Varance posted:

Counterpoint: If you have Runic, Gaia Cross is godlike on Celes.

KataraniSword posted:

Counter-counterpoint: If you have Maria's Song, you've got an Enholy beefing up those Saint Crosses.

KataraniSword posted:

In a vacuum, Gaia Cross has the better effect stapled on, and allows a Tauntaliator to keep doing damage with things other than their autoattack.

In the current state of things, unless you have an Earth Imperil (Guy and Yang say hi!) or an Enearth (appropriately enough, like the one Ingus is getting on banner 2 of the same event that gives us Gaia Cross... except that BSB also gives him draw fire so the incidental effect of Gaia Cross is rendered moot) then you will almost always lose damage jumping to Gaia Cross from Saint Cross. There's too many Holy boosts and too many Holy-weak things out there.

Plus there's the fact that if you're a Knight 5 not named Ingus, you are far more likely to get gear that beefs up Saint Cross than Gaia Cross.

Zurai posted:

Worse damage, VASTLY higher utility. It grants +200% Defense (this is literally the same boost to Defense that Sentinel's Grimoire and Stoneskin II give) to the user and attracts all PHY and BLK single-target or random-target attacks. Immensely, immensely useful. The "utility" on Saint Cross, meanwhile, is almost nonesistent. Low regen is more of a drawback than a benefit with how common party-wide high regen is, and self-Esuna literally only matters for Blind (and it happens after the attack, so you're gonna miss those hits anyway).

Nihilarian posted:

wait, does Gaia Cross grant Sentinel or Draw Fire? I was under the impression it was Draw Fire, which is +100% defense and doesn't attract magic?

Grizzled Patriarch posted:

Since nobody mentioned Tornado Strike, I take it it's not all that useful outside of niche situations? I've got Cloud's en-wind SB and his OSB, so I probably don't really *need* much else against enemies with wind weaknesses, I guess.

Attestant posted:

(edit) That said, I'd ask the question "What character makes my A-Team without fail?" and see if there's a 5* ability worth investing in there. Got a great Knight? Then Saint Cross is a good option. Got a Thief that makes your team without a fail? Thief's Revenge is good. Etc. It's a shame Cloud doesn't have native Spellblade 5*, or I'd actually recommend Tornado Strike more then.

Attestant posted:

In other topics, I am going to lose my mind waiting for the Black Friday lucky draw, while not pulling on the OK banner right away.

I just want to splurge now.

Attestant posted:

In other topics, I am going to lose my mind waiting for the Black Friday lucky draw, while not pulling on the OK banner right away.

I just want to splurge now.

Grozz Nuy posted:

Only 48 hours left to wait! Provided the lucky draw opens at midnight PST like it did last year, anyway.

I'm mentally preparing myself to get Tiny Bee and nothing else.

ApplesandOranges posted:

I feel like I'd be happier getting Tiny Bee than some of the other first-gen BSBs, like Terra's Stardust Rod or Balthier's Gatling Gun.

ApplesandOranges posted:

I feel like I'd be happier getting Tiny Bee than some of the other first-gen BSBs, like Terra's Stardust Rod or Balthier's Gatling Gun.

KataraniSword posted:

Sad part is that Gatling Gun isn't a "first-gen" BSB, it's just Machinist-themed when Machinist itself is a skillset with a very narrow and situational set of uses in high-end content. It doesn't provide the mitigation of stat buffs/debuffs like a Support BSB, the healing of a White Mage BSB, or the raw damage of later physical BSBs, so even if it's a great way to land status, it's just... status almost never is applicable.

And honestly, I'd rather any BSB but Lulu's. She got shafted amazingly hard in the Seymour event.

ApplesandOranges posted:

It's probably saying something that Edgar is the only other 'Machinist' BSB. They probably haven't really figured out how to properly do one yet, and Laguna/Mustadio are the only full Machinists left. Quistis actually does the status affliction role just as well as Edgar and better than Balthier if you don't need to spread it around, between her BSB and OSB, as well as access to Stop, Blindga, Intimidate, and potentially Slowga. She has to rely on the crappier versions of Sleep/Poison, but that's about it.

KataraniSword posted:

Honestly, the more I look at it, the more I'm okay with it, pun not intended.

Yeah, OK's BSB is basically the holy grail of the banner, and both Arc SSB2 and OK SSB are good, top-shelf items, but I find myself unimpressed with Luneth's BSB what with Kain's BSB being right over there, and everything else is gradually showing its age.

On the other hand, Ingus's BSB is basically an earth-coded take on Gilgamesh's, Refia's BSB is just as broken as OK's if not moreso, OK's Tailwind wannabe is there, and even Desch's imperil-lightning has some utility if you've pulled a bunch of poo poo like Ashe BSB or Lightning's...pretty much anything.

Banner 2 is looking more and more appealing the more I look at it, and if I have to choose only one banner to pull on (ideally, I'd do both and the Black Friday draw) I'd probably gun for 2.

ApplesandOranges posted:

Quistis' BSB isn't out til the following Sunday. Gotta earn that the old fashioned way.

Armitage posted:

Dang it!

Well, it shouldn't be hard to have the mythril for a pull by then. Isn't the next FF8 event the one with the next available OSB?

ApplesandOranges posted:

Two, actually; Squall's on banner 1, Rinoa's on banner 2. It's basically the start of the 1 OSB + 2 BSB + 4 SSB + 1 SB + 1 non-SB format.

Reminder that Black Lucky Draw is this Friday as well, and the Buff Lucky Draw's probably gonna pop up any week now.

KnoxZone posted:

paperwind posted:

Goon parties will need to be organized for this. I'm not wasting my precious stamina on pubbie plebs.

Attestant posted:

10 days, 5 mythril per login. Gimme.

Wilekat posted:

I do also have Sazh's 30% Boostga, but I'm not sure it makes up for losing Hastega or, alternatively, benching Cloud or Tidus. Surely one of those is worth more than the 30% buff?

The Tyro trifecta banner is always an option long-term if I have lovely luck and want a few shots at a Wall or Ramza's stuff, but I refuse to use any mythril on that in the middle of the madness of current banners.

flowinprose posted:

Keep in mind that 30% boostga will stack with either Maria's Song or OK BSB since those are ATK/MAG buffs. So you could use Sazh and RW OK BSB and get a 60% ATK buff.

Alternatively you could use the Quina buff as CaptainPsyko just mentioned, but overall Sazh is to me a better character particularly since you can backrow him and still do some damage. Also with the 50% boost + stacking 30/30 ATK/MAG buff you will probably not get much additional ATK out of the extra 20% since you'll likely be above the ATK softcap anyway.

Now if you plan to RW Wall I would definitely use Quina for her 50% buff.

Fister Roboto posted:

I've got Dr. Mog's Teachings and Mako Might, and they've been really helpful in getting some U and U+ clears. Are there any other RMs that you guys would consider useful enough to level a character that's not on my A-team? Right now I'm running with Aeris, Fran, Tyro, Celes, and Greg.

CaptainPsyko posted:

I don't know that Sazh is actually better than Quina unless you have a synergy gun or the enemy is debuff vulnerable where Mech skills come into play. And if you only have one synergy gun, giving it to Paine with Gaia Cross and Lionheart is almost certainly better.

The fact that Sazh has White 3 versus Quina's Combat 3 feels like a wash of worthlessness on both sides.

Fister Roboto posted:

I've got Dr. Mog's Teachings and Mako Might, and they've been really helpful in getting some U and U+ clears. Are there any other RMs that you guys would consider useful enough to level a character that's not on my A-team? Right now I'm running with Aeris, Fran, Tyro, Celes, and Greg.