Endgame Bard Equipment

[TheMuffinman]

Let me begin by saying long ass post inc. So my bard is getting to the point where I am starting to think about endgame gear and setups, and I came up with a list of equipment sets to shoot for. Now realize I do not have 95% of this gear, and it will take a long time to acquire most of it, but this list is really just something for me to go by as I build my bard to endgame standards.

Magic Accuracy (For Offensive Spells)

Main: Alkalurops (CHR+10 Magic Accuracy+20)
Secondary: Appropriate Elemental Grip (Magic Accuracy+2)
Head: Marduk's Tiara: (CHR+3 Singing Skill+7)
Body: Marduk's Jubbah (CHR+12 Fast Cast)
Hands: Choral Cuffs+1 (Chr+7 Singing Skill+10)
Legs: Marduk's Shalwar (CHR+10 Wind Skill+5)
Feet: Shadow Clogs (CHR+5 Magic Accuracy+2)
Neck: Wind Torque (Wind Skill+7)
Back: Astute Cape (Singing Skill+5)
Waist: Gleeman's Belt (CHR+6)
Ring1: Omega Ring (CHR+3 Magic Accuracy+3)
Ring2: Insect Ring (Magic Accuracy+2) (Already have Jalzhans for Rng, might switch for Balrahns for +2
Earring1:Musical Earring (Wind Skill+5)
Earring2: Wind Earring (Wind Skill+3)

Totals: CHR+56 Magic Accuracy+29 Singing Skill+22 Wind Skill+20 Fast Cast

Lullaby

Main: Alkalurops (CHR+10 Magic Accuracy+20)
Secondary: Light Grip (Magic Accuracy+2)
Head: Walahra Turban (Haste+5%)
Body: Sha'ir Manteel (CHR+7 Haste+2% Cast Time-12%)
Hands: Sha'ir Gages (CHR+5 Spell Recast-2)
Legs: Marduk's Shalwar (CHR+10 Wind Skill+5)
Feet: Sha'ir Crackows (CHR+4 Haste+1%)
Neck: Wind Torque (Wind Skill+7)
Back: Jester's Cape +1 (CHR+10)
Waist: Velocious Belt (Haste+6%)
Ring1: Omega Ring (CHR+3 Magic Accuracy+3)
Ring2: Minstrel's Ring (Cast Time-25%)
Earring1:Musical Earring (Wind Skill+5)
Earring2: Loquacious Earring (Fast Cast)

Totals: CHR+49 Magic Accuracy+25 Haste+14% Cast Time-37% Recast-2 Fast Cast


Buffs

Main: Appropriate HQ Stave
Secondary: Bugard Strap+1 (CHR+1)
Head: Marduk's Tiara: (CHR+3 Singing Skill+7)
Body: Marduk's Jubbah (CHR+12 Fast Cast)
Hands: Choral Cuffs+1 (Chr+7 Singing Skill+10)
Legs: Marduk's Shalwar (CHR+10 Wind Skill+5)
Feet: Oracle's Pigaches (Wind Skill+5)
Neck: Wind Torque (Wind Skill+7)
Back: Jester's Cape +1 (CHR+10)
Waist: Gleeman's Belt (CHR+6)
Ring1: Nereid Ring (Wind Skill+3)
Ring2: Nereid Ring (Wind Skill+3)
Earring1:Musical Earring (Wind Skill+5)
Earring2: Loquacious Earring (Fast Cast)

Totals: CHR+46 Singing Skill+17 Wind SKill+27 Fast Cast


So, what can I improve on? Any other sets you can think of other than merits?

p.s. Does having all HQ staves really help? i.e. swapping in Jupiter's for Madrigal, Vulcan's for Minuet etc etc etc.

