Is Signa worth it at later lvl's?

[Vilurum]

"If your RDM is bored" probably means something to the tune of the only magic users in the PT are RDM, BRD, and PLD, so not only are there not so many people in need of Refresh, but the BRD's MP is that much more important.

[sudo]

lol I pray that in a pt with only a rdm and brd, you won't be using a pld to tank. Anything less than blink tanking would probably result in someone dying really fast. I don't think just a rdm and brd will be enough to keep a pld alive at higher levels.

[maytrix]

Originally posted by sudo
lol I pray that in a pt with only a rdm and brd, you won't be using a pld to tank. Anything less than blink tanking would probably result in someone dying really fast. I don't think just a rdm and brd will be enough to keep a pld alive at higher levels.

Wrong.

[Vilurum]

6 MP/3 sec for RDM, 6 MP/3 sec for BRD, 6 MP/3 sec for PLD. That means that every 12 seconds, they each have regained a Cure II's worth of MP.

And a well-equipped PLD (emphasis on well-equipped ... good PLDs do not wear seriously outdated armor) probably doesn't need 270 healing (3x Cure II) every 12 seconds, especially if the enemy has a myriad of debuffs from the BRD and the RDM. Maybe 90 healing from a single Cure II, but not 270. The PLD can practically sustain themselves with an extra heal thrown in now and then from the RDM or BRD, especially after some strong enemy attack. Besides, either the RDM or BRD can use Regen on the PLD too - it's not as gloriously wonderful as Regen II/III, true, but it's still helpful.

In the meantime, the RDM is freed up to debuff and maintain Refresh, and the BRD is freed up to sing. They can each use the occasional heal in between doing other things, and nobody - except the PLD - is really serving as "main healer". And the PLD gets to hold hate better from all that healing too.

That is, of course, assuming Ballad + Ballad II + Refresh. 41-54, it's 4 MP/3 sec, and 25-40, it's 1 MP/3 sec (but enemies are much weaker then, anyway).

Throw in a BLM/WHM as one of your three damage dealers and it's even safer, you have yet another backup healer.

[Deodorant]

I'd say that rdm brd blm would make the most efficient backline (as long as nobody dies). Of course without a whm you can't level off cockatrices, or lizards, and carelessness can screw you over when fighting raptors, but in most other situations I'd prefer it over the more 'common' backline configurations.

Rdms are perfectly capable of being the main healer in such a setup, helps even more if the blm does backup healing now and then.

Of course, being rdm myself I might be a tad bit biased

[UnnamedGalka]

I find it funny how most of the people who say that the Signa is overrated, etc. are the people who don't have one.

[Xccoortri]

Originally posted by UnnamedGalka
I find it funny how most of the people who say that the Signa is overrated, etc. are the people who don't have one.

Maybe they can afford it but don't buy it becuase they don't think it is worth it?

I think it's worth it if you can easily afford it, but don't bend over backwards to get it because you won't go "OH WOW how did I ever live without this before"...

[Reaperx90]

it would be helpful at low levels when there isn't that much +CHR equipment out there, but the enemies aren't that resistant to any of our songs at that point so it makes it pretty useless at those levels.

At later levels you can get +20-30 CHR (if not more) for the same price as Signa, and 3 less CHR in your weapon slot for...lets see...1/60th the price.

Basically, if 3 CHR is worth 295,000 gil to you, go right ahead and get Signa. But at later levels, 3 CHR on top of your 90+ CHR isn't going to make any discernable difference.

EDIT: Oh yeah - I think it's funny that only the people with Signa (and not all of them) say that it is worth it. Something tells me they're trying to justify their purchase.

[Outaru]

jesters cape +1 = 10 CHR = signa pwned, granted its 180k on my server but a MUCH better pruchase than signa IMHO.

[grunion]

i have the signa, and i have a total of +72 CHR with it.

i usually use my Kard so that i can actually melee a little, and my CHR is still +69.

[Outaru]

Originally posted by j0e
i have the signa, and i have a total of +72 CHR with it.

i usually use my Kard so that i can actually melee a little, and my CHR is still +69.

