New White Mage...how to level?

[Sayge]

I'm having a lot of trouble. I'm currently level 6 and cant stop dying...

My basic cast sequence is start from afar, cast Banish, run forward, start auto-attack, cast Dia, continue auto-attack until dead.

This has been working for awhile but I am getting frustrated...is there a better way? I really want a white mage but it's becoming a bitch and I cant find anyone to level with!

Please help! Tips! Anything! I'm Elvaan and on that damned sheep quest...>< Can't kill them!

Much appreciated....

- Sayge

[Icemage]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

Step 1: Get yourself a decent Pole-type staff weapon. DON'T use clubs when playing solo White Mage at low levels, they do pitiful amounts of damage and you will die... a lot.

Step 2: Before you engage, lock on and set your auto-attack to pull out your weapon before the fight even starts.

Step 3: Cast Paralyze to open the fight. Then follow with Dia. Let the enemy come to you - do not approach them.

Step 4: Don't cast Banish. It does only so-so damage for high MP cost at all levels, except against Worm-type and Undead enemies, who are especially weak to Light magic. Use the MP you save for extra Cure spells on yourself if needed.

Don't forget to use your TP on Weaponskills (Heavy Swing @ staff skill level 10).


Icemage

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

Meat Jerky Helps a bit with damage, and may be purchased cheaply from NPCs (Conquest results depending).

Oh, and Heavy Swing sounds impressive, but it's only a Moderate Poke in reality--just so you're warned.

[Armando]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

I kind of disagree on the clubs. However, it depends on which you pick. WHM clubs at low levels range from completely awful DPS to decent. The benefit of a size 2 shield can't be ignored if survivability is a concern. But the right staves do have a considerable amount of extra power behind them. It's personal preference if you ask me.

That aside, ideally one would completely eschew non-Cure spells, simply because fighting DCs isn't worth it. Level differences compound your advantage over lower level mobs - your ability to kill them quickly is high and their ability to damage you is drastically lower than a DC or EM. They can be killed in large numbers with ease yet still give decent chunks of EXP per kill. However, enfeebling a mob that can barely hurt you in the first place is nothing but a waste of MP. That MP can be invested into Cures that'll keep you running for a relatively long time thanks to their inability to damage you.

Also make sure you're eating Meat Jerky, using Fields of Valor regimes and getting the Refresh bonus from the manuals as well.

[Icemage]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

I kind of disagree on the clubs. However, it depends on which you pick. WHM clubs at low levels range from completely awful DPS to decent. The benefit of a size 2 shield can't be ignored if survivability is a concern. But the right staves do have a considerable amount of extra power behind them. It's personal preference if you ask me.

For short battles as you'd see at level 6, the fact that there's effectively 0 delay on the first hit (assuming the enemy takes enough time to close to melee range to equal or exceed your weapon delay, or assuming you just go up and smack a normally non-aggressive enemy) means that Poles tend to outdamage all Club type weapons over the course of a fight. Not to mention the higher damage rating Poles are much, much easier to come by at that level. More specifically, Ash Poles are 1.64 DPS and are common as dirt (and Ash Pole +1 aren't much rarer on the auction house and have a quite-decent-for-that-level 1.81 DPS rating). Your best club type in that level range is a Bronze Hammer +1, with a 1.71 DPS rating, and the next best is the normal Bronze Hammer at 1.41.

I wasn't kidding when I said Poles are way, way better than Clubs at that level range for White Mages.

Granted, you do get the benefits of a shield when using clubs, but again, we're talking low level shields which don't really reduce much damage (and WHMs don't exactly have out-of-this-world skill in shield usage either). Remember, we're trying to reduce the time spent levelling here, not increase it - doing less damage + taking less damage works out in the long run, but costs you more time.

That aside, ideally one would completely eschew non-Cure spells, simply because fighting DCs isn't worth it. Level differences compound your advantage over lower level mobs - your ability to kill them quickly is high and their ability to damage you is drastically lower than a DC or EM. They can be killed in large numbers with ease yet still give decent chunks of EXP per kill. However, enfeebling a mob that can barely hurt you in the first place is nothing but a waste of MP. That MP can be invested into Cures that'll keep you running for a relatively long time thanks to their inability to damage you.

