Gear question

[Ka1'E1]

What accesorry gear would be good for 30-50? A friend let me borrow his Black Cape + 1 and Morion Earings. What should I be using for rings at this point? My belt is a Force belt and I also have a dolphin staff I use for parties.

Advice is welcome.

I usually go out as RDM/WHM

[Bamce Sylph]

astrals or electrum at 40,

[AtraposBLM]

Ditch the dolphin staff and get the latest high quality club for your level (lv32 is HQ Chestnut, lv48 is Rose Wand +1).

You'll want to pick up a Morion Tathlum. Fairly cheap way to add +1 int and +3 mp (and you really have nothing else to put in that slot anyways).

Electrum/Astral rings would be a plus, but you'll also want a pair of +mnd and +int rings.

You'll want to pick up a Red Cape +1 (+3 mnd, +3 int = good)

As far as belts go...I'm not really sure what rdm's should wear there. Royal Knight's belt if you can wear it...

Other than that...the rest is mostly filler.

At lv51, you have access to the elemental staves. You should definately consider picking up a dark staff, and also possibly an ice staff. They make nuking much more worth while.

[Sukashi]

Dark Staff very good, I can't wait to farm the money for it But main thing is is that RDM doesn't usually get to rest much, so making the most out of any opportunity you can rest is very important. Using Dark Staff and eating Hobgoblin Chocolate gives you an extra +15 MP while recovering, which is.. 30~32? MP after your first twenty seconds in /heal position... very noticeable ^^

[Ruic]

My personal gear lists are available in my sig.

Items Worth Getting (*Means if you melee):
7: Justice Badge
10: Eremite and/or Saintly Rings
19: *Lantern Shield (This will serve you as a good solid shield for all purposes all the way until a spiked or darksteel buckler.)
20: Black Silk Neckerchief
30: Morion Earrings, Centurion Armor, Centurion Sword (Good sword to keep forever, cheap and good for BCNM30 or 40), Mercenary Captain's Belt
32: White or Black Cape, Solid Wand
27-33: RSE (If you're any race but Taru this is absolutely amazing)
36: Composite Bow+1 (Best bow until 55 for RDM)
40: *Flame Degen, Electrum Hairpin, Electrum Rings
41: Fencing Degen (AF1)
43: *Duel Rapier (Good for parrying training), *Valkyrie's Mask, Red Cape +1 (Must Have)
45: *Brigandine
48: *Knight Sword+1 (our first heavy damage sword), Rose Wand+1, Magic Cuisses, *Life Belt
51: Dark Staff, Any other Elemental Staves of your choice

I levelled up to 42 tonight (going to update my stuff later) and I had a resist rate below 5% using my gear setup, which no offense to RDM/BLM or RDM/WHMs, kicks the crap out of most other RDMs my level, while chipping in 10-13% of a mob's hp in melee and having no MP troubles. (65% accuracy using my swords, about 55% using my bow, which hit for a very decent 40-60 damage a hit on IT West Altepa Beetles.)

And as a sidenote, if you have the patience, and the gil, then do yourself a favor and get a bow and some good arrows. Skillup, and you'll be amazed at what you can do with a bow as a RDM, it far outweighs what the tathlum has to offer. Just use the best +5 ranged accuracy arrow available to you.

If you're not into equip change macros like most people, then go with electrum or astral rings and whatever +MP you can get your hands on and be an endurance redmage, you'll need it to deal with the resists (and subsequent recasts) you will battle with past 40.

Oh, and until 51 I wouldn't touch staves. Just my opinion.

[Chucklez_1]

I frankly wore crappy stuff betwen 30-50 since most of the time, I was the main healer in the pt (especially post lvl 41). If you can afford it, by all means follow Altrapos' post, but I'm assuming you don't have a lot of money (or a good way of keep that gil comin')

My main concern between lvl 30-40 was MP...and lots of them. At lvl 30-49, I just kept my friar's rope, then changed to RK belt at lvl 50. I wore enhance earring and another crappy earring (but you're morion earrings are way better...keep them). I wore a holy phial for the nice +9 mp and wore a staff 'sometimes' for the extra mp although I frankly I kept the latest non-HQ wand for the extra mnd+ bonus...you'll be asked to be the main healer a lot of times...the mnd+ will really help. At lvl 41, I think you should stick w/ your wand rather than your AF1 sword that gives +10 mp. Between lvl 40-50, MP won't be an issue at all.

