[mintyice]

When I use to play I had a BLM75 and a BLU at like 63. BLM took me a very long time to level for some reason. BLU wasn't nearly as bad. But overall, how difficult is it to level BST?

[Ganbaruzo]

form what i heard its kinda sucky until 23 then it get alot better, but ive never played it i just heard that from a linky

[Bheemz]

pre-35 it sucks, post-35 it still sucks from time to time. just depends on if you really like the job or not.

[Follow]

when i lvled BST it depended on the lvl alot (obv that sounds stupid but yeah)

pre leave sucks yeah sure, but if you do it right its good (again sounds stupid)
but with the new EXP DC+ stuff its not so bad

after leave its a hell of alot easier~

back to the lvl thing, the hardest part is the 'in between' levels, where the camps just dont work, too tough or too easy, it happens, somewhere in the 40, 50 and 60 and even up to 75 these places are about.

anyway in a long winded sorta way, BST isnt hard, its the camps that are.


(CHR CHR CHR CHR CHR btw.)

[VomitBurp]

You'll have good luck with some camps and other camps you'll want to kill babies.

I would suggest using Field Manuals on the levels that aren't optimal as you could probably clean up on them (granted you can find decent pets).

[Requim]

It used to suck significantly more when charmed pets lowered XP, which was the primary use of leave, however, coupled with FoV and higher from xp/dc mobs you can get some pretty decent xp in lower levels much safer.

It really depends on why you are leveling bst though, because personally I leveled it a lot in normal parties that were significantly less stressful. It is a pretty solid DD using call beast or when camps allow charmed mobs.

Most people don't really know about bst's performance in a normal party, but it is almost always better xp. Just make sure to sub war or another DD sub with DD gear and you'll do fine. It seems many people (far from all) choose bst because they have limited schedules. So while soloing you can look for a party or attempt to make one, still giving you the freedom to xp whenever, but the option to xp better!

Even if you primarily solo, you can use level sync to get passed weak bst camp levels.

[fillerbunny9]

Beastmaster is really as easy or difficult as you choose to make it. As the premier solo XP class of Vana'diel, levelling Beastmaster is all about calculated risk. You can move "quickly" and fight monsters that are no less than Even Match, fighting mostly Toughs, or you can take the "slow" and typically safer approach by fighting only Easy Prey or Decent Challenges. There are higher risk camps involving mobs like Bombs, and relatively low risk camps.

There is the secondary question of time, because while the early levels fly by regardless of what you are fighting, at higher levels you'll find yourself striving to get those big chains that will get you to your next level. Occaisionally you can find other BST or soloers to pair with, granting you additional speed and safety.

Lastly, you have your gear and subjob selections. Depending on your playstyle, your pet will either be your main mode of attack, or will be there just to tank while you do as much damage as you can. Abilities gained from /Dancer or magic from /White Mage or /Ninja are indispensable.

Can Beastmaster be easy? Sure. Can it be a challenge? Absolutely. It's really a question of how you choose to play the game.

[Goldengreg]

Nowadays with Field Of Valor and monsters weaker than EM giving nice XP, I guess it's very easy to lv Bst now.

It's easier than it used to be, I mean.

[Dharma]

As a BST 75 (always was my favorite job), I can say that it isn't bad to take to 75. But OP also had BLM which is a solo job these days.

For me it wasn't about limiting time in game. I just really liked the way it changed the game. I was so old school that I missed SC + MB and bored of omg u must /nin WAR that I just wanted to chill out between dynamis runs and while I was working on CoP. I loved it. I could pt through the dunes then hung out there killing gobs til I got invites from Kazham. After that I could chill out in Qufim. Then time just flew by and I met a duo partner and we hung out a LOT until we both hit 75 and even after.

I don't think it is any harder than any other job. Maybe slower to 75, but after all this time what does that really matter? But you will experience zones and a different play style than if you never tried it.

[mintyice]

yeah i think leveling in zones that aren't typically meant for PTs seems like the most attractive part. that and the ability to not have to wait around for a PT. back when I was a BLM that was definitely the worst part. i tried to solo later on but i was horrible at it.

[Bikpik]

Beastmaster is really as easy or difficult as you choose to make it. As the premier solo XP class of Vana'diel, levelling Beastmaster is all about calculated risk. You can move "quickly" and fight monsters that are no less than Even Match, fighting mostly Toughs, or you can take the "slow" and typically safer approach by fighting only Easy Prey or Decent Challenges. There are higher risk camps involving mobs like Bombs, and relatively low risk camps.

There is the secondary question of time, because while the early levels fly by regardless of what you are fighting, at higher levels you'll find yourself striving to get those big chains that will get you to your next level. Occaisionally you can find other BST or soloers to pair with, granting you additional speed and safety.