[Thorny]

hq staff doesn't contribute to buffs, use choral channions+1, chanter's staff, wind earring, astute cape for march.. replace wind torque with piper's torque, alkaluops with hq staff, loq with wind earring, astute cape with jesters+1 for debuffs(which include lullaby, casttime- doesn't mean shit on a 1.5 second spell and you can use spellcast to start cast in it and end in your acc gear anyway)

[Gabai]

iirc you want singing instead of wind earring for the debuff set (something about singing skill being 3x more efficient than wind skill)

you may want HQ staves for threnodies

oh and additional sets you may want to think about include SS build...ugh

[Ophannus]

Buffs

Main: Appropriate HQ Stave
Secondary: Bugard Strap+1 (CHR+1)
Head: Marduk's Tiara: (CHR+3 Singing Skill+7)
Body: Marduk's Jubbah (CHR+12 Fast Cast)
Hands: Choral Cuffs+1 (Chr+7 Singing Skill+10)
Legs: Marduk's Shalwar (CHR+10 Wind Skill+5)
Feet: Oracle's Pigaches (Wind Skill+5)
Neck: Wind Torque (Wind Skill+7)
Back: Jester's Cape +1 (CHR+10)
Waist: Gleeman's Belt (CHR+6)
Ring1: Nereid Ring (Wind Skill+3)
Ring2: Nereid Ring (Wind Skill+3)
Earring1:Musical Earring (Wind Skill+5)
Earring2: Loquacious Earring (Fast Cast)

Bolded items do nothing for buffs. Replace with singing/wind skill gearor something.

[AkashiXI]

I've been out of the endgame scene for quite some time, but what the fuck at Alk over HQ ele staves?

[eva00r]

Buffs

Main: Appropriate HQ Stave
Secondary: Bugard Strap+1 (CHR+1)
Head: Marduk's Tiara: (CHR+3 Singing Skill+7)
Body: Marduk's Jubbah (CHR+12 Fast Cast)
Hands: Choral Cuffs+1 (Chr+7 Singing Skill+10)
Legs: Marduk's Shalwar (CHR+10 Wind Skill+5)
Feet: Oracle's Pigaches (Wind Skill+5)
Neck: Wind Torque (Wind Skill+7)
Back: Jester's Cape +1 (CHR+10)
Waist: Gleeman's Belt (CHR+6)
Ring1: Nereid Ring (Wind Skill+3)
Ring2: Nereid Ring (Wind Skill+3)
Earring1:Musical Earring (Wind Skill+5)
Earring2: Loquacious Earring (Fast Cast)

Bolded items do nothing for buffs. Replace with singing/wind skill gearor something.

Marduk's Jubbah does give refresh while you're singing long ass songs and btw Alk < HQ Staves in term of accuracy. Also, I doubt that 10 CHR from Alk would contribute to much of a potency in any songs.

[astura]

there was a few threads a couple months ago where it was found that hq staffs gave 20 or 30 macc based on how your base resist was. If your base resist was below 50% then hq staffs were 20 macc above 50% 30 macc. Also it's now known (At least for nukes/enfebling magic) that 1 stat= 1 macc up to 10 over a mobs stat (int vrs int for elemental/enfebling). This means hq staffs are 20 or 30 macc vrs alkatrops being 25 or 30 macc. So either way this would put alkatrops at worst at 25 macc (better then hq staff) or at best 30 macc (tied with hq staff).

Also if you relly want to go gung-ho on brd for macros/gear you should have 2 sets for buffs. A fastcast/-spell cast set at the time of casting like loq. earring, rostrum pumps, shiar mantle/minstrals ring (if you got a trick set for it) and then before you finish switch to a skill/fastcast/haste set (marduk tiara/jubbah, skill earrings/oracles/af+1/speed belt etc). Basically put skill items first and if you cannot get skill stack in haste or fast cast. You need to tailor this up for each buff.

Examples: March you need to max out both singing and wind but minuet you just need the highest of which ever skill you have the most of. Personal testing showed that its tiered to +1 atk per 10 skill past 220 based of the highest of singing or wind not a combination of both. This means pick wind or singing, which ever is the highest total that you can get to a multiple of 10 past 220, and use only the gear that puts the least amount the highest tier and stack haste/fastcast gear in the rest of the slots.

Edit: While it may not matter much but while singing if your not hitting a tier with +4 wind staff use terra's and consider making a idel set to increase survivability. What i plan to eventually get for mine (if you want to model after it):
Terra's/ ixion cloak/auto regen neck/marduk hands/mermans rings+earringsx2/herelexi cape/lt. stash.
This gives: auto refresh 1/tic, auto regen 3/tic,-23% physical dmg, -17% magic dmg.
This might not matter much like i said but staying alive and have a presong fastcast/-spell cast set will add up over time to help your performance as a bard.
The precast set i suggested (if you can force ring in 1 macro with the other gear) is -37% spell cast with -4% casting from fastcast items so -41% casting time cutting 8 second songs down to 4.72 second songs cast time.

