PvP Patch v5 Focused: Equipment
As we inch closer every passing day to the March 18th version 5 public beta, this article covers what you need to know about new and updated equipment coming soon to your inventory.
New Hair Adornments – Circlet and Extension
Two new hair adornments will become a part of the Tactics League itemization ecosystem in version 5: Circlet and Extension. All jobs will be able to use these new hair accessories, which are expected to become essential in future teambuilding due to previous efforts to reduce the genderization of both male and female equipment. Let’s go over what these items do by simply checking their Help menus:
Circlet
With Circlet using the headgear slot, this provides a unique way to get Initial: Protect, Shell coverage with permanent Regen to boot. +100 HP and MP aren’t anything to scoff at either.
Extension
Extension is part of new ways to enhance your critical strike chance on applicable abilities and normal attacks. Stackable critical chance is a new way to build, albeit it is limited in scope, but with Extension, Death Strike support ability, and the base 10% critical chance netting a total of 80% critical chance, someone is going to feel pain soon enough. Both hair adornments will be limited in Standard.
New Weapons and Shield – Earthbreaker, Excalipoor, and Adamantoise Shield
Version 5 introduces a new axe, Earthbreaker, a new, but familiar one-handed sword, Excalipoor, and a new shield. Let’s look at what these weapons and shield can do.
Earthbreaker
The Earthbreaker is a two-handed axe that is Earth elemental, scales with Magick instead of the typical Power other axes use, and its goal: up your critical damage by 10% while slotted. Geomancers and Knights will find great enjoyment in crushing their enemies with this new weapon. This item is capped at three in Standard.
Excalipoor
An artifact you can acquire in the campaign (but originally not an actual weapon), Excalipoor is the second weapon that will be newly joining the Tactics League inventory and formats. This sword is essentially a “low bravery attack” where its damage is based on how low you can go with your Bravery, but be careful to not get chickened! This item is limited in Standard.
Adamantoise Shield
The Adamantoise Shield is a limited new Shield that is a part of the “damage reduction” additions in version 5, such as Curse status and Resilience. This shield reduces all incoming damage taken by 10% but because it is so heavy, you’ll start Initially: Slow at first (gotta figure out the best way to hold it you know?). 10% automatic damage reduction is quite noticeable once you factor in stuff like basic mitigation in Protect and Shell or even damaging Rend Stat abilities in Arts of War now as these are ways to empower players with how to check “high-end” damage or add another playstyle to the vast varieties of the sandbox.
Adamantoise Shield does not add any Shield Evasion to your stats so keep in mind that you will need to rely on your weapon’s Block or slot an accessory that ups your evasiveness.
New Accessories – Pearl Rouge and Garment Ring
Pearl Rouge
It’s a bummer that in the original game, there was only one accessory classified as Lip Rouge, and that was Agrias’s Tynar Rouge you bought for her birthday. With version 5, a new one is being introduced and it somehow made its way from the otherworldly land of Treno to Ivalice.
Pearl Rouge is notably a nice addition on caster jobs that want Silence protection, but don’t also scoff at the multiple bonuses this accessory grants, and this item synergies well with Caladbolg and Sage’s Waterja or Black Mage’s Blizzard series of spells. Pearl Rouge is a limited item in Standard.
Garment Ring
Showcased in PvP Patch v5 Focused: Dragon Tech, Blue Magicks, and Perform, the Garment Ring is a limited accessory that enables the quaternary action command, Perform. Perform combines both the entirety of Bardsong and Dance abilities all in one, allowing any gender to recite poetry or show off their best dance moves. Keep in mind, that for the best results for any ability, you will want to be either a Bard, Dancer, or slot Performing Arts as a support ability to increase your potency or hit chance of abilities.
Changes to Existing Equipment
With Curse status being introduced and Vampire status being accessible, some existing gear received updates to gain immunity against these statuses. Note that it is purposeful that Curse specifically doesn’t have a ton of gear immunity coverage, but the Ward reaction grants it to ensure equipment doesn’t always counter its time of need.
