Becoming a better Red Mage

[Haggai]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

The haste on a weakened person thing is one of those old rumors that still hasn't made it out of some peoples heads, even though its been disproved. Some of the other false rumors include:

Divine Seal + Raise = Raise II
Divine Seal + Raise II = Raise III
Divine Seal + Raise lowers weakened time
Haste + Refresh = faster refresh rate (haste only effects recasts and weapon delay)
AoE farming is better (not only do AoEs lower drop rates, but training slows respawn times)

[Jei]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

I can't comment much on gears ^^ while I level up my Rdm before 60, I went for the look more than stats. I was wearing centurion set for a very long time because I really like its graphic lol.

Rdm requires a lot of attention to chat log.
I filter out all damage done by/to anyone else but myself.
But keep special actions done by/on party members on.

For debuff wearing, there's not much you can do there : /
Have to keep a close look at logs... with all damage filtered, it's a little easier.

For buff like refresh and haste, the popular way is to cast them on yourselff first when you're starting your cycle.
Then, when your own effect wears off, you know you have start your cycle.

Another way is to time them. Refresh lasts approximately 1 game hour. Haste lasts 3 real life minutes. Having some digital clock with seconds display right by your monitor can help you there.

[Raydeus]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

I didn't see it listed so I'll ask, what's your soloing gear?

MND, INT and MP sets are good for parties but for soloing you'll want to focus on your melee instead of your mage stats. You'll want +str rings, maybe a Spike necklace and stuff like that (and att or acc food depending on the situation), just make sure you macro Justice badge on your Stoneskin macro or the -MND from Spike will hurt your stoneskin.

At lvl 44 I wouldn't recomend meleeing anything above EM, but you can kill T to VT-IT at that lvl Sleep/nuking, its way too slow but it can be done.

You'll want to start the fight with your MP gear on, +MND and +INT arent necessary since you wont get resists from anything below T++, after you burn the MP bonus from gear you can swap in your melee stuff.

Also, RDM soloing is greatly affected by your sub, at that lvl WAR is a good option and NIN can be kinda helpful but I wouldn't recomend it till you get lvl 60. If you fight crabs /DRK is a great sub. Sleep/Nuking use /BLM, tanking for others /WAR etc. etc.

If you sub a melee job just make sure to add to your coment the subs you can use for xp (WHM, BLM etc.), although it's fun making people panic by joining a party as a RDM/DRG and claim you can contribute to the party using (Jump)

[hongman]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

LOL

You know, I use the same gear for solo as I do for partying, except the weapon. And now I think about it, its kinda dumb.

And to be fair, I think I really need to lvl my subs. Fighting as BLM sub is all good, and I only Sub NIN (only at 11) when I fancy a bit of dual wielding as I think it looks cool...but gimped subs arent going to help one bit :/

What mobs should I go for solo? You say dont try anything harder than EM, but right now I am scared to touch anything over EP+. One Banshee I took on in Qufim (when I was lvl38) took me an age to fight, until I had it down to 5%HP, then it killed me. It check EP to me, it was so embarrassing.

[Mhurron]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

One Banshee I took on in Qufim (when I was lvl38) took me an age to fight, until I had it down to 5%HP, then it killed me. It check EP to me, it was so embarrassing.

Undead are always harder then they check. Ice Spikes and Enfire also help a lot.

[Celeal]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

For Banshee or Ghost type undead, make sure silence it and shut it up all time =P A muled Banshee means half of its danger is gone.

[Mhurron]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

Mhurron casts Shut the Hell up.
The Banshee is helpless and angry.

Mhurron casts magic missile at the darkness

[BurningPanther]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

The thing about undead mobs is that they are much more difficult than what they con to you. An EP ghost will actually seem as difficulty as an DC or EM mob. I never mess with undead mobs unless I'm confident that I am well over their level, and can isolate them properly.

