General Principles of Red Mage Solo

Foreword

I am by no means a perfect RDM soloist. Everyone has their own techniques and strategies and so you shouldn't see a lot of mine as "the correct way" to solo something, rather "one of the ways" to solo something.

I am constantly improving and refining my techniques and so this data may change at any time.

How does a Red Mage solo?

This will sound very obvious, but a Red Mage solos monsters over a period of time using attrition tactics due to its immense defensive capabilities combined with access to potent enfeebling and damage over time magic. The most common subjob used is /nin, though /blm and /blu can also and are also used situationally.

This does not mean that it is ONLY possible to defeat certain monsters with a certain subjob! You generally use /blm on solos involving the use of the Elemental Seal JA (Brothers ENM comes to mind), /blu can be used on monsters where Utsusemi is generally ineffective (a straight-tanked Aquarius for instance) and /nin is used everywhere else.

The reason /nin is so powerful should be fairly obvious. With the Haste spell, "Fast Cast" gear and traits along with Haste equipment, you have a very low recast time and, combined with Stoneskin and speedily-cast Utsusemis can survive for a very long time. Blink is a somewhat unpredictable replacement for Utsusemi when not /nin.

Using Composure

Composure is very powerful on RDM because it means you take less MP and time to buff yourself and don't have to worry about them falling as often. As a rule, make sure the monster is unable to reach you while under Composure and prioritise Refresh and Haste (whichever one comes first depends on how often you have to recast things in that particular solo - you'd use Haste first on Faust for instance). The order is important in case you have to cancel Composure halfway through. Typically I go Refresh/Haste > Haste/Refresh > Phalanx > Regen > Stoneskin.

Defensive Tactics

The most important part of a (non-timed) RDM solo is survival. The whole strategy of attrition involves keeping yourself alive while slowly whittling an enemy to death. The following are your tools for survival;

Defensive Spells

Protect IV/Shell IV - 65MP, 75MP; both duration 30 minutes (Composure does not effect).

Defence actually works for RDM so keep Protect IV up at all times and definitely keep up Shell IV if you are going to be taking magic damage. They are quite costly in terms of MP so plan ahead.

Stoneskin - 29MP, duration 5 minutes (15 with Composure).

An essential spell. Absorbs up to 410 points of damage (350 unless you have Stone Gorget and Stone Mufflers which add +30 each) and prevents interruption from damage while it is active unless you are knocked back.

I very much recommend casting Stoneskin in Haste/Fast Cast gear to reduce its recast because you will sometimes be pushed to recast very quickly on some monsters (Faust and Cactrot Rapido come to mind).

Note that it has a long casting time and does not overwrite itself. It should be recast semi-regularly to prevent it dropping at an inopportune moment.

A Red Mage with 256 Enhancing Magic skill needs 95MND to cap Stoneskin.

Phalanx - 21mp, duration 3 minutes (9 with Composure)

Useful spell. Negates damage from each hit (including en-effect damage) by floor[(Enhancing Magic / 10) - 2]. You may think that -25~ damage per hit isn't that much but if it makes Stoneskin hold out for an extra hit, it can literally be a lifesaver. I wouldn't prioritise it above the other defensive abilities though.

Blink - 20mp, duration 5 minutes (15 with Composure)

This is your Utsusemi substitute if you are /notnin or in a desperate situation /nin I suppose. Doesn't always absorb attacks and has a long casting time so take care.

Aquaveil - 12mp, duration 5 minutes (15 with Composure)

Decent if you get a spare moment though "Spell Interruption Rate down" is going to only be useful in desperate moments (and even then, unlikely to save you).

Utsusemi: Ichi and Utsusemi: Ni

Arguably the ultimate defensive tool. Things which you should know but I'll say again already: Ichi overwrites Ichi but not Ni, Ni overwrites Ichi and Ni. Both grant 3 shadows which absorb spells and other attacks but which AoEs damage in some way (most completely destroying). Cast these in a full haste/fast cast build for maximum recast reduction.

Another note; my personal style is to not cast Ni so much but generally cast Ichi and convert my Ni casts into Ichis whenever I get a spare moment. This is so I can simply recast Ichi over itself without worry of it failing due to not cancelling Ni properly. It is easy to cast Ichi between the attack rounds of most monsters.

Carry ample amounts of Shihei at all times!

