Beastmaster's weapon?

[Kranel_San]

Depends.

If the devs want to stay consistent with Bozja BST, as well as being faithful to FFXI BST iteration, then they'd go with a one-handed axe and one shield as a weapon(A new job finally utilizing shields instead of it being exclusively for Gladiators/Paladins)

If the devs want to entertain the clubbing community, as well as being faithful to FFV BST iteration, then they'd go with the whip as a weapon.

[SilverObi]

It would be interesting if they were given whips or bells but as others have said the precedent has been set in Bozja with them being axe/shield wielders. So I could easily see them being statless materia sticks just like BLU's canes with a small handful of BST-themed designs. And if one of them tickles a PLD player's fancy then oh well guess they need to level and play BST just like BLM/WHM don't get the unique models BLU does.

[Elkanah]

If it's releasing on the xi expansion- theyll probably stick it as axe and shield. Left field would be staff (situationally in xi)

[Chasingstars]

Dunno what happen they got in mind. Could be a shield + one-handed axe, which would be amazing if they gave even one more job a secondary weapon as right now the only one who really cares about it is paladin.

[RitsukoSonoda]

Well... if they go the same route with BST like they did with BLU which basically made their "weapon" pretty much nothing but a glamour stick... maybe BST will equip petfood... XD

[Heroman3003]

Someone already stated it but so far every beastmaster in the game has been shown wielding an axe and shield. However, one counter argument I have seen about it is that the weapons are the empire's take on it, and that the job we play as would use different weapons.

I am curious what we will end up getting, and if it is the expected axe and shield how it would play differently from Blue Mage. Alternatively, a whip weapon could be fun but likely a pain to try and animate it. I recall seeing another person mention how the handle of the whip might look different between designs but the whip part would remain the same.

I imagine that weapon will be completely irrelevant and job will entirely play like Blue Mage does, just with summoned beasts instead of directly using magic.

[Hasrat]

On the contrary, the very simple solution to making BST an axe+shield job would to just let them directly use the same shields that PLD already has. Some are already shared between PLD and mages at lower levels, so they don't have to be linked to the job.

PLD shields come with tank stats. Unless BST gets billed as a "limited tank" job in the sense that BLU is limited DPS, I just don't see it happening. Even if it does turn out to be tank-statted, I'd be more inclined to expect more BLU treatment of "weapons are pure glams."

No, I think, much like the SMN/SCH split, they'd really rather avoid creating more work for themselves with another main/off-hand split.

[Iscah]

PLD shields come with tank stats. Unless BST gets billed as a "limited tank" job in the sense that BLU is limited DPS, I just don't see it happening. Even if it does turn out to be tank-statted, I'd be more inclined to expect more BLU treatment of "weapons are pure glams."

Well, the Bozjan beastmasters do wear tank gear...

It could be a really interesting approach to make tenacity do something useful for beastmaster? Then the materia might stop being regarded at total junk.

Or if they want to go the glamour route, maybe they can even make it so shields can be equipped but don't actually affect stats.

[Chasingstars]

PLD shields come with tank stats. Unless BST gets billed as a "limited tank" job in the sense that BLU is limited DPS, I just don't see it happening. Even if it does turn out to be tank-statted, I'd be more inclined to expect more BLU treatment of "weapons are pure glams."

No, I think, much like the SMN/SCH split, they'd really rather avoid creating more work for themselves with another main/off-hand split.

Well, the Bozjan beastmasters do wear tank gear...

It could be a really interesting approach to make tenacity do something useful for beastmaster? Then the materia might stop being regarded at total junk.

Or if they want to go the glamour route, maybe they can even make it so shields can be equipped but don't actually affect stats.

As a blue, I would appreciate if they were billed as a limited tank. As unless they rework aetherical mimicry to make you be treated as a tank for boss mechanics while you are mimicing a tank, it would be certainly better than currently playing diamondback pinball with the tankbusters.

[Nestama]

I can't really see them being a tank, to be honest. I see them more of a support DPS of sorts (but their support only going to their monsters. Kinda like how SMN used to have Rouse, Spur and Sustain).