Advanced Mule Tactics

As some of you might be aware, I happen to have many Crafting mules at my disposal, so today's post explores the use and benefits of elite mules.



















Treasure Coffers

Have you ever tried soloing a coffer in The Eldieme Necropolis? Those of you who are familiar with the area know that the center room requires at least one other to access, and this is where leveling a mule comes in handy. By moving your mule to a switch and logging your character by one of the center doors, you can bypass the need for a second person and solo Eldieme coffers with ease!



















Logging Advantages

Although high-level mules can be a useful asset for any H.E.L.M. activity, Logging benefits the most by far. Why, you ask? It just so happens that Logging points are generally in one of four clusters on any given map, and each cluster tends to be distant from the other three. By positioning a mule in each cluster, you can log in and out to minimize your traveling time, especially in areas such as Fort Karugo-Narugo [S].

For those of you who are curious about the Logging rates in Fort Karugo-Narugo [S], I have decided to post my data below:

Hatchets Used: 117
Time elapsed: ~2 days

Logging Results

1. Bird Eggs: 82 (10.9%)
2. Bird Feathers: 126 (16.7%)
3. Cactus Stems: 17 (2.3%)
4. Dragon Fruits: 132 (17.5%)
5. Holy Waters: 202 (26.8%)
6. Nopales: 194 (25.8%)

Crafting Perks

The Mithra above is actually Cooking Mule, and for her final Cooking recipe, I had to choose between either Red Curry or Cursed Soup. Of the two, the former is very expensive ingredient-wise, but the latter requires Royal Jelly, an EX ingredient. Although a level 1 mule would have no chance whatsoever at farming Royal Jellies, I accidentally leveled Cooking Mule's NIN to 57 -- thinking I would need a Hocho -- and immediately put it to good use.














Finally, mules can store event goodies that would normally clog a main character's inventory. For example, one of my mules won three rank 5 prizes from this year's Mog Bonanza, so I opted for a statue collection instead of exp scrolls.

Scrapbook Collection, Page 3

As a byproduct of my latest events, I now have plenty of side stories to share, and for starters, my BLM can now destroy most IT mobs with ease. The Wamoura above was brought down in four or five nukes, and with 283 Enfeebling Magic skill, I had no troubles putting it to "Sleep."















For the most part, my new LS has focused on Sea and ZNM events, and of the two, the latter has certainly provided more booty per kill. Moreover, I am also happy that I can go BST to select ZNMs, like above, and as you can tell, my pet can really dish out some damage.















Although my new LS also attempts Ground Kings, we have been outclaimed by Chroma constantly as of late, and as such, some of us have been rather bitter (including yours truly).















Above, I managed to agro an Orc during one of my Campaign battles, but luckily for me, I noticed there happened to be a Belfry close by.















By luring the Orc to the Belfry, the tide turned in my favor as an increasing number of Royal Bannerets started pounding on the Orc. It was not long before the Orc was defeated, so always stay acute to your Campaign surroundings.















Quest: Babban Ny Mheillea
A definite favorite of mine. Enter the body of a Mandragora traveler, and explore the original Zilart areas with Babban and her friends.















Quest: Beast From the East
Her name is Areuhat, and this quest lets you meet her in person. You even get to witness her Wyrm transformation, and aside from her special model and mysterious past, her ears also twitch up and down!















Quest: Honor Under Fire
The latest WotG quests keep up the hype, and in particular, I found the Bastokan quests to be quite riveting thanks to the constant treachery in the republic.















Quest: The Long March North
On the other hand, the latest Windurstian quests were almost as good story-wise, but the fights were a lot tougher. For this quest, one must defeat four Demons and the NM above, and to make things tricky, the NM rages over time. I managed to clear the quest with the help of a BLM, THF, BRD, and two RDMs, but it was not easy without a tank.















