Final Fantasy Record Keeper X-2: Gems, Mithril, Salt - In Position!

[SuperPanda]

Eh, who am I kidding, I want to see what happens with Banner 1.

2/11

Rainbow: Alphinaud LMR: Start Battle En-Wind - Nice, but not exceptional.

Disco: Wizard's Petasos: Shantoto Awakening and Lighting Boost Hat.

I don't mind this result. I am going to pull a second time tomorrow in the hopes of grabbing Rydia's Awakening but if this is all I get it is certainly okay.

Edit: Expanded thoughts on Pull:

Alphi LMR - Starting with enWind vs Slight Summon up (5* Record Sphere Materia) is a pretty solid trade for dealing with Golem and Midgarsomer - his BSB still does admirable heavy lifting. The artwork on the armor made me think it was for Rydia so I got disapointed when I realized I got nothing for her this pull, but this is a small but solid boost for my king of magical wind damage.

Shantoto Awakening: 15 Hit, EnLighting, Awoken Witch and Self Trance - Shantoto might once again be as scary on my roster as she was in her original game. I've got her chance to tripple cast witch LMR and she has a full 5* dive already so she's got a second source of her Trance (if nothing else it should still basically give her a second life bar) and that's on top of having her CSB, BSB, and SSB (The latter two of which are now only for mastery relevance). While extremely unlikely there is now a chance she could tripple cast cap breaking Witch spells to utterly obliterate anything that dares face her.

I will be pulling again after my interview tomorrow before I face Kraken with my mage team once more. Between pulling Ashe's USB and this I might be able to cook up some fried squid.

[Antonok]

Well since the 30 mithril gift dungeon isn't until tomorrow, I can't pull on banner 1 yet so:

40 draw:
7/40
Alma BSB
Wrieg BSB (dupe)
Faris USB2 - Wind Imperil USB. Nice.
Relm USB
Dorgann USB - Eh. I have better, but +earth sword
Locke USB - Dupe
Fang AOSB - This game really wants me to use Fang.

Overall middling quality. Relm USB will probably be what I use over Aerith for mage teams. Faris USB2 is the top prize. Imperil wind with a chase is going to make Cloud happy.

[Slayn82]

Some fantastic pulls tonight. Good to see. This game has become so generous it's impressive. Difficult to believe we used to have 0/11 pulls regularly.

I went 6/40, and there weren't any dupes. Ultras for Lenna (FF V) and Kefka. Ovelia's materia that has eluded me for so long. Bursts for Rubicante, Warrior of Light and a guy from Beyond. Pretty good.

Currently have no mythril, since I spent mine on the half price realms, 3 pull for 5 mythril, and a few banners. But my rooster is pretty full of power, so not complaining.

[danzibr]

Wow, 8/40 and 14/40, incredible pulls! I went 3/40, 2 discos and 1 rainbow. The discos were dupes.

[SuperPanda]

Did a hail marry pull on Banner 1 praying for Rydia and got 1/11 Alphi LMR dupe. Was pretty down in the dumps.

Then today happened, I farmed up a bunch more Mythril, enough that after the gift dungeon I'd still be able to pull once on each remaining banner with a third pull on this one. I also had a video interview and an in person interview today (the latter of which actually called me back two hours later with great news) so I knew that any pull would be a good pull today.

Last pull on Banner 1 unless I decide to be insane and spend the rest of the day in the Mythril mines.

2/11

Shantoto LMR - not sure if I'll ever use this. I need to find out if Witch spells count towards the build up.
Garnet USB - Okay, so Kraken should be ready to fry even if I'm no closer on Ixion. Between Garnet's BSB2 (Imperil Lightning), and her Chase USB; Shantoto's Chain and Awakening, Ashe's Chase USB, and a variety of mage boosts to choose from - My lightning magic team should be as scary (if not more) than my Lightning Physical once again.

[Antonok]

30 mithril gift dungeon is out and so my whole one pull of the fest:

1/11 Alph Awakening.

