Hello! Let me first introduce myself. Im Sparx from Sylph. Ive been playing for 2 years and have loved it. My main job is MNK. Many times that Ive gone to the forums (anonymously) to find no NM guide (just posts about certain NMs in the NM section). So I decided to write one. I hope this forum was the appropriate area to post this. Thanks~
Introduction:
First off. What are NMs? NMs are Notorious Monsters; these are monsters that spawn occasionally in probably all areas of Vanadiel. NMs can be boring to some people but are very amusing for me
. These monsters come in all species and can often create profits for people (with patience and determination of course). In fact NMs are one of the reasons RMT (Real Money Traders sell gil for real cash) began. Not all NMs create profits however. Some drop rare/ex (which are NOT tradable) items or are quest/mission related. ALL NMs have the check command Impossible to Gauge. HNMs are Hyper/High-level/(w/e you want) monsters. These take high level players to defeat but can be highly worth it (I wont get much into them). These are mobs like Fafnir, Nidhogg, King Arthro, Bloodtear Baldruf, etc.
The Many NM Spawn Times:
Timed Spawns~ This is when an NM has to pop in a certain time interval. For example Morbolger in Ordelles Caves (that drops Morbolger Vine for Brown Belt quest) has a timed spawn of 21-24 hours EARTH time. The term ToD (Time of Death) is often used. People want to know when the NM was killed so they know when to hunt it. NOT ALL NMs are Timed Spawn! Research is the key! Heres and example between two players
Leet: Hey. ZOMGWTFBBQ! What was the ToD on Morbolger I really n33d that item for Brown Belt lol.
Ihatenms: lmao. Uhh. ToD=1:00PM lol GL, Cya l8r
Leet: Ty {See you again!}
Note: Not all people are courteous giving people ToDs. Some NMs like Argus comes every 18-30 hours. If someone kills Argus and no one was there watching it theyll have the place to themselves (unless they tell someone)
Lottery Spawns~ This is probably the hardest spawn time to understand. Ill explain is as best as I can so bear with me
;; All right. Lottery spawns are NMs that spawn when a lower-level monster is killed. In other words you might see the lingo, PH. A PH is a Placeholder. PHs are the actual monster you have to kill in order for the NM to kill. Some NMs have multiple PHs, some have one. Why is it like this? It just is. NOT ALL NMs are Lottery Spawn! Research is the key! One way for finding a PH(s) is having the job trait widescan. RNG, /RNG are best for this. BST, /BST isnt good until higher level yet its okay. Heres an example: Valkurm Dunes has a great example for a lottery spawn NM… Valkurm Emperor (drops Empress Hairpin). The PH is the FIRST (that means you DONT have to kill the other damselflies) damselfly between the leeches and snippers. There are four damselflies between the leeches and snippers. If someone is killing all of them then your options are 1. Tell person to stop. 2. Spam widescan 3. Make a train of the flies so you can find the PH (recommended). After you find the PH kill it? yes kill it. Then when the monster turns gray hit sharpshot or another five minute job ability/timer. Only do this for the PH! When the timer runs out. Spam widescan to find the PH spawned again or the actual NM. Just keep repeating this and youll have an Empress Hairpin in no time
. Important note: Not all NMs with a PH have a 5 minute timer. Some require adding with the Vanadiel clock on your screen. An example of this would be Hoo Mjuu the Torrent in Giddeus (drops Monster Signa). Finding which PH is a challenge and Ill keep it a secret
. But anyway when you know the PH which is one of the Yagudo Mendicants you kill it then add 3:20 to your Vanadiel clock (on your FFXI screen). This means the either the PH or Hoo will pop in 3:20 (Vanadiel time) of when you killed it. Example: Killed PH at 6:30 Vanadiel time? Add 3:20 to 6:30 and its 9:50. I flee at 9:48 and try claim it even if its PH. Its as easy as that. Another note: After the NM has been defeated you should have to wait an hour or two to hunt it again (Its different each NM though Leaping Lizzy (drops Bounding Boots) in South Gustaburg can pop within 15 minutes of when it was last killed. This NM also has a PH
. PH= 5th Rock Lizard on EAST side of mountain. You kill this hit sharpshot then wait. If someone kills them just train all of them to identify the PH but kill the rest slow… because if you kill all of them the same time you wont find the PH!)