I have also been hunting Brass Borer for a Lion Tamer, but currently, I am now 0/4 on the Axe. For now, I will be giving up to focus on Dragonscaled Bugaal Ja instead, but I plan on returning to this NM someday.















Above, I got too close to a Goblin mine and took battle damage while riding my Chocobo. I wonder if this means I could die on a Chocobo as well?













Finally, here are my numbers for the upcoming Mog Bonanza, taken straight out of a random number generator. Are they truly random?

GUPS 017

Helloooooooo, readers! I am still alive (just barely), so it is time for a giant recap of recent events. Following the outline in my last GUPS post, I have been leveling new jobs and improving existing ones, but I have also made some progress towards obtaining my Guttler.

Other Stuff

New Non-Rare/EX goodies
Ninja: Bat Cape, Velocity Earring, Scorpion Harness, Jujitsu Gi, Silk Headband +1,
White Mage: Noble's Tunic, Blessed Mitts, Blessed Trousers, Blessed Pumps
Black Mage: Bugard Strap +1, Antivenom Earring, Snow Ring x2, (Dark, Elemental, and Enfeebling Torque), (Apollo's, Pluto's, Vulcan's, Auster's, Terra's, and Neptune's Staff)
Red Mage: Red Cape +1
Beastmaster: Corsette +1, Melody Earring +1 x2, Light Ring x2, Tsar's Egg















I would like to take some time to acknowledge the goldsmith who crafted the Tsar's Egg above. Spikage was willing to trade me his unsigned egg for the materials to HQ a signed egg for himself. We ended up going 1/1 on the signed item, but since I had enough materials for three attempts, we decided to try twice more.

Unfortunately, we ended up getting a NQ and failed synthesis result after the first, so be very happy if you have ever bought a Tsar's Egg from the AH. Overall, I spent around 500k per synthesis.

Furnishings
Exemplar: 9-Drawer Almirah x3
Cooking mule: Green 9-Drawer Almirah x4
Smithing mule: Bookshelf x4
Alchemy mule: 9-Drawer Almirah x4, Star Globe x4
Bonecraft mule: 9-Drawer Almirah x4, Star Globe x4

New Rare/EX goodies












Since there were so many new items, I decided to bunch them all together, and for the most part, these past few weeks have been otherwise dedicated to perfecting my BLM. Moreover, I have finally collected enough Sea organs for the three important Elemental Obis.

I also picked up a Yovra Organ to finish my Soil Gorget, won a free-lot Homam Zucchetto during my last Proto-Omega run, and obtained a pet piece from the new add-on scenario. If you are wondering why I did not select Accuracy and "Double Attack"/Critical Hit Rate, it is because I find those stats less beneficial than having more Attack.











My less stellar ACP rewards.



















My wardrobe widget might have revealed some of these items in advance, but yes, I have finally collected a full Askar set. Let me tell you now that I put a lot of effort into procuring this set and that much drama occurred over some of these pieces.
















New merits, new WSs, and the completion of Nyzul Isle Investigation. Aside from INT merits, I now have a fully-merited BLM at my disposal, and with my new gear and merits, I feel confident at soloing even VT/IT mobs.












Finally, I got revenge on Unut for killing me twice in a previous post. She is not very durable by any means, but failing a pet swap can prove fatal thanks to her high "Double and Triple Attack" rate. No Luna Subligar today it seems.

Guttler Updates
So, I have just leveled my WHM to 75, and in addition, I have also reached level 57 NIN on Cooking mule. Unfortunately, leveling NIN proved unnecessary because I miscalculated whether a Hocho would increase my HQ rate on a particular recipe, but on the bright side, I am now able to farm the Royal Jelly needed for Cooking mule's final recipe.

Since I have not got around to leveling my RDM, NIN, or subjobs yet, let us take a look at my Guttler progress instead.





I managed to buy the Attestation above, for 3M gil, from a mercenary LS led by Vinner of Asura. We ended up going 1/1 on the drop; however, I am somewhat disappointed that two other LSs cancelled their Attestation runs on me and that I paid six times their asking price to Vinner.