I have seen many high levels post +6x or +7x CHR, what do you wear that gives you that much CHR boost?

i am 62 with jesters cape + 1, corsette, shellbuster, rings, etc.. and I have +33

[grunion]

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/profile.xml?4123

the number is a little low because dance shoes aren't listed, the +7 from the crown is listed at -14, and i changed AF gloves to AF2

signa +8
kingdom horn +3
opo crown -7
food banana +14 (when combined with crown, otherwise you could use tea and ribbon or errant hat for +5 combo)
star necklace +3
HQ melody earrings +4
Errant Houppelande +10
AF gloves +4
+4 rings +8
HQ cape +10
HQ corsette +6
errant legs +7
dance shoes +3

that's +73. i don't think you could get it any higher with gear (you could temporarily add another 25 or so with fenrir stat bonus + bewitching etude + CHR etude and etude +2 instrument and soul-voice [2 hour skill]).

[Vilurum]

Lessee ... if you were to go solely for CHR while completely neglecting instrument skill and MP (some actually decrease MP), and assuming you can *get* all these things ...

Main: Monster Signa (+8)
Range: Gjallarhorn (+4)
Head: Bard's Roundlet (+5)
Neck: Bird Whistle/Flower Necklace/Star Necklace (+3)
Earring1: Beast Earring/Melody Earring +1 (+2)
Earring2: Melody Earring +1 (+2)
Hands: Choral Cuffs (+4)
Body: Mahatma Houppelande (+11)
Ring1: Apollo's Ring (+6)
Ring2: Apollo's Ring (+6)
Back: Jester's Cape +1 (+10)
Waist: Corsette +1 (+6)
Legs: Mahatma Slops (+8)
Feet: Dance Shoes +1/Heroic Boots +1 (+4)

Grand total, best ever possible if you care about nothing else, +CHR is ... +79. Not including outside stat boosts such as food, etudes, or Fenrir, of course. And since there are foods that give more than +2 CHR, you can get more CHR with the AF2 hat than with Opo-Opo Crown + Pamama.

[grunion]

mahatma gear is very rare, and i've never seen it listed on the AH
gjallarhorn is impossibe to get unless you know the relic upgrade recipes (which aren't listed anywhere online) so i didn't bother to list those. you can also get dance shoes +1 but i have never seen those for sale either. but with shoes +1 i guess technically +80 is the max

how does that compare to other stats such as VIT or AGI?

[Vilurum]

I never said it was particularly viable to get all that stuff, only that those are the items with the best CHR stats.

Personally, I would rather stroll around in AF2 than in the mahatma stuff, and with Angel/Heaven Rings rather than Apollo's Rings (slightly less CHR, but much cheaper and no MP loss). And Kard + Genbu's Shield rather than Monster Signa. I'd also toss the neck item for a wind torque, and would perhaps use non-AF2 for some of the visible equipment (like AF1 gloves or minstrel coat). Would probably use demon helm until I got AF2 hat too.

I do still want that Gjallarhorn (CHR+4, wind/singing +10 each, all songs +2 ... I mean seriously, *drool*), and hopefully by the time I scrape my poor self up to 75 and somehow manage to get a Relic Horn, I'll be able to find out how to upgrade it.

Here's what I can come up with for VIT for a BRD, excluding RSE. If you want VIT for, say, a PLD, that'll require another scouring of the item lists.

Main: Terra's Staff (+5)
Range: no instrument, because ...
Ammo: Happy Egg/Fortune Egg (+1)
Head: Genbu's Kabuto (+15)
Neck: Medieval Collar (+2)
Earring1: Knight's Earring/Robust Earring/Robust Earring +1 (+2)
Earring2: Robust Earring/Robust Earring +1 (+2)
Hands: Light Gauntlets/Feronia's Bangles (+3)
Body: Kirin's Osode (+10)
Ring1: Terra's Ring (+6)
Ring2: Terra's Ring (+6)
Back: Cavalier's Mantle +1 (+3)
Waist: Warrior's Belt +1 (+3)
Legs: Beak Trousers +1 (+2)
Feet: Power Sandals (+3) - Royal Knight's Sollerets can give +4 depending on regional control.

So, a BRD can get a total of +63 VIT from equipment.