Forced Spawns~ Forced spawns basically defines itself. You usually have to trade a specific item at usually a ??? for the NM to spawn. Some forced spawns for example are Bubbly Bernie in South Gustaburg. I believe the 'NMs' for the AF quest are forced pop. Kirin and the other gods in Sky are also forced spawned. These are usually quest/AF/Sky related. The RSE sachets can also be forced spawn via pressing the ??? on your RSE week (View the RSE sachet sticky thread on this forum) Most not all NMs require an item to pop howerver. For instance, you will most likely need an item for it to pop (like odorous knife) Again Not all NM's are Forced Spawns! DO research first!
Shared Spawns~ These are spawns that either one monster or its HQ (high quality) monster will pop. For example all the items for Black Belt items are shared spawns: Fafnir & Nidhogg; Behemoth & King Behemoth; Adamantoise & Aspidochelone. These are heavily camped NMs and are very hard to take Id best advise a full alliance to take these beasts down. Not all NM's are Shared Spawns! DO research first!
PH pop to release an NM~ Thanks to Tiamet... Apparently the NM Biast will attack you after the PH (Placeholder) is killed. Not all NM's do this. Not all NM's are spawns like this! DO research first!
Multi-spawned NMs~ Thanks to Tiamet (I forgot the mention this). Some NMs pop the same times as 'copies' of itself. An example of this would be in Chains of Promanthia the NM Carmine Dobsonfly (or should I say flies
). You will most likely have to kill the copies all (be equipped with party members for these). Not all NM's are multi-spawns like this! DO research first!
Titles~ Some NMs (and HNMs) give titles on your profile. When ever people examine you they will see your title. A title example: when you kill Morbolger youll get your title: Morbolbane. You can view this by the Menu->Status->Profile and its up top. Quests and Missions give you titles as well. Usually quest/mission/god, etc. NMs give you titles... not all NMs give you titles
Important Note: NMs (unless a forced spawn) wont spawn in the same exact spot it popped before. If NMs did so then everyone would guard that spot and claiming would be next to impossible.
Claiming Notorious Monsters:
Ahh? one of my favorite parts of the NM challenge (yes it can be tedious at times). Claiming NMs can require some skill. Job abilities and spells are great claimers just remember you need a fast claim… You dont want to claim a NM with Thundaga III. The casting time of that is very long and by the time youd get half way itd get claimed. My advice to you would be to stick to a spot that youre comfortable with. If you move around and the NM pops youll be screwed and mad. Although if you have the Job Ability Flee youll be better off. For some NMs Ill tend to only move around when I know when PH is coming (yes, I usually hunt Lottery Spawned monsters
). Sometimes if your lucky you could claim Mee Deggi the Punisher (it is possible to beat RMT!!) One method of claiming I use is having a job ability/spell out targeting NOT firing a monster in the area then tabbing. If you do this right and you see the NM you just target it and press Enter (sorry PS2/PS3/X-Box 360 players I dont know the keys) I also use macros to help me. These are the keys to claiming. Macros FTW! Ill post macros for the common claimers. (Macros are keys like Ctrl 1 [easy for you to press] and when you target a monster and fire your macro youll get it if your fast enough) Here is a list of claimers I made. Feel free to post others not on the list. Also on the macros dont combine them on the same bar. I dont want you to get screwed up.
Note: by what I mean instant are ALL job abilities instantly firing at a mob. It's just the range is different. (Steal < Charm in range for example)
Warrior Claimer(s)
Job Ability: Provoke- level 5. Good ranged and is instant! This is the most used claimer in the game.
Macro: /ja "Provoke"
Monk Claimer(s)
Job Ability: Chi Blast- level 41. Pretty good range and is also instant! I tend to use this since my main is a MNK. It kicks in extra DMG too
.
