High level equipment woes

[Vilurum]

At 73 (practically 74, but no real equipment to look forward to), my equipment selection (that I regularly use) is:

Light Staff (equip-change macro)
Earth Staff (equip-change macro)
Shellbuster (equip-change macro)
Cermet Sword +1
Stun Knife
All song +2 instruments except Lullaby (+1), Hymnus (never in stock, hideously expensive if it were, and heard it's just a duration boost), Mazurka (see Hymnus), Virelai (nigh useless even with instrument, though I may buy this one anyway) (equip-change macro for all, of course)
Opo-Opo Crown
Wind Torque (equip-change macro)
String Torque (equip-change macro)
2x Melody Earring +1
Errant Houppelande (equip-change macro)
Minstrel's Coat (equip-change macro)
Choral Cuffs
2x Angel's Ring
Jester's Cape +1
Corsette +1
Errant Slops (equip-change macro)
Choral Cannions (equip-change macro)
Dance Shoes

I also have two Electrum Rings, a Demon Helm and a Star Necklace which I never use, though I want to see a debuff comparison between 3 CHR and 7 Wind/String skill once I'm at 75. (Sad to say, bards' most popular buff for HNMs seems to be ballads as far as everyone I ask, and you need no skill+ for that. Even on the other buffs, it's only a very tiny difference between all skill+ and none of it, which is kinda disappointing.)

I can HQ the staves, and either get a Monster Signa or get the other six staves for threnodies (or HQs thereof). I can HQ the Demon Helm (that I never use). I can HQ the two Errant items into Mahatma, and I can HQ the rings and the Dance Shoes. All of this pending money that I don't have at the moment, but never mind that. I'm trying to decide on my goals, not figure out how to fund them.

At this point ... I'm not entirely sure it'll make a difference. Which is the disappointing part. I have +59 to +63 CHR (along with +7 wind/string, +5 singing) for my debuffs (depending on what debuff I use). On exp enemies, these either land basically all the time, or are resisted horribly. (Aura Statues own me.) I'm running around with 183 MP post-Pamama, which has always been plenty for me when exping.

The way I see it, I really have two options here:
1. Continue scraping up those very expensive last few points of +CHR, just for the claim to fame of being as reliable a BRD debuffer on HNMs as possible. (Hardly matters on exp enemies, I doubt my success rate has changed much since +30-something CHR.)
2. Say screw it on the debuffs and start going for +MP and MP regeneration stuff. Zenith/Dalmatica set, Serket/Vivian Ring, RSE waist, etc. But ultimately, that's just extending how far I can stretch my wimpy little Cure III's (on the off chance that someone needs healing between my buffs and some gung-ho WHM or RDM hasn't already nabbed 'em).

... Not quite sure where I should go here. There's room for improvement, but neither option really strikes me as hugely productive. I'm pretty confident I wouldn't have the inventory space for both options unless a Gjallarhorn fell into my lap and let me sell all the other instruments.

[Stolin]

Just have a MP equip set for EXP and CHR set for nms. If you plan to be a bard forever... you can buy equipment for looks?
*Keep the carapace set to look like robo cop, blue or red whatever you prefer.
*If you buy a carapace helm and a tiger jerkin you can look sort of like Predator. Buy rune H2H weapon for added effect.
*You of course need doublet + subligar
* Have your AF around whenver you feel you want to look like a homeless person.
*If you get the scorpionharness+tiger ledelsens, pants, and gloves you can look sort of like a ninja especially with daggers
*Or just keep wearing your errant set to look like an oversized garden gnome.

[Niland]

my ideal would be something like:

joyeuse+genbu shield for melee (not that i ever melee tho)
signa+elemental staves for singing

opo-crown
AF2set body and pants
Zenith Shoes
AF1set gloves
jesters+1
corsette+1
melody+1
melody+1
wind torque for zilart HNM, star pendant rest of time.

rings i don't know really, maybe astrals for old world HNM and +5chr for zilart HNM.


i like the AF2 set stuff since its more versatile, don't have to macro in an assault jerkin or smth to melee.

