, and maybe

Brontotaurs, Giant Buffalos,

Brontotaurs

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

[Zosi]

In my experience the 190-210 range is just terrible in general for skillups on any weapon, mostly because there are so few mobs that are "easy" (like crabs) to give good skillups for that range. for any weapon B skill and up, you have to find mobs that are very high EP to very low DC, which is exactly between the robber crabs and the steelshells in boyahda. If you can do a search (maybe tempt old somepage.com) for mobs that are level 67-71 (maybe 72), thats your target for that skill range.

Try uleguerand range, Brontotaurs, Giant Buffalos, and maybe the Nival raptors (down the ramp past the first tunnel on your way around the map). Just don't get Mortal Rayed :D.

Valley of Sorrows is nearly perfect level-wise, but Perytons are whores. I did fine with a 59WAR/NIN (skilling axe and gaxe) and 75SAM/DNC (Soboro), but I'm not sure I'd want to solo Perytons with a skillup weapon. The raptors are pretty wimpy, though.

[Isiolia]

In my experience the 190-210 range is just terrible in general for skillups on any weapon, mostly because there are so few mobs that are "easy" (like crabs) to give good skillups for that range. for any weapon B skill and up, you have to find mobs that are very high EP to very low DC, which is exactly between the robber crabs and the steelshells in boyahda. If you can do a search (maybe tempt old somepage.com) for mobs that are level 67-71 (maybe 72), thats your target for that skill range.

Depends on the weapon cap...Robber Crabs in the tree at 62-66 should take A-ranked skills past 210 at the very least (potentially up into the 220s, just hard to differentiate between the mobs at that point).

Can shift the high range on that up a little by going after the ones in Gustav though, 65-68 on those, or Greatclaws in SSG for 66-69.

Skillup is just random though...IMO, one of those things that could really stand to be tweaked. No reason to need to spend hours upon hours capping skills.

[Fogo]

Depends on the weapon cap...Robber Crabs in the tree at 62-66 should take A-ranked skills past 210 at the very least (potentially up into the 220s, just hard to differentiate between the mobs at that point).

Can shift the high range on that up a little by going after the ones in Gustav though, 65-68 on those, or Greatclaws in SSG for 66-69.

Skillup is just random though...IMO, one of those things that could really stand to be tweaked. No reason to need to spend hours upon hours capping skills.

I mentioned that range because, at least typically (and this may be my being an old timer pre level sync days) the majority of people aren't looking to skillup and cap their a(-/+) weapon because that's the one they actually get to use in parties. More often than not when we go out to skillup it's either for the "Blue factor" or else to level a weapon for another job, or perhaps another weapon for other scenarios for our main job (i.e. polearm war or sam).

The obvious exception to this being mage jobs that don't get to use weapons in pt's, but that's a whole different can of worms.

[Isiolia]

Well, mages jobs don't have A-ranked weapons either way, so yeah, different situation there =P

On the flip side, there are jobs with A-ranked "alternative" weapons, some of which may not be ones they get the chance to skill all of in XP. For example, PLD has A+ Shield n' Sword, plus A- Staff and Club. I know for me, shield didn't even cap during XP, and not due to sync, just short fights. (I've been skilling on that job a lot lately...)

A WAR that only did DW or Greataxe would get that too. DRK with Greatsword n' Scythe. RNG with Archery and Marksmanship.


I do agree, there's a general lack of good options for later-60s and up skillup mobs. I'd just place the "problem area" for skill a little higher. Though, again, skillup rate should just be tweaked to be faster, and it wouldn't be an issue.

[hellstorm]

bloody bolts are your friend I normally do war/sam but war/dnc work well to then go to the tree. long you don't get link and fire couple bloody bolts when you get yellow health all is good.

[Rilu]

I am an avid fan of War/Dnc now myself, so depending on what you are doing, killing EP stuff hasn't been an issue for me.

A couple of gear items I like to bring, just to help with the solo aspect of things:

1. Snakeeye - boomerang made from Hydra fang, I think it is, but provides regen effect.
2. Unicorn harness/Barone Corazza/Body piece with regen - Again, for the regen effect.
3. Hercules Ring - I think thats what it is called, with the regen/refresh for war/pld after you get to 50% hp.

