Friday, June 7, 2013

WHM gearsets

This is something of a post about what I'm going to be shooting for for my WHM gearsetss, keep in mind I'm not an very good WHM and my opinions on some of this gear may be misinformed and better alternatives may exist.

So, before we begin, I'm going to start off by saying we are only going to be covering the "three basic sets"

- "Curing" gear. (gear you put on mid-cast)

-Fast Cast/precast (gear you wear to speed up your spellcasts at the start of the cast.)

-Idle (stuff you wear when not casting, usually a combination of Refresh and PDT/MDT stuff to keep you alive.)

There are "other gearsets" to keep in mind too such as Enhancing skill sets, emfeebling sets, etc. But I just want to talk about the bare bones stuff.

Curing Gear:

Main Weapon:

Every WHM should do the cure potency Magian staff trials and try to build Arka IV. It takes a lot of time, and Light Geodes may not even be expensive depending on your server. Even with as shitty as I am at making gil (since I don't have things like Repartie Gloves/Magavan hands or a Roundel Earring cause I'm poor.) I bought the Geodes. Arka IV is worth the effort. HOWEVER, if you are RICH, but don't want to spend a long time doing staff trials (they can be annoying.) You can get a Tefnut wand (Or even get it for free if you do that VW NM a lot but don't hold your breath.) but it's extremely expensive and completing an Arka IV is much cheaper. Until you either can afford a Tefnut or you do your staff trials, Pick up a Light Staff or an Iridal Staff on the cheap to heal stuff till you get your Arka IV done or you can afford a Tefnut. (you can go for the HQ Apollo's Staff or Chatoyant Staff if you've got a bit of extra cash, but I'd prioritise using that money to buy a Tefnut or better, getting Geodes for Arka IV trials.)


Sub-weapon:

If you're using Arka IV or some other staff, you'll want a grip. There are a lot of options for grips but I used a Verse Strap for a while. the +1 is also great, but It can be a bit pricey and sometimes it's just not up on the AH. However, a much better curing option would likely be the Curatio Grip off Nonno in Abyssea- Misearaux depending if you can get a group for it, but when it's on the AH it's pretty affordable. Since the Curatio is only +healing magic skill, even better options might be out there I don't know about, I know if there was cure potency on this slot I didn't know about I would be all over it. If you're using Tefnut, I don't know what shield you'd want to cure in would be, you may need to find a Tefnut WHM and ask them. But really, just save yourself the 1.5 mil and just build Arka IV.

Ammo:

I'll be really honest! I don't even have one of these for curing! I only have one for Fast Cast! But this is something I should rectify. the Oreiad's Tathlum is amazing, but you'll need an Adjunct clear in Battlia Downs Meeble Burrows and 20k Marks to buy it. There's also the Mana Ampulla whch is a rare Trasure Casket drop in Sea Serpent Grotto. So it may either be pricey or have limited availability on the AH.


The obvious choice here is the Orison Cap +2 (mine's only +1 ATM :/ ) however, the Marduk's Tiara +1 from Salvage 2 is very, very attractive. Yes, while it only has a +1% potency advantage on +2 Orison head, it has a rather large amount of MND, and it can also be used as Fast Cast gear in conjunction with other Marduk +1 gear, such as the Jubbah and Dastanas, making it a "twofer" piece of gear. Though, that brings us to the awesomely amazing Iaso Mitra, which is arguably best in slot for curing, but too bad most WHM will never see this due to.... how inaccessable Legion is. Nothing quite says "unattainable" like Legion gear. I would like to have it, but honestly, it'd be too expensive to pay a Synergist for it, and I would need to actually do Legion to get the items to make it, especially with a strong augment. I stand a better chance of building a +1 Tiara honestly. I might be wearing Orison head for much of the forseeable future.


The Healing Torque is a good cheap AH option. Alternatively the Fylgja Torque is great, but expensive. (Especially the +1) However, It might be better to go beat ToAU and fight Alexander for a Colossus's Torque. Especially if you can ask a SCH for Aurorastorm during an event or party which will give you the light weather bonus.

The Orison Earring is great. But you need two earrings. the Beatific Earring via 20k Marks and an Assistant clear in Saromague Meeble Burrows, offers some good +healing skill. however there is a large elephant in the room, the Roundel Earring. It offers good Cure potency but is VERY EXPENSIVE and tends to get bought very quickly, and the supply is limited since there's so few people doing Campeign let alone Stronghold NMs like Plucking Wings. I still use an Aredan Earring due to it being much cheaper than a Roundel.

the Orison Bliaud +2 is the gold standard for WHM curing bodies, and I'm very happy I have mine. However, I've recieved a few comments that I shoudn't use it for curing until I have capped potency and use a Cure Potency body instead, like a Noble's Tunic. I don't know how I feel about this, since the Bliaud is the first +2 piece I have actually finished, the loss of the +10% cureskin bonus in a deperate attempt to get closer to the Potency cap really hurts.  especially if I have to buy older gear like Noble's.  However, I could just take my Abyssea trophies and try for a Facio Bliaut with a solid cure potency augment. So that way I could wear my +2 Orison body for Refresh and cure in this until I get more potency pieces, rather than look like an ironic retro guy pretending Abyssea was never released and the level cap is still 75 by full timing Noble's. People might assume I don't have +2 body and be mean to me more! There's also Heka's Kalsiris, but it's a VW drop so probably going to be tough to get, unless you're prepared to do a lot of Akvan.