Well I have wind covered. Was hoping for Rydia but I can try to make Alph work for multiple elements.

[danzibr]

Did a hail marry pull on Banner 1 praying for Rydia and got 1/11 Alphi LMR dupe. Was pretty down in the dumps.

Then today happened, I farmed up a bunch more Mythril, enough that after the gift dungeon I'd still be able to pull once on each remaining banner with a third pull on this one. I also had a video interview and an in person interview today (the latter of which actually called me back two hours later with great news) so I knew that any pull would be a good pull today.

Last pull on Banner 1 unless I decide to be insane and spend the rest of the day in the Mythril mines.

2/11

Shantoto LMR - not sure if I'll ever use this. I need to find out if Witch spells count towards the build up.
Garnet USB - Okay, so Kraken should be ready to fry even if I'm no closer on Ixion. Between Garnet's BSB2 (Imperil Lightning), and her Chase USB; Shantoto's Chain and Awakening, Ashe's Chase USB, and a variety of mage boosts to choose from - My lightning magic team should be as scary (if not more) than my Lightning Physical once again.

Ready to fry Kraken indeed. Looking forward to the report :)

30 mithril gift dungeon is out and so my whole one pull of the fest:

1/11 Alph Awakening.

Well I have wind covered. Was hoping for Rydia but I can try to make Alph work for multiple elements.

Nice! Well, not what you were going for, but any awakening is good. Should dominate Wind, and with all the Summons available, be useful on multiple mage teams.

For me, I did all the unlimited SB battles. A lot of fun.

[Red Fel]

Banner 2 is upon us!

My pull: 3 rainbows, 1 disco, no dupes!

• Save the Queen: Cloud's LMR. En-Wind. Awesome.
• Baroque Flute: Deuce's LMR. +Healing when using BRD. Lame.
• Hyperion S: Squall's LMR. Quick Cast 3. Which is awesome because...
• Cutting Trigger+: Squall's Awakening. Oh yes.

This is a happy pull. Same to you, folks.

[SuperPanda]

Nice pulls Fel!

I decided not to pull on this banner despite how great it is.

Instead I did the lucky 5 for 3 pulls for IV, XIV, and VII

IV I pulled for thinking I might get one of Rydia’s old 6*’s. 1/3 - Pecil LMR dual cast knight - plenty happy with that.

XIV I pulled thinking Alphi might win something to surpass his BSB (which is already nuts) and he did! 1/3 Alphi brave USB.

VII I pulled on to appologize to Cloud for missing out on his news toys. 1/3 Cloud Glint, instant 6 hit and enWind.

I am very happy with these pulls.

Also:

Spoiler: Meanwhile In the Magicite Records...

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Garnet: Alexandria thanks you for your help hunting this fiend.
Onion Knight: You said you've faced it before? What can you tell us about this Kraken.
Garnet: It resided in the undersea palace and served as a guardian of Terra. Eiko and I fought it off with the help of the Eidolon Rahmu.
Ashe: It must be a different Esper than the one the keeper showed us to summon here.
Elarra: I think the abilities we've honed in our world are but shadows of the heroic records you've lived and experienced. That said, I feel tremendous power from this magicite. We should be careful.
Shantoto: Oh ho ho ho ho! We shall not fear this aquatic foe. If our scallion squire's strategy is right, we cannot but win this fight.
Onion Knight: Indeed Mistress Shantoto. By Harnessing Forbidden Wisdom from my records and Entrusting in your Frightening Lightning we'll have set in motion the chain of events that end in this monstrosity's demise....