[FailureMidgard]

Don't think Insect Ring is even worth the inventory slot if you have a Nereid anyway for buffs.

[Thorny]

iirc you want singing instead of wind earring for the debuff set (something about singing skill being 3x more efficient than wind skill)

you may want HQ staves for threnodies

oh and additional sets you may want to think about include SS build...ugh

Buff tiers are singing + wind/string depending on instrument. While singing earring is cheaper and does the same for buffs, wind doubles as the best debuff ear along with musical so you should have it anyway in a 'perfect' setup.

[astura]

You relize that all tiers are not based on both skills. That aside there is no reason to prefer wind over singing earring. In fact you get a lot more generalized use out of singing as its always used in every song you will sing. Sence singing skill is always used as in every song equation we can note that it would be our main skill. (thus lending some credit to the new 3 wind=1 macc, 1 singing=1 macc for debuffs theory) That aside one over the other only matters for if you need specific tier of singing or wind to be hit.

[Bakthi]

For buffs, you want to start casting in either Sha'ir/Sheikh Manteel or, more in reach for many people, Yigit Gomlek. Equip this and, if you like, Rostrum Pumps and Loquacious Earring before you start casting, then switch to +skill gear before your cast finishes.

A Stoneskin set is not to be underestimated. This is mine; it isn't capped yet, but it's getting close. I still have a few slots available, but my inventory is extremely tight between BLM, BRD, and COR. The next step for me is a MND ring, and then maybe finally starting MMM if people have found that +3 MND earring.

Main: Pride Staff
Head: Goliard Chapeau
Neck: Morgana's Choker
Body: Marduk's Jubbah
Hands: Marduk's Dastanas
Ring1: Omega Ring
Back: Aslan Cape
Waist: Penitent's Rope
Legs: Bard's Cannions
Feet: Suzaku's Sune-ate

You may also want to think about a set to force HP latent for using Minstrel's Ring. I don't know about other races, but as a Mithra, right now I only have 1 piece of Zenith and it's a bit too nasty (space-intensive) to force the latent. With 2 it would be a lot more manageable (as would triggering BLM and WHM latents...yeah, I make spreadsheets). I keep the ring around, though, because there are plenty of times where I've gotten hit anyway, and with my gear, there's no harm equipping it for every buff other than Victory March.

[TheMuffinman]

Thank you for all of the helpful posts. So as you can see by all the posts politely explaining that I have no clue what I am talking about, noob brd is noob. All I have ever known is rng, and a little bit about ninja (both at 75). I have a few questions.

So if I understand correctly, Alka > HQ staves in terms of MAcc?

Where can I find an explanation of all modifiers for buffs (singing/wind etc.).

Wtf does CHR actually do?

What should I use weapon wise when casting buffs?

You say tiers, what exactly do you mean?

What is the best way to be efficient with macros? ><

Thanks again to all of you who are helping me understand the more in depth part of bard.

[Thorny]

You relize that all tiers are not based on both skills. That aside there is no reason to prefer wind over singing earring. In fact you get a lot more generalized use out of singing as its always used in every song you will sing. Sence singing skill is always used as in every song equation we can note that it would be our main skill. (thus lending some credit to the new 3 wind=1 macc, 1 singing=1 macc for debuffs theory) That aside one over the other only matters for if you need specific tier of singing or wind to be hit.

March is based on combined singing/wind and the only useful buff you get more out of by adding gear at 75. Your 3 wind = 1 singing theory is just pulled out of your head unless you can link any credible test.

So if I understand correctly, Alka > HQ staves in terms of MAcc?

No.

Where can I find an explanation of all modifiers for buffs (singing/wind etc.).

March is tiered, certain amounts of singing+wind skill get you more %haste out of it. Madrigal and Minuet are capped, it hardly matters what you wear for them. Prelude is unknown, the other songs are for the most part worthless.

