Jack Of All Trades: A Guide To Red Mage

ur a champ shadow <3

May I ask why you are using Frazzle 2 instead of Frazzle 3?

To land Frazzle III in full potency gear.

You use frazzle 2 in max magic accuracy set and then overwrite with 3 for max potency. Given some targets are highly evasive, using frazzle 2 gives you a chunk bit of macc to land 3 after.

Ahh ok good call. Somewhat new to the RDM scene so ty for the explanation <3.

Bump <3

hey yall,

Ive been outta the game for about a year. Tryin to farm some Odyssee for Hide drops atm.

Was wondering what seems to be the best UNM upgrades for RDM atm.
If im gonna sink any amount of time into this grind I wanna hook up my RDM over anything else.

My RDM is damn well geared but I feel like a few items in that big *** list of Augments are prime for RDM but cant make sense of it all at this time.

any help would be huge, thanks.

Edit: I usually use Crocea mainhand and Taurat Offhand when I melee uless I need to savageblade then Neagling mainhand.

https://www.ffxiah.com/node/349

Boshi WRU?!

Seems like it's been a good bit since RDM Magic Burst sets were really discussed, so I played a bit with the magic damage formula to come up with a set using DW Maxentius/Daybreak: ItemSet 375921

Total MBB is +80% (+34 MBB I, +35 MBB II, +7 Job Trait, +4 Maxentius Bonus(added to MBB I).

If bursting off a 2nd+ skillchain, it would be +82% MBB total(capped due Maxentius's MB Bonus being MBB I).

The feet can be swapped with Amalric Nails +1 for a bit more damage, but at the cost of 23 MACC.

If not using Maxentius, the feet should be swapped with Jhakri Pigaches +2 to make up the lost MBB I.

I haven't tried testing the set in any spreadsheets besides the one i made, and sadly I'm missing some of the tougher pieces(Ea+1 and Alex/Odin pieces) so can't really test it out in-game this point...has anyone tried a set like this out??

The set you posted has at least 38% MBBI, you forgot to take into account Maxentius' special effect.
It's at least 4% MBBI, growing up according to the number of steps used to create a SC.
Tipically we're talking about 2 steps SCs, so it's 4% MBBI bonus.

Magic Bursts also give a pretty considerable amount of macc to the magicbursted spell.
It's not extreme but it's pretty noticeable.
Can't disregard macc because of that, but at the same time I'm not sure I would use Ulrr over other options (Pempredo and R15 Ghastly, I guess?)

Not sure how I would improve your set.
Amalric+1 body would be a nice contender with the Setbonus, but then you'd lose the MBB. Could compensate for the tier1 but clearly no chance to compensate the tier2.
Jhakri Feet +2 would allow you to cap MBB1, but it would give you more than you need and honestly they have worse stats compared to Viti+3
Locus Ring would also help you to (over)cap MBB1, but would it be worth it the loss of stats from Freke?

Could swap Neck/Ring1/Feet to Baetyl/Locus/Jhakri+2 to reach the perfect number of 40MBB1 but I think damage is gonna be lower than the set you posted, so not worth it.
I guess staying at 38% with your set is probably the best damage option after all?

Cool, Locus Ring is a good 5 MBB I option I didn't know about!

Come to think of it, Jhakri Ring in place of Freke would also bring the set from +38 to exactly +40 MBB I and even has a bit of MACC/MAB. You'd still be losing 5 MAB and 10 int vs. Freke ring but it should end up pretty close to even on damage I would think.

Another nice thing going back to Locus Ring--wearing it in place of Freke actually caps the MBB I of this set at 40, even if using NQ EA Hat/Body/Legs, so it makes a nice long-term placeholder until you're willing to part with the gil for the HQs.

Did some magic burst testing on Apex crabs. AAEV, Ulmia and Yoran-Oran trusts, max Gain-INT. Self SC CDC>CDC>Light>Thunder V, no weather/neutral day. Only have NQ Ea, here's the set I used:
ItemSet 375949
Amalric hands/feet path D, Cape INT +30/Mag. Acc +20 Mag. Dmg. +20/Mag. Att. Bonus +10

First, MB Test set vs Locus ring swapped in instead of Freke
MB Test: 57001
Locus: 56922
Got the same results 3 crabs in a row.

Next, MB Test vs Vitiation Boots +3 instead of Amalric Nails +1
MB Test: 57001
Vitiation Boots +3: 55326

Third, MB Test vs R15 Metamorph Ring +1 instead of Freke
MB Test: 57467
Metamorph Ring +1: 57041

Lastly, MB Test vs Jhakri Ring instead of Freke and Jhakri Feet +2 instead of Amalric Nails +1
MB Test: 56609
Jhakri Ring/Feet: 53655

Edit: Forgot to add in Maxentius MB bonus on last test totals and was way overcapped on MB bonus damage, therefore Jhakri ring was doing basically nothing. Added one more test with just Jhakri Pigaches +2 swapped in
MB Test: 56609
Jhakri Pigaches +2: 54963

Looks like Mujin/Locus ring combo are not very far behind Freke/Mujin. Metamorph Ring is also a good contender.

Also did some testing a week ago with NQ Ea Pigaches. Don't have the numbers handy, but they were about 5k damage behind MB test set. They are so bad in fact that NQ Jhakri Pigaches beat them out.