Spoiler: The Party

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Garnet w/ Tritoch and Syldra. RM: Blood of the Summoner. SB: Secret Bloodline (Chase USB)
Shantoto w/ Sudden Thundara, Hell Thunder. RM: Witch Damage+, LM: Trance LM, Chance to triple cast LM. SB: CSB, AASB.
Ashe w/ Voltech, Chain Thundaga. RM: Dualcast Blk. SB: Chase USB.
Elarra w/ Ultra Cure , Curada (I remembered alot of statuses but not came up). RM: Dr. Mog's Teachings. LM: Chance to Medica with Bard. SB: USB1
Onion w/ Lifesiphon , Entrust RM: Mako Might, SB: Mage Shout USB

Garnet fell before the end, but Shantoto carried the team by raw power alone to a sub 30 victory. Kraken has fallen. The last 4* magicite of the 6 primary elements to thwart me is Ixion and I have plans for that horse which involve using Anima Lenses to finally aquire a relic sure to be powerful in the extreme.

Edge's SSB coat.

[danzibr]

Banner 2 is upon us!

My pull: 3 rainbows, 1 disco, no dupes!

• Save the Queen: Cloud's LMR. En-Wind. Awesome.
• Baroque Flute: Deuce's LMR. +Healing when using BRD. Lame.
• Hyperion S: Squall's LMR. Quick Cast 3. Which is awesome because...
• Cutting Trigger+: Squall's Awakening. Oh yes.

This is a happy pull. Same to you, folks.

Wow, very nice. Dat Squall tech.

Nice pulls Fel!

I decided not to pull on this banner despite how great it is.

Instead I did the lucky 5 for 3 pulls for IV, XIV, and VII

IV I pulled for thinking I might get one of Rydia’s old 6*’s. 1/3 - Pecil LMR dual cast knight - plenty happy with that.

XIV I pulled thinking Alphi might win something to surpass his BSB (which is already nuts) and he did! 1/3 Alphi brave USB.

VII I pulled on to appologize to Cloud for missing out on his news toys. 1/3 Cloud Glint, instant 6 hit and enWind.

I am very happy with these pulls.

Also:

Spoiler: Meanwhile In the Magicite Records...

Show

Garnet: Alexandria thanks you for your help hunting this fiend.
Onion Knight: You said you've faced it before? What can you tell us about this Kraken.
Garnet: It resided in the undersea palace and served as a guardian of Terra. Eiko and I fought it off with the help of the Eidolon Rahmu.
Ashe: It must be a different Esper than the one the keeper showed us to summon here.
Elarra: I think the abilities we've honed in our world are but shadows of the heroic records you've lived and experienced. That said, I feel tremendous power from this magicite. We should be careful.
Shantoto: Oh ho ho ho ho! We shall not fear this aquatic foe. If our scallion squire's strategy is right, we cannot but win this fight.
Onion Knight: Indeed Mistress Shantoto. By Harnessing Forbidden Wisdom from my records and Entrusting in your Frightening Lightning we'll have set in motion the chain of events that end in this monstrosity's demise....

Spoiler: The Party

Show

Garnet w/ Tritoch and Syldra. RM: Blood of the Summoner. SB: Secret Bloodline (Chase USB)
Shantoto w/ Sudden Thundara, Hell Thunder. RM: Witch Damage+, LM: Trance LM, Chance to triple cast LM. SB: CSB, AASB.
Ashe w/ Voltech, Chain Thundaga. RM: Dualcast Blk. SB: Chase USB.
Elarra w/ Ultra Cure , Curada (I remembered alot of statuses but not came up). RM: Dr. Mog's Teachings. LM: Chance to Medica with Bard. SB: USB1
Onion w/ Lifesiphon , Entrust RM: Mako Might, SB: Mage Shout USB

Garnet fell before the end, but Shantoto carried the team by raw power alone to a sub 30 victory. Kraken has fallen. The last 4* magicite of the 6 primary elements to thwart me is Ixion and I have plans for that horse which involve using Anima Lenses to finally aquire a relic sure to be powerful in the extreme.

Edge's SSB coat.

Grats! I liked the story.

For me, I pulled 4 times, am now out of resources. For Cloud, AASB and Glint+. For Zidane, AASB and AOSB. Took a lot, but now my wind team is OP (also have Zack chain).

But... it’s weird Cloud has no native access to any 6* wind abilities.

[SuperPanda]

I had been bummed about not getting Rydia's AASB, thinking that this signalled certain defeat before Ixion.