Wtf does CHR actually do?

It lowers your resists while casting offensive songs. In general, 2 CHR = .9 skill is a good estimate.

What should I use weapon wise when casting buffs?

Chanter's staff is the only weapon that effects march besides mythic, you could use taillefer's dagger for a higher aoe range on string buffs(but that's extremely situational).

You say tiers, what exactly do you mean?

Tiers mean breaking points in a way. For example(not accurate numbers, too lazy to look it up), 510 singing+wind might give you 10.5% haste. 514 might STILL give you just 10.5% haste. 515 would give you an increase, making 515 a tier. To repeat, these are not accurate numbers and just used for illustration.

What is the best way to be efficient with macros? ><

Spellcast.

Thanks again to all of you who are helping me understand the more in depth part of bard.

NP

[Thorny]

Magic Accuracy (For Offensive Spells)

Main: Appropriate HQ staff (+15% magic accuracy)
Secondary: Appropriate Elemental Grip (Magic Accuracy+2)
Head: Marduk's Tiara: (CHR+3 Singing Skill+7)
Body: Marduk's Jubbah (CHR+12 Fast Cast)
Hands: Choral Cuffs+1 (Chr+7 Singing Skill+10)
Legs: Marduk's Shalwar (CHR+10 Wind Skill+5)
Feet: Oracle's Pigaches(Wind skill+5)
Neck: Piper's Torque (Wind Skill+5 CHR+5)
Back: Jester's Cape +1 (CHR+10)
Waist: Gleeman's Belt (CHR+6)
Ring1: Omega Ring (CHR+3 Magic Accuracy+3)
Ring2: Nereid Ring/Balrahn's Ring (M.acc+4 or Wind skill+3)
Earring1:Musical Earring (Wind Skill+5)
Earring2: Wind Earring (Wind Skill+3)

Lullaby - use same set as elegy, merit recast- if you need timers instead of wearing haste gear.. some of the haste gear is acceptable in merits only since your acc will be capped anyway

Main: Appropriate HQ staff (+15% magic accuracy)
Secondary: Appropriate Elemental Grip (Magic Accuracy+2)
Head: Marduk's Tiara: (CHR+3 Singing Skill+7)
Body: Marduk's Jubbah (CHR+12 Fast Cast)
Hands: Choral Cuffs+1 (Chr+7 Singing Skill+10)
Legs: Marduk's Shalwar (CHR+10 Wind Skill+5)
Feet: Oracle's Pigaches(Wind skill+5)
Neck: Piper's Torque (Wind Skill+5 CHR+5)
Back: Jester's Cape +1 (CHR+10)
Waist: Gleeman's Belt (CHR+6)
Ring1: Omega Ring (CHR+3 Magic Accuracy+3)
Ring2: Nereid Ring/Balrahn's Ring (M.acc+4 or Wind skill+3)
Earring1:Musical Earring (Wind Skill+5)
Earring2: Wind Earring (Wind Skill+3)


Buffs

Main: Chanter's staff(Singing skill+4)
Secondary: Doesn't matter, staff strap has enm-
Head: Marduk's Tiara: (CHR+3 Singing Skill+7)
Body: Minstrel's Coat(Wind/String Skill+3)
Hands: Choral Cuffs+1 (Chr+7 Singing Skill+10)
Legs: Chl. Cannions +1(+8 wind skill)
Feet: Oracle's Pigaches (Wind Skill+5)
Neck: Wind Torque (Wind Skill+7)
Back: Astute Cape(Singing Skill+5)
Waist: doesn't matter, lots of belts have enm-
Ring1: Nereid Ring (Wind Skill+3)
Ring2: Nereid Ring (Wind Skill+3)
Earring1:Musical Earring (Wind Skill+5)
Earring2: Wind/Singing Earring (Wind/Singing Skill+3)

Fixed up your sets for you. If you idle in minstrel's ring and manteel(and loq/rostrum if you want), you can macro in the proper set after beginning the cast and still recieve the full casttime- benefits despite having the full benefits from your set when the cast ends.

[astura]

ok as far as macc for debuffs at there best both are equal macc but at there worst alka is 5 macc better then hq staff. Depends on budget and innovatory space which you want to use.

