Elemental Magic 101

At the request of a good friend, I am writing about the blm's elemental spells. To undestand the fundamentals of SMN and BLM we must first look to the origins of the game it self. In oriental culturs the belief in a balamce of elemental properties is inportant to harmony in life ans spirit. In the game FFXI everything can be associated to one or more elements. I present to you the elemental chart for FFXI.

FFXI Elemental Chart

How To Read the Chart

The first thing i want you to do is disreguard the white/dark elements becuast the are only opposed from each other and there are realy no DD associated . What is inportant to understand is that each element is strong against one ans weak to a different one. The 6 elements form a circle of one element over the next. So, for example, earth is weak against wind becuas the wind element is over earth. Additionaly, earth is strongest against lightning, once again, earth overlaping lightning.

The chart does have a shred of commun sence to it.

Fire melts Ice

Ice chills the wind

Wind errodes the earth

Earth grounds lightning

Lightning travels through water

Water puts out a fire

Choosing Your Elemental Spells

It is inpotant to know what elements you target is weak against. Elemantals are easy, just hit them with the highest spells you have with out using the spell the matches the elemental and what it is strongest against. A Earth elementat will be almost inpervius to Earth, and lightning spells, so use wind (it's weakness) and the 2 other of your high spells. Mobs from COP are not listed and other that are not listed do not have a elemental weakness. The ? is for unknown.

Monster Elemental Weakness List

Bat: wind, light

Bee: ice

Beetle: ice, light (Aspir Works)

Bird: ice

Bomb: fire

Cardian: unknown

Cockatr: ice, wind

Coeurl: earth

Crab: ice, lightning

Crawler: ice, lightning, dark (Aspir works)

Demon: light

Dhalmel: wind, lightning

Doll: lightning

Doomed: fire, light

Dragon: ?

Evil Weapon: fire, Light

Fly: ice

Fungar: light

Ghost (undead): fire, light

Goblin: light

Hound: fire, light

Leech: light

Lizzard: ice, wind

Mandragora: fire,ice,lightning, dark

Morbal: fire

Orc/Orc Warmachine: water

Pugil: Ice, lightning

Quadav: Lightning

Rabbit: lighting, water, dark

Raptor: water

Sapling: ice, dark

Scorpion: ice, light

Sea Monk: ice, lightning

Shadow: Fire, light

Sheep: Lightning, water

Skeleton (undead): Fire, light

Slime: fire

Tiger: fire, lightning

Treant: fire, dark

Worm: wind, light (Aspir Works)

Wyvern: dark

Yagudo: Ice

Spells By Element

Fire: Fire1-4, Firaga, Flare, Burn

Water: Water1-2, Wateraga, Flood, Drown

Lightning: Thunder 1-4, Thundaga, Shock Spikes, Burst, Shock

Earth: Stone 1-4, Stonaga 1-2, Rasp, Quake

Wind: Aero 1-4, Aeraga 1-2, Silence, Choke, Tornado

Ice: Bliazzard 1-4, Blizzaga1-2, Frost, Freeze

Dark: Aspir, Drain, Bio1-2, poison, sleep1-2, sleepga 1-2

Light: Dia, Bannish1-2, cure(undead)

BLM Casting Technique

The obove charts are quides and are not absolutes. With that being said, i usualy nuke with my top 2nd and 3rd spells with the occasional highest nuke. It is also inportant to pace you self to not get the hate. I usualy nuke in a steady rythum to avoid the hate. This will also conserve your mp and allow the mellee to have more tp for skill chains. Additionaly if something goes wrong toy can turn up the rythum for more damage. As the blm, you realy set the pace on how fast the mob dies because you do 50-70% of the total damage form the party.

I will write more on Magic Burst, euipment, and ancient magic later tonight.