Manaburn is not so bad

BLM:75 WHM:54 SMN:41 THF:70 WAR:56 RNG:36

I spent some time last week partying with a Manaburn party in Mount Zhayolm. We had to 2 BLM/RDMs, 3 BLM/WHMs, and me as BLM/SMN. On the upside, I really think I added a lot to the group. At the end of every chain I would pull out Garuda and do an Aerial Armor BP(Blink-ga) on us. I could even use Whispering Wind(Curaga) as another option to help heal us. It healed for about 120 each so it was not nearly as effective as Divine Seal + Curaga II. You really do need to have some BLM/WHM in manaburn to help heal everybody.

It's funny though cuz most BLMs, even though they know they should help heal, don't like to heal I think. There was also some malcontent there. Obviously, in manaburn you are bound to get at least one person that gets irritated at the inclusion of a BLM/SMN. We could have done chain 11 like we usually do in manaburn, but some people were just itching to try out their AM II spells. We still did get chain 8 though and I had a good time with it. It must have seemed really daunting to have a BLM with 1100 MP next to eveyone else with like 900. I bet some people try out BLM/SMN soon too cuz of their experience with me. I would always have like 400 more MP than everyone else at chain 8 but I think that's mostly cuz I wasn't the one pulling.
Eventually, I started using my GA III spells just so my MP would get used up more.

I gotta say that those AM II spells are really neat to see. Fantastic even! But being a BLM at 75 with fancy new spells is like an old man with a new Corvette. It just doesn't seem to be useful for anything since you are like "done". Still, I am gonna line up at least one of those AM IIs over my way as soon as it's convenient.

In Manaburn, due to the simple design, it's possible to try many other subs as well. One time a guy used BLM/BRD and gave us all Mage's Ballad and I thought, hey cool. Once you get people working well together it really doesn't matter what you sub in manaburn. We still got chain 11 that time too, but I was BLM/WHM that time. Manaburn is neat that way cuz we all get to talking about spells and AM and quests and stuff(I still need Sleepga II) and you don't have to be so bored earning exp the same old fashioned way, plus people let you try whatever you want to try cuz the pattern is so simple, that it gets sort of boring.

Dynamis is something I no longer find interesting. I don't like the idea of spending time in manaburn just so I can die several times in Dynamis and get nothing. It's true that I haven't won it even once yet, earned no money, and got no AFII, so maybe there is something I am missing... like WHAT'S THE UPSIDE TO ALL THIS?!

Well I may try to get a manaburn going soon again. Even though I should be leveling my THF, I am enjoying BLM manaburns. After I cap out my EXP, I am going to start with limit points and see what that gets me. I got Flare with the intention of using it in a Light skillchain but I never really got to use it. My recommendation is for people to not buy AM magic unless you got a static party with a PLD. Why people don't automatically use a Light > Burst skillchain on dhalmels in BIbiki Bay is beyond me.

On a final note, I was partying with a Manaburn I think about 2 weeks ago, and I was level 74 and some of us had no Blizzard IV and one girl made a comment that we needed to get our Blizzard IV scrolls and "get with the program". Blizzard IV was selling for like 1.2 mil at the time.

So, I told her to blow me.

I don't understand why she warped out though? We were having such a healthy "self-help" discussion.