How to level a whm...

[Soulsaver]

Ok well I am currently only at level 3 and its took me about 2-3 hours just to get this far. Because one I am a Tarutaru, so I have to like heal after every battle. That and my weapon is no good. I was wandering if anyone can give me on some tips as soloing as a whm at low levels.

[Silent Howler]

Re: How to level a whm...

It took you 2-3 hours!? What are you fighting? If you're starting in Windurst then stick to Bumblebees, Tiny Mandragoras, and Savanna Rarabs just outside East Sarutabaruta. Or if you started somewhere else you should be able to find equally challenging mobs just outside the city. And familiarize yourself with the "/check" command, if you haven't already. Try to find mobs that are either "Decent Challenge" or "Easy Prey."

An Ash Club or Maple Wand should be your weapon of choice at lvl 1.

[Soulsaver]

Re: How to level a whm...

It took you 2-3 hours!? What are you fighting? If you're starting in Windurst then stick to Bumblebees, Tiny Mandragoras, and Savanna Rarabs just outside East Sarutabaruta. Or if you started somewhere else you should be able to find equally challenging mobs just outside the city. And familiarize yourself with the "/check" command, if you haven't already. Try to find mobs that are either "Decent Challenge" or "Easy Prey."

An Ash Club or Maple Wand should be your weapon of choice at lvl 1.

I did stick to Bumblebees and Tiny Mandragoras...lol I dont understand...:|

[Satimasu]

Re: How to level a whm...

If you started in Bastok, I'd say do Zeruhn Mines. It might be a little tougher at first without a subjob. You should be able to level from the Tough bats after the first few. You could actually get 10 in there no problem if you don't have any competition.

Other than that, just chain kill all the beginning mobs outside of the city. Even killing any and all Easy Prey mobs.

[Silent Howler]

Re: How to level a whm...

Well, what weapon are you using? Ash Club and Maple Wand are the highest damaging clubs at that level (Ash Pole is pretty good too).

If you've been keeping signet on then try to get your hands on a Chariot Band as soon as you can. It grants a little exp bonus, not as much as an Empress Band, but you probably haven't accumulated that many Conquest Points yet.

[Armando]

Re: How to level a whm...

I don't know what it is, but you must be doing something wrong if it took you 2-3 hours to get to Lv.3.

The key is to wear armor for Defense, and to equip weapons for damage; forget mage stats for now. Stick to EP (Easy Prey) mobs, and save all your MP for Cure unless you get aggroed by a DC (Decent Challenge) or EM (Even Match) mob (in which case, you'll have to enfeeble it to win.) It's more efficient to rampage through 20 EP mobs running on your HP and Cures alone, than to fight stronger mobs enfeebling each and every one of them and having to recover HP/MP every 2 or 3 fights.

Also, make sure you always have Signet, and never fight without eating Meat Jerky. If you can afford it, bring Selbina Milk as well.

From 1-4, use an Ash Club with a Lauan Shield. At 4, you can upgrade to Bronze Mace. Then at 5 you should upgrade to Bronze Hammer or Ash Pole (I recommend the pole for killing EP mobs.) Both weapons will last you until Lv.10. If you can get the HQ (High Quality, e.g. +1) versions, even better. Don't forget to upgrade to Maple Shield at Lv.2. For shields, you want the nice, big, round ones. Stay away from the small bucklers/targes and shell-type shields. Upgrade your armor pieces whenever a new piece with higher Defense becomes available. Get as much +Evasion as you can as well.

I recommend killing around Sarutabaruta from 1-5 killing Tiny Mandragoras and Rarabs, then moving on to Mandragora and Carrion Crows as they become EP. Then at 5 go on a killing spree at the Northwest Horutoto Ruins tower in West Sarutabaruta. Kill all the bats and gobs in there, it's good money. You can level there up to 10 easily.

[Soulsaver]

Re: How to level a whm...

Ah ok thanks, that information helps alot Armando!

[Icemage]

Re: How to level a whm...

Pro-Tip for levelling white mage when starting:

Don't use clubs.

Yes, I know club is your highest potential weapon skill rating. It doesn't matter. Staves do far more damage over time, and are more accurate because of the way 2 handed weapons work now.

Get yourself a nice Pole and smack stuff with it. Pick on things that are Easy Prey online (use the Check commend from the targetting menu, or make a macro for /check if you need to).

This is a much faster way to get the first 11 levels of WHM than trying to beat things down with a glorified baseball bat.


Icemage

[Silent Howler]

Re: How to level a whm...

Pro-Tip for levelling white mage when starting:

Don't use clubs.

