Fredjan (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} fredjan) wrote,@ 2008-03-28 23:46:00 |
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Thoughts on Bard / Ninja in Merit Parties
I had my very first merit pt on BRD with NIN sub fully leveled tonight before I went to sky for some Kirin fights.
Some observations:
- We partied in Mamook, in an area fairly far from the zone to the Mamool Ja staging point area, but it was completely empty and the mob choices are pretty much identical. There's Sea Puks there (they use a move I've never seen at Bhaflau Thickets that wipes some buffs), mamool, Skoffins (Watch Wyvern in Mamook), and crabs (Nipper). There's also a NM in that area - Darting Kachaal Ja - we avoided it completely.
- Even being a solo BRD/NIN, we managed to score a high chain, something I've only seen with a 2 BRD PT before. With a second BRD, the party would've had extra attack and haste, and a secondary means to pull mobs if required. This is precisely why people like 2 BRD parties - more attack and faster attack speed is always welcomed in merits, not to mention having mobs ready to die is never a disadvantage provided they can be kept under control.
- As a BRD/NIN puller, reducing song spellcasting time will be one of your best friends, PERIOD. Yigit Gomlek is a good option (Manteel being best for the body slot). Minstrel's Ring works real well as well especially if you can trigger the latent on your own.
With a better means of pulling mobs to the party faster, it is entirely possible for a solo BRD PT to achieve high chains. This is not something that requires a 2 BRD PT to do (or even a BRD + COR PT) - they just have it easier.
Observations from the "solo BRD" standpoint:
- My LS melees had no problem getting high accuracy, effectively making the need for Madrigal outside of the THF and NIN mamool VOID.
- Minuet IV and Victory March were enough to still see the mobs die fast, with the exception of Mamool Ja Lurkers and Mamool Ja Infiltrators (in this case, I tossed Blade Madrigal on over Victory March for more acc and we made sure evasion boost was dispelled. (A good reason I'm saying this is because my LS members are very decently merited and well geared.)
- I didn't like being a solo BRD most of the time, but with good melee and stuff, it is hardly a problem to pull effectively and keep songs up. It's something BRDs have to get adjusted to.
The challenge of keeping a chain up:
- It's not exactly easy to keep songs on both the healer and the melee and still manage to have a high chain - this is a challenge for solo BRDs in merit parties (Troubadour and Nightingale help a TON). The reason people tend to have groups of mobs ready for their pts to kill is simple - to keep the chain up and have as much time as possible - within the limit to continue the chain - to kill the said mob. The reason melee want Madrigal on THF and NIN mamool is simply due to their higher evasion. On other mobs, including the wyverns, accuracy is decent enough to get away with attack and haste (provided the melee are geared up well). My party down there was consisted of 3 MNK/NINs, 1 NIN/WAR, 1 RDM/WHM, and myself, BRD/NIN.
The way 2 BRD PTs should work - in my opinion:
- The puller, of course, needs to sub NIN. There's no workaround - NIN is simply the most powerful subjob for a Bard to use when pulling. Blink and Stoneskin don't really compare, despite being very powerful defensive spells (Blink is not as reliable as Utsusemi, and Stoneskin can absorb up to 350 damage, even on Bard if you have the right gear despite no natural enhancing). If you sub WHM and pull, make use of those two spells and have a MND build for Stoneskin, but be aware that your ways of pulling will be slower than that of a bard subbing ninja. There's a reason /NIN shines more with a pulling Bard - the speed of Utsusemi, especially Ni. The pulling BRD should do double March, no questions asked. Not only does it help melees, it helps them with their Elegy, Lullaby, and mainly Utsusemi recasts (which is something I believe some BRDs tend to overlook due to their Minuet/Madrigal/etc merits).
- The other Bard needs to sub WHM. WHM is simply the most useful subjob for a non-pulling BRD. This bard covers keeping Ballad up on the healer. This Bard should be the one covering double Minuet (or Minuet/Madrigal if the mob has high evasion) as well and assist with curing if required.
Summary:
- I really do want to slap myself for not leveling NIN to 37 sooner - I absolutely love using it in a merit party and having done it, I don't plan on playing the BRD/WHM role unless I want a break from pulling.
- When I'm pulling, I will not sub White Mage under any circumstances. Like I said, NIN offers the most useful tool for a pulling BRD - Utsusemi: Ichi/Ni. (Aka: guaranteed damage absorbtion - and depending on the mobs, this could offer more than Blink + Stoneskin combined. Stoneskin only absorbs so much damage, and Utsusemi completely nullifies it.)
- Ninja subjob shines a lot more when you have a very fast paced party. I wouldn't feel as useful nor have as much fun if I was pulling and my pt wouldn't be able to get past chain 5. In those cases, I would feel a lot more useful subbing White Mage.
- Bards do not make the party. They simply help the party exceed their capability. If the melee don't have decent gear, having a Bard won't make much of a difference (It'll make the pt work out better, but not by a huge margin). If they do, then the party just became even better, which is why I believe a lot of bards are picky with party invites, myself included. I personally refuse to merit with a pickup party period - because I'd much rather merit with friends or linkshell mates.
