Help on playing Hunewm

[New_Mcpot]

Really any class that wants to mix Attack with Magic. I mean I don't really see what makes a Hunewm or Hunewral better than a HUcast or HUmarl. Other than the fact that they can cast support and restoration techniques.

[Seth Astra]

You almost never need healing items. Resta and PP regen are all you need to keep up your HP. Also, you get all but infinite PA spam thanks to PP regen, never need a fluid. Even they can't clear missions as fast, they can clear them using far fewer items. In addition, HUnewearls have those funky EVP builds.

[Chaosmaster00]

They also have access to the most powerful Double Saber in the game, and Double Sabers are, by a bit higher than Daggers, the highest DPS melee weapons in the game, IIRC... Daggers may come close, but Double Sabers won overall (to me anyhow, I'm pretty sure it was right in the end, though; I dun care in the end of it all, I like Double Sabers more).

And yes, godly HUnewearls and their god-like evasion skills even without super EVP builds with the right equips. Almost never even need the dodgeroll button with their evasion, save for when it's non-missable attacks, like annoying lasers... ****ing Izhiraks and Korse...

[Cire39]

Unfortunately, the only way to mix physical attacks with magic effectively is by using a rod-type weapon, since they use MST for physical attacks. You could use wands and slicers but they aren't as good.

If you just want a character that is easy to play and hits for big numbers, just play a HUcast or a force. To me, though, those classes are a bit boring because they make the game really easy.
Personally, I have the most fun with an EVP build HUnewm (yes, it works even without the Rika's set bonuses).
All classes are viable options so you should just pick the class you like.

[Clavat99]

HUcast's do have the highest atp potential in the game, (i should know), but obviously, they cant use techniques. If you want good melee damage, AND good spell damage, a HUmar would be the best choice. They have great atp, and while their mst is kinda low, an experienced player can combine melee, and then hit with a tech of the appropriate type to deal maximum dammage like it was second nature. The fact that you also have resta and i think shifta, also makes you stupid powerful. Personally, i only play as a HUcast because if i used techs, people would expect me to be a healer or just dps. In my groups, im a kick-a** tank.

[New_Mcpot]

I can use techs and atttack as HUnewm but I'm not sure how I feel about doing so without a force weapon boasting my mst because the dmg seems kinda low. Almost a waste of PP at bosses. I'm currently building my mag towards mind but won't make it a 200 mind mag(assume it's level goes to 200), probably more like 175 mind. Might make it a hybrid of power and mind or just make 2 different mags but that might be too difficult. I'm only like 8 or so though so I dunno. They should make a Shifta and Jellen for MST :D.

[!Shoebox]

Shifta does raise your MST level.

[Chaosmaster00]

Yep, it does. Also, Mags only go to level 100 in this game. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Also, I recommend against really using much besides Power materials/Units/Mags for a HUnewm, unless you're strictly going for a Red Mage-ish style of gameplay (unrecommended due to horrible casting abilities against Hard and SH foes), otherwise use any mix of Power, EVP, or whatever you want to make a build of. Besides, if you REALLY want to make any kind of half-efficient Red Mage character, FOmar is probably the best for the job, rather than any hunter, since his techs don't suck and his attacks are at least the strongest of the Forces (for Melee), plus he can use a Lv3 Shifta/Zalure techs (Hunters only have access to up to Lv2 Shifta/Deband), making them fairly flexible.

[Cire39]

^This is good advice. FOmars also have the highest ATA out of all the forces so that's what makes them able to use physical attacks.
Technically you COULD make a casting HUnewm but the game would get incredibly hard on higher difficulties.

[Chaosmaster00]

Actually, FOmarls have higher ATA, but less ATP, so... it's either way, but I said FOmar because of higher ATP and the 20% boosts to Foie/Barta/Zonde, which is more useful in a Red Mage than the 25% boost to Grants and a 30% boost to Resta.

[Cire39]

Whoops, you're right. FOmars also have the highest HP and DFP out of the forces which is invaluable in close combat.

[New_Mcpot]

I was making a generaization. I wanted to know how you would play the so called "Red Mage" Style. Would you equip Hunter and Ranger items and cast techniques or would you equip Rods and such?