Enfeebles

Paralyzes - keep these on at all times if applicable. Casting in nearly full MND is advisable due to low recast (easier to spam) and the fact that higher MND is a more potent (procs more often) paralysis. 6MP for para1 is a huge bargain given how much damage reduction it can grant.

Slows - again, keep these on all times if applicable. Their recasts are slightly longer than Paralyze but you can still "spam" them to a degree (you can also overwrite Slow1 with Slow2, so can always cast Slow1 if Slow2 is resisted). 15MP and 45MP are huge bargains yet again.

Blind is largely placebo and will barely have an effect on most mobs but every little helps, right? I wouldn't really make it a priority to keep it on the monster but if you can, go for it.

Note that it is still useful to keep kited mobs slowed and paralyzed. If you ever have to straight tank something due to Bind wearing prematurely etc, these can potentially save you a lot of MP!

Bind is your staple defensive spell. Duration is largely random and its recast is quite long but it is one of the most important spells in your arsenal and costs a measly 8mp! Casting in full accuracy is advised although some people like to drop some potency pieces for haste/fast cast in order to reduce recast in some slots where you cannot get much INT/Macc/Enfeebling Magic skill (like Feet). Personally, I prefer to stick with full magic accuracy/int/enfeebling skill simply because Bind taking 3 seconds longer to be able to cast again is a lot less likely to kill me than it taking 25 more seconds to cast again. Damage of any kind is likely to break Bind, including Bio! Poison will not.

Gravity is your emergency spell in most situations, in the event of a resisted Bind or if you need to Convert/Composure sometimes. It is not wise to rely on this spell because most monsters build resistance to it over time. It can also be used to speed up kills by allowing them to be nuked more easily. It costs 24MP and has a very long recast and I would recommend casting in a full accuracy build; you shouldn't need it often enough to warrant shortening its recast by sacrificing other stats.

Sleep and Sleep II work well if the mob in question can be slept which doesn't apply to the majority of solos. Just remember you can't sleep a mob you have put damage over time spells on!

Techniques

Kiting is the most commonly used technique; remaining out of range of the target by using Bind, Gravity and terrain effectively. This also allows you to outrange many TP moves and spells.

Straight tanking is useful in the event of a bad Bind but where you don't want to waste a Gravity, or some monsters require you to straight tank them a lot of the time. It is essential that the monster is debuffed at all times (especially slowed) and that you are not nervous about recasting Stoneskin behind Utsusemi when the monster is attacking you. Obviously knowing how to shadow tank is a great benefit here. Do not underestimate straight tanking! Most Red Mages I observe soloing seem afraid of the idea but Red Mage is very good at it.

Offensive Tactics

Bio 2/3 and Poison 2 are your primary sources of whittling away a monster's HP. Poison 2 will easily be capped in potency (10/tick) but costs 38MP so ensure it doesn't get resisted too much or it can be a huge MP sink (it is water-based so use Water Staff/Neptune's Staff). Bio 2/3 on the other hand require 211+ Dark Magic to be at their most practically effective for Red Mage (skill cap at 75 is 200) so bear this in mind. Bio 3 is not MP-efficient compared to Bio 2 until it is meritted to at least 3/5 and unlike poison, it does give a monster TP and it does break Bind due to the fact it deals initial damage.

Elemental nukes are useful (though MP intensive) for destroying a monster's HP. Needless to say, they should only be used when your MP is high enough to support it (or Convert is ready for use). Nukes take about 6~ seconds to cast so if you start casting when your Bind is at 8 or so seconds until it can be cast again, you can nuke straight into a new Bind. Blizzard3 is generally your most consistent spell because of Ice Accuracy merits combined with +Elemental skill on the staff.

Types of solo

Standard mob: No regain, susceptile to standard enfeebles.

This is a generally simple solo once you are used to it because the main danger comes from TP moves. You will find most of these very trivial once you master the basics.

Examples: Most mobs in the game. Unut, Ungur, Amiriki (he has Store TP but this is a lot less dangerous than Regain).

Regain mob: TP regain, susceptible to standard enfeebles.

This is harder than a standard solo because it will be using a lot of TP moves throughout the fight. However, this also means you can predict when it will use its next TP move and use certain factors to control it (for instance, distance on Zipacna will cause him to use Crystal Shield).

Examples: Zipacna, Faust

Kited mob: Straight tanking not practical due to immunities/horrible TP moves/etc.

