Researching mobs and choosing barspells

[cidbahamut]

I'm in the process of leveling my white mage as a sub and I'm getting to the point where it's appropriate to start using barspells for my party. Trouble is, I'm not exactly all that knowledgeable about what barspells are appropriate for what situations.

Some are easy, like barfira for shielding against goblin bomb tosses, or barwatera to protect against a crab's Bubble Shower. But then there are things like Bats. I'm looking on the wiki and drawing a complete blank on what might be useful when fighting them since none of their special moves seem to be associated with an element, nor do the status effects they inflict.

Does this mean there are in theory some situations where a barspell would be useless or is there some additional information I need to go back and find while researching mobs?

[Armando]

Re: Researching mobs and choosing barspells

nor do the status effects they inflict.

Status ailments are almost always related to an element. There are very few exceptions to that. Stats are associated with an element, and Stat Down moves are associated with the element that beats the element of the stat they reduce.

E.g.
Fire = STR/Attack. STR/Attack Down = Water
Wind = AGI/Evasion. AGI/Evasion Down = Ice
Earth = VIT/Defense. VIT/Defense Down = Wind

That is of course in addition to the more "traditional" status ailments for which you probably already know the elements (Slow = Earth, Blind = Dark, Paralyze = Ice, etc.) Also, not that you come across these very often, but the above shouldn't be confused with DRK's Absorb-Stat spells which are Dark-based.

Regardless, the useful of Barspells varies wildly from enemy to enemy and situation to situation. In EXP, no one really relies on a barspell to protect them (although it can save MP by saving you a few Erase casts.) If the monster has a crippling status ailment, they'll either rely on having a way of removing it or look for a different mob. Barspells are more of a bonus than a primary form of defense against magic damage/status ailments in EXP, since as useful as they are, they don't give reliable results.

And no matter what anyone tells you, Barwater does NOT help against Cursed Sphere. It's only water-based when a BLU uses it. The correct element is Dark, which doesn't have a corresponding Barspell.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Researching mobs and choosing barspells

Ok, that helps a lot. Means a bunch more research on my part, but it's damn useful to know that.

Just because they're not absolutely necessary is no reason for me to skimp on it if I can figure out how to make use of them. I'd prefer to learn to make use of them early on rather than just coasting through.

[Satori]

Re: Researching mobs and choosing barspells

Against flies I use barpoison and barwater does it help casting the bar for the staus and the bar for the element?
Not for Cursed sphere by the way for venom.

I always use campsitarus and try and look at our targets and plan accordingly but I'd like to know I'm not pee-ing mp up the wall.

[Armando]

Re: Researching mobs and choosing barspells

Yes, you can use both. Barelement will raise the odds of (at least partially) resisting both Venom's water-based breath damage, and the poison. I haven't confirmed this personally, but I have a strong hunch that Barstatus spells give you a fixed % chance to resist that status ailment no matter how bad your chance of resisting it normally is.

[Icemage]

Re: Researching mobs and choosing barspells

Yes, you can use both. Barelement will raise the odds of (at least partially) resisting both Venom's water-based breath damage, and the poison. I haven't confirmed this personally, but I have a strong hunch that Barstatus spells give you a fixed % chance to resist that status ailment no matter how bad your chance of resisting it normally is.

Yes on the damage-resist against Venom when using Barwater(a) however I've not seen anything conclusive regarding any of the barstatus effects.

Barsleepra helps a tiny bit against Mandragora, but in all honesty you might as well save the MP for a Curaga or individual Cures. Barparalyzra is useful very later on against wyvern-type enemies like Skoffins. Other than that, barstatus effects are mostly a waste of time and MP for a white mage. I've almost never seen Barblindra work on anything (Dark Spore, Hurricane Wing, etc.), and I'm firmly convinced that Barsilencera is a placebo.

Also note that for some reason Red Mage self-only Barspells like Barparalyze seem to be significantly stronger than the area effect White Mage versions (and this is not just because the former overwrite the latter). THOSE spells actually do work mostly as advertised.


Icemage