BRD Questions

[Midnightjade]

I also use Musical/Singing for earrings, and switch them out for +MP/conserve MP/fastcast (eg magnetic, loquacious) in casting/resting macros.

I would really hesitate to level BRD just for meripo - yes you get invites very quickly but meriting on BRD can be like banging your head against a wall unless you get a good party or merit with people you know. Doing low-numbers fast-moving events with friends is where I enjoy BRD the most.

And yes, definitely level string skill if you're going to be chasing SMN or BLM around in places like Apollyon NW.

[Asmoranomar]

Does the same thing work if I swap in Walahra Turban at the start and then switch it out to Demon Helm?

I didn't see your question answered correctly in the aspect of haste. Your question isn't specific enough (regarding if you meant casting time or recast time) and I'm not aware of which you are referring to.

In short: Haste only affects recast, not casting time. Adjustments to casting time take place at the start of your songs (FC, SST), while adjustments to recast take place at the end of your songs (Haste, FC, -song recast delay).

[Neb]

Is it even possible to macro in stuff after the song goes off but before your casting bar is complete??? or is that out of the question.

[Asmoranomar]

Is it even possible to macro in stuff after the song goes off but before your casting bar is complete??? or is that out of the question.

The real question is - Why?

Your question makes sense (in the way you worded it), the answer is no (well technically yes...but no. I can explain it later if you want, but it won't matter in the end.). Why your asking the question on the other hand...? Possibly confused?

[Valyana]

Is it even possible to macro in stuff after the song goes off but before your casting bar is complete??? or is that out of the question.

It is possible, but pointless. The song is complete (and recast starts counting down) when it goes off, regardless of what the casting bar says.

[Eromenos-Ifrit]

I have a question as a rising BRD.

As for weapon, i know most say HQ>ALL, and i could see how that is correct on jobs that need not only mag acc, but as well as mag att, but for brd, wouldn't Alkalurops be better since you're only looking for chr and acc (or skill) in slots for brd?

[meeeeeep]

I have a question as a rising BRD.

As for weapon, i know most say HQ>ALL, and i could see how that is correct on jobs that need not only mag acc, but as well as mag att, but for brd, wouldn't Alkalurops be better since you're only looking for chr and acc (or skill) in slots for brd?

Why yes, 20macc and 10chr IS better than 15%macc.


...Oh wait.

[Ultimagi]

No. Magic Accuracy +30% is better than Magic Accuracy +20 and Charisma +10.

[Valyana]

If we assume that BRD songs work like Elemental/Enfeebling magic, Macc+20 CHR+10 will be equal to either Macc+30 (same as HQ) or Macc+25 (less than HQ) depending on how much CHR you have in other slots. It's not a bad option, but HQ will typically be better.

[Jogikat]

No. Magic Accuracy +30%

That is not confirmed in any way shape or form.

All i know is with my relic brd with alky i'm getting a much higher elegy hit rate without /blm and ES verses going with terra's staff.

The piont is, no one really knows for sure the % macc increase on HQ staffs, and then to further complicate it, whast is base number 'macc' that the % would work off?

[Ultimagi]

This thread pretty much confirmed it was a % increase. Although I was mistaken, it was 20%. There have been many tests on the effects of elemental staves, try using the search function.

[Valyana]

The unbearable triteness of preening: magic resist analysis

Has some testing of Alk vs elemental staff on nukes. Nobody has done any serious testing with BRD songs yet.

[Absolutely Virtue]

Sorry for the necro bump, but I knew I remembered this thread was in here somewhere.

My BRD gear blows, but I'm working on it. Mostly just combining other random pieces from other jobs (especially BST) until I can spend more time getting BRD-specific stuff.

I recently got an Oracle's Robe. And I'm tempted to use it for debuffs because of the MACC over my Osode. My reasoning is that I have very little +skill gear ATM, but I have an abundance of CHR gear (Jester's +1, Corsette +1, Allure Ring X2, Melody Earring X2, Maat's Cap, Mahatma Legs). I mostly just play BRD in Salvage and I've yet to have persistent problems landing threnodies or elegy. But I'm wondering if the Robe really is a good option until I can get more +skill gear.

[Asmoranomar]

Oracle's Robe is fine if you have enough CHR.

As far as skill goes - you should have a Minstrel's Coat. It's not better than Oracle for debuffing, but it drops from a NM that is pratically always up, decent drop rate, and is extremely easy to get to. To top it off, its on the way to Charby (Joyeuse) NM which BRD is highly desired when fighting - you can ask people to kill it on the way and camp it at the same times.

[Rugazanami]

Debuffs: Get ~120 CHR and pad with skill where you can.

Buffs (normal settings): Get any Fast Cast or Song Spellcasting -% that you can and put Singing/Wind skill anywhere else. The less time you spend singing, the more time you have to cure or whatever.

Buffs (serious business settings): For times where you need the strongest buffs possible, like when using Soul Voice, just go for all-out skill; along with the JAs Troubadour and Nightingale.

Edit: Don't forget to invest in a set of gear that'll put you in yellow HP so that you can activate the Minstrel's Ring as much as possible.