This kind of strategy involves knowing the terrain very well and generally just staying out of the way of the monster. Some of these fights will involve a monster immune to Bind or Gravity and so you will have to consider your strategy carefully.

Examples: Aquarius, Ix'drk

Straight-Tanked mob: Where due to immunities to Bind/Gravity or a small arena, you anticipate having to straight tank a monster for a period of time.

Red Mages are very good at straight tanking although most people seem afraid of doing so. It is very important to have physical damage reduction and haste gear in particular for this and to also be talented at keeping up buffs and debuffs between shadows. These can be very demanding.

Examples: Cactrot Rapido, MMM NMs

And of course, there are many solos which don't fit into any conventional pattern. Some allow you all of the time you need and some are more restricted (typically BCNM-type ones). The latter require you to use your MP far more aggressively of course and need different approaches. With so many different types of solo, what things then hold constant?

General Preparations

Knowledge - do you know this NM's TP moves? Does it have Regain? How do you deal with each TP move? Does it cast? Is it immune to bind/gravity/paralyze/slow etc? How much MP do each of your most important spells cost? Does your enemy have any specific elemental weakness you can take advantage of? Does it have enhanced movement speed?

These are just a few of the important things you have to think about and more. Before attempting a solo, ask yourself a few of these questions.

Equipment - Idle (regen/refresh/movement) / INT enfeebling / MND enfeebling / -PDT (Physical Damage Taken) set / -MDT (Magic Damage Taken) set (if applicable) / hMP set (if applicable).

Idle: Duelist's Chapeau + Dalmatica or Morrigan's Robe for Refresh; if not, wear a Vermillion Cloak. Orochi Nodowa and Garden Bangles are good Regen pieces.

INT Enfeebling: 1 Enfeebling Magic skill = 1 Magic Accuracy = 1-2 INT (when (your INT - mob INT) is less than positive 10, 1int = 1macc and when it is greater than or equal to positive 10, 2int = 1macc) for how to evaluate them. Haste/fast cast perhaps.

MND Enfeebling: For Para/Slow, balance MND with Enfeebling Magic skill/Magic Accuracy there. MND also gives macc at the same rate as INT does described above. There is no such thing as potency of Silence, so cast that in full accuracy (though you will rarely have to use it).

-PDT: Darksteel (+1), Jelly Ring, Cheviot/Umbra Cape and Earth/Terra's Staff are your best sources. Caps at -50%.

-MDT: Coral is a good idea or even pure INT works most sources of magic damage. Pure resist builds to an element are viable against some monsters like Suzaku. Caps at -50%; note that -MDT is not the same as +MDB; -MDT is generally better but +MDB isn't weak either.

hMP: Pretty self-explanatory, anything with +hMP on it. Note that if comparing two fulltime pieces, Refresh from Chapeau/Robe/Dalmatica/Cloak is equal to 6.66hMP on the first tick and 3.33hMP on the subsequent ticks. The most effective way of doing it although requires a lot of attention is to swap on hMP for the tick and then sit in Refresh for the rest of it. It is applicable to rest in a lot of kited solos but don't do so until you're comfortable and confident.

Merits - This is obviously down to personal preference, but I would consider Ice Accuracy 5/5 a no-brainer (Bind/Paralyze/Blizzard3) and I personally opt for Convert 5/5 although I know a lot of RDMs like Wind Accuracy (Gravity/Silence/Aero3) or even Earth Accuracy (Slow, Stone3).

For group 2, definitely at least one merit in Slow2. Para2 can be useful in a way but I don't like it because of the MP cost and little if any improvement over Para1; Bio3 reduces monster Attack by more than Bio2 and kills the monster more quickly.

Food - Cream Puffs if you're not going to be taking a lot of damage, Tavnazian Tacos else; Stoneskin lasting a hit or so longer is a very good thing!

Learn from your mistakes - everyone makes mistakes and you will definitely die when soloing, or attempting to. Always learn from your mistakes and critically analyse your performance. Naturally, be careful where and when you Convert!

RDM solo is far more about technique than gear; things like Crimson Cuisses are very powerful but not necessary; neither is top-of-the-line equipment. Don't be put off if your gear is not perfect, just keep on trying. Naturally better gear allows for a greater margin of error and there are some solos you are not doing without really powerful gear but for the majority of solos, you can get by with minimal emphasis on equipment. It's mostly preparation and technique.

Good luck~