Blue Mage Equip.

[Aelfinn]

I had this whole thing in our discussion on Homam and Nashira armor sets regardling Bluemage's... figure it should be posted here as well. maybe get a decent discussion started over what gear you use, plan on using, or would like to use on your BLU.

keep in mind this is only for the Armor slots, i might eventually add my opinions on the accessories, backpieces, weapons, etc..

For Headpieces:
currently im using either crow hat or emp pin, for lack of anything else usefull...maybe ill switch to mp+ pin when i can TA hate onto the tank, dunno. beyond these mediocre options, the choices i see that are reasonable would be:

Storm Zucchetto accuracy +4 m. accuracy +2
Faerie Hairpin -20hp +55mp
Homam Zucchetto +22 HP/MP Accuracy +4 M. Accuracy +4 Haste +3%
Nashira Turban M. Accuracy +5 Enmity-5 Haste +2% Spell Int. -10%

looking at that list ( as i said in my response above) the Homam Zucchetto seems to be THE blue mage headpiece, that and the nashira turban by far dominate any other choices blu has for this slot.


Body Armor:

Scorpion Harness+10 Acc/Eva
Black/Flora Cotehardie+ str,dex,agi,int and 25(30)hp>mp
Vermillion Cloak+mp and refresh
Homam Corazza+28 HP/MP acc+15 enhance 'Triple Attack'
Nashira Manteelhealing magic +5 Dark magic +5 magic acc +5 haste +3%

I'm planning on using SH and my v.cloak primarily on blu, refresh is oh so necessary for this job, as is the accuracy from SH to ensure my spells actually hit the mob (evasion is meh). the Cotehardie is a nice piece if you couldnt get a SH i'd say.
The Homam Corazza IMO for blu is the best "attack" bodypiece due to the accuracy and MP it gives. I highly doubt the triple attack will effect any blue spells but it does help the BLU with TP Gain, for faster self-sc's.

Where the Nashira Manteel having Magic accuracy makes it more usefull for non-physical spells.


Gloves:

Akinji Bazubands +4 Acc +3 Eva
Errant Cuffs +20mp +5int -2enmity
Yigit Gages+5int/mnd +4eva +2 MAB
Homam Manopolas+20HP/MP +4 Acc +3 Enmity +3% haste
Nashira Gages+3 magic acc, enmity -4, haste 1%, avatar bla bla bla

Currently im using my RSE gloves.... bleh... ive thought of upgrading to the Akinji's but i do like the +MP i get on my rse.
that being said, its a serious toss up between homam or nashira being best here... i dont like the +enmity on Homam(tho for /thf it would be usefull) but the lack of +mp on the nashira is unfortunate.
+3 acc or +3 m. acc ... either is really nice for this slot...at this time i just dont know which i'd prefer.

Legs:

Errant Slops+7 int/mnd/chr -5 str/dex/vit/agi -3enmity
Yigit Seraweels+25 HP/MP Evasion+6 +2 hMP
Homam Cosciales +26 HP/MP Acc +3 Fast Cast haste +3%
Nashira Seraweels M. Acc +3 Haste + 2% bla bla other crap

Currently im using crow hose or my rse pants... neither of which im happy with at all...one is mainly for evasion and -enmity other is for some slight mp+ both choices suck.

errant slopsmight be ok for some of the "Magic" spells... but the -str makes these poor fulltime pants.
Yigit seem to be the be quite nice, i plan on getting these just for the +2 hMP as blm.. will use as blu also the +25mp along with this is quite nice.
Homam again here trounces all the others more MP more accuracy and FAST CAST wow that would be quite nice!
nashira... while the m. acc is nice, i dont think it compares to what homam grants.

Feet:

Akinji Nails+2 Acc +2 Eva
Homam Gambieras +31 HP/MP Accuracy +6 R.Acc +6 Haste +3% Wyvern something or other.
Nashira Crackows Elemental/Summoning skill +5 M.Acc +2 Hate +1%

Im wearing RSE here as well and i really really really dislike the way it looks... although the other options are poor.. giving up my mp and int for 2 acc on the HQ lvl 55 boots isnt gonna happen, so i deal with the horrid looks.

Anyway, once again the Homam piece would win out due to the +mp and acc, close second with the Nashira's M.Acc...

 

[Fodder]

My wishful thinking:

I haven't done much with the whole “build” concept, I mean I understand it, but don’t have much experience with it. I macro 1 piece of gear on RNG, none on MNK (I could, but I have yet to get much of the gear to), and staves, hands, and body on SMN (I lack hMP pants, earrings,etc, one of these days maybe), and my BLM I macro earrings/body piece, but it’s only 60 so most of the gear you would macro is not available to me yet.

My thoughts/observations on BLU, while I’m only lvl 57 now:

The gear selection is craptastical until you get to lvl 75 and have access to Homam/Nashira if you are lucky. There is no gear to buff your BLU skill. You are pretty much down to building out two sets of gear, a physical set and an int/mACC build with as much MP as you can pile on when nothing else fills the slot.

At the lower levels I have mostly stuck with the int/MP build, being RSE and whatever misc items I can find that gives me an improvement. With it I only seem to get resists for the magical based spells when the mob is of the same element. Surprisingly I have no trouble sticking spells on mobs that are of an element that is strong to the element I am casting. It kind of sucks because I really like what BLU has to offer in relation the wind element and I’ve been exping on Lesser Colibri for a while now. They have resisted every wind spell I have ever cast on them, ie. Def down, Vit down, etc. I’ve never missed a Sandspin though, which I would expect them to resist more than wind based spells. Maybe I’m just a tard and don’t understand how the elements actually affect one another in FFXI lol. I can say that this has come at the cost of my physical spells. I’d venture to say I get resisted about 50% of the time using them so I usually stick to magical spells. I suspect the dismal STR Mithra have is to blame and there isn’t much I have in gear at my disposal to really boost it at this level.