Also make sure you're eating Meat Jerky, using Fields of Valor regimes and getting the Refresh bonus from the manuals as well.

The original poster is a newbie and probably has no idea how to go about acquiring any of the above.

To expand:

- Meat Jerky can be purchased from vendors. It costs a little over 100 gil per piece, and lasts for 30 minutes when eaten.

If you started in Windurst, you can buy Meat Jerky from Ness Rugetomal inside the Rabbit Tail Hostelry at F-10 in Windurst Waters North.

If you started in San d'Oria (likely if you're an Elvaan), you can buy it from Boncort, on the 2nd floor of the Phoenix Perch Inn at F-8 in Northern San d'Oria.

If you started in Bastok, you can buy it from Griselda, in the Bat's Tail Inn at H-5 in Bastok Mines.

- Read more about Fields of Valor and how to participate in it here:
Fields of Valor - FFXIclopedia, the Final Fantasy XI wiki - Characters, items, jobs, and more


Icemage

[Elwynn]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

Step 4: Don't cast Banish.

This. You need to save your MP for cures.

Also learn to Check a mob before you fight it. (it's on the bottom of the same menu as Attack). If it says "Decent Challenge", "Even Match", or "Tough", don't fight it. This rule generally applies all the way from level 5 to level 75. WHM is no powerhouse when it comes to melee. And until you get Stoneskin and Blink, you're nice and squishy, too.

[Malacite]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

Step 1: Get yourself a decent Pole-type staff weapon. DON'T use clubs when playing solo White Mage at low levels, they do pitiful amounts of damage and you will die... a lot.

Bullshit, by level 5 IIRC you can start using hammers that will have about the same damage as poles and you can use a shield.

And if you can find it, grilled hare (or grilled black hare) is the best lowbie food until about lv 10 or 15 (though jerky is cheaper and more readily accessible)

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

Bullshit, by level 5 IIRC you can start using hammers that will have about the same damage as poles and you can use a shield.

Lv.5 Bronze Hammer: Dmg:8, Dly:324, DPS:148
Lv.5 Ash Pole: Dmg:11, Dly:240, DPS:164

Doesn't look like it.

[Armando]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

I agree in general with you Icemage, but low level shields are just as good as high level shields at reducing damage. A Lauan Shield will do pretty much the same thing as a high level Size 2 shield. 15-18% damage reduction isn't what I would call negligible.

[Sekighara]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

Do not for your benefit, do not forget signet. IT gives an evasion bonus on the lower mobs so it can help alot. Plus crystals can get you through your beginning money woes.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

I agree in general with you Icemage, but low level shields are just as good as high level shields at reducing damage. A Lauan Shield will do pretty much the same thing as a high level Size 2 shield. 15-18% damage reduction isn't what I would call negligible.

I agree. I've leveled whm several times and I prefer using a hammer and a shield. I tend to be able to level faster and safer.

[Icemage]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

I agree in general with you Icemage, but low level shields are just as good as high level shields at reducing damage. A Lauan Shield will do pretty much the same thing as a high level Size 2 shield. 15-18% damage reduction isn't what I would call negligible.

For a low level solo White Mage, killing things faster = reducing damage. The less time you spend fighting, the less damage you take over the course of a battle.

Not to say damage reduction, even from a relatively low level Shield skill, is negligible, but that reduced damage is offset by the slower kill speed of using a hammer because you're spending significantly more time in combat. There really is no reason to use hammer/shield in favor of a decent Pole when playing as a solo White Mage (or Black Mage, or Scholar, for that matter though those jobs can't use clubs anyhow - though they can use the equally lol-worthy dagger-type weapons in that level range).


Icemage

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

(or Black Mage, or Scholar, for that matter though those jobs can't use clubs anyhow - though they can use the equally lol-worthy dagger-type weapons in that level range).

Black Mage and Scholar have native club skills--but no hammers to equip.

[Icemage]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

Black Mage and Scholar have native club skills--but no hammers to equip.

True. But no hammers/mauls sort of defeats the point. Absolutely no reason for either job to even look at a club for melee damage purposes (i.e. early levels).


Icemage

[Malacite]

Re: New White Mage...how to level?

I still feel a lot safer with Hammer & Shield over a pole at the early levels (until about level 16-ish when the damage difference really starts to become apparent)