[Ultimagi]

Debuffs: Get ~120 CHR and pad with skill where you can.

Stop spreading this groundless filth advice. Wear what you can get the most of in each slot, in equal doses choose skill because it doesn't diminish, and you always have Etudes if you need more Charisma.

[Gergall]

Does anyone else find that if they are having trouble landing Elegy on an HNM, piling on tons more CHR from double etudes does absolutely nothing to help?

Edit: Even with Soul Voice and completely ridiculous amounts of CHR added, still no visible difference.

[Lekotas]

It's been stated already by the more educated people, but certain gear always for enfeeble sets:

Jester's Cape +1, HQ Staff, Ele grip, HQ instrument if applicable, Gleeman's Belt.

I use Balrahn's and Omega rings over nereid rings for enfeebles.

My Enfeeble set:

Main: Terra's/Apollo's/HQ staff for threnody
sub: Earth grip/Light grip/Applicable grip for threnody
Head: relic hat
Body: Shadow Coat/Marduk's Jubbah(Jubbah for more CHR, coat is flatmacc in most cases my CHR is high enough to not need to use Jubbah for it)
Back: Jester's Cape
Neck: Wind Torque/Pipter's Torque
Hands: Choral Cuffs +1
Waist: Gleeman's Belt
Earrings: Musical + Singing(notice the fact they add 3 macc over the 2macc gained from chr in same slot)
Rings: Balrahns + OMega
Legs: Marduk's Shalwar(I'd use Af1+1 legs if I didn't have this)
Feet: This depends on what you have available, Shadow Clogs(or hq) is best, Goliard is second, Oracle feet is comparable to goliard, if you don't have any of these, go get one.

It's really a balance of what you want for it, CHR up to about 120 is basic, but if you have Balrahn's use it over a CHR ring, and def. find a einherjar group to grab a Omega ring through. Then I stack skill+chr in slots I can, and skill wherever I don't have CHR/macc mods or where my skill mods would translate to higher macc than chr mods would in same slot(i.e. earrings).

The only real feet for bard are goliard/shadow clog/oracles, whichever you have just use.

For anything other than march I use fast cast and -song casting time gear.

For March, I stack skill everywhere:

Main: Chanter's
Sub: doesn't matter
Instrument: Faerie Piccolo(:D)
Head: Relic hat
body: Minstrel's coat
Back: Astute Cape
Neck: Wind Torque
Hands: Af1+1
Waist: Gleeman's Belt
Earrings: Singing +Musical
Rings: nereid ringx2
Legs: Marduk's shalwar(af1+1 legs are better but I don't have em ; ; limbus refuses to drop mats)
Feet: Oracle's Pigaches

With capped singing and wind skill I have: @252 Singing, 256 Wind for a total of 508 Skill, even if I swapped in af1+1 legs I wouldn't break another march tier so it doesn't matter.

Most of this stuff is fairly easy to get and fairly cheap, with the exception of Astute Cape, but even that isn't too bad if you have a few blm friends and a rdm buddy and have sea access who want to get some xp :D

I use singing earring over wind/string, because singing will apply to both string and wind instruments, thats why imo, singing skill > anything else. If you have a choice between singing skill and wind/string at a comparable level, use singing.

Summary:
For Enfeebles(elegy, Lullaby, Requiem, Threndoy): Chr first up to 120(this is just a generalized figure, find out what you need on each mob) then skill+chr, then macc everywhere else.

It is entirely possible to just go buy full errant/sha'ir gear form the AH and just use that full time for Enfeebles and never have an issue, but then you won't look pretty while you sing D:

March: Singing/Wind skill everywhere

anything else: -spell cast time/fast cast

Ballads: start in -spell cast time/fast cast, switch to haste before it finishes casting.

[Rugazanami]

Stop spreading this groundless filth advice.

Other people in this thread have suggested the very same thing. Why am I the only one getting chewed out?

[mikauk]

I have two distinct builds I use for debuffing and buffing.

Debuff:

Earth/Earth/Instrument/
Bard's Roundlet/Wind Torque/Musical Earring/Delta Earring
Errant Hpl./Choral Cuffs+1/Omega/Balrahn's
Jester's/Gleeman's/Bard's Cannions/Goliard Clogs

NQ staff is gimp, yes I know. Substitute Light for Lullaby/Finale. This gets me 125 CHR with 11 raw M.acc.

Buff:

Earth/Earth/Instrument/
Relic/Wind Torque/Musical/Loquacious
Minstrel's/Choral+1/Nereid/Nereid
Jester's/Swift/AF+1/Oracle's

I need the Sea Cape, would like a Wind/Singing earring but don't see one in the near future, and a Chanter's Staff, which also I don't see very soon. This set caps Madrigal and Minuet, and is well over 11% on Victory March.

I also have a Fast Cast set, which is basically Sha'ir Manteel, Loquacious Earring, Rostrum Pumps that swap in and out before the spell completes. I have Haste gear in there too but it doesn't take effect because it's not present at the resolution. I assume that skill has to be present at the resolution to apply, and stronger buffs > faster buffs.