The Beast Within -- A Guide To Blue Mage

Edit: Sometimes I feel relieved that I left my Almace in the dust at 90 years ago, saves me lots of headache.

Not sure what gear you have access to, but I used to tri-box flux 11 during the previous events on blu using the alluvion skirmish clubs (this was before the ws boosts & trusts being useable in woe). All the mobs are weak to blunt dmg (skeles and naraka boss), so they take nice dmg from clubs and realmrazer. Also they can all be stunned with sudden lunge, although the boss might grow resistant/immune after a few uses.

It shouldn't be too bad to solo with trusts helping you, but you might want to try to avoid linking the skeles. You'll also have access to a bunch of nice temp items (you might want to save most of the really good ones for the boss), so with temps and trusts it shouldn't be too bad.

If soloing still isn't working out for you, you could also try to get some people to help you with that flux, too, since it drops the flume belt +1 which goes for 4 mil and none on ah atm.

Not to add fuel to the Afterglow thing, but there's already a pretty good explanation of Afterglow that can answer most questions in regards to its functionality. Hopefully that can eliminate a few pages of pointless speculation.

Hard left for a minute here...

BGWiki states that Herculean armor can be augmented with up to -4% DT (not sure if this requires Fern or not). With DT-20% in visible slots and another 6% PDT from hands/legs/feet, a generalized -DT set that caps PDT, MDT, and BDT is very much within reach:

ItemSet 135519

This caps PDT and BDT (52% on both actually) with a 6/6/6 Dark Ring; MDT is "only" -46% but could easily be capped through additions in the ear/waist slots if Shell is not up.

ItemSet 145362

Capped (10%) Quick Magic and up to 68% Fast Cast if you augment the head via path D (body is augmented with FC+5%, hands with FC+3%). If you instead opt for path B for Requiescat it's a solid 64%, which still caps you for blue magic with Hashishin Mintan (+1) and FC II via setting Erratic Flutter. Can substitute path D Psycloth Lappas for 1% less FC if you'd prefer an ilevel option, but I'm not aware of any >=8% FC ilevel legs that BLU can wear. Colada also has 4% FC, so if you're using one or two of those then that's an extra 4/8% to work with.

Think Enchntr. Earring +1 are rare.

Oops, you're right. Etiolation in the other slot then, will edit accordingly.

Why not Loquac. Earring?

That's a thing? In all seriousness I thought Loq was also 1% for some reason, my mistake. Blame shitty pre-ilevel stat labeling (now I get to keep track of augments instead...). Etiolation does double as a solid MDT option and possibly a resist piece if you're into that, but most players probably have a Loq on hand/it's super easy to get so might as well use it as long as inventory's not an issue.

I don't know, closest thing to SoA content I've done is getting RUN to 75.

Would scrap Umbra in that set if I got DT -4% in all that (space saving, yay), but I'd keep the Magic Absorb back for MDT since it's so satisfying to get that proc.

There's no Umbra in that set, and Solemnity's DT-4% is necessary to cap (or Mollusca's -5% I guess, but Solemnity doubles as a solid cure piece/doesn't carry a movespeed penalty/you cap PDT and BDT either way). As for Engulfer +1, again, this is a generalized set to cover breath attacks and any situations where you're potentially uncertain of the damage type involved and/or are taking multiple forms of damage simultaneously. It is not intended to replace dedicated PDT/MDT sets, but to complement them.

MDT is so easy to come by these days and the MDB on Herc doesn't seem particularly high at a glance, is the set actually an upgrade for focused MDT builds? That's one set (MDT) I haven't tried to optimize yet; sifting through the available options is going to be a pain in the *** and the returns are slight.

Sorry meant in relation to the set I am currently using. Reworded thr post to be a little less ambiguous.

Engulfer works on breaths.

I know Skirmish isn't something that people would want to do in addition to the random augments of Reisenjima, however with how easy it is to max out MDT, you could augment Telchine with up to M.Eva+25 in those slots that don't need MDT.

Good to know, will definitely bear that in mind.

While I'm playing around with FC stuff, a recast set:

ItemSet 335565

Hashishin Bazubands +1 for blue magic of course. This is over FC cap (72%+FC II trait) for non-blue magic, and only 1% under cap for blue magic. 68% (still capped)/60% (5% under cap, caps with FC III trait) without path D augment on head. Enif Cosciales and Psycloth Lappas are interchangeable if your final FC value is odd with Enif, and of course Colada's 4% FC is worth bearing in mind once again.

Functional floors for recast times (capped gear haste, magic haste, FC, any -recast items) are 18.75% of base recast for non-blue spells and 16.125% for blue magic, assuming you have capped magic haste and the necessary FC.

I suppose I'm overdue to point out that Herc head can probably also get an FC augment via magic path, though there's no info on such on BGwiki. Base is 7%, so I'd expect 12% or so as a possibility if such an augment is indeed possible. Merlinic gear caps at a FC+7% augment, so it's even possible that Herc head could match path D Carmine +1.

Hey, anyone have a good strategy to solo Ultima and Omega? I've been going with Apururururururu, Joachim, Qultada, King of Hearts, and tried Mihli Aliapoh for cureskin or August for tanking. I can only pull of 1 win out of every 5 or so fights... Smegma just hits so damn hard and August can't keep hate due to Pile Pitch. Occultation doesn't help much with all the AoE, and he likes to kill me with counter right after Pile Pitch...
(This is Normal mode btw)

I subbed thf for Omega/Ultima. Onca suit and White Wind are your friends. Not sure why you use Joachim with Mighty Guard. Don't use Sudden Lunge until it in Pitch Mode, and stay in DT while it is in Pitch Mode. Swapping only after it uses Pitch on you.

No one got AG because the aura was shitty ant not worth it.

Yeah I'm sure that was the only reason.

Relic and empy AG aura is not ***at all........crit-hit rate +5% and acc+15 for everyone in the pt is pretty good. If COR could use relic I'd definitely AG it since it's pretty affordable.

Half a party at most.

Good call on Joachim, was so used to using him while CPing. I replaced him with August AND Mihil for Omega and replaced August with Shantotto II for Ultima. White Wind was huge for Omega and playing more defensively went a long way. Thanks for the tips.

Why /thf? Does TH help with drops from these fights? Still need Ginsen too... 0/30+ on Normal QQ

Better than fire trials I'm doing soon.

Quick question about plasma charge, the duration feels way broke(in a good way) to me but I'm still new to blu so idk. Sometimes when I use it it lasts for 12 min, other times 14 min plus. BG says that it's only supposed to lasts for 50-60 sec...just wondering if it's broke atm or working as it's supposed to and BG just hasn't been updated. Just tried with diffusion 21 min.

I only use strawberry syrup.