Lastly, you have your gear and subjob selections. Depending on your playstyle, your pet will either be your main mode of attack, or will be there just to tank while you do as much damage as you can. Abilities gained from /Dancer or magic from /White Mage or /Ninja are indispensable.

Can Beastmaster be easy? Sure. Can it be a challenge? Absolutely. It's really a question of how you choose to play the game.

With FoV and the higher xp for EP-DC mobs, plowing through EP-Dc mobs will actually yield you more xp than the longer fights against EM-T mobs. I got 10 levels on PUP (not the same i know, but the same concept) around the Dem crag the other day. I'd sic my pup on 1 EP and I'd fight another, and we'd both kill around the same time, effectivly doubling the xp for EP mobs, doing this and the FoV quests I was pulling in 5-6k/hr as <lvl20 Pup.

So for Bst, you can charm an EM pet and go around decimating EP mobs 2 at a time, for roughly the same exp as EM mobs. For Dc or higher I'd still go 2 on 1 though.

ps. I haven't tested this on Bst, but if it works for Pup, it should work for Bst even better cause Bst > Pup lol

[fillerbunny9]

With FoV and the higher xp for EP-DC mobs, plowing through EP-Dc mobs will actually yield you more xp than the longer fights against EM-T mobs. I got 10 levels on PUP (not the same i know, but the same concept) around the Dem crag the other day. I'd sic my pup on 1 EP and I'd fight another, and we'd both kill around the same time, effectivly doubling the xp for EP mobs, doing this and the FoV quests I was pulling in 5-6k/hr as <lvl20 Pup.

So for Bst, you can charm an EM pet and go around decimating EP mobs 2 at a time, for roughly the same exp as EM mobs. For Dc or higher I'd still go 2 on 1 though.

ps. I haven't tested this on Bst, but if it works for Pup, it should work for Bst even better cause Bst > Pup lol

That certainly works in the lower levels, and I can remember doing it in Sauromugue [S] a while back, but at the end of the curve, especially with all the people doing high level FoV missions (doesn't anyone party these days?) I've found I'm currently better off whacking Puks which range mostly T with the occaisional VT. The XP is good, the mobs are squishy, the competition is minimal to nil.

I guess when I wrote that, I had more of my current situation in mind.

[SYLENTPYTHON]

Leveling beastmaster has been a blast to me and friend if you can fine some one to level with has a duo no stop when you want continue when you want and the best part no flaging needed to me beastmaster became great at level once i got sic

[Nattack]

not hard (usually),

slow and frustrating sometimes,

[Vax]

Make parties. You don't /need/ to solo. Geared well, a BST+Pet can keep up with 90% of DD until 70+.


Soloing is fun though, I solod more than 1/2 my levels getting to 66. (Not the first 33 lmao, mostly 50+)

[Nattack]

solo a little bit here and there, take on challenges

there is NOTHING worse than a bst that doesnt know what the fuck they're doing in a multi-bst environment. especially if shit hits the fan and they need to take care of themselves. or if they walk into an unsuspecting WHOASHIT9001DAMAGE, or if they dont have apollos and decent chr gear and keep mischarming and costing us the game.

[Janeash]

There's a guy in my ls who level his bst to 40+ and hasn't fought anything more then DC, lol.
FoV ftw I guess .. but people have it so easy these days.
(There's also another bst I know who did FoV and then spammed campaign from 60+)

It's not exactly the wrong way to the play the job but some purests might say they aren't learning how to solo correctly without a bit of challenge.

[Dharma]

No one's a purest at any job. If you need AN or have to AFK a lot, seems fine. But that is wayyyy slower 60+.

But yea his 1st day trying to charm leeches / slimes with links close by could be a rude awakening unless has a LOT of +CHR. Pet swapping also. But sooner or later he'll experience all that same as the rest of us.

[Janeash]

These particular people aren't too bothered about playing BST really.
One of them is only levelling it to 66 for Maat because he's questing the cap so it makes no difference if he knows how to handle pet hate or links alone.
On the other hand I pretty much soloed my thf to 75 and subbed BST from 70+ so I could cap my dagger and my other stats.

[Rikkitikkitavi]

Is there a Guide somwhere that sais where the camps are and what level you should go where? Or did it all change when FOV came out and the EXP per mob of EP-DC got buffed?

I was thinking of lvling BST, for various reasons (not maats cap). I have a ridill and adaberk that gets very little use these days, and I enjoy soloing.

I'd assume I would just PL myself in normal EXP parties until about 40, then start soloing, as I have heard the lower BST lvls are not so fun.