Skilling up these days.

[resobaso]

Okay, before I begin I should probably preface this with "Yes I have read Wiki's"

They haven't exactly given me the information that would be most useful for me in my situation, so having said that. Let's move on.

I am trying to finish my RDM at level 70 so I can beat Maat and finally get some progress.

Problem, My RDM has a Sword skill of 192. Which is about level 60 Skill wise (Give or take)

My issue is places that my RDM can skill up with some relative ease.

Kuftal has proven to be a more than I can chew Solo at least.

and Zeruhn is basically VT to me.

I'm looking for any suggestions.

Please note this character is very much geared towards melee than he is towards Magic hence my emphasis on leveling up sword skills. Also Skill food is not a problem (Already got it)

(Any tips on leveling Healing and Enfeb would also be grand)

[Inafking]

The best tip I can give you is wait til 99 to skill up. Other than that, I have been doing a lot of it myself and this is what I work with:

Combat skills:
Weapons:
1-180 kuftal tunnel cabs
180-quested WS Zeruhn Mines page 4
cap in Abyssea

Defensive:
I don't have any good tips here

Magic skills -
(Spam all these on the strongest monsters you can)
Enfebling: Dia1&2
Elemental: Stone1 and Water1
Dark: Bio1&2
Divine: Banish1&2
Bard: Requem3-7 (equipping different instruments as necessary)
BLU: Anything with low MP cost (never had any trouble with this one)
Summoning: Any Blood Pact
Ninjutsu: Any elemental

The last two I only know works real well in Besiged so only works up to lv75
spam these on generals:
Healing: Cure 1&2
Enhancing: Protect, Shell, Haste
Any tips to do this past 75 would be appreciated.

[OmnysValefor]

With blue magic, if your'e using a physical spell like sprout spin, it's important to have a sword equipped in the main hand otherwise you'll get less skillups due to the "fails to activate" spam.

For healing, find undead. Cap healing skill by casting cure on undead /ma "Cure" <t> in Abyssea Grauberg.

[Moppet]

Hi!

Sorry, I can't remember a good place to skill up at 70 ><

You might want to try catching besieged when you can. If you're careful you can at least level magic by casting on NPCs, players and monsters from a distance.

For when you get 99 you might want to skill up in abyssea.

This is nice especially for melee skills because there are atmas that will give you a boost to multi attacks and TP regain. This lets you get more skillup chances for your time.

You can also skill up on dom op monsters and get a little extra merit exp and cruor in the process.

So once you're 99 you might try subbing dnc, dual wielding swords and infusing Atma of the Voracious Violet and maybe something like Stronghold for def+ and regen.

Also I hear an effective way to skill up healing magic it to use it offensively on undead monsters. (Haven't tried it myself)

There is also skill up food you can buy for both weapon and magic skilling that speeds up the process a bit. They are fairly expensive though.
http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Category:Skill_Up_Food

There are 2 rare/ex earrings you can find. One gives you magic skill up+ and the other weapon skill up+. These will likely be difficult for you to get at 70 though and they have high level requirements.
http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Terminus_Earring
http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Liminus_Earring

Oh, and if you haven't gotten the free atmas and lunar abyssite from the abyssea event going on, go get them now! They're in the blue chest next to Joachim in Port Jeuno.

Good luck!

[Hawklaser]

For 70ish, have you tried The Boyahada Tree? Can use the Robber Crabs to get most of the way to the cap, and when it slows down can adventure a bit deeper to the Steelshells.

And as some people have told me, soloing Ruby Quadavs is great practice for RDM Maat. Which would also help you cap out your skills.

Edit: For healing, get a friend who can hold a mob for you and go have fun curing skeletons to death, like in Gustav Tunnel if trying to cap for 70. Enhancing.... outside of besieged, if you know someone with a high level NPC, they make good targets to skill enhancing, otherwise best bet is to just cycle bar-element spells whenever waiting on something and can do so.

[Riggs]

your hume so it may not work but if you get a level 1 sword or a dress sword that has little or no damage on it, remove your meele gear and sleep a crab, you might be able to hit it for 0 damage, so you can skill up without waking it.

Sea is best for enf magic

[Daemon]

Here are some suggestions.

If you can level to 99 first this will help you survive areas better when you go to skill up.

These are the 3 places I've mainly skilled up combat.

Sauramogue Champaigne
Labrinth of Onzozo
The Boyada Tree

After 250 skill, I usually head back to Abyssea to skill up the rest til max. Because you have atmas, temp items, cruor buffs to make it easier.

You might want to hunt for a Prousse Ring in Zeruhn Mines. Need to be lucky as it drops from Brown Chest.

Also take a look at my Guide. I wrote an article about foods and Magic skill up as well.
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/35308-Revelations-Strategy-Guide-FFXI

[Calatilla]

The way I'm reading OP sounds to me like his max level is capped at 70 until he beats maat (first job maybe), correct me if I'm wrong.