Additionally, there are a few more critical chance sources to enable “crit builds.” Let’s dive into the more important changes coming below:
- Knives
- Have been reverted to allow for dual-wielding.
- Removed doublehand capability.
- Increased WP standardization from 13 to 16 for all status-inflicting knives.
- Status Knives now are set to 50% infliction chance down from 100%.
- Note that because of these changes and Ninja re-gaining Knives, there are more ways to build for customization, and Chantage – dual knives are possible.
- Magick Guns – Decreased WP from 22 to 20 to make up for the buffs to their applicable Black Magicks.
- Ninja Blades
- Increased WP standardization from 16 to 18 to maintain competitiveness versus knives on Ninja.
- Increased WP standardization from 16 to 18 to maintain competitiveness versus knives on Ninja.
- Artemis Bow (bow)
- Increases your critical strike chance by 10%.
- Increases your critical strike chance by 10%.
- Knightslayer (crossbow)
- Now ignores the target’s damage mitigation.
- Decreased WP from 22 to 17 due to this change.
- Murasame (katana)
- Heals allies on attacks and no longer deals damage.
- Adds +1 Power and +1 Speed.
- Osafune (katana)
- Absorbs MP instead of HP damage with normal attacks.
- Absorbs MP instead of HP damage with normal attacks.
- Save the Queen (knight’s sword)
- Holy Elemental alongside Durandal.
- Holy Elemental alongside Durandal.
- Gokuu Pole (pole, limited item)
- Reverted to deal “no damage” with attacks and is no longer evadable to ensure it is a viable tool for Crown Scepter builds/teams or Marach, or as a means to counter faith-based casters.
- Reverted to deal “no damage” with attacks and is no longer evadable to ensure it is a viable tool for Crown Scepter builds/teams or Marach, or as a means to counter faith-based casters.
- Stardust Rod (rod, limited item)
- Now Casts: Graviga instead of Gravity.
- Now Casts: Graviga instead of Gravity.
- Zeus Mace (staff, limited item)
- Now forced two-handed.
- Now grants +3 Power and Magick instead of +2 Power and +1 Magick.
- Onion Sword (sword)
- Onion Sword is now doublehandable, but not dual-wieldable.
- Standardized Block from 15 to 10.
- Ras Algethi (returning, gun, limited item)
- Increased WP from 12 to 15.
- Increases your critical strike chance by 10%.
- Dreamwaker (returning and reworked, staff, limited item)
- Removed +4 Magick from the original version.
- 12 WP and 8 Block.
- Uses the Sky Mantra calculation to Remove: Sleep on target and deal 70% max. HP damage if the target was sleeping. Note that this weapon deals no normal attack damage, so there isn’t “extra” damage from this ability cast.
- Samite Coat
- Removed +1 Magick.
- Increased +HP from 120 to 140.
- Steadfast Ring
- Added +1 Speed due to its previous shortened Veil duration.
- Added +1 Speed due to its previous shortened Veil duration.
- Diamond Bracelet
- Removed Slow immunity.
- Grants +1 Power, Magick, and Speed.
- Spiked Boots
- Removed +1 Move and Power. Now adds +4 Jump.
- Removed +1 Move and Power. Now adds +4 Jump.
- Germinas Boots
- Grants +1 Move and +2 Jump (instead of +1 Jump) in addition to its 8% Accessory Evasion.
- Grants +1 Move and +2 Jump (instead of +1 Jump) in addition to its 8% Accessory Evasion.
- Curse-immune equipment:
- Deathbringer (fell Sword)
- Ama-no-Murakamo (katana)
- Nagnarok (sword)
- Jujitsu Gi (clothing)
- Cachusha and Barette (hair adornments, note that Ribbon specifically does not have immunity)
- Vampire-immune equipment:
- Japa Mala (accessory, re-added)
- Vampire Cape (accessory)
Conclusion
With new ways to build critical chance, customize gear-based Protect/Shell coverage, ways to build for Jump stat for Dragon Tech’s Jump, and many more, these equipment changes give a bit more ways to play in the sandbox that has been in years in the making. These new and changed equipment additions will be in your hands on March 18th!