Hands:

Hands, well..... Bokwus Gloves are easily the best... but you need to get the Impure celadon yggzi KI from Delve and farm up 15k Plasm, and probably more to augment it. Delve is currently the hardest content in the game, too, so they aren't the most accessable thing in the world, even though apparently WHM gets into Delve really easily but I'm too scared of screwing everything up. Hieros Mittens are pretty cool if you can clear every non-boss Meeble goal to goal 3 (which might be tricky.) and have 80k marks to blow, since it's got cure potency and is another anti-curse piece to go with Ephedra Ring. Augur's Gloves are nice if you can get in on a Chloris and get lucky on the drop. And then there is Serpentes Cuffs, which is a good idle piece that provides good potency if you've got the boots that go with them.... I'l talk more about that when I get to boots....
Rings

I think there are two directions you could go with rings. Either get Sirona's Ring and Ephedra Ring for around +18 healing magic, 3 MND, and some help with Cursna, or go double Aquasoul for a big MND stack. I really prefer the first option, however.

Personally, I like using Oretania's Cape for a little extra potency, but Tempered Cape would be better if I got a chance to purchase one. Also, the Orison Cape his a bit less potency, but I guess it has Enminty down, but is not as good as these other two.

I have a Cascade Belt, which has a solid MND of +7 and some Enhancing skill as a nice bonus, though Bishop's Sash may be a neat pickup if it's up on AH and if I have the money.

Orison Pantaloons +2. Every WHM should be wearing these when a cure spell finishes. (I only have the +1 cause I'm bad and it's not nearly good enough. I need to get those Balance cards and rectify this.) the MP refund on Cures is a really really big deal, the 7 MND is just icing on the cake, it would still be best in slot without the MND. The Cure refund  is absolutely huge, Especially in any event not named Abyssea where you don't have refresh atma.
  • I'm not making a list. getting the bastion points, leg seals and balance cards is THAT imperative.
Feet

Hoo boy. There aren't a lot of options here. You might be one of the lucky ones to get a great cure potency and/or healing skill augment on Zenith Pumps or you do Legion or pay tons of gil for Legion crafting stuff to have Iaso Boots, or do the T4 Jeuno VW pixie to get Rubeus Boots. these aren't particularly easy to get to say the least. The elephant in the room: Serpentes Sabots. the Sabots, like the Serpentes Cuffs, are a nice idle piece for regen/refresh. However if you've got both, they give you 5% cure potency. However, let me tell you a little story...

Prior to Adoulin's lauch (or a little bit after, I forget) I would hit Abyssea- La Thiene for Brooder often after getting my Cuffs from the Corse. First couple of pops I did with a few Moghat people, I went 0/3. Then I started to farm abyssites up to tier 2, than go to La Thiene and send tells to random people asking if they could help me do Brooder, and a few of them mostly NINs were nice enough to take him out. few more pops and I'm 0/7, and I was starting to feel discouraged. then I started to do shouts for VNM runs in La Theine, was hard finding people but some people did bite. first group that got together I ended up going 0/9 before people had to go. This is getting a little bit ridiculous. Next time I get a nice sized group and finally, 1/12. However, someone beat me on lots. I'm not angry at the guy for winning the boots, I was happy for the guy, I was more angry for going 0/11 previously, I would have been less angry if Brooder had not screwed me over so much previously, and if the group stayed or got back together a different time to go for more pairs.

I ultimately just got Orvail Souliers and pretended that having +14 MND in the slot is better than nothing at all.


Fast Cast/precast:

 Sub Weapon:

 There's Vivid Strap and it's +1 for Fast Cast for this slot if you are using a staff. Though I hear Genbu's Shield can be augmented with "Cure Cast time down" which may be something to look at if you have Genbu's Shield to use with Owleyes for idle.


Ammo:

the Incantor Stone is a cheap AH Fast Cast pickup. there's also Impatiens, from T1 Windurst VW, but it's "Occ. quickens cast" gear, which make using it in part of a generic precast set incredibly risky, as when it procs, the cast will instantly finish and the recast will be set at 0:00. What this means is Quicken Cast proccing can sometimes occasionally gimp your cures or other potency based stuff (like buffs) if it procs at a bad time, because there wouldn't be time to switch in a mid-cast set. So be careful when adding Occ. Quicken cast gear in.