Currently, I am negotiating a similar deal for my Fragment because:

a) The LS I originally hired in April failed to kill my Fragment NM, and...
b) They feel they do not have enough members in general.







Picked up some cheap One Hundred Byne Bills that were on sale. Not going to do anything major until I finish leveling new crafts.

Currently, I am working on Stage 3 -> 4 of my Guttler.

I have acquired:
[1/1] Dynamis Axe
[1/1] Attestation of Bravery
[4/60] One Hundred Byne Bills

Gil towards next 100-unit currency (subject to change):
[0/600k] One Hundred Byne Bill
Status: N/A


Crafting Status

Exemplar
[100/100] Fishing Skill
[78/100] Woodworking Skill
[20/60] Smithing Skill
[13/60] Goldsmithing Skill
[7/60] Bonecraft Skill
[38/60] Cooking Skill

Cooking mule
[22/50] Fishing Skill
[70/100] Cooking Skill (+35)

Smithing mule
[11/50] Fishing Skill
[28/100] Smithing Skill
[19/60] Goldsmithing Skill
[35/60] Leathercraft Skill
[7/60] Bonecraft Skill

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

Bonecraft mule
[30/100] Bonecraft Skill

Khelandros' Status

This entry denotes my progress on completed jobs, crafts, missions, and quests.

Missions:
San d'Oria: 10, No current mission.
Bastok: 10, No current mission.
Windurst: 10, No Current mission.
Zilart: 18, The Last Verse
CoP: 8-5, The Last Verse
ToAU: 48, Eternal Mercenary
Assault: Captain
WotG: 54, Lest We Forget
ACP: A Crystalline Prophecy (Fin.)
AMK: A Moogle Kupo d'Etat (Fin.)
ASA: A Shantotto Ascension (Fin.)


Quests: (Incomplete)

San d'Oria:

Bastok:

Windurst:

Jeuno:

Other Areas:
A Moral Manifest?

Outlands:

Aht Urghan:
An Imperial Heist
Royal Painter Escort

Crystal War:

Abyssea:
The Angling Armorer
Aqua Puraga
Cookbook of Hope Restoring
Soil and Green
Frozen Flame Redux
A Moonlight Requite

Quests: (Complete)

San d'Oria:
A Sentry's Peril
Waters of the Cheval
Rosel the Armorer
The Pickpocket
Father and Son
The Seamstress
The Dismayed Customer
The Trader in the Forest
The Sweetest Things
The Vicasque's Sermon
A Squire's Test
Grave Concerns
The Brugaire Consortium
Lizard Skins
Flyers for Regine
Gates to Paradise
A Squire's Test II
To Cure a Cough
Tiger's Teeth
Undying Flames
A Purchase of Arms
A Knight's Test
The Medicine Woman
Black Tiger Skins
Growing Flowers
The General's Secret
The Rumor
Her Majesty's Garden
Introduction to Teamwork
Intermediate Teamwork
Advanced Teamwork
Grimy Signposts
A Job for the Consortium
Trouble at the Sluice
The Merchant's Bidding
Unexpected Treasure
Blackmail
The Setting Sun
Distant Loyalties
The Rivalry
Starting a Flame
Fear of the Dark
Warding Vampires
Sleepless Nights
Lufet's Lake Salt
Healing the Land
Sorcery of the North
The Crimson Trial
Enveloped in Darkness
Peace for the Spirit
Messenger from Beyond
Prelude of Black and White
Pieuje's Decision
The Holy Crest
Eco-Warrior
Souls in Shadow
A Taste for Meat
Exit the Gambler
Old Wounds
Escort for Hire (San d'Oria)
A Discerning Eye (San d'Oria)
A Timely Visit
Fit for a Prince
Over the Hills and Far Away
Signed in Blood
Tea with a Tonberry?
Spice Gals
Lure of the Wildcat (San d'Oria)
Atelloune's Lament
Thick Shells
Forest for the Trees
Trial-Size Trial by Ice
Trial by Ice

