Help me decide on gear please

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Originally Posted by Greatguardian

There is no latency with the server in regards to gear swapping. That is all done client side, and then the results are sent to the server. If you want to be really anal about having -80% Cast time, just set a custom midcastdelay for 0.1 seconds and get the best of both worlds.

That said, I still think this debate is functionally retarded. With the release of the +3 Surya's trials, there's really no reason not to pursue a +3 Cure Potency staff alongside a +2 Casting Time staff. There's really no need for a Recast staff since Recast caps at 50%, which is easily attainable with minimal effort (25% gear, 15% spell, 10% Arts).

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All true. That staff is one of the main reasons I choose the -cast casting build over the others.
The +2 casting time staff is useful in a lot more ways than curing. It works for every light magic spell(including songs if you're a brd). Rushing in to cast Protectra ,Shellra, and auspice mid-fight, status removal spells, regen, raise/reraise, light dmg spells... it all goes by noticeably faster. The sigel sash plays a part as well.
Its a good staff and is definitely worth it.

Now that its possible to swap between the potency staff and the +2 casting time staff, I might start doing that.

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Originally Posted by InsideOut

Of course there is no reason for anyone to have problems using a potency build in or outside of abyssea. Thats why it is the universal playstyle.
Still, that doesn't change the fact that a -%cure casting build has an advantage in abyssea.
Curing faster allows for more time to do other things. From my experience, those 2-3 extra seconds of casting time matter. If someone is getting beatdown while you're casting haste,stoneskin,bar spell, or even curing, those 2-3 seconds matter. Its great to know that your next cure is going to go off like a quickcast. I think every whm has been there.

Potency is wasted in abyssea because most of the time you will be over curing. So if you're under curing you're playing it wrong. lack of MP and enmity gain should be of little concern.

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[regarding inside Abyssea] I agree with what you're saying, but you can't disagree that while potency doesn't help those "OSHI~" times, it certainly helps diminish the frequency those times come up. I only have +1 EA armor, and I think the best gear I have are the Serpentes gloves/boots and Surya's Cure Potency Staff +3. Not once have I ever encountered an "OSHI~" moment other than the mobs that have throat-stab like moves. And even then I'm quick enough to hit the appropriate macro to cure at about a little after the enemy's ability goes off.

With full potency on, your Cure IIIs could do a modest amount towards a base Cure IV, making even that beneficial to use if recast timers are all down on IV, V and VI (which it will usually never be that way, but even so). Give the Solace benefit from EA body+1/2, and you get a respectable 300-400 extra stoneskin to save an extra hit or two depending on the mob. It helps with reducing the need for cure spell casting over time, which alleviates the worry about casting/recast timers immensely. That allows for the standard casting times of other spells like Reraise, Banish, etc.

For the over-curing statement, if a person doesn't have the abyssites to increase the HP% from cruor buffs, maybe so. But if a WHM knew what they were doing, they can look at the amount of HP the player has, estimate what % that amount is to the player's total HP, and calculate quite simply which cure would be best to cast to recover enough HP to not over-cure. That all sounds a lot more scientific than it actually is, but that's the only way I can describe it. haha.

Again, each playstyle has its advantages and disadvantages, and each playstyle excels at one point while the other excels at the other. Both points call for a pretty good WHM if they know what they're doing, so neither way is the right or wrong way to play WHM. I'm just sticking up for potency's side because you claim cure casting is more important than potency, when I disagree with that statement ^^

Also, that's a good point with the casting time reduction staff +2.

Thanks.
I wear the AF3 body full-time with my -50% cure casting gear and I believe that is one of the motives for intentional overcuring. The solace stoneskin effect is based on how much HP you heal so,as long as there are no MP problems, casting cure4 or 5 to heal someone who needs 450HP is more appealing than casting cure3. You're right, that too gives a relief.

The best thing about a -cure casting build is not that you're curing fast enough to remedy an "OSHI~" moment. The build gives time to move on and do another task. But there are many abyssea NMs with massive HP killer moves so it does help to a be able to cure very fast.( especially in alliances)

I don't use any -casting gear outside of abyssea so ,yes, I am well aware of the differences. Potency is good because it can save MP when properly used. In abyssea, MP is much more plentiful and can seem endless.

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Heka's Kalasiris:
[Body] All Races
DEF:51 MND +17 Cure Potency +15%
"Cure" Spellcasting Time -15%
Adds: "Refresh" Effect
Sphere: Enhances "Fast Cast" Effect
Set: Enhances "Refresh" Effect
Lv. 95 WHM / BLM / RDM / BRD / SMN / PUP / SCH

The Refresh effect is 1MP/tick.

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SE knows whats up. ;) The refresh will go up to at least 2MP a tick with the set.

That actually looks more like a good RDM piece, imo. Very good if you don't have WHM Body +2 :D