I finally broke down and spent my first anima lenses on perhaps the single most powerful item available on that exchange. Edge's SSB coat, his USB0.

My goodness. That was a good purchase.

The Team:
Edge, Bartz, Rosa, Onion, Orlandeu.

Rosa fell well before the end of the fight and we survived purely by entrusting Edge so that he could keep pBlink and last stand up. Lots of luck went into it but Ixion has fallen. Not sure I can repeat that and know I need more hones for Orlandeu but still - Ixion has fallen.

Siren and Hades are now open to me but I'm not sure I'm ready to try them.

[Antonok]

Managed to 100 gem Noctis' AOSB from Banner 2. Not really useful without his Awakening though.

[Red Fel]

This morning, the Daily Draw gave me Vivi's Glint (0CT En-Fire, Quick Cast 2). "Okay," I thought, "That bodes well for this evening."

Banner 3 came up. And after seeing my draw - a solo disco - I thought, "Then again, maybe not."

It was RAIJIN CID's Awakening. Everything shall now die.

Today was a good day to be Fel. Happy pulls, folks.

EDIT: A word of warning. The Summer Focused Relic Draw has been announced. It is not buy 2 11-pulls, select 1 USB, as previously believed. Instead, it is buy 2 11-pulls, get another 11-pull for free. That's right, buy two shots of salt, get another shot at salt. So keep in mind, it is not a guarantee - at least, no more than any 11-pull is a G5. So those of you who were thinking of pulling for your USB selection... Think carefully.

[SuperPanda]

Congrats on your pull Fel. I wasn't as lucky but still got good things from it.

100 Mythril for Banner 3 - Really searching for, well, for what you pulled - Orlandeu Awakening.

3/22
2 rainbow, 1 disco.

Rainbow 1: Terra LMR: Start battle with En-Fire. Not bad, I've her Overstrike at least and she can wrath.
Ranibow 2: Terra LMR: Chance to Dual cast Fire. Actually this is pretty nice.
Disco: Rem AOSB. +Mind Dagger with +Holy 20+1 Holy/Dark AOSB. Neat, I guess.

My T0 was pretty lacking but I do have a solid Medica in that realm and 1 solid BSB, so now I should have enough for T0 event content - not sure about Crystal Tower.


In other news I'm working on the D 240 Torment fights with full Synergy teams.

Spoiler: Current standing

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I: 80% Damage Dealt - Considering picking up a Blank Blade with Anima Lenses to help out.
II: 32 Second Clear
III : Not yet attempted - Have a strong team, should be able to make something work.
IV: Sub 30 Clear
V: 80% damage dealt - Healing is weak in V, recently got a new Fairs toy.
VI: 80% damage dealt - Two new LMRs for Fire Queen (See above) - this team should be able to crush.
VII: Sub 30 Clear
VIII: Not seriously attempted - I've got the tools, healing is weak in this realm.
IX: Sub 30 Clear
X: Not attempted - We should crush in this realm though.
XI: Not attempted - Have Shantoto Awakening.
XII: Not seriously attempted - I have solid tools, just need to find the strategy that works.
XIII:Not Attempted - We have good tools for this, should be able to crush it.
XIV: Not Attempted - I have a strong team in this world.
XV: Not attempted - no way it works out for me. I have 2 OSBs and a Notice Glint and nothing else of note. No Medica. I won't be able to run a 5 man team here.
FFT: Sub 30 clear
T0: Not Attempted. Just pulled an AOSB, also have a Medica USB, a couple LMR and a BSB. I doubt we make the Torment yet but good enough for

Remaining Mythril 125, unmined Mythril: Lots. No more pulls on this banner. Planning 1 or 2 pulls on Banner 4 (for Bartz), then the 15 Mtyh 11 pulls on FF1 and T0 for sure, maybe on others as well.