The piecemeal soloing I did was with /BLM to about level 70, at which point I finally got off my but and leveled my subs. It's not bad, and offers some decent option(mostly in the event you get into trouble).

If I had to suggest, I'd stick with EP-EM crabs. Magic Pot type mobs are do-able, so long as you keep them silenced(but prepare to put in some work when they use magic shield). I'll list some more as I think of them.

But as a general rule, you'll mostly wanna stay away from the undead.

[Mhurron]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

Tip for being a good RDM: Save for Elemental staves to use them right when you get to lvl 51.

At least your Dark, Light and Ice staves. Wind for landing Silence will help a hell of a lot as well.

[Sabaron]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

I fight lower-level undead frequently.

1. Keep Enfire/SS/Phalanx/Haste up.
2. Use Blaze Spikes (not Ice spikes, just cast Paralyze yourself)
3. Sub WHM for -nas against their stupid abilities.
4. Stick to Skeletons and Dogs.

Shadow types aren't so bad either, but I don't fool around with Ghosts unless they're TW or non-aggro EP-. Dimensional Death can bring down my SS, but with Phalanx up, they're hard pressed to interrupt my recast. I usually run around with my Fencer's Ring on and yellow HP, but I wouldn't do this if the Undead in the area are aggressive EP.

I'm an Alchemist, so I like to kill dolls, magic pots, and golems. Enthunder works nicely on dolls, and I like Shock Spikes, too, since I get nice stun downtimes on them.

I've used Buzzard Tuck, but I'm unimpressed with it. I'd rather use a dagger. I have never equipped the AF1 Sword for any reason other than display purposes. I have since tossed it since it was annoying me by occupying precious space in my mog house that could be used to store a piece of useful gear.

Ever since I got Refresh and Haste, I have never needed to solo while LFG. I just go browse the AH with flag up--more often than not I don't even get to the AH before I get an invite and at any rate, I would already have at least one invite before I got to wherever it was I planned to solo (or end up with 5 minutes of soloing).

I would avoid the bees in Crawler's Nest for awhile if I were you. I tried farming them at lower level for their delicious Royal Jelly (that I use for Chocolixirs), but found I had trouble killing adds (which you get a lot of) plus as far as farming goes, its very, very slow, and Final Sting will destroy either (a) you or (b) your MP when you have to Cure IV twice to fix it before moving on to your sleeping add(s).

I also don't like crabs. They gimp my physical damage too much. If I were fighting them, I'd probably go with my Corrosive Baselard. I like killing mage or ranger type beastmen. I have a thing for killing Tigers, but no such affinity for Couerls (Blaster sucks). You can probably kill anything you like, but I tend to avoid: Bats, anything with Petrify, Funguar, WAR, MNK and THF type monsters, Morbol, Pugils, Bees, Raptors, Scorpions, Coeurl and Spiders.

For the Corrosive Baselard, remember that having an En- spell on will prevent the Def- effect from going off, but the Corrosive Baselard is a nice weapon on its own at that level (it has the best DPS of all the daggers for a 40ish RDM)--later on you'll have better options. If you get too many whiffs with it (due to lack of skill generally) use the San d'Orian Dagger.

[Icemage]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

The main danger for fighting Ghost-type enemies for RDM is their Curse attack, which is difficult to resist and puts a huge dent in your max HP and MP.

Mhurron casts magic missile at the darkness

Can I get a Mountain Dew?


Icemage

[Raydeus]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

What mobs should I go for solo? You say dont try anything harder than EM, but right now I am scared to touch anything over EP+. One Banshee I took on in Qufim (when I was lvl38) took me an age to fight, until I had it down to 5%HP, then it killed me. It check EP to me, it was so embarrassing.

Undead are tricky to kill at first, Ghost types are resistent to melee and at your level your Enspells wont do much because of your skill level. RDM goes through that period of time, where you seem really weak even against EP, it's all part of the process. As you level up you'll get more tools to work with so just keep practicing (and try to have a zone nearby because you'll get in trouble a lot.

