Elemental Staves and a few minor misc quesetions

[DWol]

1. Okay, as far as I can gather from various advice and posts across many forums, the elemental staves are very effective for Bards.

Earth Staff for Elegy, Light for Lullaby and Finale.
Presumably an Ice Staff boosts Wind Thredony?

But what about the others? Would using a Lightning Staff increase the power of Prelude or Fire Staff help Minuet? Can proper staves boost Carols?

2. Also, I'm now using a macro such as:

/equip Range "Cornette +1"
/wait 1
/song "Valor Minuet" <me>

I've noticed that without the /wait 1 the song still goes off but I don't get the audio from the song or my character animation using the instrument. Does that still count the bonus for the Cornette +1 though?

3. I played this game a year ago, and back then the Opo Opo Crown seemed to be the head piece of choice for Bards from 65-75. I'm presuming this is because of Pamama. But I've noticed now there are much fewer people wearing this around Jeuno (though I'm not exactly looking specifically for Bards so this may just be coincidental). Do Bards still use this or has it become less important in favor of something else?

4. What types of food should a Bard be using through different stages of the game? There don't seem to be a whole lot of CHR boosting foods and even then they are fairly low it seems. Flint Cavier? Tav Taco? Tuna Sushi?

5. I've sometimes seen Bards using /SMN during a few HNM fights. I'm not sure how common it is a sub for Bards in HNM fights, but I know some use it for some reason. Is it just to spam Aerial Armor?

Thanks for any help.

[Icemage]

Re: Elemental Staves and a few minor misc quesetions

Originally posted by DWol
1. Okay, as far as I can gather from various advice and posts across many forums, the elemental staves are very effective for Bards.

Earth Staff for Elegy, Light for Lullaby and Finale.
Presumably an Ice Staff boosts Wind Thredony?

Yes.

Originally posted by DWol
But what about the others? Would using a Lightning Staff increase the power of Prelude or Fire Staff help Minuet? Can proper staves boost Carols?

No to buff songs. Elemental staves do not increase the potency of any buff songs. Only offensive songs (Threnody, Elegy, Lullaby, Requiem)

Originally posted by DWol

2. Also, I'm now using a macro such as:

/equip Range "Cornette +1"
/wait 1
/song "Valor Minuet" <me>

I've noticed that without the /wait 1 the song still goes off but I don't get the audio from the song or my character animation using the instrument. Does that still count the bonus for the Cornette +1 though?

Unless you're dying to hear the music, remove the Wait 1. It will work just fine even though you don't hear yourself playing the song.

Originally posted by DWol
3. I played this game a year ago, and back then the Opo Opo Crown seemed to be the head piece of choice for Bards from 65-75. I'm presuming this is because of Pamama. But I've noticed now there are much fewer people wearing this around Jeuno (though I'm not exactly looking specifically for Bards so this may just be coincidental). Do Bards still use this or has it become less important in favor of something else?

Opo Opo Crown is still popular. I've personally got my eyes on a Trump Crown these days.

Originally posted by DWol

4. What types of food should a Bard be using through different stages of the game? There don't seem to be a whole lot of CHR boosting foods and even then they are fairly low it seems. Flint Cavier? Tav Taco? Tuna Sushi?

I've not noticed a huge impact from any foods. I usually go with Flint Caviar. If you use an Opo Opo Crown, you're stuck with pamamas.

Originally posted by DWol
5. I've sometimes seen Bards using /SMN during a few HNM fights. I'm not sure how common it is a sub for Bards in HNM fights, but I know some use it for some reason. Is it just to spam Aerial Armor?

Yes.


Icemage

[DWol]

Thank you very much Icemage. That answered everything I wanted to know.

[Rones]

Hmm, I thought the elemental staffs affected carol bonuses. It has been a long time since I tested that, but I thought I remember the elemental resistance numbers increasing and decreasing according to the staff used.