[Gbz]

"The way I see it, I really have two options here:
1. Continue scraping up those very expensive last few points of +CHR, just for the claim to fame of being as reliable a BRD debuffer on HNMs as possible. (Hardly matters on exp enemies, I doubt my success rate has changed much since +30-something CHR.)
2. Say screw it on the debuffs and start going for +MP and MP regeneration stuff. Zenith/Dalmatica set, Serket/Vivian Ring, RSE waist, etc. But ultimately, that's just extending how far I can stretch my wimpy little Cure III's (on the off chance that someone needs healing between my buffs and some gung-ho WHM or RDM hasn't already nabbed 'em)."

I have the same equip as you do when it comes down to trying to get the most CHR i can possibly get. #1 is the route I have chosen. In my old jphnmls there was another bard that had opposite choice of equipment(MP). I was the only Bard landing Elegy on Kirin and other Gods. Its your choice whether you want to be obligated to just buffing up your teammates or to be landing songs as well. I believe 50% of a Bard's duties are buffs and the other 50% are landing songs. You could go the MP ways and be a back-up healer along with buffs for your party. Not that it wouldn't be beneficial to your party but you have to be willing to sacrifice the ability to being able to land threnodies and elegies on certain HNMs. If money wasn't a problem, HQ on all those items would def. help and I'd have them

Imo, I like being able to land elegy and threnodies on God HNMs and other tougher ones like Fafnir/Nidhogg but thats just me :spin: .

[Laehn]

You could always sub smn for those gung ho mages that are cure happy and get some major use out of that.

Lasting worth would probably be the elemental staves imo. You can use them for so many jobs for so many uses. Blm, rdm, whm, smn, brd all can get a lot of use from them. Its endgame equipment you get really early.

The other stuff probably mostly depends on how you play and wanna be seen. You could have a lot of chr that only has one limited use (HNM) or get a lot of mp thats not very useful in HNM fights but useful any other time. If hnm fighting is a big deal for you and you think the few debuffs you have are very important, then get +chr items.

[Kweh]

Hmm, string torque. When do you macro that in? I've heard its not really worthile.

[Miriamel]

I could only see use for it when it comes to Etude.

[Vilurum]

String Torque's for string buffs and Finale (yeah, I have the Military Harp, and no, I don't notice any appreciable difference with the instrument considering how low the resist rate is to begin with). String buffs primarily meaning Etude, yes, though technically Minne is also included. The thing was only 5K, I just bought one for the hell of it.

Having re-evaluated my inventory space, I should acknowledge that I do technically have *room* for both sets of equipment (as well as some melee items if need be). And provided I have the opportunity to go visit my MH when changing setups, I guess there really is no reason why I can't have +MP when I don't need the CHR to land stuff, and +CHR when I do. And heaven help me if I decide I want to stock up on compromise items (like hume RSE2 gloves, 30-some MP and 3 CHR) as well.

Which, of course, is a half-assed "decision" since I'm basically not deciding anything, but whatever. It works for me. Thanks for everyone's input. '-'

Now I just have to figure out in what order I'm gonna save up and buy stuff.

[Layoneil]

your woes are over BRD JSE has been released in the new patch.

[Vilurum]

...
...
... ... more to buy?
...
*keels over*

[Layoneil]

the board is being annoying and won't let me post it here so:
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/jobs.h...24896174632076

[Shamaru]

If you want ultimate gears, Kirin Osode rules em all ^^)b

Saw one shouted selling osode for 33M in Bismarck few days ago tho.

[Laehn]

That gear is sooooo cool! Looks cool even! More Creampuff armor please!

[tnt118]

OMFG. Is this real? I'm gonna keel over and die now. Nice knowing ya'll.


*jaw on floor*

[Kweh]

String Torque for Etude's. I like that idea, i'm gonna go buy one