Macro: /ja "Chi Blast"
White Mage Claimer(s)
Spell: Dia, Flash -level 3, level 45. Great range but using spells have two disadvantages. One is if you move as you are casting it, you WILL get interruption. Stock up on Spell Anti
Interruption gear. The other problem is that spells are NOT instant. Dia takes .5 seconds or something like that. Flash is one of the fastest spells in the game. Job abilities are the fastest hands down. One other thing Ive noticed with WHM hunting NMs is that if they claim the NM, they often lose hate because of their weak weapons (no offense WHM).
Macro: /ma "Dia"
Macro: /ma "Flash"
Black Mage Claimer(s)
Spell: Poison, Stun- level 3, level 45. Great range but also can interrupt. Poison is good for low level claimers. Stun is one of the fastest spells in the game and is for higher level players. BLM wont lose hate as bad as WHM. Just keep nuking the NM and itll remain yours
.
Macro: /ma "Poison"
Macro: /ma "Stun"
Red Mage Claimer(s)
Spell: Dia- level 1, Job Trait: Fast Cast Job Ability: Chain Spell(level 15, 35, 55, 1). Again, nice range but it can still interrupt. RDM wont lose hate at all. The job trait Fast Cast also benefits RDM. RDM/NIN (level 75) are the best soloers. Ive seen videos of RDM solo Bune and other dragons. RDM endgame generally asked to sub DRK. Also when a mob has to come soon (say you've been at morbolger for 2 hours 59 minutes/ 3 hours or something ridiculous like that... you know when its going to pop within seconds), pop Chain Spell. Its allows RAPID spellcasting which is great for camping. However it lasts only 30 seconds so you want to be lucky. -- TY for feedback
Macro: /ma "Dia"
(Job traits are always equipped so you dont have to worry about equipping it or not.)
Macro: /ja "Chainspell"
(use at your own risk... NMs aren't guarrenteed to just pop for you just cause you popped your 2hr)
Thief Claimer(s)
Job Abilities: Steal, Flee, Mug- level 5, 25, 35. THF or /THF rule!!!!!! Steal and Mug have very small ranges yet are instant. Flee lets you go uber fast for 30 seconds (45 with Artifact armor I believe). One thing Ive seen THFs do is Flee then spam Steal. Provoke is more range though (THF/WAR good).
Macro: /ja "Steal"
Macro: /ja "Flee"
Macro: /ja "Mug"
Paladin Claimer(s)
Spell: Flash, Provoke--HNMs, tough mobs level level- 37,5. Great range? Again can get interrupted. PLD wont lose hate (unless like HNM like Fafnir/Nidhogg, etc.). Not much left to say
. Also when hunting HNM's be sure to provoke as well, this keeps the hate for you (TY for feedback) Flash is about a .5 second casting time like stun.
Macro: /ma "Flash"
Macro: /ja "Provoke"
Dark Knight Claimer(s)
Spells: Poison, Stun level 6, level 37. Again can get interrupted. DRK wont lose hate. Not much left to say
about a 1 and .5 second casting time.
Macro: /ma "Poison"
Macro: /ma "Stun"
Beastmaster Claimer(s)
Job Ability: Charm level 1, Job Trait: Widescan (updates range every 10 levels). Charm has great range and is instant. Note. you cant charm NMs but you can claim them
. Have widescan will only benefit you as well. Your widescan range won’t be as good as a Ranger but it is decent.
Macro: /ja "Charm"
Widescan doesnt have a macro. You just keep going on the Menu->Map-> Widescan and scroll up and down. Click on monster if it's NM then follow the arrow on the compass. If you don’t see NM just escape from that then repeat (spam). Note: DONT depend on widescan for all mobs. Some monsters have a small area and by the time you find it on widescan, itll be claimed like Mee Deggi the Punisher. Also you cannot unequip widescan it is a job trait.
Ranger Claimer(s)
Job Ability: Shadowbind level 40, Job Trait: Widescan (updates range every 10 levels). Shadowbind has a super great range and is again instant. Shadowbind uses one of your arrows (MAKE SURE you have ammo) and binds the target. Widescan is also a larger range then a BST. RNG prior to 40 can always just use a fast delay bow (I talk more about it below in the questions part)
Macro: /ja "Shadowbind"
Bard Claimer(s)
Spell: Carnage Elegy level 51. This spell is quick casting and is often used in parties to pull monsters.
