Soloing SCH --- some hints and tipsFollow

I think this has been done in other locations (I think there was a KI thread), but we don't really have one here. SCH is weaker melee-wise than other mage jobs (C+ ranking as the highest? Blech. Even SMN and BLM have some B's) and doesn't get DoTs, so it's a challenge.

SCH doesn't feel to be an 'easy' solo job like BLM or BLU (both of which I soloed to 75), but it also seems doable. Because SCH doesn't get 'stops' like Gravity or Bind innately, I've stayed to easy to control worms. Goblin Pets might also be an option starting at 24 (due to Utsu), but I'm only 25 now and don't have any experience with the Raunguemont Pass goblin -- nor do I want to. If I were to solo past 37, I probably would try to /NIN Goblin Pets.

1-12 Any mobs, near city zones
Outside any city, eat some meat jerky, get your highest DPS pole (That's Ash Pole for quite awhile) and kill EPs, DCs, and EMs as fast as you can with Signet on. Gelong Staff at 10 will slightly better if you have it. I'd sub BLU starting at 8 if you don't have /PUP or /BST, because Foot Kick is a decent damage spell at low levels (even subbed), and Sprout Smack is really effective against worms.

Once you get to 11 or 12, you can head to the past for awhile.

12-16 Tunnel Worms in Gustaberg [S]
You can put Sigil on with Refresh and Regen (really powerful at low levels), and go slaughter Tunnel Worms just outside of Bastok [S] in North Gustaberg [S]. I subbed BLU, hit them with Sprout Smack, and whacked away with an Ash Pole until 15 (where I switched to a Bastokan Staff). I was still using Meat Jerky for food. The most annoying thing will be getting hit by Attack Down (Gastric Bomb), but it can't really be helped. If you're ok with the exp dropping once all the worms turn to DCs, you can keep going to 16 or even 17.

16-20 Stone Eaters in Gustaberg [S]
Take the outpost teleport to Gustaberg [S], and there's a lot of Stone Eaters located right near the outpost. There's some Goblins wandering around, so be careful. At this point, mobs took too long to melee it out with, so I started subbing /RDM (/WHM will do also), and was using Rolanberry Pies. With full INT gear (Erudite Headband, 2x Knowledge Rings swapped in, +1 Wand), I was able to use Light Arts to cast Barstone on myself, and switch to Dark Arts to nuke down a Stone Eater using a full MP pool. If I couldn't finish it off, and wasn't Rasped (Rasp is very annoying) I would Dia the worm and rest a few ticks and then finish it. You still have Refresh and possibly Regen too, so you can alternately switch to a Staff and charge the worm and whack it to death, or you can just wait for your MP to refill. It's worth it to use your big MP spells at the beginning to knock yourself down to < 50 % MP to kick in Refresh. Also, use Parsimony for your biggest MP spell every 4 minutes (Aero, probably -- Blizzard later).

19-22 Gigas Leeches in Qufim (Goblin Pet -- from shiznitxx)
I find soloing Gigas's Leeches in Qufim to be easier and better XP then worms from lvl 19-22. Chain4's are easy to reach and usually 2-3 nukes kills them. Plus no annoying rasp. Try those instead of the worms.

20-22 Land Worms in Korroloka Tunnel
I went to Korroloka tunnel, which is practically always camped. You no longer have the benefit of Sigil Refresh, so you can either bring some drinks or charge worms you can't finish off with your staff. Keep your INT up as high as you can gear wise, and invest in some hmp gear too (Pilgrim's Tunica / Baron's Slops / Mohbwa Sash / Pilgrim's Wand ). You won't be able to kill fast enough to Experience Chain if you're solo, but it will get the job done.

22-26 Land Worms in Qufim Island
Same strategy here for these land worms, be careful aggroing Wights at night.
At 24, I swapped to /NIN to protect myself against Rasp, but unfortunately SCH doesn't have a DoT spell innately; if you take this strategy over staying /WHM or /RDM, make sure your MP pool is healthy enough to finish off worms handily. Astral Rings will help a lot if you're rich or fortunate enough to already have them.