Bastok:
The Siren's Tear
Beauty and the Galka
Welcome to Bastok
Guest of Hauteur
The Quadav's Curse
Out of One's Shell
Hearts of Mythril
The Eleventh's Hour
Shady Business
A Foreman's Best friend
Breaking Stones
The Cold Light of Day
Gourmet
The Elvaan Goldsmith
A Flash in the Pan
Smoke on the Mountain
Stamp Hunt
Forever to Hold
Till Death Do Us Part
Fallen Comrades
Rivals
Mom, the Adventurer?
The Signpost Marks the Spot
Past Perfect
Stardust
Mean Machine
Cid's Secret
The Usual
Blade of Darkness
Father Figure
The Return of the Adventurer
Drachenfall
Vengeful Wrath
Beadeaux Smog
The Curse Collector
Fear of Flying
The Wisdom of Elders
Groceries
The Bare Bones
Minesweeper
The Darksmith
Buckets of Gold
The Stars of Ifrit
Love and Ice
Brygid the Stylist
The Gustaberg Tour
Bite the Dust
Blade of Death
Silence of the Rams
Altana's Sorrow
A Lady's Heart
The Doorman
The Talekeeper's Truth
The Talekeeper's Gift
Dark Legacy
Dark Puppet
Blade of Evil
Ayame and Kaede
A Test of True Love
Lovers in the Dusk
Wish Upon a Star
Eco-Warrior
The Weight of Your Limits
Inheritance
Escort for Hire (Bastok)
A Discerning Eye (Bastok)
Faded Promises
Brygid the Stylist Returns
Out of the Depths
A Question of Faith
Return to the Depths
Teak Me to the Stars
Hyper Active
The Naming Game
All by Myself
Chips
Bait and Switch
Lure of the Wildcat (Bastok)
Too Many Chefs
A Proper Burial
Fully Mental Alchemist
Synergistic Pursuits
The Wondrous Whatchamacallit
Trial-Size Trial by Earth
Trial by Earth

Windurst:
In a Pickle
A Pose by Any Other Name
Acting in Good Faith
Say It with Flowers
Hat in Hand
A Feather in One's Cap
Making Headlines
Scooped!
Glyph Hanger
Early Bird Catches the Bookworm
Chasing Tales
A Smudge on One's Record
Food for Thought
Overnight Delivery
Water Way to Go!
Blue Ribbon Blues
Toraimarai Turmoil
Teacher's Pet
Reap What You Sow
Making the Grade
A Crisis in the Making
Hoist the Jelly, Roger
Wondering Minstrel
Heaven Cent
The Postman Always K.O.'s Twice
To Bee or Not to Bee?
Curses, Foiled Again!
Curses, Foiled...Again!?
Curses, Foiled A-Golem!?
Mandragora-Mad
Star Struck
Blast from the Past
Nothing Matters
Something Fishy
To Catch a Falling Star
All at Sea
Truth, Justice, and the Onion Way!
Know One's Onions
Inspector's Gadget!
Onion Rings
Crying Over Onions
Wild Card
The Promise
Making Amends
Making Amens!
Wonder Wands
Catch It If You Can!
Creepy Crawlies
Paying Lip Service
The Amazin' Scorpio
Twinstone Bonding
Chocobilious
Mihgo's Amigo
Rock Racketeer
The All-New C-2000
A Greeting Cardian
Legendary Plan B
The All-New C-3000
Can Cardians Cry?
The Fanged One
Flower Child
The Three Magi
Recollections
The Root of the Problem
The Tenshodo Showdown
As Thick as Thieves
Hitting the Marquisate
I Can Hear a Rainbow
The Moonlit Path
Orastery Woes
Blood and Glory
Tuning In
Tuning Out
One Good Deed?
Eco-Warrior
Escort for Hire (Windurst)
A Discerning Eye (Windurst)
Waking Dreams
Lure of the Wildcast (Windurst)
Babban Ny Mheillea

