GUPS 023

Abyssea, Abyssea, and more Abyssea. With the advent of the latest (and greatest) Abyssea installment, I cannot help but marvel how powerful the average player has become and how players have otherwise abandoned older events. While I will still pursue chances at earning a blue Hauberk, my main objectives are to keep my jobs leveled and up-to-date, and since I have a two-week vacation at the moment, I have decided to explore some new game content as well.















For the most part, I have devoted my time to clearing the Shinryu prerequisites, and currently, I stand at 8/9 Abyssea zone clears and 5/6 Caturae kills (only Rani and Cirein-croin remain undefeated). With any luck, I will discover a successful pick-up group for Rani, but good luck remains ever elusive as of late.

Other Stuff


















Picked up some new toys during my Abyssea zone clears...



















... as well as a heap of assorted Atma.






I also cleared the WotG missions, and originally, I chose the earring above as my final reward. However, after noticing the stats on the new Hecate's Earring, I immediately sought information on obtaining new augments.






By dumping your Moonshade Earring and touching the ??? near the Veridical Conflux in Grauberg [S], you can reset your mission log to the final WotG boss fight, and by clearing the fight once more, you can reselect your earring's augments. A special thanks goes out to the Blue Gartr forums for information regarding the reset.








Just finalized my ASA reward augments despite clearing the add-on over a year ago. I was constantly debating whether I wanted pet augments, "Primal Rend" stats, or movement speed for my mage jobs, but in the end, I decided on a new WS piece given the scarcity of BST MAB pieces.









Thanks to the new level cap and gear choices, I have been investing into pet items now that Accuracy is less of an issue. I suppose a pair of PDT or Evasion Axes would complement my new helmet nicely, but I probably will not get around to either until summer rolls around.






A trophy from one of my Caturae fights.


HQ Crafting Addenum







With the December update comes a new series of Crafting furnishings that supposedly increase one's Crafting skills from 106 to 107 -- just enough to bring the Cursed Hauberk recipe to tier 1!

Unfortunately, one needs high-level Synergy in order to craft the new furnishing, and regardless of whether a new tier exists, I have decided to start leveling Synergy and postpone crafting a Cursed Hauberk -1 until I have the abjuration.

Haubergeon +1 (Tier 1)
10) NQ 11) NQ 12) NQ 13) NQ 14) NQ 15) NQ 16) NQ 17) NQ 18) NQ 19) NQ 20) NQ
Hauberk +1 (Tier 1)8) NQ 9) HQ 10) NQ 11) NQ 12) NQ 13) NQ 14) NQ 15) NQ 16) NQ 17) NQ 18) NQ 19) NQ


Guttler Updates






Since I have postponed crafting a HQ Cursed Hauberk, most of my gil has been redirected into buying more L. Jadeshells or Fewell for Synergy. For now, I will focus on obtaining the base seventy coins required for my final stage and hope that I can obtain a loan for the last thirty.

Currently, I am working on Stage 4 -> 5 of my Guttler.

I have acquired:
[1/1] Ogre Killer
[1/1] Shard of Necropscyhe
[1/1] Runaeic Fragment
[8/100] Lungo-Nango Jadeshells

Gil towards next 100-unit currency (subject to change):
[???/1.1M] Lungo-Nango Jadeshell
Status: N/A


Crafting Status

Khelandros
[100/100] Fishing Skill
[80/100] Woodworking Skill
[54/60] Smithing Skill
[14/60] Goldsmithing Skill
[8/60] Bonecraft Skill
[8/60] Leathercraft Skill
[59/60] Cooking Skill

Cooking mule
[100/100] Cooking Skill

Smithing mule
[100/100] Smithing Skill
[60/60] Goldsmithing Skill
[39/60] Leathercraft Skill
[16/60] Bonecraft Skill
[60/60] Clothcraft Skill
[45/60] Woodworking Skill
[54/60] Alchemy Skill

Alchemy mule
[100/100] Alchemy Skill
[19/60] Goldsmithing Skill
[34/60] Smithing Skill
[16/60] Bonecraft Skill

Bonecraft mule
[40/100] Bonecraft Skill

GUPS 022

Once again, I struggle to find time for both blogging and homework, so without further ado, its time for another GUPS catch-up post! First on the list, I managed to obtain the Glyph Axe above from a pick-up group in early September. While I do plan on improving my weapon repertoire with some "Store TP" weapons, my BST will not receive new Axes any time soon.

Why would I prioritize my other jobs first, you might ask? I suppose the answer is not because I will be completing my Guttler soon, but rather, I wanted to eliminate my other goals off the bat so I could focus on BST afterward.

















That is, unless a cheap superweapon comes on sale first. This screenshot was taken a few months prior when I noticed an Axe with a Japanese text description. Although it was probably just an error, a D74 Axe for 10k gil is surely worth purchasing.

Other Stuff


















Byproducts from leveling my jobs to 85. I suppose merits are a dime a dozen nowadays thanks to Abyssea parties, but I have not finished acquiring them all just yet.








Thanks to the new CoP level cap, a BST can explore most old areas unhindered, and as a result, I can finally see where I am going in the Promyvions -- sort of. Of course, there were other motives for exploring the Promyvions...