Yes, I know club is your highest potential weapon skill rating. It doesn't matter. Staves do far more damage over time, and are more accurate because of the way 2 handed weapons work now.

I'll agree that Ash Pole works great, but you don't get that until lvl 5. Until then, club + shield combo works.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: How to level a whm...

This is a much faster way to get the first 11 levels of WHM than trying to beat things down with a glorified wooden spoon.

Fixed. >_>;

[Theyaden]

Re: How to level a whm...

Since your whm is level 3 I'ld sugest starting each fight with Dia http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/4920 You'll notice the difference if you aren't already using this. I'ld also sugest if it's an area with orcs, quadaf exc to use the range of the spell so you can run off the main path so they don't crash your exping.
At level 4 you'll want Paralyze http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/4921 since it allows you to get spells off midbattle and stops some of the monsters attacks.

Avoid skeletons at night as much fun as they are to cure nuke they tend to be stronger than /c sugests even when using blunt weapons and healing magic. Once you get your first weapon skill use a macro for it each time you reach 100% tp.

Once you hit 10th+ level you'll start getting party invites at which point you switch back to club for the mind boost and no longer needing to melee. At this point /heal whenever not actively curing, buffing your party, enfeebling monsters those extra ticks of mana make a big difference. A food item you'll find affordable will be Ginger Cookies http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/3961 to give you a little faster mana recovery when resting.

When buying scrolls to update your spells I sugest checking the linked site for dia above to see what the NPC's are selling them at along with where at. Spending 300 gil verses 3,000 adds up quickly when your getting several spells, but be sure to check the AH since once in a while they will be cheaper there or close enough not to be worth the walk to find them.

[Icemage]

Re: How to level a whm...

I'll agree that Ash Pole works great, but you don't get that until lvl 5. Until then, club + shield combo works.

I would still rather use an Ash Staff at level 1-4 over any of the available clubs.

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Ash_Staff


Icemage

[Soulsaver]

Re: How to level a whm...

Well to be honest at the moment I am using a staff I like it better lol. Its so much smoother, that and it doesn't seem to miss as much as the club does.

[Armando]

Re: How to level a whm...

Yes, I know club is your highest potential weapon skill rating. It doesn't matter. Staves do far more damage over time, and are more accurate because of the way 2 handed weapons work now.

Ash Staff has a DMG/sec of 0.82. Ash Club has a DMG/sec of 0.91 and even Maple Wand (the only other non-event club at Lv.1) has a DMG/sec of 0.83. The difference in DMG/sec between Ash Staff and Ash Club is 11%.

Although you are correct that he'd have the two-handed update on his side. That'll help his damage. But then again with Club, he gets the benefit of shielding. I think they're equally valid, although Heavy Swing will probably put out much better numbers than Shining Strike.

Since your whm is level 3 I'ld sugest starting each fight with Dia http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/4920 You'll notice the difference if you aren't already using this. I'ld also sugest if it's an area with orcs, quadaf exc to use the range of the spell so you can run off the main path so they don't crash your exping.
At level 4 you'll want Paralyze http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/4921 since it allows you to get spells off midbattle and stops some of the monsters attacks.

Enfeebles are a waste of MP if you're going to be mass-killing EP mobs, which is by far the best way to get EXP at that level. The mobs will die so fast that they're not worth enfeebling, and enfeebling each mob would empty out your MP pool very quickly. Even if that weren't an issue, the HP from an 8 MP Cure will keep you going much longer than the battle advantage a 7 MP Dia grants against EP mobs, since EP mobs that can be killed in 2 to 3 strikes and have bad accuracy and low attack compared to your defense will chip at your HP very, very slowly.

Oh, one tip I missed: When you're in the Horutoto ruins, beware of Goblin Weavers, they're Red Mages. As I mentioned, EP mobs will take very long to wear you down. However, Goblin Weavers tend to cast Dia on you as soon as you pick a fight with them. Having Dia on you constantly will wear you down much quicker. Fortunately, you can one hit-KO EP mobs with one hit and a Weapon Skill, before they have a chance to react. Always use your WS specifically on Goblin Weavers so you avoid Dia altogether.

[Ameroth]

Re: How to level a whm...

If you've been keeping signet on then try to get your hands on a Chariot Band as soon as you can. It grants a little exp bonus, not as much as an Empress Band, but you probably haven't accumulated that many Conquest Points yet.

I have to disagree with this. Chariot band wont stand up against an Empress Band in the long run. And buying a CB before an empress band will only waste CP (you can't have both). I'd just buy and Empress band as soon as you get 1000 conquest points.