Jeuno:
Crest of Davoi
Save My Sister
A Clock Most Delicate
Save the Clock Tower
Chocobo's Wounds
Save My Son
A Candlelight Vigil
The Wonder Magic Set
The Kind Cardian
Your Crystal Ball
Collect Tarut Cards
The Old Monument
A Minstrel in Despair
Rubbish Day
Never to Return
Community Service
Cook's Pride
Tenshodo Membership
The Lost Cardian
Path of the Beastmaster
Path of the Bard
The Clockmaster
Candle-making
Child's Play
Northward
The Antique Collector
Deal with Tenshodo
The Gobbiebag Part I
The Gobbiebag Part II
The Gobbiebag Part III
The Gobbiebag Part IV
The Gobbiebag Part V
The Gobbiebag Part VI
The Gobbiebag Part VII
The Gobbiebag Part VIII
The Gobbiebag Part IX
The Gobbiebag Part X
Mysteries of Beadeaux I
Mysteries of Beadeaux II
Fistful of Fury
The Goblin Tailor
Pretty Little Things
Borghertz's Warring Hands
Borghertz's Healing Hands
Borghertz's Sorcerous Hands
Borghertz's Vermillion Hands
Borghertz's Sneaky Hands
Borghertz's Shadowy Hands
Borghertz's Wild Hands
Borghertz's Loyal Hands
Borghertz's Lurking Hands
Axe the Competition
Wings of Gold
Scattered Into Shadow
A New Dawn
Searching for the Right Words
A Reputation in Ruins
Ducal Hospitality
Hook, Line, and Sinker
In the Mood for Love
A Chocobo's Tale
Empty Memories
Unlisted Qualities
Girl in the Looking Glass
Mirror, Mirror
Past Reflections
Blighted Gloom
Blessed Radiance
Mirror Images
Chameleon Capers
Regaining Trust
Storms of Fate
Mixed Signals
Shadows of the Departed
Apocalypse Nigh
Lure of the Wildcat (Jeuno)
The Road to Aht Urghan
Chocobo on the Loose!
Lakeside Minuet
The Miraculous Dale
Clash of the Comrades
Unlocking a Myth (White Mage)
Unlocking a Myth (Black Mage)
Unlocking a Myth (Red Mage)
Unlocking a Myth (Thief)
Unlocking a Myth (Dark Knight)
Unlocking a Myth (Beastmaster)
Unlocking a Myth (Ninja)
In Defiant Challenge
Atop the Highest Mountains
Whence Blows the Wind
Riding on the Clouds
Shattering Stars
New Worlds Await
Expanding Horizons
Beyond the Stars
Dormant Powers Dislodged
A Trial in Tandem
A Trial in Tandem, Redux

Other Areas:
Rycharde the Chef
Way of the Cook
Unending Chase
His Name is Valgeir
Expertise
The Clue
The Basics
Orlando's Antiques
The Sand Charm
A Potter's Preference
Fisherman's Heart
Trial-Size Trial by Lightning
Trial by Lightning
Donate to Recycling
Under the Sea
Only the Best
An Explorer's Foosteps
Cargo
The Gift
The Real Gift
The Rescue
Elder Memories
Test My Mettle
Inside the Belly
It's Raining Mannequins
Recycling Rods
Picture Perfect
Waking the Beast
A Hard Day's Knight
X Marks the Spot
A Bitter Past
The Call of the Sea
Paradise, Salvation, and Maps
Go! Go! Gobmuffin!
The Big One
Fly High
Unforgiven
Secrets of Ovens Lost
Petals for Parelbriaux
Elderly Pursuits
In the Name of Science
Behind the Smile
Knocking on Forbidden Doors
Confessions of a Bellmaker
In Search of the Truth
Uninvited Guests
Tango with a Tracker
Requiem of Sin
Bombs Away!
Mithran Delicacies
Missionary Moblin
For the Birds
Better the Demon You Know
Give a Moogle a Break
The Moogle's Picnic!
Moogles in the Wild

