Althea Valara (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ffbe_script) wrote2012-05-11 03:11 pm
ffbe_script) wrote2012-05-11 03:11 pm
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The Art of Healing: Removing status effects
When people think of the White Mage job, maybe of them think, "cure bot" - aka, someone who casts cure spells on the party. While it's true that cures are our primary function, one of the most important aspects of the job is its ability to remove status effects. No other job can remove them as quickly or efficiently as an WHM can. To me, this is what makes WHM the best healer in the game.
Unfortunately, many people who play white mage don't understand just how powerful it is at this function. This article will explain all the different ways there are to remove status effects, so you can elevate yourself from the Abyssea-burned masses.
The most basic of white mages should know the following:
Erase removes most other status effects. It will not remove Amnesia (prevents job abilities), Muddle (prevents the use of items), Encumbrance (prevents you from using gear/weapons), or ST20 (super curse).
If the entire party has been hit with a status effect, the most basic of white mages will cast Erase or the appropriate -na spell separately on each player. This is not efficient! There are more efficient/quicker ways to do AoE status removal. We'll explore each of them below.
Method #1: Esuna
Esuna is one of your most powerful spells. It's my absolute favorite spell for white mage (no, seriously). BG wiki has a very good description:
There are more advanced methods to using Esuna, which we'll explore in a bit; for now, focus on this. If all you learn from this article is using Esuna to remove Paralyze from everyone instead of casting individual Paralynas, you will already be better than many WHMs.
Note that for Esuna to work, the White Mage must be inflicted with the negative Status Effect in order to remove it. I.e., you must be poisoned yourself to use Esuna to remove poison on everyone. This is why if you've ever partied with me, I might have yelled at you for casting a -na spell on me. :p
Also: Esuna only works on members of your own party, not on members in the other parties of your alliance.
Method #2: Sacrifice
"But wait, what if my DDs got hit with something but I didn't because I was standing far enough away? I can't use Esuna then!" Ah, but that's where Sacrifice comes in! BG Wiki
I fully admit that Sacrifice is one of my weaknesses as a WHM; I'm aware of the spell and have used it in the past, but I feel I don't use it nearly as much as I should. Need to work on that!
Method #3: Divine Veil
Divine Veil is a job trait that White Mage gets at level 50. Basically, what it does is let you AoE -na spells and Erase by using Divine Seal. Your entire party hit by slow? Divine Seal + Erase = GONE!
Benefits:
Drawback: you can only use it every ten minutes. Still, it's a very nice tool, and these days I use Divine Seal only for its Divine Veil effect. Learn this trick, and you'll be well on your way to being a good WHM.
Method #4: Accession
Accession is a job ability you get if you sub Scholar, and is one of the many, many reasons I main WHM/SCH rather than WHM/RDM. Accession will turn the vast majority of Healing/Enhancing spells into AoE.
For the purposes of removing status effects, think of it as a more frequent Divine Veil (though it can do more than just that!). It has a drawback, though: MP cost is doubled and casting time is tripled.
Like Divine Veil, you can use Accession on other parties in the alliance, provided the spell you're casting is not party-only.
Method #5: Afflatus Misery
The very best white mages in the game know how to use Afflatus Misery to quickly remove status effects.
At level 40, WHM gets access to two job abilites, or stances: Afflatus Solace and Afflatus Misery. They each do a variety of things, but usually, a White Mage is in Afflatus Solace because under when the WHM casts a cure while under that effect, the target receives a small Stoneskin effect (often called "Cureskin" by players).
Most of the time, you will want to be in Afflatus Solace: cureskin is just that good.
To understand when you should flip into Afflatus Misery, we need to look at the advanced usage of Esuna:
Normally, you'll be using Esuna to remove a single status effect that can be removed with a -na spell. But, what if:
In each of these cases, you can change over to Afflatus Misery and use Esuna.
Note that Afflatus Solace/Misery have a 1:00 recast. That's not THAT long, but it's long enough that if you're being hit with multiple status effects repeatedly, it can be difficult to go back into Solace for Cureskin. In general, you'd want to stay in Solace and use one of the other methods above for removing status effects.
But, if you find that the mob is spamming nasty moves constantly? There is absolutely nothing wrong with staying in Misery for an entire battle, if it means you can get those effects off your party quicker. I've done it many times.
So, in conclusion, the tl;dr version:
Any questions? Leave a comment here or send me a /tell in game.
Unfortunately, many people who play white mage don't understand just how powerful it is at this function. This article will explain all the different ways there are to remove status effects, so you can elevate yourself from the Abyssea-burned masses.
The most basic of white mages should know the following:
- Paralyna: Removes Paralyze.
- Poisona: Removes Poison.
- Blindna: Removes Blind. Doesn't work on Flash.
- Stona: Removes Petrification.
- Silena: Removes Silence.
- Viruna: Removes Disease and Plague.
- Cursna: Removes Curse and Doom.
Erase removes most other status effects. It will not remove Amnesia (prevents job abilities), Muddle (prevents the use of items), Encumbrance (prevents you from using gear/weapons), or ST20 (super curse).