27-30 Abyss Worms in Maze of Shakrami.
There's not many of these, but the camp is pretty far away also. You want to go to point G on the Somepage map, and there are 2 clusters of 3-4 worms in that little cross like area. These link and also cast Stoneskin, so you may need some juices or a DoT spell (with /WHM or /RDM over /NIN). SCH doesn't get any great tricks up its sleeve from 25-30, so you just have to work at it.

30-35 Flesh Eaters in Attowha Chasm
Careful for the Air Elemental that pops; Sneak past the Hecteyes and find lone worms if possible (these link also), and get to it. If the Air Elemental pops due to the frequent windy weather in the zone, just go to the other side of the chasm. If the Air Elemental doesn't have direct 'line of sight' (that means the pit will protect you), casting magic won't make you aggro it.

That's it for now. Further soloing, as I said above, would probably include Goblin pets -- as worms start to become harder to find (though there are Rock Eaters in the old world also in N. Gusta and Grauberg in the 30s), and at least harder to kill.

If anyone else has suggestions or success stories, let's discuss them here!

Edited, Dec 28th 2007 3:39pm by Priphea

Edited, Dec 28th 2007 6:14pm by Priphea

Edited, Dec 28th 2007 6:56pm by Priphea

From 1-10 I found /PUP with Sharpshot frame indispensable. I can see that combo working all the way to 20.

cool. just an fyi, as you said u were 25 atm. once you get sleep>sleep from blm sub, solving is exactly like blm solo. sleep nuke sleep nuke.

I've been following this guide:

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Black_Mage_Solo_Guide_by_Lion_heart

Soloing gob pets is fairly similar to a blm, and the lack of sleep really isn't that big of an issue, since they have low HP. I was poking at the gob pets in eastern attohwa, levels 37-39, and it went pretty fast. My only death was due to manticore aggro XD

Alacrity is a real lifesaver ^^;

I'd stick to /nin until you get gravity from rdm as a subjob. But the BLM solo guide by Lion Heart is how I solo'd SCH 1-75. Gob pets will always be a better bet than worms, as the casting range for worms was extended well beyong that of the 21.6' we get against a mob. Your best bet pre-gravity is to make good use of bind sleep and utsusemi. Keep Dark skill capped, Drain is one of BLM and SCH most efficient spells. Once you get Helix spells, beginning a Gob pet fight with it isnt a terrible idea. IE, in Bibiki Bay from 60-65 I did Gravity - Hydrohelix - Nuke - Nuke. Unresisted at that level you can pull a good 100dmg/tick, if you remember to stack INT for Helix spells.

Been poking around with SCH for sub and soloing it when I got some time left over.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but for one thing the past worms are all DC-EM at 12, and now that I dinged 13 I guess they'll all be DC. So I'm not sure how you could keep going to 16-17 on these unless you really like pitiful exp. They died pretty fast though so maybe it evens out.

I was personally using NPC to do this (since now they can join you in the past) and I was initiating a battle and then running away, because stone hurts like 10 HP and is cast like every 20-30 seconds while worm swings tended to do 15 damage and crit for 30 when I was meleeing.

I've never been good at armors so maybe my 1 def hMP body isn't the best one to "tank" in.

interesting...

From 13 to 18 I nuked worms, rabbits and crabs in East Ronfaure[S].

This is inefficient btw and not saying "put this in your guide". It's just what I did, and I have a ton of patience.

At 51, I used the BLM guide and headed to Gustav tunnel. I wanna say this one is not so good for SCH due to lack of AM. Goblin Shepards will wonder too far off to the right and tend to be there for a while :/, nevermind the mercenary riding his back. But if no other option(this camp seems abandoned by BLMs and I see why): Gravity is essential of course. 2-3 tier II nukes will kill the goblin leech :o. Don't need klim/storm spell etc. Greater Gaylas don't aggro so you can kite the leeches up the slope.