Give beastmaster more magic attack bonus and or lightning attack gear

[Malthar]

Ok,

It appear that SE doesn't give 2 gil about bst's Farsha sucky damage.
So... I request that SE seriously consider adding more MaB and or lightning attack bonus gear for bst so that the damage can be increased without modifying the weapon.

And/Or, have gear that can directly translate axe / weapon damage to MaB.

Beastmaster's Ring
Mab+6 mnd+6
Hidden Effect: Magic attack increases based on axe and weapon damage.

For every 25 axe skill increase mab by 1 and for every 10 axe damage increase mab by 1.
Or something of the sort.

[Economizer]

I haven't seen many numbers for Cloudsplitter (mainly due to Fistule competition stomping the Club/Axe/Bow path while others can just chest farm), but there is a fair amount of MAB gear that BST can use, and other ways to boost damage.

First, you can either sub Red Mage for some longevity and heals while getting +24 MAB from Magic Attack Bonus II, or you can sub Ninja or Dancer for DW and offhand either a multihitter to WS more often and keep aftermath up, a MAB+10 Axe, or a PDT axe for your pet.

On this front, there are a few suggestions that I'd hope for, like an elemental shield that mimics one, some, or all of the elemental staves, a MAB shield, or native Dual Wield for Beastmaster.

Second, there is a fair amount of MAB gear Beastmaster can get - ACP body Aug MAB+4, ASA leg Aug MAB+4, Uggalepih Pendant MAB+8, Novio Earring MAB+7, Hecate's Earring MAB+6, Ree's Headgear MAB+2. Between all these you can get about 23 MAB without augmented pieces, or 31 MAB with, which isn't too bad.

Third, if you are inside Abyssea, you can augment with Atmas like Atma of the Lion and Atma of the Blinding Horn for about 30% boosts in damage a piece. Atma of the Lion has an added effect of triple attack and damage taken reduction, which will also help your pet.

Still, while more Magic Attack Bonus gear for Beastmaster would be nice as more melee gear for mage jobs (or even weapon skill boosting MAB for all jobs), I'd consider the likelihood of it happening about as likely. Doesn't hurt to ask though - although I think asking for pets to provide you with more MAB might be a more likely avenue. Perhaps if SE makes a high level frog pet that doesn't have specialty moves, it could grant Magic Attack Bonus?

[Mirage]

I don't think native MAB makes a lot of sense for bst, but I'm totally in agreement with giving bst gear that actually boosts their empyrean WS.

Lightning affinity gear would work as well, i guess.

[Mavrick]

I've only tested the WS on the test servers but I wasn't very impressed at all, I'm also not thrilled at the idea bst/rdm with full Magic attack atmas... Does Aftermath affect pets? if not then it's something SE should consider doing, that would be an instant fix in my book.

[Economizer]

Aftermath on the Empyrean weapons does not affect pets. As for Lightning Affinity gear, as long as it is all jobs I think its a good idea, but at best you'd probably be giving up the sub slot, or if you are incredibly lucky, the waist slot.

Speaking of the waist slot... I wonder if the right elemental obi and a Scholar boosting it up would help boost WS damage.

[Mirage]

Aftermath on the Empyrean weapons does not affect pets. As for Lightning Affinity gear, as long as it is all jobs I think its a good idea, but at best you'd probably be giving up the sub slot, or if you are incredibly lucky, the waist slot.

Speaking of the waist slot... I wonder if the right elemental obi and a Scholar boosting it up would help boost WS damage.

Seeing as magic affinity is very potent, I don't think it would matter which slot you'd get it in. It would probably outperform almost anything else you would WS in. But sure, it would be best to get it in a slot where there isn't already something good to use.

http://ffxi.gamerescape.com/wiki/Magic_Affinity
According to this, even +1 lightning affinity would increase damage by 10%, and accuracy by 20.

So like, one or two pieces with lightning affinity, a few more pieces with MAB, and it's starting to sound pretty nice. Wouldn't want them to be all jobs though, cause the amount needed to boost up cloudsplitter significantly would probably be unbalanced if used on a pure mage job.

When I think about it, a few more pieces like that would be nice to have for several melee jobs, for use with elemental WSes.

[Economizer]

The reason I said those slots is because those slots are the slots with Magic Affinity or weather boosts in them currently.


So like, one or two pieces with lightning affinity, a few more pieces with MAB, and it's starting to sound pretty nice. Wouldn't want them to be all jobs though, cause the amount needed to boost up cloudsplitter significantly would probably be unbalanced if used on a pure mage job.

A 15% boost, which is what I've been suggesting for shields for ages would be no greater then an HQ staff. Even giving a 30% boost in a shield slot would still be in line with the magian staves. More then that to a non-mage is a worse idea then boosting mages significantly more, but honestly, you shouldn't need more then that. Furthermore, when it comes to boosting Aeolian Edge in the same way, Red Mage deserves to get the affinity boosts any other dagger user would get - so baring magic users from a hypothetical elemental shield is not a very bright idea.

Putting it in other slots raises balance issues I'm sure SE doesn't want to deal with, but if the fear is that mages would exploit it, it would then become a latent on WS, and still should be usable by mages, who should be good at magic, even if it comes in WS form.

[Louispv]

They should just make it a physical WS. There is absolutely no way cloudsplitter can be useful now at 95, because with 10 more levels of increased base damage (and 4 more coming) rampage just keeps getting strong, while elemental ws's don't.

[Xilk]

A more bst-like approach would be to add more killer effects + potential in pair w/ ferine gausape +2. This could translate into a similarly potent damage boost as the elemental affinity bonuses, but be much more bst-like in style.

[SpankWustler]

A simpler solution might be "Make Cloudsplitter suck less."

[Areola]

A simpler solution might be "Make Cloudsplitter suck less."

Hmmm... Interesting idea I think the Dev's should here this one. ^^

But if not I think a shield with lightning affinity would help out a lot. cloudsplitter+aftermath only work well when used one-handed with /rdm and lol fencer.

[Ketaru]

I haven't seen many numbers for Cloudsplitter

You haven't seen it because you need an electron microscope to find it. It's that bad.

[Raksha]

What if they made it a hybrid WS like Tachi:Jinpu?

Also, I know it's no consolation, but cloudsplitter is a good brew WS.

[Xilk]

What if they made it a hybrid WS like Tachi:Jinpu?

Also, I know it's no consolation, but cloudsplitter is a good brew WS.

Its not better for brew than primal rend really. They are about equal... but cloudsplitter is much more expensive to obtain.

[Vizardx]

if im not mistaken cant u Cloudsplitter > cloudsplitter > darkness with brew?