Finally, a real FF XI event! Aphmau will never cease to be an awkward thing to say.
FF XI finally becomes a Real Realm with the inclusion of Aphmau, the Summoner/White Mage. Zeid is also a thing. A Dark Cecil type thing. More on that later.
But, yeah! Aphmau! She’s great! It’s no secret that I’m in love with cast speed reduction statuses, and she joins Relm as a White Mage with an Instant Cast bestowing USB. By itself, this already establishes Aphmau as a remarkably capable healer. As an off-realm, this shouldn’t come as any surprise, as she joins an already stellar cast including Lion and Ayame, two of the best at what they do.
New Characters
Aphmau
Level 99 Stats: 5850 HP, 120 ATK, 110 DEF, 205 MAG, 176 RES, 205 MND, 26 ACC, 25 EVA, 149 SPD
Weapons: Daggers, Fists, Rods, Staves
Armor: Hats, Light Armor, Robes, Bracers
Ability Schools: White Magic 5, Summoning 5, Monk 3
Zeid
Level 99 Stats: 7290 HP, 212 ATK, 143 DEF, 139 MAG, 149 RES, 145 MND, 25 ACC, 25 EVA, 129 SPD
Weapons: Daggers, Swords, Axes
Armor: Shields, Hats, Helms, Light Armor, Heavy Armor, Bracers
Ability Schools: Black Magic 3, Combat 5, Spellblade 3, Darkness 5
New Legend Dives
Curilla: 500 HP, 40 ATK, 20 DEF, 20 MAG, 30 RES, 20 MND, Minor Confuse Resist, Minor Holy Resist, +9% Holy Damage
Aphmau: 500 HP, 20 DEF, 20 MAG, 30 RES, 40 MND, Minor Silence Resist, Moderate Silence Resist, +9% WHT Healing
Lion: 800 HP, 35 ATK, 25 DEF, 20 RES, 20 SPD, Minor Slow Resist, Moderate Slow Resist, +9% Dagger PHY Damage
New Legend Materia
Curilla LM1 “Fruits of Rigorous Discipline”: PHY attacks deal 10% more damage
Curilla LM2 “Faith in the Goddess of Dawn”: 35% chance to grant Magic Blink 1 to the user after taking damage from an enemy
Aphmau LM1 “Charming Puppetmaster”: WHT abilities restore 15% more HP
Aphmau LM2 “Pacifist Empress”: Grants Reraise: 80% at the beginning of the battle, grants Dual Blink 1“Dual Blink 1” [ID:280]
Evades the next attack that could be evaded with Physical or Magical Blink, lower priority than normal Blinks to the user when Reraise is triggered
Lion LM1 “Agent’s Dagger Art”: PHY attacks deal 10% more damage when equipping a dagger
Lion LM2 “Agent’s Consecutive Strikes”: 35% chance to dualcast Thief abilities
New Abilities
Dire Weapon: 5* Darkness, Dark Element, Two single attacks (1,50 each), heals the user for 20% of the damage dealt
Post Ability Overhaul: 5* Darkness, Dark Element, Four single attacks (0,75 each), heals the user for 20% of the damage dealt
Banner 1
Curilla USB (1/14%)
Relic “Gluttony Sword”: Sword, RS +Holy
Soul Break “Holy Circle”: ATK, DEF and MAG +30% to party for 25 seconds, grants Radiant Shield“Radiant Shield 100%” [ID:260]
Returns all the damage taken to the attacker for 30 seconds to party
Recurrence: None
Rating: 80/100
Aphmau USB (1/14%)
Relic “Jadagna”: Staff
Soul Break “Overdrive”: Instant Cast
Restores HP (85), grants Haste and Instant Cast 1 to party
Recurrence: None
Rating: 90/100
Aphmau BSB (1/14%)
Relic “Aristocrat’s Crown”: Hat
Soul Break “Optimization”: Restores HP (55), MAG and MND +30% for 25 seconds, grants Haste and Burst Mode to the user
C1A “Activate”: White Magic
Restores HP (60), grants Summon Activate to the user
C1B “Activate (Summon Mode)”: Lightning/NE, White Magic
Four single attacks (2,62 each), restores HP (60) to the lowest HP% ally, removes Summon Activate to the user
C2A “Light Maneuver”: White Magic
Restores HP (25) to party
C2B “Light Maneuver (Summon Mode)”: Lightning/NE, White Magic
Two single attacks (5,14 each), restores HP (25) to all allies
Recurrence: None
Rating: 70/100
Zeid BSB (1/14%)