If you managed to be in Easter event, keep that fortune egg since it was practically free. If not, save up for morion tathlum.

Prior to lvl 40, have 2 sets of earrings with you: int+ and mnd+. Switch whichever is best suited for your job in the group. After lvl 40, stick w/ electrum rings, serket ring, and/or astral rings all the way to the end.

by lvl 40+ you should stick w/ red cape, and Dark Staff is your best friend at lvl 51.

As for equipment, stick w/ RSE except for the body until you get the whole AF set. For body, stick w/ the frost robe for mp+10 but make sure you have the latest body armour since you might end up in a pt where the tank won't be able to hold aggro at all.

[Gman]

My Gear: (Level 54 RDM/BLM)

Primary: Knights Sword (+1 not worth it), Rose Wand +1 for casting
Shield: Balance Buckler (what RDM can't use +3 accuracy)
Ammunition: Moiron Tathlum
Head: Electrum Hairpin
Neck: Promise Badge
Earrings: Enhancing Earring, Black Earring (soon to be upgraded to Morion and Wizards)
Body: Tactician Magicians Coat
Gloves: Taru RSE mitts, soon to be AF gloves
Rings: 2x Eremites, soon to be 1 Zircon, 1 Aquamarine
Back: Red Cape +1
Waste: Royal Knights Belt
Legs: Magic Cuisses
Feet: Warlocks Boots

Before Food, INT +21, MND + 20

[AtraposBLM]

Originally posted by Ruic
My personal gear lists are available in my sig.

Items Worth Getting (*Means if you melee):
7: Justice Badge
10: Eremite and/or Saintly Rings
19: *Lantern Shield (This will serve you as a good solid shield for all purposes all the way until a spiked or darksteel buckler.)
20: Black Silk Neckerchief
30: Morion Earrings, Centurion Armor, Centurion Sword (Good sword to keep forever, cheap and good for BCNM30 or 40), Mercenary Captain's Belt
32: White or Black Cape, Solid Wand
27-33: RSE (If you're any race but Taru this is absolutely amazing)
36: Composite Bow+1 (Best bow until 55 for RDM)
40: *Flame Degen, Electrum Hairpin, Electrum Rings
41: Fencing Degen (AF1)
43: *Duel Rapier (Good for parrying training), *Valkyrie's Mask, Red Cape +1 (Must Have)
45: *Brigandine
48: *Knight Sword+1 (our first heavy damage sword), Rose Wand+1, Magic Cuisses, *Life Belt
51: Dark Staff, Any other Elemental Staves of your choice

I levelled up to 42 tonight (going to update my stuff later) and I had a resist rate below 5% using my gear setup, which no offense to RDM/BLM or RDM/WHMs, kicks the crap out of most other RDMs my level, while chipping in 10-13% of a mob's hp in melee and having no MP troubles. (65% accuracy using my swords, about 55% using my bow, which hit for a very decent 40-60 damage a hit on IT West Altepa Beetles.)

And as a sidenote, if you have the patience, and the gil, then do yourself a favor and get a bow and some good arrows. Skillup, and you'll be amazed at what you can do with a bow as a RDM, it far outweighs what the tathlum has to offer. Just use the best +5 ranged accuracy arrow available to you.

If you're not into equip change macros like most people, then go with electrum or astral rings and whatever +MP you can get your hands on and be an endurance redmage, you'll need it to deal with the resists (and subsequent recasts) you will battle with past 40.

Oh, and until 51 I wouldn't touch staves. Just my opinion.

I have to say that I'm fairly impressed by your Gear man...