As for the the equip macro, all that matters is what you equiped have when the song hits the mob at 70-80%. I prefer to not have the wait as it is faster and avoids that annoying music. Plus makes spamming a macro for a song easier if you are waiting on the recast.

I haven't seen nearly as many opopo crowns these days either.

For food, use flint caviar if you are having a resistance problem on elegy. Otherwise food isn't really needed for brd unless you want some +mp food.

[Alauna]

Q

Originally posted by Rones
Hmm, I thought the elemental staffs affected carol bonuses. It has been a long time since I tested that, but I thought I remember the elemental resistance numbers increasing and decreasing according to the staff used.

Keep in mind, each Elemental Staff gives +10 (HQ +15) to it's Weaker Element, in respect. ie. Ice Staff gives +10 Wind, Thunder gives +10 Water, and so on.

[Macht]

Re: Q

Originally posted by Alauna
Keep in mind, each Elemental Staff gives +10 (HQ +15) to it's Weaker Element, in respect. ie. Ice Staff gives +10 Wind, Thunder gives +10 Water, and so on.

Actually it's +15 (HQ +20).

[DWol]

I have one more question that I just thought of.

My Bard is leveling through the early levels at a startling pace. It won't be long before I reach 40, so I'm eyeing BCNM. Be nice to collect Erase for my subjob.

The last time I played was about a year ago, when the only BCNM anyone ever ran was the Mandragoras. In various browsing around of forums, I've noticed a lot more talk about the worm BCNM, of which I know nothing about.

So I was wondering, have Bards lost their place on a pedestral in regards to BCNM? Or do people still run the Mandragoras but there's less talk about it because Bards are so rare?

Or have the various non-lvl.40 become more prominent? Again, last time I played, they were somewhat recently introduced, and not yet popular, so my working knowledge is nil.

Thanks.

[Rones]

Not many do bcnm 40 mandy anymore on my server, at least that I hear or see. All the rage is the worms and some of the 3 man bcnms.

[DWol]

Yea, and I realize BRD is essentially useless for Worms.
I've also been reading various 3 man BCNMs and none of them seem to need a BRD anyway. And they don't seem to have the huge payoffs like Erase and Astral Ring anyway.

Am I stuck trying to get into various three-man BCNMs or just blowing my Seals on Treasures and Tribulations?

Also just want to make sure in regards to CHR. It only affects *landing* the debuff correct? Or would it, for example, have an impact on the duration of Lullaby?

I'm under the impression that it only affects whether or not they resist it, rather than having any direct affect on how long the mobs stay asleep.

[bleegh]

Nothing's essentially changed with the mandy bc40. Just because nobody does it much anymore doesn't mean it can't be done.

[Rones]

Also just want to make sure in regards to CHR. It only affects *landing* the debuff correct? Or would it, for example, have an impact on the duration of Lullaby?

Chr is just for resistance. With lullaby you can however get a partial resist resulting in a shorter duration. This is most clear when doing bcnm 40 mandy's when 1-2 wake up earlier than the rest.

[UnnamedGalka]

Elemental staves do not increase the potency of any buff songs.

Actually, they do. I've tested it myself. The corresponding elemental staff will give a slight boost to buffs, but a boost nonetheless.

[Icemage]

Are you postive? I remember testing Fire Staff with Minuet and not getting anything beyond the norm (plus what Fire Staff naturally gives on ATK of course). I'll go back and check it later and post the results.


Icemage

[kazuri]

UnnamedGalka: Are you talking as if Minuet with Ele. Staff gave you a boost in lasting duration or an actual ATK boost?

I just tried it out myself, I didn't see any difference. (didn't check the duration however.) I tried with Minuet, Paeon and the Etudes; not one buff power difference.

[UnnamedGalka]

Yes. I'll experiment more, but I'm pretty positive that elemental staves have an effect of buffs, however ever so slight. For example, with a Vulcan's equipped, I can give one or two bonus STR points with stacked Sinewy/Herculean Etude. I've done this on myself and friends who confirmed the difference with and without staves equipped.