15 Myth Lucky pull thoughts:

Spoiler

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FF1: Anything could potentially make a big difference.
II: Team could use a boost but is also doing well.
III: Team is solid.
IV: I might be able to fully kit out two solid teams.
V: Team was strong except for a good Medica when I left, their relic's age is showing.
VI: Team is potentially very powerful.
VII: Team is still killing efficiently.
VIII: Team could use a better Medica.
IX: Quina would like something but I could also swap in Marcus as my "support" with his BSB.
X: I'm about a team and half - can kit for Water or Fire pretty well though.
XI: Oh Ho ho ho ho. But seriously this is a pretty strong team.
XII: Penelo's BSB1 is really showing its age and I've not seen much benefit to swapping in Larsa with his BSB. Maybe double healer?
XIII: Might be able to kit two teams, and I don't typically pull with this realm in mind.
XIV: One very solid team.
XV: If I pull I'll be praying for a medica.
FFT: Team is pretty strong, but hasn't been able to take medium difficulty yet.
T0: If I pull I'll be praying for decent damage.

Hmm, Exciting Free 9 pull.

Rainbow 1: Quina Burst. +Water armor (Nice), 5 RT Full Breakdown. Cmd 1 Atk/Def break, Cmd 2, Mag/Res Break. - Nice for my IX team.
Rainbow 2: Fran Burst. 5 AoE Hyper Break. Command 1 2 hit Power Breakdown. Command 2, 2 hit Resistance Breakdown.
Rainbow 3: Steiner LMR. Spellblade Dual Cast.
Rainbow 4: Terra LMR: Start Enfire. Dupe.
Rainbow 5: Cid Raines LMR: Start EnDark.
Rainbow 6: Balthier Glint: Instant self Enfire and Quick Cast 2. Pairs nicely with his kit.
Rainbow 7: Biggs Glint: Instnat 6 Earth/NE + enEarth.
Disco 1: Snow USB. +Ice Fist. Hastega+Shellga, Attack/Def up, Crit 50%. Pairs with his Gen 1 Ice Chain and his 1 monk Ice ability.
Disco 2: Auron USB Dupe.

Not as exciting as I'd hoped. 2 Dupes. Neither of the Discos are terribly exciting. Not sure if Snow's buff Ultra is worth putting him on the XIII team or not. I haven't even recruited Biggs yet so her Glint is "Meh" but one day he might get to play ball too.

This said. The Balthier Glint and Cid Raines LMR are solid wins. The Steiner LMR should help the IX team in Torments as will Quina's BSB.
Fran's BSB might help if I can get her SB guage building enough so that she can debuff stack with between her USB and BSB.

[Antonok]

Free 9 draw up! My pull was

Balthier BSB
Garland BSB (dupe)
Relm LMR - Sweet. DC LMR to go with her USB I pulled in the x40 draw
Ayame LMR
Gilgamesh LMR
Gaffgarion LMR
Vaan Glint
Shantotto AOSB (dupe)
Zidane USB2

Overall: Disappointing. Zidane USB is nice but redundant, and Relms LMR is great, but still nothing to really help with breaking into more 5* Magicites.

[Red Fel]

Well, the special 9-pull is up! Two guaranteed 6-stars, the rest 5-stars! My pull:

Spoiler

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• Regal Crown: Queen's BSB, Lightning SPB commands. Dupe.
• Edea's Valkyrie: Edea's BSB, Ice/Dark BLK commands. Dupe.
• Cat Claws: Yang's BSB, Earth MNK commands. New!
• Ironworks Healing Robe: Y'shtola's LMR, chance to cast Esuna when using ST WHT. New!
• Presidential Casual: Laguna's LMR, chance to Imperil Ice when using MCH. Dupe.
• Cat-Ear Hood: Krile's LMR, chance to W-Cast Fire. Dupe.
• Daihannya: Ayame's Glint, 0CT En-Ice and Quick Cast 2. New!
• Ferdinand: Cid (XIV)'s USB, En-Fire, Quick Cast, and finisher. New!
• Orichalcum Dirk: Delita's USB, Holy/Fire/Lightning/Ice damage, +ATK/RES, Crit=50%, Quick Cast 2. New!