/ma "Carnage Elegy"
Summoner Claimer(s)
Pet Command: Assault level 1. SMN is probably one of the most misunderstood job with a claimer. If you are the first one to see a mob and flick assault with Carbuncle out, your Carbuncle will attack the mob and sometimes steal the hate from someone else. Ive seen this many times I am not sure of it is a glitch or not. Id like to question SE sometime.
Macro: /pet "Assault"
Samurai Claimer(s)
Unfortunately, Samurai's Blade Bash can no longer claim (it has no range now because of the update), I'd suggest changing your sub job to WAR or something.
Ninja Claimer(s)
Spell: Kurayami: Ni Ninja's ninjustu--ni spells are pretty fast and the the range is all right. Kurayami: Ni is one of the fastest, it blinds the mob.
Macro: /ma "Kurayami: Ni
Dragoon Claimer(s)
Job Abilities: Jump, High Jump level 10,35. Some RMT in Castle Oztroja use this job for two reasons. One reason obviously because of the fastness. Many players use macros
. ANGONs are wonderful throwing claimers as well -- TY for feedback!
Macro: /ja "Jump"
Macro: /ja "High Jump"
Macro:/ja "Angon"
Blue Mage Claimer(s)
Spells: Wild Oats (from a Mandragora) level 4, there are probably more yet Im not sure what they are. Anyone like to volunteer
. Very fast, almost instant, the range isnt spectacular though. It has better range than steal but less than provoke. One of my feedbackers says BLU75/NIN37 = one of best soloers. I'll have to agree. @70+ blu has Cannonball, almost as far range as cure and near-instant. The player's defense improves its damage, so use cocoon before a window for best results. -- TY for feedback
Macro: /ma "Wild Oats"
Macro: /ma "Cannonball"
Corsair Claimer(s)
Job Ability: Quick Draw level ? I've heard very fast. Not sure on range but it does damage
Macro: /ja "Quick Draw"
Puppetmaster Claimer(s)
Pet: Puppet level 1. I wonder if the puppet can claim like a SMNs Carbuncle. Im guessing it can claim fairly fast. Range as good as you can see Im guessing. Would anyone like to investigate this
. (Ive never played PUP, So Im not sure on macros either ><)
Dancer Claimer(s)
Job Ability: Animated Flourish (level 20, requires at least one Finishing Move). It's essentially a Provoke move but you have to charge it by gaining at least one Finishing Move first, which isn't too hard if you're killing mobs to pop an NM, anyhow.
Macro: /ja "Animated Flourish"
Scholar Claimer(s)
Job Ability: Modus Veritas (level 65+). This is essentially an instant claim similar to provoke. Scholar also get native fast-casting spells like stone.
/ja "Modus Veritas"
/ma "Stone"
--Thank you Pathwriter for the DNC and SCH information (And to Plight of NamidaStar on Sylph for SCH info!!!)
Important Notes: Try not to use
. They are faster than Well There ya go. A Job claim guide
. Note: I need help on finding info on some jobs including macros, claimers, anything else in the guide. Anything is greatly appreciated.
Extra Information/ FAQ
What do you mean researching NM's?
Always. I repeat always research your NMs. To do this just go on Google, enter it (make sure site is safe) or through, Allakhazam -> NM page and to your NM, or post threads through Killing Ifrit. Another method that can be used is typing NM name on Google and occasional pages come up with information regarding that Notororious Monster. It's great to be prepared for your Notorious Monster for obvious reasons.
