Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

[Gwynn]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

ice staff is really nice to have for RDM as it helps with paralyze.
I think light staff is not neccesary, but is still definitely helpful to have.

Try to get wind staff. You may not need silence all the time, but when you need it, you want it to stick. BLM mob resisting silence a few times is ouchy ><

It also helps out with Gravity immensely, which is important considering Gravity's shat-tast-ic recast timer.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

It also helps out with Gravity immensely, which is important considering Gravity's shat-tast-ic recast timer.

Amen to that! My husband has the HQ and lands Gravity on Kirin 80% of the time while my NQ grabs me about a 55-60% rating. /em steals Daddio's staff!

[Taskmage]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

Those prices are about what it was like on Lakshmi the last time I checked, except that it was Earth Staff at 800k and Wind at 600k or so.
Do put Wind Staff on your list for the reasons mentioned. Silence and Gravity aren't your most important debuffs in general, but you tend to notice a lot more when those get resisted.

[Rodin]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

This deflation was great. I got a V. Claw before the deflation and sold it for 14million. Two weeks later I got another V. Claw, from the KSNM30 in Waughroon Shrine. So far I have 7/8 HQ staves. I decided to test the NQ against the HQ and see if they were worth it. As a 51 BLM, I tried it out. Not only was I getting more damage with the HQ (about 25-40 more DMG per spell, more with the MB.) I was also noticing a smaller resist rate with the spells. I'm leveling RDM at the moment until I can get clothcraft higher for BLM, since I want a self signed Demon's Cloak and Mahatma Slops. But anyways, I'm gonna test these out on RDM as well, and see if I can get a non-sucky resist rate, like I'm getting right now >_<

[Aeni]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

This deflation was great. I got a V. Claw before the deflation and sold it for 14million. Two weeks later I got another V. Claw, from the KSNM30 in Waughroon Shrine. So far I have 7/8 HQ staves. I decided to test the NQ against the HQ and see if they were worth it. As a 51 BLM, I tried it out. Not only was I getting more damage with the HQ (about 25-40 more DMG per spell, more with the MB.) I was also noticing a smaller resist rate with the spells. I'm leveling RDM at the moment until I can get clothcraft higher for BLM, since I want a self signed Demon's Cloak and Mahatma Slops. But anyways, I'm gonna test these out on RDM as well, and see if I can get a non-sucky resist rate, like I'm getting right now >_<

m(_ _)m Please let us know of your findings. It's interesting to know just how well the HQ staves are over the NQ, but please test this on your RDM, since that's the job I am going to main on the second character

[Rodin]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

My RDM is only 31 right now. But once I get it to 51 I'll download a parser or something. Even though I don't like to run any 3rd party programs besides windower. And hell, if SE would implement IME into NA FFXI, I probably woudn't even use that. But for enfeebling, I can tell you, on my WHM (75), I get more successes on IT mobs when enfeebling with my HQ staves, I just can't confirm a percent because I don't keep track. I also don't have capped enfeebling magic, I believe it's somewhere around 210. Once I cap it out I'll parse it on WHM as well.

[Aeni]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

My RDM is only 31 right now. But once I get it to 51 I'll download a parser or something. Even though I don't like to run any 3rd party programs besides windower. And hell, if SE would implement IME into NA FFXI, I probably woudn't even use that. But for enfeebling, I can tell you, on my WHM (75), I get more successes on IT mobs when enfeebling with my HQ staves, I just can't confirm a percent because I don't keep track. I also don't have capped enfeebling magic, I believe it's somewhere around 210. Once I cap it out I'll parse it on WHM as well.

Thank you.

Oh and congrats on your VClaw. I'm 0/11 (Yes, LOL ... not just with my KSs >.>) with that BC. I think I blame not having a THF or even sub THF, but what do I know. >.< It could just be plain bad luck that nothing that was worth over 150K dropped in that insanely long night of doing nothing but Operation Desert Swarm fights (I think 8 hours)

[Ghostraven]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

don't forget wind staff helps with sneak and invis

[Rodin]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

You know, I've actually been macroing in a wind staff, and now an Auster's Staff for my sneak and invis macros. I just haven't noticed any difference in the duration of my spells.

And thanks Aeni. I haven't gone with a THF or with anyone as /THF. It seems to be random. A friend of mine is 1/2. I've personally seen the claw drop 5 times out of 12 times doing the BCNM. I don't think it's a rare drop, just takes luck. There's honestly better KSNMs you can do which will drop better items, it's just this one is easy as hell, especially since I have a semi-set I do it with. NIN NIN SAM RDM WHM(me) and we pick up a BLM. Everyone says I'm lucky as hell, but everyone that I know that is 0/11 or so on that BCNM always have it manaburned. I think if you can pwn that BCNM in 3 minutes, the drop rate lowers. Just a theory of mine.

[Icemage]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

don't forget wind staff helps with sneak and invis

This is not true. Neither Wind nor Auster's Staff help Sneak and Invisible in any way (though Skulker's Cape does).


Icemage

[Aeni]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

Okay ... I have a simple question.

Why is a Staff (Elemental) more favorable to use with an enfeebling spell over those wands that give uber (+MND, +INT) stats? I'm talking about NQ staves please ... this should be about 90% of all mages out there.