... such as obtaining a Stone Gorget for my "Stoneskin" build. I suppose I picked up a new bow as an added bonus.












Procured the latest BST AF3 pieces as well; I will not attempt any upgrades until I know what is available at level 99.















Finally, another Abyssea pick-up run, this time for a second Lunar Abyssite. Our group was off to a shaky start after the PLD died, but we managed to recover and defeat Kukulkan nonetheless.


HQ Crafting Addendum

Haubergeon +1 (Tier 1)
9) NQ
Hauberk +1 (Tier 1)7) NQ
Cursed Hauberk -1 (Tier 0)
13) NQ


Guttler Updates












As mentioned in August, I now own a Stage 4 Axe, and while I would like to drive towards a Guttler from now on, I feel tempted to synthesize a Cursed Hauberk -1 first (again). While I am sure rational players would not blink an eye towards soon-to-be-outdated gear, I still cherish the blue hauberk sentimentally, so I have decided to settle the matter halfway.

Essentially, I hope to gather materials for fifty more attempts, and then I will leave the rest to luck. Should I be successful, I will either diverge gil from then on into purchasing the corresponding abjuration or directly into Guttler itself. If the attempts fails, then I will prioritize my Guttler first and toss all my gear desires on the back burner.

Either way, I hope to overcome one of my biggest goals at long last because I could really use a morale boost at this point.

Currently, I am working on Stage 4 -> 5 of my Guttler.

I have acquired:
[1/1] Ogre Killer
[1/1] Shard of Necropscyhe
[1/1] Runaeic Fragment
[3/100] Lungo-Nango Jadeshells


Gil towards next 100-unit currency (subject to change):
[???/1.2M] Lungo-Nango Jadeshell
Status: N/A


Crafting Status

Khelandros
[100/100] Fishing Skill
[80/100] Woodworking Skill
[54/60] Smithing Skill
[14/60] Goldsmithing Skill
[8/60] Bonecraft Skill
[8/60] Leathercraft Skill
[59/60] Cooking Skill

Cooking mule
[100/100] Cooking Skill

Smithing mule
[100/100] Smithing Skill
[60/60] Goldsmithing Skill
[39/60] Leathercraft Skill
[16/60] Bonecraft Skill
[60/60] Clothcraft Skill
[45/60] Woodworking Skill
[54/60] Alchemy Skill

Alchemy mule
[100/100] Alchemy Skill
[19/60] Goldsmithing Skill
[34/60] Smithing Skill
[16/60] Bonecraft Skill

Bonecraft mule
[40/100] Bonecraft Skill

Flight of the Lion

Warning: WotG spoilers below!

Click here for part four of the spoof series.
Click here for part six of the spoof series.















Back in Southern San d'Oria [S], the Royal Army musters its might for a showdown with the Shadow Lord, and among other pre-battle preparations, his Majesty's soldiers have decided to intoxicate themselves first. Unfortunately for them, the soldiers encroached on my favorite night club, and I was expecting a private show. Alright, listen up, everyone! The ladies can stay, but any man who cannot best me at a fistfight better --















Woah, these are your troops, Rage? I certainly did not expect to see you here! What do you mean you still do not recognize me? I met you, Portia, and Lilisette in this very tavern just the other day! It seems that Rage still denies ever meeting Lily and me, but speaking of which, has anyone seen Lily?















Nope, not on stage!















Not to my immediate left either.















Why there she is! After a brief conversation, I gleaned that no one in town could recall whom Lily was either and that she lost her dancing job as a result. I am sure this amnesia phenomenon traces back to Lady Lilith somehow.















But do not fret, Lily; I am sure we can jog our friends' memories if we stick around them long enough. Hey Rage, I do not suppose you could use a few mercenaries for tomorrow's battle? We can slice, dice, and even make Meat Mithkabobs!















So after much pleading and a long march, Lily and I found ourselves at an Allied strategy meeting the next day. Unfortunately for me, I barely crawled out of bed in time and subsequently angered Lily when I entered the meeting room half-dressed. Hey Lily, just mesmerize yourself with all the neat contraptions and persons gathered for this upcoming battle.















We have got an extremely detailed, strategic map of Xarcabard [S]!















Full sets of AFv2 armor and their corresponding relic weapons!















Captain "Rage" Bravo as Allied Commander!















And, and! Wait, just what the heck are those? Really, really cheap strategic markers?! Seriously, why could not Rage afford items that personified San d'Oria, Bastok, and Windurst properly, and why are not the Galkas in the vanguard? I suppose I should converse with Lily about our own battle preparations soon.















So after the meeting, I decided to find Lily and apologize for my earlier tardiness with a bouquet of strangely colored flowers. Thankfully, she was cliche enough to instantly forget the incident and divulged how she had just rendezvoused with one of Rage's comrades (in the future) for details on the upcoming battle.















Apparently, Rage and his team were to assassinate the Shadow Lord while his comrades distracted the enemy outside Castle Zvahl [S].