Windows
Some NMs have windows of when they have to pop. Windows make HNM camping easy because you know when it will pop. For instance, usually with HNMs, they have windows with Fafnir/Nidhogg. For instance, say you kill Fafnir 3:00:05PM Saturday, Fafnir or Nidhogg will pop in increments starting from 21-24 hours (on Tuesday). So you do the basic addition and fafnir has to pop between 12:00:05PM-3:00:05PM Tuesday-Saturday-- Tuesday would be rare but it could still pop...TY Kaziel (Wait...theres more! Heres where the windows come in. After you get ToD (Need hours:minutes:seconds), you hunt it in increments. What I mean is that it is Fafnir/Nidhogg--HQ pop has a chance to pop 12:00:05 PM. However if it doesn't pop just time 30 minutes later. 12:30:05 is the next window where it can pop. Just keep doing this and it has to pop some time. Note: not all HNM's work like this. Fafnir/Nidhogg is an example. Please refer to Kaziel's post for more information. TY Kaziel
HNM- "SSJ"
Remember Dragon Ball Z? SSJ was a Saiyan form I guess... When you hold HNM's for too long (usually an hour... they will become more powerful, hit faster, hit better, better weaponskills, and almost guarrenteed to wipe your party out. Keep in mind of this. Some HNMs that can go in SSJ would be Capracious Cassie, Roc and Fafnir (TY for feedback!)
Taking Advantage of Sub Jobs
If an ability/spell/pet/whatever is below 37 then you can use that with your main job (level 74-75). Provoke is often used since its only level 5. However job abilities like Chi Blast (level 41), Shadowbind (level 40), cannot be used unless they are the main jobs (MNK and RNG). Sub jobs are useful including THF for Flee. Take advantage of sub jobs! They are your friend.
Taking Advantage of THF or /THF
What does THF or /THF offer you ask? /THF gives Flee, and Treasure Hunter. THF main job gives Flee, Treasure Hunter and Treasure Hunter 2 (if you get the AF2 gloves and Thiefs Knife you can have Treasure Hunter 4!). What is Treasure Hunter you ask? Treasure Hunter increases your chance of getting drops. The more Treasure Hunter (TH) you have the more luck you have of getting drops. This can be great considering some mobs have low drop rate. Train your THF it is WORTH it! BTW you might say Steal sucks since it has little range. Well you can have a sub job of Warrior and you can provoke. Now youll have luck, a claimer, and flee. That rules!
What to do with Competition?/RMT
Many people hunt Notorious Monsters for various things. Money (gil) is the main reason. Just deal with them as if they werent there. If you act kind to them sometimes theyll team up with you and you can split the cash. Remember: There are scammers in the game. Who you trust is up to you. Not everyone is courteous in the game. If you see someone speedhacking/botting/warpbotting/cheating (*cough* RMT!) call a GM but be prepared to show proof. Dont call a GM for fun or you will be punished.
Ive killed this NM x amount of times. Still no drop Im mad!
This happened to me with Deadly Dodo (1/12 on him on a rare/ex item!), advice: get a THF. Or multiple THFs. Some NMs like Jaggedy Eared Jack dont cooperate very well with dropping. The more TH ya got the better.
THF has to do last hit on mob for TH to kick in right?
Unless a GM lied which I doubt the GM did, I found proof from Google that you only need to have a THF in party for TH to kick in. (and from feedback the THF just has to hit it not necessarly last blow) Here is URL http://img70.exs.cx/...0/1391/GM02.jpg
Why do RMT(Real Money Traders) .dat swap (or change how an NM looks).
For example, RMT change Mee Deggi the Punisher (yagudo) to something that looks really big to easily identify it to say King Behemoth. This is in a way cheating. They just simply find the mob that looks like King Behemoth, flee to it and claim it. DO NOT team up with RMT...they will cheat you! RMT are the reason for price inflation -- TY for feedback
The Machine Bow/any other fast delay bow is fast is this reccommended?
Bows do work fine yet job abilities are faster-- instant. If you have a bow then I'd advise you to stick to a spot and not move around because they tend to not work when you're moving. --TY for feedback
Macro: /ra
Lamia No.19
Thanks to Tiamet for this. Lamia No. 19 pops when a person dies in the spawn area.
White Mages and the Hate factor
Thanks to Apocolipse for this. WHM do lose hate because they either have -emittity gear or their weak (no offence WHM) weapons. I've seen several WHM lose hate to the Brown Belt NM Deadly Dodo, letting another player get claim. I recommend going /WHM for dia if you plan going that for camping. Be cautioned as WHM and NM camping don't exactly mix
.