With Signet/Sanction etc you will really have a hard time DYING, especially with Dnc sub.

I go to campaign as War/Dnc with the following gear, and usually end up solo'ing stuff, or at the least tanking stuff.

Main - Ridill
Off - shield of some sort
Range - Snakeye
Head - Walmart turban
Neck - Ancient Torque
EarL- Brutal
EarR- Assault
Body - Adaburk\Unicorn
Hands - Dusk
RingL- Sniper
RingR- Sniper/ Hercules when HP gets lower
Back - Cerb mantle
Waist - Swift belt
Legs - Kitty panties
Feet - Hermes' Sandals +1

So pretty much I just swap in and out weapons with that setup there for skillups.

[Damane]

WAR/DNC with some defends equip = np skill up on everything that is even match

[Max™]

Acheron shield! 3rd best in the game!

Aegis: D40 -25% Magic/Bash/Pld onry
Acheron +1: D28 Shield +11
Acheron: D27 Shield +10

I already soloed stuff in campaign easy as War/Dnc with great axe (except orcs, Counterstance = FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUU), Joy/Ach is fun for a change, and makes for a super turtle build, I push 500 Def with a protect on, 700~ if I hit red and pop on my soldier's earring.

Skilling shield is a pain in the ass on War cause it's a low skill, I found the Chigoe's in Rolan [S] (just south of the fort, go /sit in the bushes and you'll get a couple) were nice til 185 I think, then it got slow.

I dragged them up to the lycopodiums/pixie where Jeuno zone would be, between the lyco regen, herc ring, and the pixie I could sit with one on me indefinitely /Pld, longer if I had Ethereal (still can't find a group for the re-do fight, ARGH).

[Midnightjade]

Went back later today on WAR/DNC, brought tacos and signet and nothing else. Had near 300tp and full hp after DC EM mobs, T was a bit rough so i wont do those seeing as no signet effect.

But yeah, signet and tacos made a world of difference. Ive never really had a chance to 'tank' on war, and with retaliation and a 1h weapon it turned my fidill into a ridill >.x

I just skill up as /BST as you mentioned in your first post, but I make a Charm macro, and also a bunch of other BST-related macros for the skillup gearset. Once you do that, Charm % returns to its BST norm and everything gets very relaxed.

Hope this helps, only thing you got to remember doing it this way is that 2H weapon can generate a bit of spike hate so you may need to hold back a bit very early on in each fight.

As to where to skill up 200+, I just go to Sky and chill out skilling up on flamingos and getting the keys they drop, then popping the coffers for 10k a shot. Easy easy money and skillups to boot, it's really pretty nice.

[Fogo]

I have to mention I recently took out what few pieces of def gear I had (koenig head/hands, kirins osode lul, boxers mantle), got myself an acheron shield (thanks for that tidbit max!), and went out to qsc to start workin on my pathetic shield skill (at 124ish now i think), ate a taco and I tell ya what, even drain samba 2 was MORE than enough to keep me full health the whole time. Single digit damage from EP anticans was pretty nice (think i was around 580 def with defender on). Just wish i could have actually gotten more than .1 every 10 ants lol.

[Panthera]

Ive heard NPC mentioned, but I cant see that being too realiable, my DNC is 37, but ive never tried subbing it, so not sure how well thatll go.

You're underestimating Soothing Healer NPC. They're MUCH better than when they first came out, have much shorter recast timers then back then, and have better MP management. No more AOE WS's should you decide against them as well. They'll also debuff to help soloing easier, and are pretty good about -na's. It doesn't hurt anything to use them, and can only help you.

[JESS]

I go to Vunk Inlet [s}.... depending on your skill level cap you can solo skill up pretty high. On a 272 Skill capped weapon I took it to 226. As a bonus the mobs are easy prey to kill here and with a experience ring you get 100 xp per kill and KS's. The mobs are crabs and fish.
You can also grab a occasional Campaighne and the Sprite passes by alot on top of that.