Red Mage Weapon

[humboldt81]

Hey everyone, I just started playing and im curious on weapon choice for my rdm, Im currently lvl 9 using a wax sword, is this ok or should i focus on another weapon

thanks

[Altae]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

The popular choice is sword. If you survey all experienced RDM players, 95% of them will tell you that sword is their favorite weapon to use.

But let's think about this somewhat. RDMs at level 1 starts out with a Onion Dagger. Well, to no surprirse, RDMs can skill dagger as well. They can skill club and archery also. So, the other 5% of surveyed people would tell you that dagger is better to use based upon a intuitive hint by SE. "Hey, use dagger because it's better, k, bye!"

Archery for RDM isn't too bad either. You can do some decent damage with good arrows and a good bow. But the only downside is that weapon skills can only be accessed from subjobbing a RNG job. And having a RNG subjob for any event as a RDM main can be quite a handicaap. Unless you're picking on weak things.

So, if you've got money, keep buying swords. You'll eventually get a very neat weapon skill called Spirits Within. With full HP and full TP, you can deal some 400 damage per Spirits Within. And it ignores things like defense as well on opponents.

If you don't often have alot of money to spend, sitck to a dagger or some really cheap sword.

It's all really based upon what you want for your RDM. Maybe one dagger will add 20MP and a sword will add +2 enhancing magic skill. Maybe you solo often and you'd like to maximize your damage output as much as possible.

[humboldt81]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

The popular choice is sword. If you survey all experienced RDM players, 95% of them will tell you that sword is their favorite weapon to use.

But let's think about this somewhat. RDMs at level 1 starts out with a Onion Dagger. Well, to no surprirse, RDMs can skill dagger as well. They can skill club and archery also. So, the other 5% of surveyed people would tell you that dagger is better to use based upon a intuitive hint by SE. "Hey, use dagger because it's better, k, bye!"

Archery for RDM isn't too bad either. You can do some decent damage with good arrows and a good bow. But the only downside is that weapon skills can only be accessed from subjobbing a RNG job. And having a RNG subjob for any event as a RDM main can be quite a handicaap. Unless you're picking on weak things.

So, if you've got money, keep buying swords. You'll eventually get a very neat weapon skill called Spirits Within. With full HP and full TP, you can deal some 400 damage per Spirits Within. And it ignores things like defense as well on opponents.

If you don't often have alot of money to spend, sitck to a dagger or some really cheap sword.

It's all really based upon what you want for your RDM. Maybe one dagger will add 20MP and a sword will add +2 enhancing magic skill. Maybe you solo often and you'd like to maximize your damage output as much as possible.

cool thanks, that about sums it up.

[Sabaron]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

If you like the Sword aspects of RDM, you may also consider levelling BLU for a sub as BLU is afforded a greater array of Weaponskills, adding Savage Blade, Vorpal Blade, Seraph Blade, and Red Lotus Blade to your arsenal.

Swords to be on the lookout for:

Bee Spatha
Longsword
Auriga Xiphos
Gladius/Gladiator
Centurion's Sword (and upgrades)
Holy Sword: Your en- spells will cancel the holy effect, but it does better damage than it's component sword, the Mythril Sword.
Divine Sword
Buzzard Tuck: This one boosts your en- spell damage
Ancient Sword: Nice damage, curses enemies if you're very lucky
Knight's Sword
....

[Aksannyi]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

I love my sword. I would still be swinging it in XP parties if it weren't for those blasted elemental staves I need so much.

[humboldt81]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

so

I love my sword. I would still be swinging it in XP parties if it weren't for those blasted elemental staves I need so much.

So im lvl 9 now is there a certain sword I should be on the lookout for , currently Im using a wax sword.

[Taskmage]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

At level 9 Wax Sword is out of date. You should pick up a Spatha. It'll do a lot more damage.

In experience parties, people tend to be more comfortable with you holding a wand and staying on the back line, but if you want to melee, I'd recommend a Bee Spatha +1 at level 11, Flame Sword at 18, Republic Dagger at 25, and Centurion's Sword at 30. Your "best weapon" for any given level switches back and forth like that, so you want to keep both skills leveled. Look for weapons with low delay to maximize damage from enspells, and accuracy bonuses to help you connect with the enemy with your low skill.

[Jei]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

o_O!!

[Taskmage]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

[Aksannyi]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

At level 9 Wax Sword is out of date. You should pick up a Spatha. It'll do a lot more damage.

In experience parties, people tend to be more comfortable with you holding a wand and staying on the back line, but if you want to melee, I'd recommend a Bee Spatha +1 at level 11, Flame Sword at 18, Republic Dagger at 25, and Centurion's Sword at 30. Your "best weapon" for any given level switches back and forth like that, so you want to keep both skills leveled. Look for weapons with low delay to maximize damage from enspells, and accuracy bonuses to help you connect with the enemy with your low skill.

I'd like to add that when you are able to equip your Artifact Weapon (at level 41) it's a good sword, also.

[BurningPanther]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

So, the other 5% of surveyed people would tell you that dagger is better to use based upon a intuitive hint by SE. "Hey, use dagger because it's better, k, bye!"

Yeah, but this also the same S-E that started Warrior out with sword, knowing full well that WAR has a higher intrinsic skill with Great Axe. You also have to consider the weapon involved with each job when doing your first Artifact quest. After considering that, the starting weapon made NO difference in my mind.
Furthermore, RDM's Sword skill is even with our Dagger skill(at 75, they both cap at 250). I think we get the same amount of weaponskills on both weapons, but the reason, I think, that 5% or RDMs will prefer dagger simply for the benefit of Energy Drain and Energy Steal, which is like Aspir made into a weaponskill.

[Taskmage]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

I'd like to add that when you are able to equip your Artifact Weapon (at level 41) it's a good sword, also.

The Buzzard Tuck has slightly higher damage than the Fencing Degen, and also a nice bonus to enspell damage. The Fencing Degen has the jack-of-all-trades thing going on, with ok damage and small spellcasting bonuses, but why would you want a jack-of-all-trades weapon when you could carry two "queens" instead and switch between them when appropriate? Personally I don't think I ever equipped the AF sword.

As for the swords vs daggers debate, it really depends. Energy Steal/Drain is really good vs elementals, beetles, crabs, and spellcaster beastmen, but against other things of course it's useless. Dagger's best damage WS until level 71 is Cyclone, which does great damage but is AoE, so it's dangerous to use if there are any other mobs near you when fighting. Viper Bite sucks for us, so the only thing left is Gust Slash, which is ok, but not great. Sword on the other hand gives us a wide selection of single-target damage skills, including Vorpal Blade with drk or blu subbed, and includes the option to use slashing-type weapons instead of piercing ones, which makes a big difference if you fight bones or other piercing resistant mobs.

[BurningPanther]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

and includes the option to use slashing-type weapons instead of piercing ones, which makes a big difference if you fight bones or other piercing resistant mobs.

Don't forget, the recently-released Mensur epee, carrying the hidden effect of blunt damage... good against pots, crabs, and various undead. \o/

[Jei]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

oh looks nice. Pretty high base damage too.
http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/8644

[Taskmage]

Re: Red Mage Weapon

That is indeed an interesting weapon I'm glad you brought up, but ffxiclopedia disagrees with you on it's hidden effect:

DMG rating increases by 2 based on reduction in party size. From 41 (party of 4) to 47 (solo).

I'd want it for either property, tbh.

Edit: Also, on the damage types page:

The Mensur Epee Sword does Slashing damage.

Which is still an unusal damage type for an epee.