Outlands:
The Firebloom Tree
Greetings to the Guardian
A Question of Taste
Everyone's Grudging
You Call That a Knife?
Missionary Man
Gullible's Travels
Even More Gullible's Travels
Personal Hygiene
The Opo-opo and I
Cloak and Dagger
A Discerning Eye (Kazham)
Trial-Size Trial by Fire
Trial by Fire
Forge your Destiny
Black Market
Mama Mia
Stop Your Whining
Everyone's Grudge
Secret of the Damp Scroll
The Sahagin's Stash
It's Not Your Vault
Like a Shining Subligar
Like Shining Leggings
The Sacred Katana
Yomi Okuri
A Thief in Norg!?
20 in Pirate Years
I'll Take the Big Box
True Will
Bugi Soden
An Undying Pledge
Trial-Size Trial by Water
Trial by Water
Wrath of the Opo-opos
Wandering Souls
Soul Searching
Divine Might
Don't Forget the Antidote
The Missing Piece
The Kuftal Tour
The Immortal Lu Shang
Indomitable Spirit
Chasing Dreams
The Search for Goldmane
Trial-Size Trial by Wind
Trial by Wind

Aht Urghan:
Keeping Notes
Arts and Crafts
Olduum
Got It All
Get the Picture
An Empty Vessel
Luck of the Draw
No Strings Attched
Finding Faults
Give Peace a Chance
The Art of War
A Taste of Honey
Such Sweet Sorrow
Fear of the Dark II
Cook-a-roon?
The Die Is Cast
Two Horn the Savage
Totoroon's Treasure Hunt
What Friends Are For
Rock Bottom
Beginnings
Moment of Truth
Three Men and a Closet
Five Seconds of Fame
Saga of the Skyserpent
Ode to the Serpents
When the Bow Breaks
Fist of the People
Soothing Waters
Embers of His Past
The Prankster
Delivering the Goods
Vanishing Act
Striking a Balance
Not Meant to Be
Led Astray
Rat Race
The Prince and the Hopper
Waking the Colossus
Divine Interference
The Rider Cometh
Unwavering Resolve
A Stygian Pact
Promotion: Private First Class
Promotion: Superior Private
Promotion: Lance Corporal
Promotion: Corporal
Promotion: Sergeant
Promotion: Sergeant Major
Promotion: Chief Sergeant
Promotion: Second Lieutenant
Promotion: First Lieutenant
Promotion: Captain
Scouting the Ashu Talif

Crystal War:
Lost in Translocation
Message on the Wind
The Weekly Adventurer
Healing Herbs
Redeeming Rocks
The Dawn of Delectability
A Little Knowledge
The Fighting Fourth
Snake on the Plains
Steamed Rams
Seeing Spots
The Flipside of Things
Better Part of Valor
Fires of Discontent
Hammering Hearts
Gifts of the Griffon
Claws of the Griffon
The Tigress Stirs
The Tigress Strikes
Light in the Darkness
Burden of Suspicion
Evil at the Inlet
The Fumbling Friar
Requiem for the Departed
Boy and the Beast
Wrath of the Griffon
The Lost Book
Knot Quite There
A Manifest Problem
Beans Ahoy!
Beast from the East
On Sabbatical
Storm on the Horizon
Fire In the Hole
Perils of the Griffon
In a Haze of Glory
When One Man Is Not Enough
A Feast for Gnats
Say It with a Handbag
Quelling the Storm
Honor Under Fire
The Price of Valor
Bonds That Never Die
The Long March North
The Forbidden Path
A Jeweler's Lament
Beneath the Mask
What Price Loyalty
Songbirds in a Snowstorm
Blood of Heroes
Sins of the Mothers
Howl from the Heavens
Succor to the Sidhe
The Young and the Threadless
Son and Father
The Truth Lies Hid
Bonds of Mythril
Chasing Shadows
Face of the Future
Manifest Destiny
At Journey's End
Her Memories: Homecoming Queen
Her Memories: Old Bean
Her Memories: The Faux Pas
Her Memories: Grave Resolve
Her Memories: Operation Cupid
Her Memories: Carnelian Footfalls
Her Memories: Of Malign Maladies

