Endgame Bard Even Gear Guide

[cdgreg]

Poof's Nyzul guide is 100 times more A+ Should Be Stickied For All Time Due To Epic than this.

Anyway, he's taken his ball home, we can't play anymore.

Wow isladar, I figured you were posting to let us know his guide is now stickied here as well.

[FailureMidgard]

What's a brd?

Pchan says they aren't very good, that means we shouldn't use them, right?

[Yugl]

Unless the information can remain static while remaining correct, there's no point in making guides.

[Deimos]

Unless the information can remain static while remaining correct, there's no point in making guides.

If information is static and correct, I wouldn't call that a "guide", I'd just call it "facts". Guides are fine, as long as they get updated. But when something stays stickied as "an endgame equipment guide" and doesn't even get updated to account for something major like grips, that's definitely a problem. This is why a wiki is generally better for this sort of application than something like a forum, someone else can always update the guide if the original author abandons it.

[Yugl]

If information is static and correct, I wouldn't call that a "guide", I'd just call it "facts". Guides are fine, as long as they get updated. But when something stays stickied as "an endgame equipment guide" and doesn't even get updated to account for something major like grips, that's definitely a problem. This is why a wiki is generally better for this sort of application than something like a forum, someone else can always update the guide if the original author abandons it.

Mission guides or Mission facts? Who cares.

[Omnipotent]

BG can be so cruel. Love it.

[Duber]

Mission Failed. Go back to KI.

[Midnightjade]

Honestly, a lot of the advice given in this thread is pretty accurate. For example, Bakthis' post pretty much summarizes the thinking for a BRD at 75.

What I'm trying to say is, a lot of this advice is constructive. There's some good stuff in there. You just need to look at it positively and not take offense. And ignore the trolling - that's just folks having fun/being grumpy because they didn't get coffee yet this morning/didn't get enough alcohol yesterday evening.

[Oniken]

I'm interested in what you guys consider the best idle/-damage set. Mine needs work.

[Argettio]

I'm interested in what you guys consider the best idle/-damage set. Mine needs work.

Terra's staff
Marduk's Jubbah, Ixion Cloak or Dalamatica
Orochi Nodowa
Marduk's Dastanas
Minstrel's Earring
Umbra Cape

That should be the base set, then add more -PDT or -MDT taken depending on the type of damage you expect to take. If you are using minstrel's ring then you may want to avoid the regen items.

[wop]

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../EnmityBRD.jpg
Just before I got LM17'd, upgraded to Mahatma cape, Alkaruprops, Marduk Jubbah for idle.

For -%dmg set, Terra staff, genbu kabuto, umbra cape, darksteel gear, defending ring, etc...

Don't really see the point, how often do brd's get hit anyway? tank suck much?

[Bakthi]

Here's what I have as pieces that are specifically helpful for idle:

Main: Terra's Staff
Body: Marduk's Jubbah
Hands: Marduk's Dastanas
Back: Cheviot Cape (should upgrade at some point)
Waist: Lycopodium Sash
Legs: Goliard Trews

Here are some things I could have/have been thinking about:

Ring1: Jelly Ring (me so lazy)
Ring2: Patronus Ring (space is kind of at a premium, and it's a small gain)
Head: Darksteel cap +1
Feet: Darksteel leggings +1
Neck: Orochi Nodowa (regen)

Here's the whole the DS+1 set:

Darksteel Harness +1 Set - FFXIclopedia, the Final Fantasy XI wiki - Characters, items, jobs, and more

not exactly common items, and the feet and head are only another 2% each. The body is 4%, but I'm usually /WHM and would rather idle in Refresh.

There is also D.ring (yeah...) and Minstrel's Earring (which I have on a mule). And Shadow Mantle, but even if I had one, I think I'd go with Cheviot.

For magic damage taken, there's Shadow Coat, Hexerei Cape, and Coral/Merman rings/earrings. Also Shadow Ring, but again, other people want this a lot more than I do; I prefer consistency. I do have Shadow Coat, but none of the other stuff.

Edit: and yeah, I take a fair amount of damage at times. Usually when there is not a tank. Salvage is a great example: gear AoE, rampart AoE, frog AoE, frog kiting, pulling whatever, etc. Obviously I try to minimize this; if it's a longer fight like a chariot or NM, and we're not holding 4+ other mobs, I...strongly encourage the DDs to all stand on one side. But that's not always going to happen, particularly when clearing gears or in the chaos of Citadel ramparts. Or when mowing down 2F mamools in Zhayolm. Things happen, I get hit.

[wop]

^
Hmmm I'd idle in max -enmity and a refresh gear. No point idling in umbra as curing with it does NOTHING. It's for Ohshit macro when u get drawn-in and get hit, that's when you macro everything -% dmg in.

[ronin sparthos]

It's funny in that picture the first thing i noticed wasnt the Ghorn but the two mistillteinns....

[wop]

Was hardcore RDM back in the days.

[Deimos]

^
Hmmm I'd idle in max -enmity and a refresh gear. No point idling in umbra as curing with it does NOTHING. It's for Ohshit macro when u get drawn-in and get hit, that's when you macro everything -% dmg in.

Idling in max -enmity does NOTHING. Swap all your -enmity gear in when you actually cast a cure spell.

[wop]

wat? regen , support na spells etc... if you idle and do NOTHING, then you are NOTHING.

Idle to me = do other jobs instead of singing.

When I played bard, there wasn't a single moment I wasn't doing anything. Especially in low man situations. Only reason i'm not doing anything is when i'm /blm maxed troub whore.

Hence my reasoning in idleing in max -enmity PLUS a refresh gear.

[Argettio]

^
Hmmm I'd idle in max -enmity and a refresh gear. No point idling in umbra as curing with it does NOTHING. It's for Ohshit macro when u get drawn-in and get hit, that's when you macro everything -% dmg in.

Wut?

Its not an idle set if you are curing in it... its a curing set then

-Enmity gear only has an effect when you are generating enmity, which you aren't doing when you are stood between casts.

Cure in -enmity.
Stand in refresh/regen/movement speed/PDT or MDT

Edit: beaten:

Idle to me = do other jobs instead of singing.

That's where we differ. Idle means not casting, not singing, not using JAs etc etc.

In the days of spellcast no longer do you have to make multi-purpose sets. If you build set for an individual spell. Idling in -enmity because you might case cure next is pointless when you can just switch to your cure set WHEN you start casting.

[Antithesis]

I would swap out the Raven Jupon and use Goliard Saio instead for that setup. Seems more beneficial for most things than Raven Jupon (unless you dead-on want to hit the enmity cap.)

[wop]

I would swap out the Raven Jupon and use Goliard Saio instead for that setup. Seems more beneficial for most things than Raven Jupon (unless you dead-on want to hit the enmity cap.)

That SS was way old. Read the caption below it, I've upgraded to Marduk body and cape.