I had my very first merit pt on BRD with NIN sub fully leveled tonight before I went to sky for some Kirin fights.
Some observations:
- We partied in Mamook, in an area fairly far from the zone to the Mamool Ja staging point area, but it was completely empty and the mob choices are pretty much identical. There's Sea Puks there (they use a move I've never seen at Bhaflau Thickets that wipes some buffs), mamool, Skoffins (Watch Wyvern in Mamook), and crabs (Nipper). There's also a NM in that area - Darting Kachaal Ja - we avoided it completely.
- Even being a solo BRD/NIN, we managed to score a high chain, something I've only seen with a 2 BRD PT before. With a second BRD, the party would've had extra attack and haste, and a secondary means to pull mobs if required. This is precisely why people like 2 BRD parties - more attack and faster attack speed is always welcomed in merits, not to mention having mobs ready to die is never a disadvantage provided they can be kept under control.
- As a BRD/NIN puller, reducing song spellcasting time will be one of your best friends, PERIOD. Yigit Gomlek is a good option (Manteel being best for the body slot). Minstrel's Ring works real well as well especially if you can trigger the latent on your own.
With a better means of pulling mobs to the party faster, it is entirely possible for a solo BRD PT to achieve high chains. This is not something that requires a 2 BRD PT to do (or even a BRD + COR PT) - they just have it easier.
Observations from the "solo BRD" standpoint:
- My LS melees had no problem getting high accuracy, effectively making the need for Madrigal outside of the THF and NIN mamool VOID.
- Minuet IV and Victory March were enough to still see the mobs die fast, with the exception of Mamool Ja Lurkers and Mamool Ja Infiltrators (in this case, I tossed Blade Madrigal on over Victory March for more acc and we made sure evasion boost was dispelled. (A good reason I'm saying this is because my LS members are very decently merited and well geared.)
- I didn't like being a solo BRD most of the time, but with good melee and stuff, it is hardly a problem to pull effectively and keep songs up. It's something BRDs have to get adjusted to.
The challenge of keeping a chain up:
- It's not exactly easy to keep songs on both the healer and the melee and still manage to have a high chain - this is a challenge for solo BRDs in merit parties (Troubadour and Nightingale help a TON). The reason people tend to have groups of mobs ready for their pts to kill is simple - to keep the chain up and have as much time as possible - within the limit to continue the chain - to kill the said mob. The reason melee want Madrigal on THF and NIN mamool is simply due to their higher evasion. On other mobs, including the wyverns, accuracy is decent enough to get away with attack and haste (provided the melee are geared up well). My party down there was consisted of 3 MNK/NINs, 1 NIN/WAR, 1 RDM/WHM, and myself, BRD/NIN.
The way 2 BRD PTs should work - in my opinion:
- The puller, of course, needs to sub NIN. There's no workaround - NIN is simply the most powerful subjob for a Bard to use when pulling. Blink and Stoneskin don't really compare, despite being very powerful defensive spells (Blink is not as reliable as Utsusemi, and Stoneskin can absorb up to 350 damage, even on Bard if you have the right gear despite no natural enhancing). If you sub WHM and pull, make use of those two spells and have a MND build for Stoneskin, but be aware that your ways of pulling will be slower than that of a bard subbing ninja. There's a reason /NIN shines more with a pulling Bard - the speed of Utsusemi, especially Ni. The pulling BRD should do double March, no questions asked. Not only does it help melees, it helps them with their Elegy, Lullaby, and mainly Utsusemi recasts (which is something I believe some BRDs tend to overlook due to their Minuet/Madrigal/etc merits).
- The other Bard needs to sub WHM. WHM is simply the most useful subjob for a non-pulling BRD. This bard covers keeping Ballad up on the healer. This Bard should be the one covering double Minuet (or Minuet/Madrigal if the mob has high evasion) as well and assist with curing if required.
Summary:
- I really do want to slap myself for not leveling NIN to 37 sooner - I absolutely love using it in a merit party and having done it, I don't plan on playing the BRD/WHM role unless I want a break from pulling.
- When I'm pulling, I will not sub White Mage under any circumstances. Like I said, NIN offers the most useful tool for a pulling BRD - Utsusemi: Ichi/Ni. (Aka: guaranteed damage absorbtion - and depending on the mobs, this could offer more than Blink + Stoneskin combined. Stoneskin only absorbs so much damage, and Utsusemi completely nullifies it.)
- Ninja subjob shines a lot more when you have a very fast paced party. I wouldn't feel as useful nor have as much fun if I was pulling and my pt wouldn't be able to get past chain 5. In those cases, I would feel a lot more useful subbing White Mage.
- Bards do not make the party. They simply help the party exceed their capability. If the melee don't have decent gear, having a Bard won't make much of a difference (It'll make the pt work out better, but not by a huge margin). If they do, then the party just became even better, which is why I believe a lot of bards are picky with party invites, myself included. I personally refuse to merit with a pickup party period - because I'd much rather merit with friends or linkshell mates.