[Chaosmaster00]

A Red Mage is someone who plays a Force with the intent of rather using techniques as their prime damage dealing use Melee attacks (and maybe ranged, but the cliche Red Mage fancies blades over bows in general RPG's). Basically, you wield the blade, and use magic for support more than anything. Hunter Newmans can ALMOST be classified as Red Mages, but cannot due to the lack of Grants/Megid/Jellen/Zalure Techs and no Lv15 techs. : /

As such, the closest class to being a considerable Red Mage would be the FOmar, being the highest ATP, second highest ATA, highest DFP (and maybe second highest PP) Force, and since he has no PP regen, he's definitely more proficient and profitable with melee attacks, since using techs too much would waste his non-self-regenerating PP unlike the Newmans. He also has access to overall more melee and ranged weaponry than the Newman Forces as well, save for Dagger and Double Sabers, which FOnewms get (Foie Haze and Gigas Romulus).

[pkrockin]

Hunter Newmans can ALMOST be classified as Red Mages, but cannot due to the lack of Grants/Megid/Jellen/Zalure Techs and no Lv15 techs. : /

Actually, this makes Newman Hunters more like Red Mages than FOmars. Red Mages (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Mage) do not learn the highest levels of magic use - hence the descriptive phrase "Jack of all trades, MASTER OF NONE." Because of this, the FOmar is a poor example of the "Battle Mage" archetype because FOmars are pretty good at everything. They can use techniques extremely well (best Zonde, Barta, and Foie of all Forces) and, with Shifta and Zalure, deal quite competent damage with weapons. They are "masters of some." Newman Hunters, however, can't learn as many or as high-level techniques as a Force and are a little weak compared to other Hunters, but can still be somewhat effective doing either, truly making them "masters of none."

[Naruuchiha1313]

You almost never need healing items. Resta and PP regen are all you need to keep up your HP. Also, you get all but infinite PA spam thanks to PP regen, never need a fluid. Even they can't clear missions as fast, they can clear them using far fewer items. In addition, HUnewearls have those funky EVP builds.

exactly how i finished the story! i used a HUnewearl

[Broken_L_button]

As pkrockin stated, a true "Red Mage" would be a HUnewm or HUney. And, after playing with a "Red Mage" Huney (and eventually ending up settling for a pure tech casting one), I'll say this: even though the build is sort of an "hyrid", you'll prefer putting all your mats in either MST or ATP, and carry around equipment for both melee fighting and tech casting, and swap out depending on the situation.

[Chaosmaster00]

My point wasn't that the HUnewm/newearl didn't fit the Red Mage bill to a T, it was how the FOmar/marl was better due to having the higher level Shifta/Deband/Jellen/Zalure advantage and being the fact that their techs didn't pretty much suck complete ass on SH if you wanted to actually tech effectively. HUnewm and HUnewearl CAN use techs the best of a Hunter, but they're not effective with it like a FOmar is, while FOmars suffer the least as far as Forces go when it comes to the weaponry available to them, as well as being able to use the higher leveled Force weapons, allowing the combined high-ish FOmar MST with the force weapons to be able to melee with them to be even better while allowing to be even BETTER at teching too... but, eh, whatevs.

[Teh JeY]

Point of the Red Mage imo was to have power from both schools, but not as much as any one who specializes in those schools. It's kindof tricky what you would choose, FOmar would lean more towards techniques and a HUnewm would lean more towards melee, but none of them are equally balanced as the Red Mage suggests.

It's all preference in the end; Sword with a little bit of magic, or magic with a little bit of sword.

[pkrockin]

Again, the FOmar is a poor example of a class balanced across all proficiencies. Not only can they learn all techniques at max level, but their Foie, Zonde, and Barta are superior to all others. Not even a FOnewm's crazy good Mind can beat the extra 5% damage boost a FOmar gets. A "Red Mage," by definition, is not the best at anything, nor is a Red Mage able to use the best abilities, both things that typify the FOmar. Really, FOmar is too good to be considered a "renaissance" class because he is a great tech'er and he can still whoop some butt with his fists.

[New_Mcpot]

I'm not asking witch class I should pick but rather how I would play this "Red Mage". Would casting techniques with a Sword be effective? Or Should I use a Rod or Slicer? With the limited Pallete and difficulty to use items, techniques, equip outside of the pallette it's difficult. This comes espcially difficult when fighting bosses like The Dragon. I'm not that far into the game due to the difficulty of bosses but I'm not sure how I should use techniques.

