A New Beginning

Well, it seems like we were here just a few years ago. My old character can't be reactivated so I was able to get a new one from my buddy Lance. This one was started as a melee character. I had always wanted to play a melee character but never really got around to it. If I ever did go melee, RNG is what I would have chosen because (like BLM) they can cause massive damage and (like BLM) they aren't a front-line job so it's also a strategic job as well. So when Lance told me his main was RNG, I was quite excited. Let me introduce you to my new character:

Ultrabum



When I took control of the character the jobs were 75RNG, 60NIN, 54BLM, 45BST, 37WHM, 37RDM, 37DRK, 37SAM, 37WAR. Other jobs like BRD, COR, PLD, DRG etc are somewhere between 10 and 17. The RNG is fairly well equipped with Suzaku's Sune-Ate, Seiryu's Kote, Crimson Finger Gauntlets, AF2 HEad/Legs/Feet, OBow, Suppanomimi... It still needs Selene's or Vali's as well as better neck, waist, and rings... but I'm a perfectonist so that's not saying much.

First on my plate was to start getting my BLM AF so I started soloing Goblin Leeches in Gustav Tunnel to 54. Then I moved to Pso'Xja where I really started to hit my stride. Freeze when the Goblin Veterenarian's back is turned. If it doesn't one-shot the pet bat then a quick Blizzard spell finishes the bat off. I got some REALLY good XP here, even without the Emperor Band.










Soon after hitting 56 I headed out as RNG to get my coffers. Unfortunetly I had NIN AF hands quest started so I had to complete that 1st before starting the BLM hands. I needed an Ifrit's Cauldron Coffer Key and after an hour of even a few deaths... I finally got to see this:


I headed out to Xarc and towards Dark Spark's spawn location. I read up and did my homework on how to solo him. I cleared the two Kindred by the spawn loaction to get my 300% TP. Then I used Velocity Shot, popped Dark Spark, unloaded a full Slug Shot, then a Barrage and a sleep bolt. I made sure I always had shaows up since DS can double attack and cast Bio 3 on you which really does some damage over time. I alternated Sleep Bolts with Holy Bolts to get me to another 300% Slug Shot, then uloaded on him again. I think he went down after the third time of that strat.



I got those Ninja Tekko out of the way and headed out to The Garlaige Citadel. Sure enough, first kill dropped the coffer key and I was able to get it past the 3rd Banishing Gate. To my surprise, I exited out to the Champaigne and found this:



Back in the day (circa 2005) I remember how our camping would consist of camping Simurgh and Roc on a daily basis. A quick check of FFXIAH showed why he wasn't camped like he used to be. Seems that Crimson Blade, which used to be worth tons, now it's worth no more than 10k. The other drop is the Rare/EX Dryad Staff which is pretty darn nice for a leveling WHM. MP+50 and Cure+10% but you can't sell it.

I headed through the Maw and headed towards Windhurst [S]. Seeing Roc was a bit of a surprise but then I came across this little fella



Dark Ixion... just roaming around, unclaimed. I gotta tell ya, being a past BLM I saw the stats for that Ixion Cloak

and I was shocked. Even though the head slot is taken up... this piece looks like it almost breaks BLM... Almost everything a BLM could ever dream about is on that Cloak. You get INT, Magic Acc, Refresh. The only thing not in there is MAB like a Weskit would have but you could always macro that in for a MB.

I eventually made it back to Dark Spark but died 3 times for some unknown reason. I deleveled and was just over 4k tnl. I started soloing in the Undersea Ruins but that took alot of time, ammo, and shadows. I eventually spent a few hours doing Beseiged and after 3 wins I got my level back. I did get a little over-zealous at times though, and this isn't really something you want to see

yeah... he hits HARD.

I went back in to Pso'Xja and got BLM to 57. My next camp would be either Newton Movopolis or West Sarutabaruta [S] and that should get me to 60BLM. I ended my week doing a quest to get this stupid Retrace scroll which people are paying 140k for. I have to run to Windy in the past, then Giddeus in the present, then Windy in the past, then Castle Oztroja in the past and finally back to Windy in the past.

In an uneventful end to the week, I camped something I haven't to in a while. Hoo Mjuu the Torrent. I was only there because I was doing the Retrace quest and remembered where his camp was. After 30 minutes he finally popped, I got claim, but I didn't get the signa.