If the crabs in Kuftal tunnel are too difficult for you, the other option you have is the worms there, they're easily silenced and don't hit as hard as the crabs but they're a little lower in level I believe so you'll cap on them sooner.

Enfeebling is really easy to cap on RDM, just spam dia on whatever mob it is you're currently fighting, or if you prefer, just spam it on a worm while standing out of melee range keeping it silenced.

[Daemon]

The way I'm reading OP sounds to me like his max level is capped at 70 until he beats maat (first job maybe), correct me if I'm wrong.

If the crabs in Kuftal tunnel are too difficult for you, the other option you have is the worms there, they're easily silenced and don't hit as hard as the crabs but they're a little lower in level I believe so you'll cap on them sooner.

Enfeebling is really easy to cap on RDM, just spam dia on whatever mob it is you're currently fighting, or if you prefer, just spam it on a worm while standing out of melee range keeping it silenced.

Kuftal Tunnel might be hard at 70 if he is capped at that level. Which I think Labrinth of Onzonzo or The Boyada tree might be good.

[Stompa]

Since 2004 we went to The Boyahda Tree, as Hawklaser said, and did robber crabs to 180~ and then steelshells to cap @lvl75. The advantage of skilling only on crabs is they have very bad accuracy and very few high-damage moves and no troublesome debuff moves.

You should also be very happy because it is WAY easier to skillup today than it ever was before, because when we used to skill up over the last decade, there were no Book/Prowess-Skill Gain Bonuses, no skillup food, no skillup rings/earrings, no Superkupower Martial Master, all of which make skillup 10x faster. When I was starting out we would spend whole entire days at the Tree, getting a few 0.1s here and there. It took forever.

[Calatilla]

Kuftal Tunnel might be hard at 70 if he is capped at that level. Which I think Labrinth of Onzonzo or The Boyada tree might be good.
I always thought the crabs on the 1st floor of the tree were the same level as those in Kuftal, LoO sounds like a good alternative though, I`d forgotten about that place.

[Daemon]

Since 2004 we went to The Boyahda Tree, as Hawklaser said, and did robber crabs to 180~ and then steelshells to cap @lvl75. The advantage of skilling only on crabs is they have very bad accuracy and very few high-damage moves and no troublesome debuff moves.

You should also be very happy because it is WAY easier to skillup today than it ever was before, because when we used to skill up over the last decade, there were no Book/Prowess-Skill Gain Bonuses, no skillup food, no skillup rings/earrings, no Superkupower Martial Master, all of which make skillup 10x faster. When I was starting out we would spend whole entire days at the Tree, getting a few 0.1s here and there. It took forever.

You just saved everyone else the time to make this explanation. :)

[Rekin]

For Defensive skills the best option is Abyssea-Attohwa or basically any light multi-hitting enemy which you can gather in-masse. Ideally your atmas will be pdt and regen focusing more on regen. As always equip a weak weapon as you'll be engaged with at least one target.

Now that you've located your targetted mob(in my case it was mandies) find a wall and try to coral the mobs so that they bunch up in front of you, back pedalling helps. If possible try to stack as much defense and damage reducing gear as possible and if you can have a good rdm or sch toss on phalanx(or 2) on you if you cannot do it yourself.

With prowess ring and the appropriate skill up food it shouldn't take no longer than 5hrs to cap any skill. The last to cap would probably be parrying but bleh.

[Hawklaser]

I always thought the crabs on the 1st floor of the tree were the same level as those in Kuftal, LoO sounds like a good alternative though, I`d forgotten about that place.

The ones in the tree are actually a little higher level than the ones in Kuftal, however, the big difference is much less agro to deal with in the tree when fighting Robber Crabs. As in the tunnel it is much easier to accidentally have a 2nd mob join in on you.

With the OP not stating why the solo'ing in the tunnel going bad or being too hard, my first guess would be the additional agro being the first culprit, followed by mobs just being rough. I do know 70 SCH can solo The Boyahada Tree Robber Crabs with little difficulty as that is where I was skilling up in preparation for SCH's Maat fight on a fresh character.

[Daemon]

The ones in the tree are actually a little higher level than the ones in Kuftal, however, the big difference is much less agro to deal with in the tree when fighting Robber Crabs. As in the tunnel it is much easier to accidentally have a 2nd mob join in on you.

With the OP not stating why the solo'ing in the tunnel going bad or being too hard, my first guess would be the additional agro being the first culprit, followed by mobs just being rough. I do know 70 SCH can solo The Boyahada Tree Robber Crabs with little difficulty as that is where I was skilling up in preparation for SCH's Maat fight on a fresh character.

Yes more room in Boyahda Tree. One can warp directly in front if VW path is complete. Tree also have other people around so you could possibly find someone to join up and party together, especially with those farming Boyahda moss.

Kuftal Tunnel is pretty much empty, at least on my server it is.

Even if you don't have VW path complete, you can get Sanctuary of Zitah Outpost warp.