Relic “Arondight”: Sword, RS +Dark
Soul Break “Abyssal Strike”: Dark/NE
Eight single attacks (0,78 each), causes Stun (100%), grants Haste, Attach Dark and Burst Mode to the user
C1 “Nether Void”: Dark/NE, Darkness
Four single attacks (0,49 each), five attacks if exploiting elemental weakness
C2 “Desperate Blows”: Dark/NE, Darkness
Two group attacks (0,65 each), grants Dark Bargain“Dark Bargain” [ID:6001]
ATK +30%, DEF -30% to the user for 20 seconds
Recurrence: None
Rating: 70/100
Curilla BSB (1/14%)
Relic “Temple Knight Army Sword”: Sword
Soul Break “Intervention”: Holy/NE
Six group attacks (0,96 each), grants Intervention“Intervention [ID:6013]”
ATK +30%, DEF +50% to all allies for 25 seconds, grants Haste and Burst Mode to the user
C1 “Requiescat”: Holy/NE, Knight
Four single attacks (0,58 each), grants High Regen to the user for 25 seconds
C2 “Blade of Uriel”: Holy/NE, Knight
Two group attacks (0,75 each), grants Sentinel“Sentinel” [ID:502]
DEF +200%, taunts single-target PHY and BLK attacks for 25 seconds to the user for 25 seconds
Recurrence: 30th Anniversary Banner 4
Rating: 60/100
Curilla LMR (1/14%)
Relic “Royal Squire’s Mufflers”: Bracers
Legend Materia “Knight Leader’s Consideration”: 30% chance to cover PHY attacks that target allies, reducing damage taken by 20%
Recurrence: None
Rating: 50/100
Aphmau LMR (1/14%)
Relic “Alkyoneus’s Bracelets”: Bracer
Legend Materia “Puppetmaster’s Secrets”: 25% chance to grant HP Stock (2000)“HP Stock 2000 [ID:25901]”
Automatically restores HP, up to 2000 HP to the target after using a single-target White Magic ability that restores HP on an ally
Recurrence: None
Rating: 50/100 (+20 with USB, +10 with BSB)
Aphmau SSB (2/14%)
Relic “Earth Doublet”: Robe, Minor Earth Resist
Soul Break “Resist and Repair”: Grants Astra“Astra” [ID:594]
Prevents Poison, Silence, Paralyze, Confuse, Slow, Stop, Blind, Sleep, Petrify, Berserk, Sap, Stun and Frozen once. Lasts 25 seconds and High Regen to party
Recurrence: None
Rating: 50/100 (+10 with USB and/or BSB)
Zeid SSB (2/14%)
Relic “Scutum”: Shield
Soul Break “Freezebite”: Dark/Ice
Eight single attacks (0,83 each), multiplier increases as HP decreases, restores HP to the user for 40% of their maximum HP
Recurrence: None
Rating: 30/100
Curilla SSB (2/14%)
Relic “Iron Musketeer’s Cuirass”: Heavy Armor
Soul Break “Swift Blade”: Holy/NE
Six single attacks (1,25 each), restores HP to all allies for 40% of their maximum HP, removes negative effects to all allies
Recurrence: None
Rating: 50/100 (+10 with USB or BSB)
Shantotto SSB (1/14%)
Relic “Jupiter’s Staff”: Staff
Soul Break “Vidofnir”: NE
Eight random attacks (2,23 each), grants Quick Magical Attacks 5“Quick Magical Attacks 5” [ID:2002]
Cast speed x2,00 for BLK, WHT, BLU, SUM or NAT attacks that deal magical damage, lasts for 5 turns to the user
Recurrence: None
Rating: 40/100 (+20 with CSB)
Banner 2
Lion USB (1/14%)
Relic “Darksteel Baselard”: Dagger
Soul Break “Pirate Pummel”: NE, Instant Cast
Nine random attacks (0,78 each), ATK, DEF, MAG, RES and MND -30% for 25 seconds, grants Instant Cast 2 to the user
Recurrence: None
Rating: 80/100
Ayame OSB (1/14%)
Relic “Kiku-ichimonji”: Katana
Soul Break “Tachi Fudo”: Ice/NE, 11.25
Breaks damage cap, 12,75 multiplier if exploiting elemental weakness
Recurrence: None
Rating: 70/100 (+10 with BSB)
Ayame BSB (1/14%)
Relic “Soboro Sukehiro”: Katana, Minor Dark Resist
Soul Break “Meikyo Shisui”: Ice/NE
Eight single attacks (0,78 each), grants Haste, Meikyo Shisui“Meikyo Shisui [ID:6011]”
ATK and RES +30%, Attach Ice and Burst Mode to the user
