Obligatory Relic Armor Thread - WHM

[Economizer]

Cleric's cap +2
DEF:31 MP+35 VIT+7 MND+7 "Cura" casting time -10% Enmity-7
Adds "Enhances 'Devotion V' effect"

http://images.bluegartr.com/wiki/f/f0/Clr._Cap_%2B2_description.png

Cleric's briault +2
DEF:55 MP+41 Enmity-5 Adds "Refresh" effect Enhances "Regen" potency
Adds "Enhances 'Benediction' effect"

http://images.bluegartr.com/wiki/9/9c/Clr._Briault_%2B2_description.png

Cleric's mitts +2
DEF:21 HP+28 MP+28 Divine magic skill +18 Enfeebling magic skill +18 Enmity-6 Enhances potency of "Banish" vs. undead
Adds "Enhances 'Martyr V' effect"

http://images.bluegartr.com/wiki/3/32/Clr._Mitts_%2B2_description.png

Cleric's pantaloons +2
DEF:40 HP+24 MP+24 Healing magic skill +18 Enhancing magic skill +18 Enmity-5 Elemental resistance spells +25
Adds "Enhances 'Shellra V' effect"

http://images.bluegartr.com/wiki/7/74/Clr._Pantaln._%2B2_description.png

Cleric's duckbills +2
DEF:20 HP+25 MP+25 MND+8 Enhancing magic skill +12 Enfeebling magic skill +12 Enmity-4
Adds "Enhances 'Protectra V' effect"

http://images.bluegartr.com/wiki/5/5d/Clr._Duckbills_%2B2_description.png

Shamelessly taken from BGWiki. All the Adds "Enhances 'X' effect" are from the second upgrade. Discuss.

-

As per my own thoughts on this:

SE is trying to give us macro gear for this set. As with any macro gear, the question becomes "Is this worth Inventory -1?"

My personal list to answer the question, solely based on being worth the inventory space:


Head
Maybe. I would probably put this at whether or not the enhancement to Devotion beats the best HP+ hat White Mage can get, and I'm considering Sublimation in my analysis. The cure cast time reduction doesn't mean much to me if I have to macro it in every cast, since I don't use third party tools, and with the sheer amount of cast time reduction available, it would be very difficult to do so, even on a Curaga. As a bit of a footnote, I wish that cure effects reduced the cast time on Raise (that would definitely make this a yes).
Body
No. I'm upset SE even kept the focus on regen after they gave Scholar so many buffs to the regen line. Maybe it will make it slightly more MP efficient then cures again (doubtful), but it won't match up with Scholar's (not that it should). SE had a chance to move forward - it could have kept the previous regen effect and added something else but they didn't. At least it only enhances Benediction. I have no clue what that means, but given previous buffs I doubt it will do much more then reduce the timer by five minutes, although SE could troll us with something really useful like an hour. Or worse, they could make it so Benediction does something it already should, like actually can remove enemy Bard songs and y'know, Doom.
Hands
Maybe. If you really want an enfeebling set, I suppose you could use this (which might change your answer for the feet too). The thing that would interested me is the Divine Magic for Repose, but I generally don't have trouble sticking that. For Divine Magic nukes, if I was inclined however, I'd just wear a MAB piece, I would almost bet it would outperform even on undead. The merit enhancement puts this further into the no category short of perhaps SE letting us cap out all merits in category 2.
Legs
Yes. Best piece in set. If I have to explain why, you are a moron. Heaps upon heaps of things that buff magic resistances, on top of being the best enhancing magic piece White Mage can wear. Enhances Shellra V is just icing. And I don't mean the kind on cakes, I mean the diamond encrusted embroidery this thing is made of over the red velvet to give it the white color. Solid macro piece, only way they could make it better would be to merge the stats of all the AF sets.
Feet
No. Short of building for an enfeebling set, this is useless, especially compared to the largely superior stats on the Orison Duckbills +2. Also, Protectra is mostly useless, I short of them making it so we can cap out all category 2, I think I would like it to stay that way. Short of a Phalanx or Physical damage reduction effect to Protectra, I don't think it is going to be "fixed" either.


Basically, the only piece I'd 100% suggest would be the pants. I might suggest the hat and maybe even the hands depending on what the user wants/needs. Only way I could suggest the body/feet is if SE gives them the buffs that their respective ability boosts should have got naturally.

TL;DR: SE did a very good job with pants, not so much with other pieces, but I won't hold it against them since they didn't have much to work with on most of the pieces in the first place and seriously, look at those pants.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

Cura... seriously? -_-

[Economizer]

Cura... seriously? -_-

I believe it is a typo if I remember correctly (I forget where people said this, so no link), and the item actually affects all cures. I could be mistaken, but SE wouldn't really do that right?

[Mirage]

I'll probably get hands legs feet, but not the rest.

[Retsujo]

Body depends on how much more potent the Regens become.

Legs a definite yes!

Hands are a maybe, like if mobs start resisting Repose in the future.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

I believe it is a typo if I remember correctly (I forget where people said this, so no link), and the item actually affects all cures. I could be mistaken, but SE wouldn't really do that right?I wouldnt' put it past them though.