Despite being 4/9 dupes, I'm calling that a win. You know, because it's free.

Now, let's talk about that Summer Focused Relic Draw. Previously, it was announced that it would be buy two 11-pulls, get a third free, infuriating people expecting a USB selection. Now, however... It appears to be buy two 11-pulls, get a USB selection, which is what people expected. The banner itself is... eh. There are a few Brave USBs, some other USBs, and a bunch of Glint/11s. That said, the USB select component is... Extensive. Take a peek for yourself, but there appears to be at least one USB for basically everyone, including three for Tyro and two for Elarra. So here's the question: If you could have any relic on that list for 100 mythril, would you buy it?

Personally, I'm going to say no. At least for now. That would leave me with 83 mythril, definitely not enough to take another shot at each of the remaining Fest banners and the remaining LotRs. The good news is that this banner lasts for the next two weeks - plenty of time to decide. Keep in mind, though, that you only get the USB selection if you draw twice - otherwise, it's just a normal banner pull.

[SuperPanda]

100 Myth thoughts - going in planning to pass.

Banner items

Spoiler

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Lightning Brave USB: My Lightning is already pretty strong but this does look like a small step up. My Lightning A team just went Magical in a big way though. Rating: Nice, but won't pull for it.
Ramza USB 10 ST Holy/NE, Quickcast 1, En Holy and Holy Quick Cast + Chase. Rating: Nice, but I use Ramza for Buff/Support - not usually using him for Damage. Could help in Torment.
Locke Chase USB Rating: Nice, but wouldn't crack a spot in my Physical Fire team.
Rinoa Brave USB Rating: Nice, might shift my Ice meta back to mage.
A Different Rinoa Brave USB: Fills a niche I am lacking - but not the Earth mage I wanted an upgrade for.
Tifa USB Double Cast Monk - Might be a very solid upgrade as I've a few LMR for her.
Vaan Brave USB Really odd, could be really good.
Yuna Offensive USB Unikely to make much use of - Medicas are more important.
Vaan Glint: Weak Imperil - Odd, wouldn't get much use in XII and he's not breaking onto a wind team.
Locke Glint: Pairs well with his OSB.
Yuna Glint: Odd wording, could be amazing, good be okay.
Lightning LMR: Nice, but not needed.
Ramza LMR:: See earlier note - I rarely use him as an attacker.
Tifa LMR and my only Dupe: Dupe.

Plenty of USBs to select that I want - but not enough on that list that I'm craving to be worth the 100 mythril investment. Will pass.

[danzibr]

I too had a meh free 9-er. While I got no dupes, none of the stuff I got was particularly good or needed.

[darkdragoon]

My 9-draw was a slight boost for Gilgamesh but mostly free lenses.

Banner 3 left me with a stronger Kain but with plenty of room to improve on both him and the others. Yet now there's enough dupes to make it dicey.

[Red Fel]

Well, Banner 4 is up. Time to see what we get...

1/11. But it's Gabranth's Chain, which is pretty great, actually.

Still, this is such a juicy banner, I had to do one more pull. Unfortunately, it was another 1/11. That said, the 1 was Tidus' LMR - the Quick Cast when using Water abilities. Which, for Tidus, is actually stupid good.

Despite only getting two relics across as many pulls, I'd call that a win. Happy pulls, folks.

[SuperPanda]

Banner 4 is up, I'm only giving it a single pull as what I really want from it is Bartz upgrades.

Rainbow / 11.

Yuna Dual Summon LMR - Huh, I mostly use her for healing. I do have her summoning BSB so this might get some use in X battles.

Follow up Lucky 5 for 3 pull in V. Disco/3 - Werewolf's Chase USB - neat. It actually looks like a very solid relic and an Earth focused one at that. Too bad Edge just took his spot on the Ixion team by providing something he can't. Still looks like it will be a great addition if I ever get to 5* Magicites.

(Haven't taken a crack at 4* Holy or Dark yet).