[Renaissance2K]

Besieged is a fantastic place to skill-up magic.

For Enfeebling, find any junk mob that somebody is already fighting, and just spam Dia on it whenever the recast is up.

You can do the same with Healing Magic (casting Cure) whenever the Undead Horde is attacking. The undead take damage from Cure spells.

[Artharian]

Another possible might be Cape Terrigan - IIRC there are suitable level mobs there and you can use the FoV (either pages or just get buffs from it)

[Xantavia]

I wouldn't recommend Cape Terrigan at level 70. Everything there except lizards and rabbits are aggressive. I remember it always as a bad zone to travel for garuda fight, because if snk/inv wore off at the wrong time you were in for a fight. And there are very few safe places to AFK in that area.

To the OP, just a reminder that you can skill up on any decent challenge or higher mob to cap. Just try to find a place where you can fight without aggro. Don't forget to buff up with phalanx, protect, stoneskin. If it doesn't help you swing faster, focus on defensive gear. As several others have said, crabs have long been the target of choice since they are one of the safer mobs to fight 1 on 1.

[resobaso]

Okay, sorry about the wait.

To clarify.

My actual level is 70.

My Weapon skill level is 192, which is according to most wiki's that of a level 60.

That being Said Kuftal has been repeatedly kicking my tail, primarily because of linking with the crabs, I can take one at a time, but at my current level skill, they are absolutely DECIMATING me in groups.


Problem is, a majority of them in THAT area is damn near impossible to NOT link, so it leaves me nearly getting killed or just flat out killed in the process.

[illusionist]

How about Abyssea? There are lots of non-link mobs.And I think smaller mobs are good for skilling up around 200.
And (It's so embarrassed)My RDM is 99,but my Sword skill is now 210.(used to be 190 before I tried skilling up in Abyssea for a few hours).
I'm on the way Skilling up.With skill food,And Atma,It's much easier.

(Sorry about my English skill,as always)

[resobaso]

Iam just not sure its worth the time given the fact that I cant level atm.

Honestly, the sooner I do this the sooner this game will actually seem fun again, its been a major drag to not be able to level up.

[Xantavia]

If you want to use kuftal, enter from the desert side. Pull a crab backwards from the first small room that has them in to the little tunnel/ramp that led down to them. Dia works great for pulling, just don't use any -ga spell. Avoid the lizards since they will link with each other, crabs are only aggro. The key to skilling is control where you are fighting so you don't get overwhelmed by additional mobs.

[Frankbrodie]

If you're going to use Kuftal and enter from the Terrigan Outpost at level 70/RDM then I see no reason to even go in the tunnel tbh.

Use the convenient Goblin Mercenary (level 67 tops I believe. Pretty much always be DC) right outside this entrance to Kuftal.
It does nothing except hit you a bit. Which as a level 70 RDM you're not going to be taking much damage right?
What with /WAR sub for Defender. Taco food for defence.
You wearing a decent shield + have evasion capped yet?
Evasion capped way before sword when I was RDM 70 back in 2007 whenever it was.

That goblin hated me by the time I had skilled various stuff on it before they raised the level cap to 99 lol.
As said already, it's way way waaaaay easier to skill at 99 to 99 even, not just 70. In Abyssea.

And if RDM is your first job I'm not sure I wouldn't tell you just to level WHM to 66 and get Maat out of the way tbh.

No skills or gear needed. Really... I actually tried to level a mule to 99 with ZERO skills in anything by leeching her to 66 for WHM Maat then was going to leech her to 99 with no skills learned in anything.
She hit evasion level 36, yes that's THIRTY SIX.. level THIRTY SIX in 5 minutes spamming hi-pots to beat Maat.
0-36. Actually THIRTY SIX levels of evasion in one 5 minute battle lol.

[resobaso]

RDM is 70,

War,BLM,DNC,THF = level 60

and WHM is 50.

My RDM is more Melee with some Magical bonuses.

Honestly, its been a great bit of fun.

[Hawklaser]

Okay, sorry about the wait.

To clarify.

My actual level is 70.

My Weapon skill level is 192, which is according to most wiki's that of a level 60.

That being Said Kuftal has been repeatedly kicking my tail, primarily because of linking with the crabs, I can take one at a time, but at my current level skill, they are absolutely DECIMATING me in groups.


Problem is, a majority of them in THAT area is damn near impossible to NOT link, so it leaves me nearly getting killed or just flat out killed in the process.

With this, I'd say definitely go to The Boyahada Tree to skill up. Very easy to get single crabs there. Just use a spell to pull them out away from the water, and avoid using aoe effects so don't grab the bunnies and mandies in the area and you should be set for the most part.

[Xantavia]

If your thf is already 60, that might be best for maat. It is possible to steal the instant warp scroll from maat and if you do, it is an instant win. Getting the testimony for the fight is kinda a pain though. Have to steal that too, so if you miss, 5 minutes of down time.