[Mirage]

What is the cap for cure spellcasting time reduction?

[Tsukino_Kaji]

What is the cap for cure spellcasting time reduction?Magic caps at 50%, unless it changed in that last update. There was something about fastcast in it?

[Economizer]

Magic caps at 50%, unless it changed in that last update. There was something about fastcast in it?

Until last update, recast capped at 50%, it has been raised by an unspecified amount. Cast time had the cap raised a while back, but I'm not sure when. I believe the current cast time reduction cap is somewhere in the neighborhood of 80-85% (think other caps with a similar number).

Cast time gear is hard to macro in as you get more, just because your cures go off astoundingly fast, which means you either gimp your cures or get fast cures, generally. Personally, I think a balance between cure potency, cast time, and recast time has to be reached to be the most effective White Mage you can be, and in some situations you might want to prioritize some over others.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

That's what I get for posting at 3am. lol

[Economizer]

No, your post was totally reasonable, since the caps were lower then they are now for such a long period of time.

Honestly, if the cap is just "Cura" I'm never going to get it, since Misery/Cura don't do enough and require the user to take damage, and it isn't a big enough improvement for three spells. That and people saying the contrary are what lead me to believe they mean it affects all cures, otherwise it would have to be something higher then a mere 10%.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

What about the "+3s," any word on them?

[Daniel_Hatcher]

What about the "+3s," any word on them?

If there is +3, they haven't been added yet. Probably plan to add 'em at a later date which will up the armour level to lvl.99

[Aleste]

As far as I've been keeping track, the only one with any relevant testing on has been the Pantaloons.
http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/103919-Magic?p=4948237&viewfull=1#post4948237

It's an extra 5/256 reduction (2% increase on his 5/5 test). Nothing stellar, but still worthwhile.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

If there is +3, they haven't been added yet. Probably plan to add 'em at a later date which will up the armour level to lvl.99
•[dev1044] New Magian Trials
•New weapon upgrade trials have been introduced to the current trial list.
•Relic and Relic +1 Armor will be upgradable via Trial of the Magians.
•Two upgrade stages are available, each offering the following augmented attributes:
•Stage 1: Item-related augments
•Stage 2: Merit point-related augments
*Players will still be able to undertake these trials even if no information for them is displayed.
•Upgraded armor pieces will have a higher level requirement than their base forms.
•Armor pieces upgraded to Stage 2 will be storable with the Porter Moogle service.
*Relic and Relic +1 Armor will result in the same items after upgrading. Owners of Relic +1 Armor will be rewarded with less demanding conditions for the first upgrade stage.It should already be there.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

It should already be there.

That's still +2, it just adds augments onto the armour. You get it by earning a set amount of EXP while wearing the armour.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

That's still +2, it just adds augments onto the armour. You get it by earning a set amount of EXP while wearing the armour.Then what's the stage 1? That should be the +2.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

Then what's the stage 1? That should be the +2.

Stage 1 is 30~50 Forgotten (item)'s which gives the base +2, then the second trial keeps +2 but adds augments.

[Economizer]

The augmented final item is also storable as an added bonus.

[Economizer]

The kind folks at the wiki have provided us with more info on what each of the effects on the items do. Still, since it is early testing, a grain of salt for each of these:


Cleric's cap +2
Increases HP converted to MP by Devotion by 2.5% per merit level.
Cleric's pantaloons +2
Increases Shellra V potency by 1/256 Magic Damage Taken per merit level.
Cleric's duckbills +2
Grants an additional +2 defense per merit up to a maximum of +10 for 5/5.


If true, I'd assume the mitts also do the same effect but for Martyr, but I don't think that makes them any more useful then they are. If you are really into Devotion I suppose the cap gets some usage there, but it is still a hard sell for inventory -1 unless you are insanely good with cure macros. The effect on the shoes is a complete joke, and short of an enfeebling build I think they are absolute junk.

I've heard rumors about the Benediction effect improving the maximum amount of HP cured by it, which is total crap. I suppose we can thank SE for making most of these pieces optional.

I really wish SE would give us an updated version of our AF1... Increased spell interruption down, divine magic pants, and better melee mitts would be very nice. While those Iuvenalis Mittens look nice, SE failed to make them anything more then inventory consolidation for people with NQ Blessed, or an easier to get version of the WS mitts for those without the AF1+1.

[Fredjan]

My personal thoughts with the augments included on the AF2+2:

Head: Okay, the Devotion augment justifies +2ing it.
Body: The regen improvement isn't bad at all, but SCH etc. Either way, it's worth +2'ing if one values Regens. I've always had Benediction heal for max HP across people, so I'm not sure what to think of the augment, really.
Hands: Worth it for the skill bonuses alone, depending. Martyr is situationally useful, but one won't really notice the boost.
Legs: Mandatory. Yes, that's right, I said mandatory. These are a mandatory piece of gear for any serious White Mage. If you don't believe me, go read about barspells and how effective elemental resist can be. That alone makes them mandatory, the Shellra V augment is just icing on the cake.
Feet: Hi enfeebling piece. Otherwise lol, even with the Protectra V augment, it's meh vs. AF3+2 imho, and if you really want MND, there's Marduk feet.