Mythril count: 95. I think I might be done with fest. This banner and next have alot of items that while great, I'm not hyped for.

Probably also leaving alone the 3 for 5s for III, X, and XIII. I've got very solid teams in all three worlds and can't think of much that would excite me form any of them.

Of my 4 most wanted Fest pulls: Rydia, Orlandeu, Bartz, Shantoto - I got one of them and that is enough for me.

I've also finished up all available classic dungeons. Still have a ton of Elites to do and more than half of the prelude in Record dungeons to clear.

I have cleared a few new Torments on the lowest dificulty.

Torment III - Sub 30
Torment XIII - Sub 30
Torment XI - a blistering 12 second knock out. (Shantoto got her tripple cast witch LMR to proc 3 times in a row. Shadow Lord didn't survive long enough for me to use her awakening. Tried it on medium difficulty and got him down 70% - need to refine my approach and try again.

On a related note - I've been hording 5* motes and really should spend some.
Not sure who I'll invest in yet, but something to think about.

[T.G. Oskar]

Well, I mentioned nothing after the Happy Gacha pulls, so might as well decide to go for the actual Banner pulls!

First, the 40-draw. A large chance to get a ton of good stuff for nothing! (Or a ton of dupes, too.) What do I get?

4/40, TWO DISCOS, and one dupe Anima Lenses.

Spoiler: Massive 40-Draw Pull!

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• Edge's Mutsunokami! To wit; this is his BSB, which grants EnWater and ninja-speed Burst Commands. It's a basic damage BSB, which is increasingly out of style, but for the most part it's a way to get Edge more involved. In fact: between his USB0 and his BSB, he's actually playable now!
• DK!Cecil's Demon Shield. A dupe A source of 50 Lv. 2 Anima Lenses.
• Squall's Punishment! This is his OSB, which deals one big Ice hit. However, I already got his AOSB, which gives THREE big Ice hits. So, it's already outdated. +10 ATK? Kinda feels worse than the dupe...
• Echo's...Fairy Echo! This is her USB, which is a massive buff suite; +MAG/DEF, Protect, Haste, and QC 2. Between Echo and Sarah's USBs, you get a full buffing suite, which is awesome. Now, if only the damage potential for Team I was a bit better...

Then, the very expected Banner 3! While I had everything from my waifu, it was also a way to get everything from the THUNDER GOD, so it was still a God Banner. What are the results?

To keep them resumed: 5/33, 3 DISCOS, and...no dupes on all of that? Huh...

Spoiler: Three days, three pulls on the God Banner...

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• Orlandeau's Masamune! This is his AOSB, which goes on the 20+1 format. As you may know, it's...not like his OSB, which grants THUNDER GOD MODE, but it hits two elements (Holy/Dark). Great for the Torment, since it means 20 hits at near-maximum power.
• Rem's Parrying Daggers! This is her AOSB, also following a 20+1 format, also hitting for Holy/Dark. So, basically the magic version of Orlandeau's AOSB. Makes me feel a bit bad already, but it makes Rem the absolute best character in Type-0 thus far.
• Orlandeau's Moonblade! This is his LMR2, which grants a massive boost to Physical damage if you wield a sword. It's a significant boost (so, most likely a 20-30% boost?) for wielding what's essentially his favorite weapon. A MASSIVE boost to damage which applies for EVERYTHING Orlandeau does. Knight skills? Boost damage. Darkness skills? Boost damage. Spellblade skills? Sure, have ti deal more damage, even if it's never gonna be Bartz' levels of damage. It'd be awesome if I had his Awakening, right? Right?
• Kain's Lightseeker's Guise! This is his Glint+ Light Armor, making him resemble his Holy Dragoon version. What it does is relatively tame, as it allows temporary (not use-limited Instant Jumps, and also IC 1, so you can go straight into a SB or an attack. The thing, though, is this: Glint+ can be used IMMEDIATELY, as in, they have no SB Gauge cost, and still can be used instantaneously. So, you can either use it ASAP, or save it for the right moment for a double whammy.
• Kain's Dragoon Lance! This is, as you may probably recall, his Awakening. What it does is very similar to many Awakenings, such as dealing a lot of hits (15, to be exact), EnLightning (boy, he REALLY needed that one!), Awakening Mode for Dragoon skills (Inf. Hones + ...wait, something's missing!) and a nice Chaser for every three Dragoon skills. Now, as you may recall, Kain replaces dualcast for Dragoon skills in order to instead get Break Damage Limit 2, meaning he can reach up to 30K with every hit. This is just as much as doublecasting, except that if you get a way to doublecast, it's even better! Now; note that I also got his Glint+, so I can just build three levels, and just go back to back. Arguably the pull I'm happiest, because Kain felt so lonely in Team IV with everyone passing through him.