Only a few questions. One - why bother with the Wolf Mantle for any reason? It only adds to elemental resist, no (and gives defense)? I guess because you tank sometimes, the 5 defense could help, but from what I'd estimate, I'd say it's fairly useless (especially because you're relying on utsusemi to tank anyways (and damage reduction like phalanx/stoneskin)). Why not go for a black cape +1 and white cape +1, or a red cape +1? They're fairly cheap (especially with what looks like your funds are like). I forget what level red cape +1 is...but I know black/white capes are available at 32.

Also - in your white mage setup, you may want to consider swapping out the booties you have for a different pair. They have -1 mnd on them...not much, but even if you simply unequipped them, it would be an improvement. Not really a big deal though

Last note - possibly you'd want to look into going into a "Convert" mode or something, and try to maximize your MP to fully take advantage of convert. That's just me though...the inner taru seeking to optimize the 1:1 convert ratio. If you don't have MP problems, I don't see why you should bother, but again, taru in me seeking to get more mp, lol.

I'll reitorate - you are the very first, and ONLY rdm/nin I've ever seen post anything intelligble, and I take my hat off to you. You succeeded in taking something that people said was silly, and made it work. I, for one, am curious to see just how far you're able to take it, and how far rdm archery can go. Keep it up

[Patchinko]

I think I posted pretty intelligibly when I was RDM/NIN. ; ;

Red Cape +1 is 43, I think. Promise Badge is also a good item, especially for Taru RDM since our MND is not so good.

[Ruic]

I apologize for going somewhat off topic, and being longwinded.

The Wolf Cape+1 is indeed involved from my multitudes of tanking. With less than 5000 xp until I can use the Red Cape +1, I just can't justify dropping on the Black Cape+1 or White Cape+1... I'm at 350k towards my Dark Staff, which is my next major expense, and I like to watch the gil grow, not shrink.

I appreciate your compliment and encouragement. I know that the wolf cape is a definite oddity, and I have been very tempted to switch it. But as said, a 5% resist rate just hasn't warranted it. When I west out to XP party last night my equipment loaded out at 47/50 (!!!) after bringing food, juices, and other things, so my inventory is somewhat prohibitive as well.

As for convert mode. Convert mode would require me to change rings, headgear, and a couple of other pieces. The reason why I find this inefficient is that if I cast spells without my stat additions, they're incredibly weak (relative to my casting modes). I don't know where the post is or originated, but I recall reading that 1 INT or MND is equivalent to .66-1 point of enfeebling skill. If this is true, my +22/22 setup now allows me to debuff on par with a RDM 3-6 levels above me in terms of skill/stats. (As a sidenote, I nuked side by side with a 43 RDM with maxed elemental and 12 less INT, and I nuked for 6-10% more damage consistently, this was at 41.) The additional MP would give me endurance, I fully agree with you there, however I would be casting in a weakened state, and using more MP to accomplish the same task. Unless I was using that MP for curative spells, in which efficiency isn't a concern, I can't say I find the concept worthwhile. However, that does pose the curious question of getting a free convert by using that MP to heal myself. But usually my WHM(s) drop a Divine Seal Cure 3, or we let the PLD heal me to get hate.

As for boots and last minute min/maxing, sometimes I have to cut a few corners to make it simply workable. Like I said if I end up carrying 47 pieces of equipment/tools/etc into a fight I have to carefully micromanage all of those things, and I've not experimented with "unequip macros" if they are even possible, and adding a pair of boots takes yet another slot.

As a last sidenote about my tanking methods. Blink is indeed my preferred tanking method, and you haven't seen emergency crowd control until you've seen what a RDM with chainspell, utsusemi and stoneskin can do with sleep, bind and gravity. Imagine if you had a tank with perfect dodge, invulnerability and the casting abilities of a RDM, it is absolutely amazing if not somewhat hectic thing to do.

Feel free to send me a /tell sometime if you have any questions Atrapos, I'll gladly talk to ya or answer any queries you have.