When I manage to get it to 75, I think I’ll be working on the following builds:

Physical:
Head: Homam
Body: Homan
Legs: Homam
Feet: Homan
Hands: Homam
Neck: Peacock Charm
Main hand: Wing Sword / Dissector?
Ears: Triumph/Brutal
Rings: Triumph x2
Ammo: Tiphia Sting
Shield: Astral Shield
Back: Amemit+1

With current gear I don’t think you can get much better than that. One could argue a Forager’s over Amemit, but BLU does have Ranged Physical spells so it works there too. In the main hand dept., I’m leaning toward highest base dmg sword you can equip without regard to delay, with STR/Attk bonuses in mind as well as that would help pump out a bit more in the spell dmg dept. Dissector would likely be an offhand thing.

Magic Build:
Head: Nashira/Errant
Body: Nashira/Errant
Legs: Nashira/Errant
Feet: Nashira/Errant
Hands: Yigit Gages
Neck: Uggly Pendant/Int+ item
Main hand: Elemental Staves
Ears: Magnetic/Boroka/?
Rings: Tamas/Vivian (lol this is only wishful thinking after all)
Ammo: Phantom Tathlum
Back: Prism Cape

INT/Macc/MP are the focus (goes w/o saying). Laying my hands on a few more of the hMP items would be helpful too.

Hopefully SE will add AF/AF2 soon and give us more options than extremely time consuming to obtain items. I’ve done a lot of Limbus runs and am 2/5 on Nashira now. I don’t see it being even a remote possibility of anyone finishing the set since we’ve never even see Nashira hands/feet. Homam seems to drop fairly liberally as a number of people have 2-4 pieces. That just may be the way to go for BLU.

I’m currently 4/8 on MP merits and slowly working on those, the problem I have is finding time for everything. Between work, kids, GF, and LS stuff, I’m busy damn near every day of the week which doesn’t leave terribly much time for exp. I’m ever soooooo slowly getting RDM(45), BLM(60), BLU(57) all to 75 and not sure whether I want to merit INT out 4 points to support them or go STR to support MNK/RNG or whether I should split 2/2 STR/INT. That’d sure save a bunch of Merit points (9 if I recall) for use elsewhere. In the off chance SE adds COR to Annhilator, I’m dropping everything and taking COR 1 > 75. It’d be more useful to the LS and would be nice to have more opportunity to put the relic I’ve put so much time and effort into to more use.

 

[Aelfinn]

Physical:
Head: Homam
Body: Homan
Legs: Homam
Feet: Homan
Hands: Homam
Neck: Peacock Charm
Main hand: Wing Sword / Dissector?
Ears: Triumph/Brutal
Rings: Triumph x2
Ammo: Tiphia Sting
Shield: Astral Shield
Back: Amemit+1

yeah this is my desired lvl75 phys build as well..
with the exception of:
Ears: Ethereal/Diabolos or Minuet
Rings: Raja's/Sniper(Ruby cause im a cheap ass)

havent really considered an INT set yet cause tbh, most of the "Magic" spells suck so far, or are just waaaay too much mp to be worthwhile in xp.

 

[Koul]

after reading up on Heat breath... it's like spirits within only instead of it bein 45% it's 50% of your current HP....

I never had TOO much trouble with breath attacks getting resisted and I'm sure with a vulcan staff it'd be that much bettah... but I think a full on +HP setup with mnk sub would be awesome... of course your duty would just be pumpin the mobs full of breath-type attacks but still cold be some decent damage

and I took it upon myself to do some numbers... @62 with /mnk I had 1006 HP then I popped on some spells for another +80HP ... looked for the highest +HP gear and food for another +736HP which brings us toooooooo.... 1822HP add on mabye 50-100 for the HP from 63-75 and that's a good 1922HP for breath damage...

formulas for breaths* (supposed)

Example 1000HP Frost breath 1/3 =333 Lv70 divided by .0625 = 112 so my breath does something near 333+112 = 445ish
<table border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>Lv</td> <td>Name of Spell </td> <td>

Hp Ratio​

</td> <td>

D Value Modifier​

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>22</td> <td>Poison Breath </td> <td>

1/10​

</td> <td>

Lv ÷ 1.25​

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>46</td> <td>Magnetite Cloud </td> <td>

1/6​

</td> <td>

Lv ÷ 1.875​

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>54</td> <td>Hecatomb Wave </td> <td>

1/4​

</td> <td>

Lv ÷ 1.5​

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>54</td> <td>Radiant Breath </td> <td>

1/5​

</td> <td>

Lv ÷ 0.75​

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>58</td> <td>Flying Hip Press </td> <td>

1/3​

</td> <td>

N/A​

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>61</td> <td>Bad Breath </td> <td>

1/8​

</td> <td>

Lv ÷3​

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>66</td> <td>Frost Breath </td> <td>

1/3​

</td> <td>

Lv÷0.625​

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>71</td> <td>Heat Breath </td> <td>

1/2​

</td> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Formula n stuff
Damage = D value +HP percentage.

(Thanks to Gulkeeva and the japanese website for those formulas)

not sayin OHMIGODZZ THIS WHAT BLU IS FOR... just giving another route



::::also aelf Body slam is a spell needed to give the Max HP boost trait from what wikipedia says::::