Somehow, a strange incident occurred while Rage's team stormed the stronghold, but nevertheless, Rage struck down the Shadow Lord. Gee, I wonder how Volker and Zeid ended up getting credit.















I sure hope the bad guys are not eavesdropping on our strategy; surely, that would create a fatal flaw!















So the next day, the Allied Forces coerced Lily and me to help dig a secret tunnel into Castle Zvahl Baileys [S]. Unfortunately, we ended up digging the most because there were mostly Tarutaru miners, but as luck would have it...















... these two Tarutarus from Team Bravo feigned sickness just after we finished the tunnel! With no further help available, Rage inducted Lily and me as substitutes, and with a dozen Shadow Lord victories under my belt, I was hoping for my own personal airship this time. Let us get going, Rage!















Like his future counterpart, the Shadow Lord employs only a handful of Demons to defend his keep. They will not last ten seconds against the might of Team Khel -- I mean Bravo!















So after dispatching the guards, Team Bravo (or maybe it was just Lily and me) decided to ransack the fortress like any other would-be swashbucklers. Now let us see what is behind door number one!















Oh noes, purple badass dead ahead! Oh, and Portia. Do I hear wedding bells all of a sudden?















Do you, Sir Douchebag-a-lot, take this naive girl that your friend seduced to be your lawfully wedded wife? And do you, Portia Surname-I-know-not, take this vile swordsman to save your friend's life? If there are no objections, I now pronounce you husband and -- wait, what is that Rage? "Over my dead body!" he says!















Looks like Haudrale and his companions will not let us escape without a fight.















And he just rendered Portia unconscious somehow!















Not you too, Rage! This does not look good; I have forgotten to bring Snippy of all times! Somebody safeguard me from impending DOOM!















Great timing, Noillurie! It appears Rage's sexy nurse heard my plea and simply devastated Haudrale's Demon friends in response!















She even put Haudrale on the run after only clashing blades! Say um, Noillurie, I do not suppose Rage has spare relic weapons lying around? Liabelle deserves a new katana, and I could use a break from funding a relic weapon myself! Well, in any case, let us get the wounded back to safety.















OH MY GOD, what happened outside? Can anyone hear me? Are there any survivors out there?! I sure hope this battlefield does not turn into a zombie apocalypse or something.















Over there! It looks like a few stragglers are in deep trouble. Hopefully, we can rescue a few and discover the details behind this massacre.

HQ Crafting

Good morning, readers. I have had neither the time nor mood to play FFXI much lately, so I have opted to focus what little time I have had into finishing some Magian trials and hunting Southern Pearls in tandem.

Although I would like to create a Cursed Hauberk -1 someday, I feel that my current endeavors (along with my results at creating a Haubergeon+1 and Hauberk+1) suggest this might never happen. As such, I will postpone synthesizing Cursed Hauberks for now (although I will still be collecting Southern Pearls), and future attempts at HQing all three items below will be listed in new GUPS posts first and then appended here.

Legend:
Fail -- Failed Synthesis
NQ -- Normal Quality
HQ -- High Quality






Haubergeon +1 (Tier 1)
1) NQ 2) NQ 3) NQ 4) Fail 5) NQ 6) NQ 7) NQ 8) NQ 9) NQ 10) NQ 11) NQ 12) NQ 13) NQ 14) NQ 15) NQ 16) NQ 17) NQ 18) NQ 19) NQ 20) NQ






Hauberk +1 (Tier 1)
1) NQ 2) NQ 3) NQ 4) Fail 5) HQ 6) NQ 7) NQ 8) NQ 9) HQ 10) NQ 11) NQ 12) NQ 13) NQ 14) NQ 15) NQ 16) NQ 17) NQ 18) NQ 19) NQ








Cursed Hauberk -1 (Tier 0)
1) Fail 2) NQ 3) Fail 4) NQ5) NQ 6) NQ 7) Fail 8) NQ 9) NQ 10) NQ
11) NQ 12) NQ 13) NQ 14) NQ 15) Fail 16) NQ 17) NQ 18) NQ 19) NQ 20) NQ 21) NQ 22) Fail 23) NQ 24) Fail 25) NQ 26) Fail 27) NQ 28) NQ 29) NQ 30) NQ 31) NQ 32) NQ 33) NQ 34) NQ 35) NQ 36) Fail 37) NQ 38) NQ 39) Fail 40) HQ 41) Fail 42) NQ 43) NQ 44) Fail 45) NQ 46) NQ 47) Fail 48) Fail 49) NQ 50) NQ 51) NQ 52) NQ 53) Fail 54) NQ 55) NQ 56) NQ 57) HQ 58) NQ 59) NQ 60) NQ 61) NQ 62) NQ 63) HQ 64) Fail 65) Fail 66) NQ 67) NQ 68) NQ 69) NQ 70) NQ 71) NQ 72) NQ 73) NQ 74) Fail 75) Fail 76) NQ 77) NQ 78) NQ 79) NQ







Cursed Mufflers -1 (Tier 1) [New]
1) NQ 2) NQ 3) NQ 4) Fail 5) NQ 6) NQ 7) NQ 8) NQ 9) NQ 10) NQ 11) NQ 12) Fail 13) HQ