Head:

 Fast Cast heads... this will get pretty rough. Hyaline Hat drops from Provenance Watcher, lord know how much VW you'd have to do to reach him, let alone kill him and get the drop (we all know how annoying "logwatch" can be) the Nares Cap is from NNI floor 100, not the most accessable thing in the world. Then we have Marduk's Tiara +1 which is just Salvage/Salvage 2, but to get any Fast Cast from it you'd need more Marduk's piece to contribute to the Fast Cast set bonus. The other option is augenting up a Cleric's Cap +2 from Dynamis for Cure Cast Time Down. Yeah, head's kinda hard for precast.

Neck:

Orison Locket. Pretty cut and dry.


Earrings:

Do Limbus or pay for the ABCs to get a Loq. Earring. I don't know of any more precast earrings.


Body:

Heka's Kalsiris (mentioned above for curing bodies) has Fast Cast on it, but again, VW has bad droprates, meaning a lot of Akvan runs. Or you can go to Salvage/Salvage 2 for Marduk's Jubbah +1 which has the highest Fast Cast value on a body piece, and helps other Marduk +1 pieces give you more Fast Cast via the set bonus. Other than that, there's no real accessable pre-cast bodies.

We have Magavan Mitts and Repartie Gloves. Both are from Legion but often find themselves on the AH. Magavan Mitts are a LOT more expensive than Repartie Gloves, but Magavan Mitts only have a slight Fast Cast advantage. because of this, Repartie Gloves tend to be snapped up quickly and it can be hard to find a pair on the AH when you wanna buy em :/ . Alternatively, in Salvage/Salvage 2 there's the Marduk's Dastanas +1 to build, which again, helps with your other Marduk's +1 pieces for the set-based Fast Cast.
Rings:

You have the Prolix Ring, which being an AHable VW drop, tends to go for a fortune. The Veneficium Ring is cheaper, but let the buyer beware: it's another one of those "Occ. Quickens Cast" pieces.

The Swith Cape is a nice, cheap pickup. I went for the NQ, but the +1 is good too.


Legs:
For precasting healing magic, you will want to just use the Healing Magic Cast Time Reduction on your Orison Pantaloons +2, for everything else though, go spam Courier supply runs or do Reives in Adoulin and use your bayld to get Orvail Pants.
I just got Chelona Boots because they were inexpensive. Though I suppose Cure Clogs might be better for Cure precasts.
Idle gear: (A note, I'm actually really struggling with getting together an idle set and am missing a lot of this stuff, just so you know.)

 Main Weapon and Sub Weapon

 Currently I use an Earth Staff (Terra's Staff is fine too.) for the PDT. Ideally I'd also want to get an Oneiros Grip for the refresh..... but I'd need to do the Arch Goblin Golem in Dynamis - Jeuno to have a shot at it. So I only have PDT in this slot. But if you really want a PDT/Refresh combo, there's the Owleyes mace off of Myrmecoleon in Abyssea- Tahrongi for the refresh, and Genbu's Shield off Genbu in Sky for the PDT. Those may take longer to get, though, depending if you can get the mace and sucessfully get a shield off Genbu. Though personally, Owleyes makes to take 10 percent more damage so all Genbu's does is nuffly the physical side of it, which is why I prefer Earth Staff, even though I don't have the refresh grip.

Neck:

The obvious choice here is to go for Twilight Torque off Shinryu to get some all damage taken down. Veisa Collar might be a decent-ish AH/VW alternative, but Twilight Torque is really nice.

The big one here is the Moonshade Earring for completing Wings of the Goddess. It can be augmented with a choice of different augments and for the idle set we would want the Refresh. however, it has other augments like Regain or TP Bonus+ 25 you might want more for other jobs. the Black Earring could be good if you manage to get one with one of the PDT augments.

Body:

Orison Bliaud +2 had 2/MP a tic Refresh and is amazing and you want it anyway for your curing set, though if you have a Marduk's Jubbah +1 for fast cast you can wear that as it has the same Refresh value. If you have an unhealthy obsecession with Refresh, you can try to get a Heka's Kalsiris and combo it with a Nefer Khat head to get the 3MP/ tic Refresh if you are insane. Personally I think Oriosn +2 body is enough refresh but whatever. Buying a Noble's Tunic might be good if you don't have a Bliaud +2 yet.

Serpentes Cuffs are nice for Regen/Refresh.


Rings:

a Dark Ring mite b cool if you can get one with a bit of PDT. Possibly two! Or you can try for a Defending Ring off King Behemoth if you do lolHNMs
Back:

A Cheviot Cape or Umbra Cape could be some good PDT options for this slot.

There's Nares Trews from Neo Nyzul for Refresh and Iaso Tights from Legion stuff for some MDT. Good luck getting either of these, though.

Like the cuffs, the Serpentes Sabots are nice for Regen/Refresh... Screw you, Brooder. for some MDT there's Magavan Clogs but they are probably expensive.


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And there you have it! I know I probably overlooked some good equips, but I tried my best anyway!



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