(1) Using an Ice Staff I saw no increase in nuking power. I actually saw an elemental spell lessen in strength due to using the Ice Staff (I can't recall which one in particular, but I'll go back and run some tests)

(2) Ice Staff with paralyze don't get resisted much. Good, right? Wrong. My paralysis only lasts 5-8 seconds with this "crutch." Good for landing but the duration sucks (Going back to those spoons again)

(3) Gravity with Wind Staff experiences the same problems as paralyze with Ice Staff. I believe the trade off for sticking a spell is not having the duration of the spell. Also, the more times you have to stick something during the battle, the more chances of each subsequent casting in succession being resisted.

I'm sorry, but as a Mithra, I see no advantage of these staves over my spoon. About the only two I care about right now is light (cure potency really shows) and dark (for healing up MP)

[Icemage]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

Okay ... I have a simple question.

Why is a Staff (Elemental) more favorable to use with an enfeebling spell over those wands that give uber (+MND, +INT) stats? I'm talking about NQ staves please ... this should be about 90% of all mages out there.

IF you have no problems landing your enfeebles without them, then by all means tack on a +INT/MND wand and go to town. Unfortunately, the occasions when this occurs in an XP party are rare, since it's difficult to land enfeebles on IT's without all the help you can get (I've got +10 Enfeebling Magic from merits plus staves and IT enemies still laugh at me every once in a while... and my batting average goes waaaay down if I don't swap in the right staff).

(1) Using an Ice Staff I saw no increase in nuking power. I actually saw an elemental spell lessen in strength due to using the Ice Staff (I can't recall which one in particular, but I'll go back and run some tests)

Ice Staff helps only Blizzard nukes in power, aside from the +4 INT. What it does do is make sure you get fewer resists, due to +10 Elemental skill. However, on Aero spells it actually makes them weaker since the drawback to Ice Staff is weaker and less accurate Wind element spells.

(2) Ice Staff with paralyze don't get resisted much. Good, right? Wrong. My paralysis only lasts 5-8 seconds with this "crutch." Good for landing but the duration sucks (Going back to those spoons again)

If your Paralyze spell isn't lasting very long, it's because you're fighting IT++ enemies that are getting 1/4 or better resists against you. Ice Staff helps you land and stick those, but it's not going to guarantee anything. Your results can and should be much worse on Paralyze without Ice Staff in these cases.

(3) Gravity with Wind Staff experiences the same problems as paralyze with Ice Staff. I believe the trade off for sticking a spell is not having the duration of the spell. Also, the more times you have to stick something during the battle, the more chances of each subsequent casting in succession being resisted.

Your impressions are very much wrong. Silence, Slow, and Paralyze stick at the same rate and duration regardless of how often you use them. Only Sleep, Bind, and Gravity are affected by repeated usage, and you're never going to notice this effect in an XP party since it takes many castings before it kicks in.

I'm sorry, but as a Mithra, I see no advantage of these staves over my spoon. About the only two I care about right now is light (cure potency really shows) and dark (for healing up MP)

Well, play it however you feel. I know that *I* see a very visible difference in spell accuracy when using the correct elemental staves, and that's good enough for me.


Icemage

[Taskmage]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

Wands will increase the potency of most spells (make slow stronger, make your nuke for more damage, etc) but the staff increases the accuracy of the spell, making it less likely that your spell will just bounce off or only last for a very short duration. Once enfeebles stick there's supposedly nothing you can do to make Paralyze, Blind, and Gravity more effective, so all we can do is shoot for less resists.

For your nukes, using the matching staff is supposed to increase your damage by 10-15%, which is more than you could hope to achieve with an INT bonus.

If that information doesn't line up with your personal experience, I don't know what to tell you. "Common wisdom" isn't always correct, but in this case I think a lot of people would say their experience contradicts yours.

[Aeni]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

Wands will increase the potency of most spells (make slow stronger, make your nuke for more damage, etc) but the staff increases the accuracy of the spell, making it less likely that your spell will just bounce off or only last for a very short duration. Once enfeebles stick there's supposedly nothing you can do to make Paralyze, Blind, and Gravity more effective, so all we can do is shoot for less resists.

For your nukes, using the matching staff is supposed to increase your damage by 10-15%, which is more than you could hope to achieve with an INT bonus.

If that information doesn't line up with your personal experience, I don't know what to tell you. "Common wisdom" isn't always correct, but in this case I think a lot of people would say their experience contradicts yours.

Well, I think Icemage explained it better with regards to IT++ mobs. I seriously do not think that everyone has the same experience, unless everyone else fights T mobs onry. Which I find that hard to believe.

But yes, there is no real noticeable difference with these elemental staves on RDM. Maybe on a tarutaru BLM with the MND and INT stats that are already above excellent overall (And therefore will not miss the spoon going to staves) What galls me is that there is really no way to increase m.acc and m.atk directly at these levels and even if there were a couple of really odd ball rare/ex or rare items, the prices or sheer lucridity is just too much for a new account to deal with on a first job through past level 50...

SE needs to address this issue with providing more crafted items (either through food or equipment) to remedy this situation. It's not that these monsters are super IT either ... in some cases, I encounter this problem on "optimum" ITs (The point before exp goes into the crapper when you're struggling for only 130 exp per kill)

[Icemage]

Re: Elemental staves, NQ vs. HQ

... uh... Taru have the lowest MND of all races. I buff it up to acceptable levels, but beyond about +20 it stops having any effect on resists.


Icemage