Abyssea:
Gift of Light
An Eye for Revenge
Unbreak His Heart
Out of Touch
Lost Memories
Hope Blooms on the Battlefield
Of Malnourished Martellos
Rose on the Heath
Full-of-Himself Alchemist
The Walking Wounded
Shady Business Redux
Addled Mind, Undying Dreams
The Soul of the Matter
Secret Agent Man
Playing Paparazzi
His Box, His Beloved
Weapons, Not Worries
Cleansing the Canyon
Savory Salvation
A Sterling Specimen
For Love of a Daughter
When Good Cardians Go Bad
Tangling with Tongue-twisters
A Ward to End All Wards
The Boxwatcher's Behest
His Bridge, His Beloved
Bad Communication
Aqua Pura
Whither the Whisker
Missing in Action
I Dream of Flowers
Destiny Odyssey
Unidentified Research Object
Smoke over the Coast
Wanted: Medical Supplies
Voices from Beyond
Brugaire's Ambition
Chocobo Panic
The Egg Enthusiast
Getting Lucky
Her Father's Legacy
Proof of the Lion
Dominion Op #01 (Altepa)
Dominion Op #07 (Altepa)
Dominion Op #14 (Altepa)
Dominion Op #01 (Uleguerand)
Dominion Op #02 (Uleguerand)
Dominion Op #08 (Uleguerand)
Dominion Op #13 (Uleguerand)
Dominion Op #01 (Grauberg)
Dominion Op #02 (Grauberg)
Dominion Op #03 (Grauberg)
Dominion Op #06 (Grauberg)
Ward Warden I (Vunkerl)
Crimson Carpet I (Vunkerl)
Refuel and Replenish (La Theine)
Refuel and Replenish (Konschtat)
Refuel and Replenish (Tahrongi)
Refuel and Replenish (Attohwa)
Refuel and Replenish (Misareaux)
Refuel and Replenish (Vunkerl)
Refuel and Replenish (Altepa)
Refuel and Replenish (Uleguerand)
A Mightier Martello (La Theine)
A Mightier Martello (Konschtat)
A Mightier Martello (Misareaux)
A Journey Begins
The Truth Beckons
Dawn of Death
First Contact
An Officer and a Pirate
Heart of Madness
Tenuous Existence
Champions of Abyssea
A Sea Dog's Summons
Death and Rebirth
Emissaries of God
Beneath a Blood-red Sky
The Wyrm God
Meanwhile, Back on Abyssea
A Goldstruck Gigas
To Paste a Peiste
Megadrile Menace
The Forbidden Frontier
The Beast of Bastore
A Delectable Demon
A Fluttery Fiend
Scars of Abyssea
A Beaked Blusterer
A Man-eating Mite
An Ulcerous Uragnite
Heroes of Abyssea

Data Updated: September 25, 2011

Undead Whispers

The name of my new Pankration pet. Although merely a hologram created from a Soul Reflector, I still consider Whispers to be my third pet, and for those of you who always wanted a holographic pet of your own, look no further!

How to Play Pankration














Step 1: Purchase a Soultrapper (camera) and some Soul Plates (film) from the Colosseum NPC, and take snapshots of your favorite pet. Essentially, you will want as many pictures as possible, but make sure you can turn them into Soul Reflectors first.