NEW!!! Some ways to claim 9/24/07
1. Manually attack it... lol.. only do this if your A. Bored, B. No competition or C. your stupid lol
2. Macroes... Macroes are a great way to claim monsters. Over 90% of players in this game use macroes (macroes are listed below)--Note this is a 1 claim macro strategy
3. Macroes again... Here is a nice tip I have found. If you have 2 macroes (1 is the Claim, and 1 is the /targetnpc) /targetnpc targets the NPC (it explains itself lol)... Do this for NMs in zones with not much monsters (like the Shadow NMs in Fei'yin) I don't reccommend stacking /targetnpc and then the claim in 1 macro as if you spam it, lag can occur and you won't claim it (if you have competition of course) Some players use F8 as a /targetnpc instead of a separate macro for it... This works as well
4. Manually going to job abilities. This is a safe way (to not lag) but is often not fast (unless you are good with it)
5. Linking mobs to aggro NM (like Shigami (sp.) Weapon) This is pretty self explanitory, however may not be successful as the mobs could be as tough as the NM)
6. Spamming widescan, fleeing if you see NM on widescan and claim (BST and RNG with sub job only!)
New! What Not to do camping NMs
~Do not spam claim macro.... Most NMs have an anti bot policy which means, NMs can't pop claimed by players (some players find loop holes and screw with Fafnir and the Wyrms however ;;). Use estimation skills, try 'spamming' it for 3 times, waiting a short period of time (I mean short) and repeating. Some NMs I know of is as little as .85 seconds unclaimed when popped time). So in short, don't spam it WITHOUT 'resting' on NMs... If you hunt an NM all the time then you should see the delay (Mee Deggi the Punisher for example).
~Come unprepared, (i.e. don't bring sneak oils to a camp you get aggroes with)
~*will make more when I think of more*
NEW! Tips for camping NMs
~Bring friends, time goes by if you talk and have fun with people your friends with
~Listen to music, personally I listen to uplifting metal (As I Lay Dying, etc.)
~Don't be afraid to write down when PH/NM is coming
~Take breaks inbetween PH times
BONUS: Lag, and Dealing with it
Unfortunately, unless you have a ZOMGWTFBBQ1337LOLGRILLZ connection, you will experience lag every so often. I have found some secret ways to deal with lag that i'm willing to share with this lovely forum. It is incredibly annoying when you're NM camping. I decided to right this Mini guide about it... Enjoy!
First off... You might ask... What is Lag?
Lag is when your connection goes down and you wont' see monsters pop, your game can freeze, can't open doors, JA won't work, you can't read text (it won't come up), etc.
How to Notice Lag
Look at the top right corner of your game screen... the S stands for Sent and the R stands for Received... Basically you will notice either extremely high "R" or so low to 0's. I've experienced lag at different times and in many differen't places. If you try zoning with R0... your screen can freeze. Also the Send goes down from 100%->94%->88%->82%, etc. (usually until it reaches 0)
"Lag Software" (notice quotes!)
I have noticed that many players experience lag if they have Norton Anti Virus or any other Anti Virus software. Some software cannot work/load with FFXI running so it has to close it down. These are possibilities and i'd make sure you set them to run virus scans when you are NOT playing FFXI (lag in party {No Thanks})
Some Solutions to Lag
Here are some solutions i've found out with lag
~Check your modom for any connection problems
~Make sure you are not running Anti Virus software or any software that cannot load with FFXI online
~Do your best not to alt+tab... I think this gives you a greater chance of lag... It's a theory soz
How to FIGHT Lag
Here is a secret tip I will expose to fighting lag. Please not however, it will only give you a boost of connection (the second you stop pressing it, the more R0 will occur) However i have experienced it making me lag free by 'spamming it' 'fighting' it... To fight lag, try exploring with /check
THE END! I hope you liked it. It took a long time to write >.<. I hope I helped someone out
.
If you found any errors/additions for claimers or anything else in the guide please post. Ill accept compliments but no flames please
TY FOR FEEDBACK GUYS...ALL IS APPRECIATED
Sign In
Register
Help


Back to top
MultiQuote



Good going on the guide!