This is the point where you'll start delaying leveling RDM in order to level all the subs you need. I would recomend getting to 75 first and then do high lvl BC and stuff to fund your subs, but if you are like me you'll just take big breaks from RDM to play with your subs.

PLD is a good sub to fight undead (just Banish Ghost types), and so is WHM when you have access to Cursna.
DRK for pwning Elementals, Crabs and Arcana.
WAR for tanking, plus Double Attack is nice too (specially if you like leveling NPC).
THF for farming and HELM stuff.
RNG for quests to find NPCs using Widescan or Barrage stuff for fun.
NIN for soloing anything but fast hitting mobs, but only after lvl 60.

At 74 you get Ni, but you gotta learn how to solo with Ichi alone, if you are able to do that and play with both Stoneskin and Ichi timers in a way you don't take much damage, then by the time you get Ni nothing will be able to touch you.

You'll see almost every sub is useful for a RDM, the more subs you have the more options you'll have to work with.

----

About weapons, until Evisceration Dagger is only useful for Elementals and Aspirable mobs (and only after Energy Steal/Drain) but don't worry about skill till you are at Energy drain lvl unless you wanna train weak mobs and Cyclone them.

At lvl 48 you get access to Hornetneedle (and Haste) if you Dual Wield it at lvl 50 with Beestinger or Platoon you'll get skill so fast you wont believe what you are seeing (although that kinda spoils you for when you skill up other weapons. ).

I've never liked Rapier type of swords, a dagger is way better (unless it's Joyeuse) so at least for me Slashing is the way to go, I'd suggest carrying a Dagger and a Slashing sword at all times at higher levels.

Aramis's Rapier is a great sword for Sword skill ups though, it's a piercing but the delay is great so you'll get skill almost as fast as with dagger when you have access to it.

The best advice I can give you is don't limit yourself in any way when it comes to subs and gear, some mobs that are a pain to kill with one sub will die extremely easy with another, same with weapons both Dagger and Sword have their weak and strong points, so take advantage of them.

---

Fight all the types of mobs you can, learn what attacks they use and how and when they use em. Some mobs have latent effects that you'll notice, like for instance some mobs get an evasion bonus when they are at low HP, others like PLD types will spam Cures when they are low etc. etc. only experience will teach you what strategy to use on what mob, so go out and fight and learn.

Don't die needlessly, but don't be afraid of getting yourself pwned by a mob. With experience a mob that wiped the floor with you a few fights ago will go down easy once you see through their attack and make a strategy to counter them.

[hongman]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

Thanks for the tips everyone.

I spent the entire night farming beads as /NIN....and like I say, even with NIN at 11 only for dual wield, I was 1 shotting most of them. Even a 59RDM/BLM came up to me and asked what lvl I was (/anon on) coz I was killing them twice as fast as he was using sword and shield. XD

Iv only ever used dagger when I first started, and never since. Maybe Ill pick one up just to skill up on, if nothing else and I might actually find useful.

[hongman]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

Oops hit post reply to quick.

I am going to stay away from Undead for now I think, until I have a prooper strategy down for them and geared up properly. I tried a bomb in ROlanberry, and I had to use Chainspell + Warp macro after it very nearly had me....scary. Chainspell rocks for that.

Iv also started sending money to my mule and not sending as much from my mule to my main in preperation for my Elemental Staffs. If at all possible I want the HQ ones.

I think im going to take a break from the lvl grind, until I have Utsusemi at least, then lvl that up a bit, then go back to RDM. I dont like to take long breaks from RDM, otherwise it takes me a while to get back into the swing of things

[Kirsteena]

Re: Becoming a better Red Mage

Get the NQ staves first - you will have a lot of expenses coming up with rdm with possibly penitent's rope, enfeebling torque etc etc - upgrade the staves when you have all the rest of the gear sorted.