C1 “Chillfang Blade”: Ice/NE, Samurai, Half Cast Time
Four single attacks (0,47 each)
C2 “Icewyrm Blade”: Ice/NE, Samurai
Two group attacks (0,65 each), grants Dark Bargain“Dark Bargain” [ID:6001]
ATK +30%, DEF -30% to the user for 20 seconds
Recurrence: 30th Anniversary Banner 4
Rating: 80/100
Lion BSB (1/14%)
Relic “Lust Dagger”: Dagger
Soul Break “Walk the Plank”: NE, Instant Cast
Five single attacks (1,52 each), ATK and DEF -40% for 25 seconds, grants Haste and Burst Mode to the user
C1 “Broken Blade”: NE, Thief, Half Cast Time
ATK -40% for 15 seconds
C2 “Fraying Guard”: NE, Thief, Half Cast Time
DEF -40% for 15 seconds
Recurrence: None
Rating: 80/100
Prishe BSB (1/14%)
Relic “Sainti”: Fist
Soul Break “Nullifying Dropkick”: NE
Eight single attacks (0,93 each), grants Haste, Quick Monk Abilities 5“Quick Monk Abilities 5” [ID:2010]
Cast speed x2,00 for Monk abilities, lasts for 5 turns and Burst Mode to the user
C1 “Spin Combo”: NE, Monk
3/4/5/6 single attacks (0,80 each) at 1/2/3 different Monk abilities used, reset stacks
C2 “Headlong Tackle”: NE, Monk
Four single attacks (0,55 each), grants Dark Bargain“Dark Bargain” [ID:6001]
ATK +30%, DEF -30% to the user
Recurrence: None
Rating: 70/100
Ayame LMR (1/14%)
Relic “Myochin Domaru”: Heavy Armor
Legend Materia “Instant Reaction”: 35% chance to grant Quick Cast 1“Quick Cast 1” [ID:2019]
Cast speed x2,00, lasts for 1 turn to the user after using a Samurai ability
Recurrence: None
Rating: 50/100 (+20 with OSB and/or BSB)
Lion LMR (1/14%)
Relic “Kidney Dagger”: Dagger
Legend Materia “Knowledgeable Agent”: Increases the duration of stat debuffs by 30%
Recurrence: None
Rating: 50/100 (+20 with USB and/or BSB)
Prishe SSB (2/14%)
Relic “Monsoon Jinpachi”: Hat
Soul Break “Rigorous Reverie”: Restores HP for 40% of the party’s maximum HP, grants Last Stand“Last Stand [ID:261]”
Prevents KO once, restoring HP for 1% maximum HP and High Regen to party
Recurrence: None
Rating: 50/100 (+10 with BSB)
Lion SSB (2/14%)
Relic “Gaia Doublet”: Light Armor, Minor Earth Resist
Soul Break “Powder Keg”: NE
5/6/7 group attacks (0,99 each) at 174/205 SPD, DEF and RES -50% for 25 seconds
Recurrence: None
Rating: 50/100 (+10 with USB, BSB, and/or LMR)
Ayame SSB (2/14%)
Relic “Ochiudo’s Kote”: Bracer
Soul Break “Tachi Jinpu”: Wind
Five group attacks (1,11 each), grants Haste to all allies, ATK +50% to the user for 25 seconds
Recurrence: None
Rating: 40/100 (+10 with OSB or BSB)
Shantotto SSB (1/14%)
Relic “Tactician Magician’s Coat”: Robe
Soul Break “Primordial Elements”: Fire/Ice/Lightning
Eight random attacks (2,19 each), minimum damage 500, MAG and RES +30% to all allies for 25 seconds
Recurrence: None
Rating: 30/100
Banners Overview
Banner 1: Powerful A-Team Healing, Holy Knight and Dark Physical. Below average low end.
Banner 2: Powerful A-Team Ice Physical and Non-Elemental Debuffing with more Non-Elemental Physical. Okay low end.
With Zeid being a DoA character and Curilla being an average knight in a crowded field of Holy Knights, Aphmau’s potential is squandered with an unappealing banner. From stem to stern Aphmau has great stuff and I’d love for her to appear on something more pullable in the future.
The second banner is another matter. The worst you’re looking at here is Prishe, who is a respectable disher-outer of the Non-Elemental Monk damage. Above that, Lion and Ayame are two of the best at what they do, which is Ice damage and Non-Elemental damage with a strong side of stat breaking. This banner is the clear winner and should merit strong consideration for both FF XI usage as well as for A-Teams.