DRG duo seeks advice!

[Murphie]

Some random Elvaan and I are going to be leveling our Dragoons together in a Duo pretty soon. I just wondered if anyone had any advice for us, such as what zones would be useful for leveling in, what sub combinations would make the most sense, etc. As I mentioned, she’s Elvaan, and I’m a Taru, and we have just about any possible sub available between the two of us, so the sky’s the limit in that regard.

Since her DRG is currently level 10, that’s when we’ll start the duo. I’m sure we can manage just fine through the teens, as we’ve both soloed those levels so many times that knowing where to go won’t be a problem. But after that, some suggestions would be handy. We'll probably group for an hour here and an hour there when both of us have some time, but we're smart players (or at least she is), so we should make good progress provided we target the right mobs.

Any advice and/or suggestions would be handy. I haven't played DRG since early 2004, so I'm a bit rusty.

[Skoal]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

I sub rdm. Fast healing breath triggers for 6mp. Blu is becoming a popular sub. Maybe one could do /blu and the other either /whm or /rdm. I would bring a bunch of pineapples and water crystals to make juice, or use cookies when you heal.

One good rule for soloing/duoing drgs is to not fight mobs with terrible tp moves. Try to stay away from Jet Stream, Sickle Slash, etc. Also watch out for Aoe moves. No wyvern= Death.

Target giant bats as much as possible. Throw in a few worms and crabs.

You will start to get a feel for it when you level up. Everyone pretty much plays this their own way. For instance, I mass kill EP's to maximize my potential for Seals. Just wait until 60 when you get your af helm and can duo easily in ToAu. The sanction refresh is awesome. You can kill DC's until you run out of mobs.

[eticket109]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

This is from a solo guide on Alla... This is pre-ToAU so it doesn't take those mobs into account. With a little tweaking this can be used for duo as well.

Lvl Prey Location
1-10 Everything Obvious
11-20 Everything 2nd Tier Zones
17- Maze Makers Shakrami Maze
22- Land Worms Korroloka
25- Land Worms Qufim
27- Clippers Qufim
30- Clippers Korroloka
33- Yagudo Drummers, etc. Sauromugue
35- Stream Sahagin, etc. Yuhtunga
37- Soldier Crawlers Yuhtunga
42- Worker Crawlers Crawlers Nest
44- Worker Crawlers Yhoator
46- Hell Bats Gustav
49- Desert Beetles West Altepa
51- Helm Beetles QuicksandE.Altepa)
54- Helm Beetles Quicksand(W.altepa)
57- Werebats Bost. Oubliette
60- Helm Beetles C.Nest, Garliage Citadel
61- Robber Crabs Kuftal
63- Dire Bats King Ramg. Tomb
65- Robber Crabs Boyahda Tree
66- Robber Crabs Cape Terrigan
68- Raptors Valley of Sorrows
70- Falmingos Sky
73- Steelshells Boyahda Tree

Like Skoal said, big bats are the best target. Crawlers, beetles, crabs, worms and birds if necessary can work alright. Just know the mobs you're fighting and take proper gear.

[Kirsteena]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

Does this mean I have to see you in Tarutaru RSE?

[Murphie]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

It's festive!

[raidenn]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

La Thiene should be nice. A couple more levels then you're good for the lake. Just watchout for rain since it brings out the water elemental.

[Malacite]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

I'd take /WHM over /RDM any day. Yes, your breaths will trigger faster and you still get the offensive breaths off of WS, but there are drawbacks.

1) Heal Breath triggers at around 20% HP instead of 33% (AF helm pumps it to 33%)

2) On /RDM, heal breath will *only* heal yourself, not other PT members.


3) Less MP and you get stoneskin/blink much later on.

It's not that /RDM is without it's perks, but I'd have to say /WHM is much more ideal, if nothing else for status removal. Poison is *very* annoying @. @


As for what to fight, if at all possible take on anything that flies. Piercing weapons get I believe a 20% bonus in damage to flying mobs.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

I'd take /WHM over /RDM any day. Yes, your breaths will trigger faster and you still get the offensive breaths off of WS, but there are drawbacks.

1) Heal Breath triggers at around 20% HP instead of 33% (AF helm pumps it to 33%)

2) On /RDM, heal breath will *only* heal yourself, not other PT members.

Lies. >_>

/RDM gives a defensive Wyvern, which is identical to /WHM.

[Murphie]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

Yeah, RDM is a healing Wyvern, not hybrid.

[Skoal]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

Poison is *very* annoying @. @

It is.

2 things to do

Don't fight things that poison you.

Bring antidote until you are at the level when you can just use weaponskill to remove poison.

If someone would post the levels that Cure Breaths are obtained, that would help out a lot.

[Murphie]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

Oh, I'm sure I can track that down. I was mostly just looking for specific info related to duoing, which I've gotten for the most part.^^

[Malacite]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

My bad, I could have sworn it was hybrid >.>

I still say /WHM though, at least pre-phalanx.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

Phalanx damage reduction is based entirely on enhancing magic, of which DRG has none native. That's hardly a great reason for using /RDM.

As far as I can tell, what DRG/RDM offers over DRG/WHM is primarily faster (thus safer) cures; Fast Cast on 0.5 second base cast time Bar-element series of spells is great when a DRG really needs to push out the healing--and they only cost 6 MP each.

* * *

With DRG so efficient at curing, is it necessary for both wyvern to be defensive type? Perhaps one DRG can employ a defensive wyvern, while the other can use another support job?

Specifically, I'm thinking that DRG/BRD can help eliminate a lot of down time from the use of Paeon between fights and use Ballad to refresh the other DRG in the party post Lv.50.

[Skoal]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

With DRG so efficient at curing, is it necessary for both wyvern to be defensive type? Perhaps one DRG can employ a defensive wyvern, while the other can use another support job?

Specifically, I'm thinking that DRG/BRD can help eliminate a lot of down time from the use of Paeon between fights and use Ballad to refresh the other DRG in the party post Lv.50.

Pre AF helm you are looking at 33% trigger for /mage. If you have drg/rdm and drg/brd then only one of you is going to be healing at 33% the hybrid at 20%. Pre ballad, I see hardly any reason to use this combo. Another thing is that the hybrid drg will not be able to use weaponskill to cure status aliments. I know that if were duoing with someone, and I was drg/mage, I wouldn't wait until I was 20% just so that we could get 2 healing breaths.

You would at least have to wait until you were 2 for /brd to be safe. At that level you will have 3 2 second songs for HB. Only problem is if you really get in trouble those songs all have 24 second recasts.

It my opinion and experience that /rdm and /whm compliment each other very well. Fast trigger spells, -na spells for in between fights, and whm has raise.

[eticket109]

Re: DRG duo seeks advice!

Also with /rdm or /whm, if you're fast, both DRGs can get a Healing Breath off which will take whoever is being cured pretty far out of danger.

Personally I preferred to use /rdm. Granted there was less mp, but I had more hp with a broader range of spells to use.

Poisona is nice to have but if you monitor and time your tp use well, its not as necessary.