[pkrockin]

The palette does make it hard to be a "hybrid" player. You should have at least 1 weapon attack, a heal button (Resta or -mates), an attack tech (Zonde is probably the best for most situations) and a support tech. Your other 2 buttons should just be whatever you think you need for the situation, and that comes from knowing what's ahead - hard to do when you're playing for the first time.

Concerning the support techs, they generally are valued thusly:
Shifta>Jellen>Zalure>Deband
Though the middle 2 depend on your current needs and your group's needs. I put Jellen ahead of Zalure because if you're a class that can use Jellen, you probably need it applied to survive. Also, you might try playing as a Force, but forgo attack techs in favor of support techs. I've played a FOmar this way and have found lots of success. Combining all 4 of those techniques makes a huge difference for the NPCs.

For weaponry, slicers a great choice, though their Photon Arts are so-so. If you really want to play into the "Red Mage" archetype, though, just use the best Hunter weapon or gunblade you can find.

For your mag, you should probably use it to compensate for your shortcomings - Power, Guard & Hit if you're a Force, Power, Mind, and Guard if you're a Ranger, or Hit & Mind if you're a Hunter.

[Broken_L_button]

I'm not asking witch class I should pick but rather how I would play this "Red Mage". Would casting techniques with a Sword be effective? Or Should I use a Rod or Slicer? With the limited Pallete and difficulty to use items, techniques, equip outside of the pallette it's difficult. This comes espcially difficult when fighting bosses like The Dragon. I'm not that far into the game due to the difficulty of bosses but I'm not sure how I should use techniques.

For normal mode, you'll be fine casting techs with anything. But, in H and SH, even Forces can't exert much power from their techniques if they're not casting them with a Rod or Slicer equipped, Rod being the best choice, since you can get better MST and a higher element level (unless you're a Hunter newman, in which case your best MST-increase comes from a Shuriken).

As for the bosses, I don't recommend using techniques on them at all (unless you're a Force or you're using zonde-RAzonde with the proper weapon on certain mechanical bosses), since bosses have those "weak spots" and 0 EVP, making them easier to beat just by abusing Standard & Heavy attacks or PAs, if you feel the boss isn't going down fast enough as it is. With all this taken into account, techniques are better used to sweep off the mobs in rooms.

[Chaosmaster00]

(unless you're a Hunter newman, in which case your best MST-increase comes from a Shuriken).

WITH SWIFTNESS I BRING CORRECTION!

Hunter newmans can still wield Kerykeion, which means that Rods are still their better choice for MST... and combined with the higher elemental level, can prove to also be the better weapon choice too, for the most part. ;P

Also, bosses do not have 0 EVP, they have 1, and let me tell you, just because they only have 1 doesn't mean you won't miss... my FOnewm knows this all too well.

[Broken_L_button]

Whoa...Must've fallen asleep on my keyboard there...Well, yeah, a fully grinded Kerykeion DOES provides 1 more MST than a fully grinded Kouga Shuriken and its other specs make it much better than a shuriken as a beatstick. And HOW could I forget that dividing by 0 was impossible in those video games? Of course it's 1 EVP...Thanks for correcting me.

...Though...How in the world could you be unlucky enough to miss on something with 1 EVP? Man, and I thought I saw everything in terms of gameplay in PSZ...I stand corrected, once again.

[Chaosmaster00]

When you try to punch Falz in the face to death with THE LOWEST ATA CHARACTER IN THE GAME for about 15 minutes straight with not even a weapon to boost your ATA or a mag to give you ATA either (because all my Hit mags have ATP, and vice-versa), you tend to miss once or twice, even with one EVP. XP

In case you don't know why I would do such a thing, this was back when I was doing it for chaining to 100 with my FOnewm punching foes while everyone else did the same... FOnewms may have the second-lowest ATP, but that accuracy... HOO DOGGY, it's low.

[Vintasticvin]

When you try to punch Falz in the face to death with THE LOWEST ATA CHARACTER IN THE GAME for about 15 minutes straight with not even a weapon to boost your ATA or a mag to give you ATA either (because all my Hit mags have ATP, and vice-versa), you tend to miss once or twice, even with one EVP. XP

In case you don't know why I would do such a thing, this was back when I was doing it for chaining to 100 with my FOnewm punching foes while everyone else did the same... FOnewms may have the second-lowest ATP, but that accuracy... HOO DOGGY, it's low.

I feel ya on that brotha/ sistah I dread the FOnewm's lousy ata when the fluids dry up and staying still for pp regen is out of the question :(