White Mage Equipment Guide by Esdain

Introduction
Hello there. I'm Esdain of Kujata. This is my guide to equipment for the White Mage. It's my second attempt at this type of project. The first guide I created ended up being less of a guide to what a White Mage should be wearing and more of a chart that listed everything a White Mage could wear. I received some feedback from friends and users of that guide that said it was too cluttered. Things like changing weapons every few levels and such. Also, some piece suggestions were directed at people with alternate, higher level, jobs capable of taking down difficult Notorious Monsters or those with a lot of money to throw around. I'll attempt to remedy that. Nearly all of the equipment described here, except for equipment specific to race, will be equipment that I myself wore during my time partying through the levels, and I was hardly wealthy, both then and now, as White Mage was my first job that I took to level 75.

I'll be going back and working on my Chart-based equipment guide more to clarify and clean it up later, but at this time I thought it would be helpful to create an actual guide reflecting what, in my professional opinion, a White Mage should look into wearing. It's my hope that this guide will help all the people that view it.

Main:
LV1: ' ' Something cheap to get you going through the early levels. Damage per second is very similar.

LV5: Bronze Hammer 1.48 damage per second (dps) will last a while. +1 isn't required.

LV9, 10, and 13: Willow Wand, Pilgrim's Wand, and Hermit's Wand One partying begins, you won't be attacking anymore. From here on, weapons are used for their stat-boosting properties. See the White Mage Equipment Chart for suggestions on weapons to keep handy for melee solo activities.

LV18: Yew Wand More stat boosts. +1 lasts a long time so probably worth it. Keep Pilgrim's Wand handy for when you're resting back MP. That will be the case until level 51.

LV32: Solid Wand Lasts forever. Skip the Rose Wand at 48. Solid wand +1, again, is worth it's price in it's longevity.

LV51: Light Staff, Dark Staff, Wind Staff, Ice Staff, and Earth Staff 10% increase to the effect (accuracy, potency, or duration) of spells of the corresponding element. These can best be used in macros in the following ways to benefit play: Light/Apollo's Staff for Cure Macros, Dark/Pluto's Staff for hMP Resting & Blind (/BLM) Macros, Earth/Terra's Staff for Slow Macro, Ice/Aquilo's Staff for Paralyze Macro, Wind/Auster's Staff for Silence, Invisible, & Sneak Macros.

LV55: Healing Staff / Dryad Staff A lovely luxury item for it's added MP. Light Staff can/will get you by until endgame when you can camp for this or have ways of making the money to buy the non Rare/Ex version.

LV60/LV65: Battle Staff / Darksteel Maul Fairly low cost equipment to skill up neglected Staff and Club skills. Stick with LV51 staves for party play still.

LV71: Templar Mace Common to see paired with Numinous Shield at endgame instead of Light, Apollo, Dryad, or Healing Staves.

Shield:
LV1, 8, 13, 20: Lauan, Maple, Elm, and Strong Shield There isn't much to say about these shields. If you're using a club/wand/hammer when soloing, the added defense and skill-ups are nice. When in party play, the added defense will rarely be enough to save you if it's become bad enough that you're taking hits.

LV29: Faerie Shield Cute.

LV39: Nymph Shield Cuter?

LV40: Light Buckler /The/ shield of choice for skilling up your shield skill stat. It's small size makes shield blocks occure more often and the bonus to shield skill make them happen more.

LV45: Viking Shield A melee WHM's dream for higher damage numbers. ATT+12 won't be topped.

LV50: Holy Shield Finally, some shield to boost our stats. Sadly, with the elemental staves right around the corner, at the next level, you'll be hard pressed to ever again wear a shield in party play.

LV69: Numinous Shield Common to see paired with Numinous Shield (or +1 version) at endgame instead of Light, Apollo, Dryad, or Healing Staves.

LV74: Genbu's Shield The EVA+10 is a mearly a drop in the water. With an EVA skill that caps at 200, we're going to take hits directed at us. The reduction in damage taken is this shield's prime use.

Grip:
LV55: Raptor Strap You should be using the stat boosting wands until LV51, when the elemental staves can be equipped, so this is the first strap that matters. The +1 is nice, but not really needed that badly.

LV65: Staff Strap Not much in the way of straps for WHM. Sorry.

Ammo:
LV1: Fortune Egg If you have one, put it on. Best you'll do with this slot for a while.

LV25: Morion Tathlum The first stat boosts that you can buy off the auction house if you missed getting the Fortune Egg as a reward for it's event.

LV35: Holy Ampulla You'll want this. It will last you forever.

LV61: Healing Feather Simply a trophy item.

LV70: Hedgehog Bomb Wonderful MP stat boost. Your Holy Ampulla can and will last you to 75, but once you're there and have a chance to make some money, you may want to look in on this piece.

Head:
LV1: Circlet You can ignore this really. You can do the first few levels naked, except for a weapon, as long as you're careful.

LV6: Traveler's Hat A nice boost to MND stat.

LV9: Compound Eye Circlet The EVA is nice on this when soloing. Toss on the Traveler's Hat for parties.

LV10: Brass Hairpin If you're in need of some MP (elvaan and galka, I'm looking at you) then go for it.

LV20: Trump Crown If you have the money to spare, go for it. If not, The previous three head equips will last you a long time.

LV40: Electrum Hairpin After 20~34 levels in your last hat, you may want a change. Here it is.

LV50: Raven Beret AF is around the corner, but the -enmity is nice when you've got to drop cure bombs.

LV50: Gold Hairpin Again, if you need the MP.

LV54: Healer's Cap Sure, it's goofy looking and no previous FF game's White Mages have sported a look like it, but, as AF, it will last you until endgame.

LV70: Faerie Hairpin Mmmm. MP.

LV70~75: ??? Without a JSE (job specific equipment) headpiece for our Blessed Set, White Mages have many lackluster choices for headgear. Check the chart at the bottom of this guide and pick one that suits your fancy; or just strut in your Healer's Cap. Your call. What do I wear, you ask? I sported a Trump Crown for endgame forever until I got my Zenith Crown. I have my eyes on a Yigit Turban at the moment.