The Story Is Over :: FFXI

Alright, well, I’m going to record Scholar Soloing Shiva Prime tonight. In the mean time I’ll make this post

Some things I want to note about the fight…

I use 6 spells. The macros for the spells are as follows…

Pyrohelix
L1: /equip feet “Scholar’s Loafers”
L2: /equip body “Royal Redingote”
L3: /equip legs “Errant Slops”
L4: /ma “Pyrohelix” <bt>
L5: /wait 2
L6: /equip feet “Desert Boots”

Stoneskin
L1: /equip feet “Scholar’s Loafers”
L2: /equip body “Royal Redingote”
L3: /equip legs “Goliard Trews”
L4: /ma “Stoneskin” <me>
L5: /wait 2
L6: /equip feet “Desert Boots”

Phalanx
L1: /equip feet “Scholar’s Loafers”
L2: /equip body “Royal Redingote”
L3: /equip legs “Goliard Trews”
L4: /ma “Phalanx” <me>
L5: /wait 2
L6: /equip feet “Desert Boots”

Sandstorm
L1: /equip feet “Scholar’s Loafers”
L2: /equip body “Royal Redingote”
L3: /equip legs “Goliard Trews”
L4: /ma “Sandstorm” <me>
L5: /wait 2
L6: /equip feet “Desert Boots”

Cure IV
L1: /equip feet “Scholar’s Loafers”
L2: /equip body “Royal Redingote”
L3: /equip legs “Goliard Trews”
L4: /ma “Cure IV” <me>
L5: /wait 2
L6: /equip feet “Desert Boots”

Blink
L1: /equip feet “Scholar’s Loafers”
L2: /equip body “Royal Redingote”
L3: /equip legs “Goliard Trews”
L4: /ma “Blink” <me>
L5: /wait 1
L6: /equip feet “Desert Boots”

Now all of these macros have a lot in common. I always equip the Scholar Loafers first, this is because of what they do. They reduce ::BOTH:: Casting Time and Recasting Time of all spells under the corresponding grimoire. Now when you use a grimoire you already get a -10% Casting Time/Recast Time. This changes it to -15% Casting Time/Recast Time. Add subbing Red Mage which gives you “Fast Cast II” and you’ve got -30% Casting Time/-22.5% Recast Time.

That extra 5% can valuable as I always get whailed on when I stop to cast a spell. The quicker I get the spell cast, the less hits I take.

On Line 2, you’ll see I equip Royal Redingote. I’ll get into this a little later in the post…

On Line 3, when I use Pyrohelix I equip Errant Slops for INT. All the others are Goliard Trews for -3% Physical Damage Taken. I have this on all my spell cast macros to make sure I switch to the appropriate ones.

Lines 1-3 also are equipment changes. I mostly did this because I just wanted a slighter reassurance in making sure the Scholar Loafers proc.

Line 4 is the spell. All spells do not require me to target anything. It’s either <me> or <bt>. (*Note: This would make the initial casting of Pyrohelix to be manual or via another macro*).

Line 5 is waiting 2 seconds… then…

Line 6, I switch back to my Desert Boots because once I’m done casting, I’m going to want to run.

Okay, so what’s with the Royal Redingote being macroed in?

Well, I don’t just cast spells… I use strategems and change between Light Arts and Dark Arts. In all my Stratagems/Light Arts/Dark Arts macros, I change my gear. I only use these immediately followed up by a spell so what I change to doesn’t matter too much so much if it’s changed back or a meaningless item. Like I’ll change my boots, my body piece, my ammo, and my pants.

The reason I do this is to try to avoid the “waiting time” / animation of the Job Ability. If I can “blink” then that waiting time reduces to 0 – again, allowing me to perform my spell quicker.

Now onto my strategy…

I buff up outside, Protect IV, Shell IV, Reraise II, Sublimation, Stoneskin -> Rest. Also nice to have some good ol’ Cream Puffs too. I make sure I get Sublimation to full then I enter.

I buff up. Stoneskin -> Phalanx -> Blink -> Sandstorm.

Notes about each of those spells…

Stoneskin lasts 5 minutes max. Absorbs (up to) 300 HP.

Phalanx lasts 3 minutes reduces damage taken.

Blink lasts 5 minutes and absorbs 3 random attacks.

Sandstorm lasts 3 minutes and makes me run faster with Desert boots.

With Earth Staff and Phalanx, my Stoneskin lasts longer. Phalanx will “wear” off before Stoneskin. Blink is used more or less as backup to recast and not get interupted.

So when I go in, I buff up. I cast Pyrohelix on Shiva Prime and run down the path to the bottom. This is a casting time. If I need to cast a spell I will do so here, be it a buff or a helix. I run back up the path and once I get to the middle point, that’s usually a good casting time for a helix. Then I run to the top. Here is my third spot to cast a spell. Usually the top and bottom are best for casting buffs. I like to recast Stoneskin before it wears off (naturally or by the enemy) and make sure, *always* that I have Sandstorm up. Then I run back down and repeat. As my MP gets low, Sublimation and 30 seconds later Sublimation again to start storing up.

Yeah.. that’s about it…