EDIT: Updated with part 2 of testing

Jhakri Ring instead of Freke Ring
MB Test: 57467
Jhakri Ring: 56793

Some extra testing:
NQ Ea Pigaches instead of Amalric Nails +1
MB Test: 56609
Ea Pigaches: 51733

NQ Jhakri Pigaches vs NQ Ea Pigaches
Jhakri Pigaches: 52107
Ea Pigaches: 51733

I see no MB test vs Jhakri ring in place of Freke.
That swap would put you at exactely 40% MBB1.

Bit surprised by Amalric+1 feet winning so much over Vitiation+3.
Sure there's +20 MAB from the Set bonus with the hands.
I mean I was expecting Amalric to win, but not by that much honestly, it's almost 2000 damage more, wtf.

Rest of the results is pretty much what I expected, minus the Jhakri vs Freke which alas you didn't test.

My apologies, it was late and I was tired. I dropped Jahkri and Locus rings when I was done. It didn't occur to me to test Jhakri ring vs Freke. I'll have to wait until Ambuscade resets to get another Jhakri ring. I'll update everyone and the above post when I eventually retest.

My expectation is for Jhakri Ring to be very very close to Freke.
To the point of making the choice of one or another pretty inconsequential but hey, I'll be glad to be proven wrong, just like on Amalric+1 vs Viti+3 boots. I surely wasn't expecting such a huge difference there.

(I'm not gonna buy Amalric+1 regardless because of Inventory+1 troubles, but it's good to know for people who have both already I guess!)

You can send to mules the amalric so thats not an inventory issue.

I still call that an inventory issue when I need to log on a mule then back on my char each time I want to swap from a job to another.
But I guess that's personal standards/habits/whatever lol

I think the big difference between Amalric Nails +1 and Vitiation Boots +3 comes down to not only the set bonus Amalric has, but also the +20 magic damage (if BG wiki is correct) it has over any of the other options.

Oh right, it's +20 and not +11, still that shouldn't be such a big deal for high tier nukes like Thunder V though, otherwise Mallquis+2 wouldn't have been mostly ignored since its release, no? (for non-bursted nukes I mean)

This is the first I've heard of that... and upon closer examination... I have questions.

17 MAB advantage on Amalric is pretty significant even when they lose 9 INT (which the probably break even or even overcome with +20 magic damage). Not sure how you not expected them doing "much" more damage.

If anything I was expecting them winning more lol. They are only 3% ahead based on Argisto's numbers. To diminish 17mab to only give 3% more damage, you need over 400MAB and if im not highly mistaken, this set before set bonus has exactly a little over 400mab total.

I expected them to win undoubtely.
I didn't expect the difference being as large as ~2000 damage but smaller.

I wasn't factoring the 11 (20!) mdmg though, I was just considering the lower INT and higher Mab.
Mdmg completely skipped my sight.

It's not the mdmg tho. Its that mab that causes it.
Also its not 2000, its 1675 and it still might be a big number on its own, but not in comparison to 55326 damage. Its only a 3% gain.

If you're talking relatively sure, I was if course talking in absolute terms.

Mdmg might not be the key but a difference is a difference, it probably outbalances the INT loss, just like you said.
I completely skipped that, so the INT difference was there and produced smaller numbers in my mind, hence my unexpected surprise.

I dunno Simon, we can keep arguing if you want, it won't change what happened. Should I get on my knees and beg Mr. Simon for forgiveness because of my expectations? xD

Do you feel the need of doing that? XD

Joking aside, I understand what you mean. I have a habit of crunching numbers in my head even when Im eyeballing something, so my eyeballing usually ends up more like a mix of math and gut feels, so Im less likely to be surprised by serious math/test results later. Im still surprised from time to time tho. Like for example in DRK thread, I tho my crit/pdl build on Apoc sacrificing 15%DA will be much closer on white damage and it's actually 30%+ more white damage DPS, which was really surprising.

I'd just like to point out that R15 Ghastly Tathlum beats Pemphredo Tathlum for all tiers of nukes, Magic Burst or not, regardless of D INT.

What about for magic weaponskills?

Magic Weaponskills won't all be replaced by an INT ammo. Seraph Blade for example, has no d stat & no INT modifier.

Thanks for doing the testing Argisto! I actually was predicting between 1-3% more damage with Amalric Nails +1 depending on which Tier V nuke used and dINT range, so that's right on the money. :)

Based on a little Aero V/Thunder V D calculator I made, the Ghastly Tathlum's Magic Damage +21, Int +11 would contribute between 2.6 to 5.1% more damage with Thunder V and 2.7 to 6.7% more damage with Aero V(most contribution being when dINT is between 0-50). Comparison is to having nothing in ammo slot.

That should def. beat Pemphredo. It would help even more with the "weaker" elements such as Stone V.

I personally kinda like full-timing Ullr though :(


The Jhakri Pigaches +2 should be more useful if not using Maxentius, with Maxentius i think you were only getting 5 out of the 7 MBB the shoes have(going from 35 MBB I to 40). I think not using Maxentius would mainly be if you're wanting to burst Aero V with Marin Staff +1/Enki Strap. Though i would be curious to know if Maxentius/Daybreak still wins with Aero V too.