6/9/08 Update!

Yeah! Finally the update that everyone has been waiting for has come at long last! We've been waiting for this for ages, months even! Are you excited? What do you want the most?

How about that new 3G iPhone! GPS, high speed, lighter, thinner... what? You don't like the iPhone?

Oh, right... I'm supposed to be blogging about FFXI... well... yeah, I guess there's a new update >.>

Ok, so it IS exciting! New DNC NPC... looks like an elvaan... new missions, NMs, NPC updates... I'm disappointed that there is no announcement of DNC or SCH-specific merits... I guess I'll throw the merits I've stored up onto BLU xD New campaign ranks at long last, and lots, lots of new equipment!
Especially equipment that is usable by DNC & BLU *_*

I've been looking through the dat-mining posts to see the new equipment, trying to see what might be worth going after... so far, this is what I've found:

Cobra Leggings & Subligar
- Accuracy++, Store TP++, Enmity--, and the set has Counter
- Usable by both BLU & DNC
- I already have and use the Cobra mittens... I'll probably pick up these two pieces since I have the AN for it (450k -.-) and can either rank up quickly, or already have the right rank to get them ^^ The Subligar would go on full-time on my DNC, replacing my Dancer's tights since they have a higher accuracy. I might end up grabbing the cap just to go for the full set! Pity they haven't released the body armor yet... I'm guessing that'll come with a future update with more ranks

Roundel Earring Lv. 73 - DEF:1 "Cure" potency +5% "Waltz" potency +5%
- This is interesting... a healer's macro piece for sure. +5% is an extra 30 HP with Healing Waltz IV

Custom Top +1 Cannot Equip Handgear DEF:2 Enchantment: Teleport-Purgonorgo Isle Lv. 1 All Jobs
- Swimsuit! Yay! At long last I can get this! Let's see what kind of hoops we have to jump through for this obviously event-related item... plus getting to that isle without having to teleport, chocobo, then wait for the stupid ship would be nice... I kinda like that island!

Airy Buckler DEF:17 CHR+2 Accuracy+2 "Store TP"+2 Haste+1% Lv. 71 RDM/PUP/DNC
- This is weird... I think it would be the first shield that a DNC can use that's not one of the latent "all jobs" shields
- All the stats are good for DNC, but I'm not sure if it'll be worth giving up /NIN to use this... maybe if I had SAM leveled up to sub I'd take it more seriously

Ancient Torque DEX+4 Accuracy+9 Lv. 74 All Jobs
- Peacock Charm replacement >.>
- I think the high price for the PCC will be falling in the near future

Ixion Cloak Cannot Equip Headgear DEF:43 INT+13 MND+13 CHR+13 Magic Accuracy+5 Adds "Regen" and "Refresh" effect Lv. 74 THF/WHM/BLM/BRD/SMN/BLU/PUP/SCH
- I've been trying to save up for a Vermy... This would be a much nicer alternative compared to the Vermy :D
- Still, I'm guessing that it's either a drop from Ixion, or craftable from something it drops?
- There is a "Dark Ixion Tail" item that was found in the dats too... maybe that's what is needed to craft this item? A super-rare HNM drop?

Enkidu's Harness Set - Lvl 72
- Set of 5 items, usable by both BLU & DNC
- Harness: DEF:50 STR+5 AGI+5 Accuracy+10 Attack+10 Evasion+5 "Subtle Blow"+5
- Leggings: DEF:23 DEX+3 AGI+3 Attack+4 Ranged Attack+4 "Subtle Blow"+2 Haste+2%
- Mittens: DEF:24 STR+4 DEX+4 Accuracy+5 Ranged Accuracy+5 "Subtle Blow"+2
- Cap: DEF:23 DEX+3 AGI+3 Accuracy+8 Ranged Accuracy+8 "Subtle Blow"+2
- Subligar: DEF:40 STR+4 DEX+4 "Store TP"+5 "Subtle Blow"+5
So, total of:
- Defense: 160
- STR: +13
- AGI: +11
- Dex: +8
- Accuracy +23
- Attack: +10
- Ranged Attack +4
- Ranged Accuracy +8
- Subtle Blow +15
- Haste +2%
Seems to be overall better than the Pahluwan Khazagand set due to the higher strength, dex, defense and attack, but accuracy suffers slightly (+23 vs +29)
Compared to the Homam Corazza set, well, it's not as much haste, but the Str+ and Dex+ actually puts it head and shoulders above the Homam set for casting BLU spells. Blue Magic is pretty accurate by itself, and the major modifiers for the big three BLU spells is Str & Dex.
Since this set is usable by both DNC & BLU, and seems quite well designed for both jobs, I'll probably aim to get this set... assuming that it doesn't take an arm and a leg to get :)

Which... we all know... it probably will...
And you first born...
... and a sacrifice of a 75 SAM... >.>
... mmm... I can live with that sacrifice ^^