Step 2: Turn a Soul Plate into a Soul Reflector. There is only a chance that the plate's skill/ability/job trait/etc. will transfer onto your Soul Reflector at this time, but you can also receive a random stat or two instead (like above).





Step 3: Add skills to your Soul Reflector by turning in additional plates. After your first plate, any additional stats/skills/abilities/etc. cost Feral Points (FPs), so they can only be added if your pet has enough FPs.





Step 4: Level up your pet's skills and job traits, if applicable. For my pet, I found "Draining Attack" to be fairly disappointing at 20 damage a hit, so I ended up replacing it with "Instant Haste."















Step 5: Finalize your pet's temperament. Essentially, temperament dictates your pet's fighting style, and the more discipline it has, the more readily your pet's temperament can change. There are two broad categories for temperament:

A) Wild vs Tame

1. Don't think, kill!
2. Less thinking, more striking!
3. Watch your opponent, then attack!
4. Think, and think again!
5. You're on your own!

B) Aggressive vs Defensive

1. Show no mercy!!!
2. Give 'em a little more bite!
3. Back off a bit!
4. Guard! Block! Parry! Hold!

The following summarizes the major fighting styles, taken from a post on Blue Gartr:

Side-Stepper: When attacked with a spell or WS, your pet will maneuver to its opponent's side and inflict critical damage.
Temperament: Extremely Tame / Somewhat Aggressive.
Achieved by: Using the "Think, and think again!" command a lot for category A, and "Back off a bit!" or "Give 'em a little more bite!" for category B.
Notes: Mage pets do not side-step very well, and AoE WSs cannot be side-stepped (e.g. "Whirl Claws").

Chicken Fighter: Your pet will flee from enemy WSs.
Temperament: Extremely Tame / Somewhat Defensive.
Achieved by: Using the "Think, and think again!" command for category A, and "Back off a bit!" or "Give 'em a little more bite!" for category B.
Notes: Mage pets will not flee.

Stunners: Your pet will stun enemy spells and WSs.
Temperament: Somewhat Tame / Extremely Defensive.
Achieved by: Using the "Think, and think again!" command a lot for category A, and "Guard! Block! Parry! Hold!" for category B.
Notes: Some moves are difficult to "Stun" in time (e.g. "Whirl Claws"), and if your pet does not have any "Stun" abilities, it will try to perform a defensive ability instead (e.g. "Scissor Guard").

Sleep-Nuker: Your pet will cast "Sleep" on its opponent between offensive spells.
Temperament: Somewhat Tame / Somewhat Aggressive.
Achieved by: Using the "Think, and think again!" command for category A, and "Back off a bit!" or "Give 'em a little more bite!" for category B.
Notes: Undead and Dark Elementals are immune to Dark-based "Sleep" moves.

As you might have guessed (above), Whispers was designed to be a side-stepper.

Although Whispers likes to cast magic as a DRK, he can still side-step at times, and if he launches a WS during a side-step, the WS deals bonus damage on its target.







Above, Whispers side-steps Klotz's "Ectosmash" and retaliates with one of his own. As a result, my pet took much less damage for side-stepping and inflicted much more damage in return.


















If you are wondering what the "Magic Resistance" bonus does, I would say it reduced the spells above by about 80-100 damage, relative to other pets, so Whispers can certainly terrorize a mage or two.















You will often see a mage pet as your server's pit champion. Generally, mage pets possess numerous buffs and fight as Sleep-nukers, which makes them extremely difficult to defeat without specialized pet builds. In addition, I often see Chigoes and Coeurls (relying on their Evasion and/or "En-spell" effects) or Mimics (relying on their heavy Defense) as Asura's pit champions.





So why bother with Pankration? More than anything, it can be a fun experience, but if your pet does become the pit champion, you earn Jettons for every consecutive win (even if you are not present). Unfortunately, Whispers only lasted five rounds as the pit champion (above), but with any luck, he will dominate the ring more often.