Modifiers for buffs some of this you could probably find on wiki.

CHR is used for debuffs only. It estimated its a 1:1 macc ratio till 10 over mobs cap then its 2:1 macc ratio.

Weapon for buffs. I recommend terra's staff for reducing dmg from aoes and such otherwise use a wind skill staff.

Tier an example using minuet: 225 skill=+55 atk 230=+56 240=+57 etc
It simply means above X skill but below Y this what your buff does.

Efficiency wise the simplest way would be using spell cast but if you don't use that this might work well for you:

ctrl:cure2/cure3/curaga1/curaga2/erase/silena/paralana/lullaby1/lullaby2/troub+night
alt: march1/march2/min3/min4/mad1/mad2/ballad1/ballad2/elegy/skill gear

Set up each song with a precast set on alt row and your skill gear on the end.
Start songs with those macros and swap to skill gear before it finishes.
If you want to make a idel set to swap to a cure row/carol row if you want.
that example above just covers what you'll use 90% the time (except blindna)
Best use of macros is what gets the job done for you at the end of the day though.

[Thorny]

ok as far as macc for debuffs at there best both are equal macc but at there worst alka is 5 macc better then hq staff.

If you assume staves are +15% acc like damage, they would be giving you ~15 chr in acc and ~30 singing/wind which is at least equivalent to 20 m.acc.

Weapon for buffs. I recommend terra's staff for reducing dmg from aoes and such otherwise use a wind skill staff.

No staff has wind skill, but yes use terra's on songs besides march.

[eva00r]

If you assume staves are +15% acc like damage, they would be giving you ~15 chr in acc and ~30 singing/wind which is at least equivalent to 20 m.acc.


No staff has wind skill, but yes use terra's on songs besides march.

There still is no evidence or enough testings to justify that Alk > HQ staves or vice versa in term of magic accuracy. Everything up until now are "assumptions" based on some incomplete testings. We tried to describe hidden magic accuracy effect with +15% number just like damage because we "felt" that HQ staves lowered a lot of resist rate like no other equipment could do the same thing. However, we still don't even know what magic accuracy really is. We tried to describe m.accuracy with the behavior of accuracy against evasion, speculated that it will increase 0.5% chance to hit with a spell per 1 m.accuracy.

Alk or HQ staves, you need to prove that yourself.

[astura]

Ok i'll do a rough test of just alkatrop vrs terra staff on a mob (100 each w/ or w/o instrument so 400 total castings of each) if there is a mob that is semi resistant to elegy (no other gear other then staffs/instruments equiped) to test it on and safe to test on same mob repeatedly. (ideally worms would work best) ill not total chr as well during the testing (400 castings at 30 seconds per casting thats just 200 minutes so not to long to get a "rough" idea.

alka+instrument:
alka+nothing:
terra+instrument:
terra+nothing:

[Valyana]

Madrigal also benefits from a +skill build: it takes +58 over L75 base skill to cap it.

Shadow Coat is probably better than Jubbah for debuffs if you have enough CHR in other slots.

The testing we saw indicated that Alkalurops = Terra's Staff in terms of macc for landing Stone (1) on Qiqirn Poulterers. It seems likely to me that HQ staves just give macc+30, which is even with macc+20 INT+10 if dINT < 10, but is probably better if you have enough int in the rest of your gear. Alkalurops is still good for conserving inventory space, but that's the only appeal for BRD.

[Thorny]

There still is no evidence or enough testings to justify that Alk > HQ staves or vice versa in term of magic accuracy. Everything up until now are "assumptions" based on some incomplete testings. We tried to describe hidden magic accuracy effect with +15% number just like damage because we "felt" that HQ staves lowered a lot of resist rate like no other equipment could do the same thing. However, we still don't even know what magic accuracy really is. We tried to describe m.accuracy with the behavior of accuracy against evasion, speculated that it will increase 0.5% chance to hit with a spell per 1 m.accuracy.

Alk or HQ staves, you need to prove that yourself.

Which is why I said if you assume.

@other poster: 100 casts w/ each is hardly anywhere near a good enough sample size.. the difference between the 2 is not going to be more than 2-4% stick rate. You need a much bigger sample size to show such a small change with any degree of reliability.