If the entire party has been hit with a status effect, the most basic of white mages will cast Erase or the appropriate -na spell separately on each player. This is not efficient! There are more efficient/quicker ways to do AoE status removal. We'll explore each of them below.
Method #1: Esuna
Esuna is one of your most powerful spells. It's my absolute favorite spell for white mage (no, seriously). BG wiki has a very good description:
Esuna: Removes 1 negative Status Effect from the casting White Mage and anyone within 10' that is normally removed by Viruna, Cursna, Blindna, Poisona, or Paralyna.
There are more advanced methods to using Esuna, which we'll explore in a bit; for now, focus on this. If all you learn from this article is using Esuna to remove Paralyze from everyone instead of casting individual Paralynas, you will already be better than many WHMs.
Note that for Esuna to work, the White Mage must be inflicted with the negative Status Effect in order to remove it. I.e., you must be poisoned yourself to use Esuna to remove poison on everyone. This is why if you've ever partied with me, I might have yelled at you for casting a -na spell on me. :p
Also: Esuna only works on members of your own party, not on members in the other parties of your alliance.
Method #2: Sacrifice
"But wait, what if my DDs got hit with something but I didn't because I was standing far enough away? I can't use Esuna then!" Ah, but that's where Sacrifice comes in! BG Wiki
Sacrifice: Transfers one enfeebling effect from target party member to yourself. Afflatus Solace: Increases effect removal potency.
* Removes 1 negative Status Effect from the target that is normally removed by Viruna, Cursna, Blindna, Poisona, or Paralyna and applies that status effect to the White Mage.
* With Afflatus Solace active, it can remove up to 2 Status Effects, including those normally removed by Erase.
o In addition to removing spells removed by Erase, Sacrifice is the only spell that can remove the effect of ST20 (super curse).
I fully admit that Sacrifice is one of my weaknesses as a WHM; I'm aware of the spell and have used it in the past, but I feel I don't use it nearly as much as I should. Need to work on that!
Method #3: Divine Veil
Divine Veil is a job trait that White Mage gets at level 50. Basically, what it does is let you AoE -na spells and Erase by using Divine Seal. Your entire party hit by slow? Divine Seal + Erase = GONE!
Benefits:
- It's quick!
- You don't have to be inflicted with the status yourself.
- It works with any -na spell & Erase.
- If used with a -na spell, it can work across parties in the alliance. (Erase is party-only).
Drawback: you can only use it every ten minutes. Still, it's a very nice tool, and these days I use Divine Seal only for its Divine Veil effect. Learn this trick, and you'll be well on your way to being a good WHM.
Method #4: Accession
Accession is a job ability you get if you sub Scholar, and is one of the many, many reasons I main WHM/SCH rather than WHM/RDM. Accession will turn the vast majority of Healing/Enhancing spells into AoE.
For the purposes of removing status effects, think of it as a more frequent Divine Veil (though it can do more than just that!). It has a drawback, though: MP cost is doubled and casting time is tripled.
Like Divine Veil, you can use Accession on other parties in the alliance, provided the spell you're casting is not party-only.
Method #5: Afflatus Misery
The very best white mages in the game know how to use Afflatus Misery to quickly remove status effects.
At level 40, WHM gets access to two job abilites, or stances: Afflatus Solace and Afflatus Misery. They each do a variety of things, but usually, a White Mage is in Afflatus Solace because under when the WHM casts a cure while under that effect, the target receives a small Stoneskin effect (often called "Cureskin" by players).
Most of the time, you will want to be in Afflatus Solace: cureskin is just that good.
To understand when you should flip into Afflatus Misery, we need to look at the advanced usage of Esuna:
Esuna: With Afflatus Misery active, it can remove up to 2 Status Effects, including those normally removed by Erase.
Normally, you'll be using Esuna to remove a single status effect that can be removed with a -na spell. But, what if:
- the party is inflicted with Paralyze AND Poison?
- the party has multiple stat down effects on them?
- the party has been hit repeatedly with Diaga or Slowga, and both Divine Veil and Accession are down?
In each of these cases, you can change over to Afflatus Misery and use Esuna.
Note that Afflatus Solace/Misery have a 1:00 recast. That's not THAT long, but it's long enough that if you're being hit with multiple status effects repeatedly, it can be difficult to go back into Solace for Cureskin. In general, you'd want to stay in Solace and use one of the other methods above for removing status effects.
But, if you find that the mob is spamming nasty moves constantly? There is absolutely nothing wrong with staying in Misery for an entire battle, if it means you can get those effects off your party quicker. I've done it many times.
So, in conclusion, the tl;dr version:
- Esuna removes one status effect that could be removed with a -na spell from your entire party while under Afflatus Solace. You must have the status effect yourself for it to work.
- Sacrifice absorbs up to two status effects while under Afflatus Solace, including those removable by Erase. Under
Afflatus Misery , it absorbs one status effect, -na only. - Divine Veil and Accession make any -na spell (can be used on other parties in the alliance) or Erase (your party only) into an AoE. Don't need to have the status effect on yourself.
- While under Afflatus Misery, Esuna removes up to two status effects, whether the status effect would normally be removed by a -na or by Erase. You must have the status effect(s) yourself for it to work.
Any questions? Leave a comment here or send me a /tell in game.