And, finally, the free 9-Draw. All 5* or higher, with two Discos guaranteed, and the rest an assortment of 5* relics. With Anima Lenses, dupes won't sting so much. So...what are the results?

You already know it's 9/9, and that it has TWO DISCOS, but the number of dupes is what matters, and I got...4 dupes. That means 5 brand new relics.

Spoiler: 9-Draw

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• Freya's Heavy Lance. 1st dupe set of 50 Lv. 2 Anima Lenses.
• Cid's Viper Javelin. 2nd dupe set of 50 Lv. 2 Anima Lenses.
• Umaro's Bone Club...wait, WHAT!? If my memory's correct, that means I have at least one meaningful item for EVERY character in Team VI. This is his BSB, whcih is kinda outdated, but it grants EnIce (which lets him in) and has some decent commands. Never had the chance to use Umaro anyways, so this is actually pretty good! Note that Burst Command 1 is actually a %-based heal with IC one tacked in, which is actually VERY GOOD.
• Shadow's Black Garb! This is his LMR, which is your typical Ninja "use a Ninja skill, get Mirror Image". Nice, but nothing that makes Shadow entirely relevant.
• Noel's Guise! This is his LMR, which grants W-Cast Ice. Also, will be completely forgotten because I don't use Noel. C'est la vie...
• Curilla's Temple Knight Army Shield. 3rd dupe set of 50 Lv. 2 Anima Lenses.
• Yuna's Staff of Thorns! This is one of her LMRs, which grants a chance to W-Cast Summon skills! That said, I use Yuna more as a healer than a summoner, so it's...meh, really? At least it's a LM for her. Plus, with the right amount of Anima Lenses, you can buy her W-Cast WHM LMR, so you can get both. Also: the weapon has a small chance to cause Sleep.
• Penelo's Hermes' Suit. 4th dupe 1st set of Lv. 3 Anima Lenses
• Rem's Argentic Daggers! This is her USB, which grants EnHoly, IC1, a ton of Holy/Dark attacks (she REALLY wants to be the magic Orlandeau expy....also, Raines' expy. Ergo, she's trying to be a "broken Cid" expy). Her EX Mode is rare; she gets an Iai bargain (+MND, -DEF/RES), and when you hit with Slight Vulnerability or Vulnerabiliy, you get QC1 to your moves. Pretty decent, but she's essentially the designated healer. The EnHoly should do nicely with her AOSB, and also with her LMR Chaser. She's...actually pretty decent, when you think about it...

And, to finish this up: I got these two sweet things from the most recent Daily Draws. I think I should share them.

Spoiler: Daily Draw bonanza!

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• Paladin!Cecil's Kingsword! This is his 3rd USB, which also happens to be his Brave USB. (No Paladin Wall, tho) Unlike most Brave USBs, this doesn't grant you EnHoly, but instead an Ability Boost to Knight skills. This makes his Glint (IIRC) and his BSB1 the only ways to get EnHoly. The entry and the Brave command are solid, though; you get Last Stand on entry (seriously, that's the third source of Last Stand in Team IV, counting Edge and Ursula), and his Brave Command not only deals hits to the enemy, but also a source of HP Stock; at max level, it's 4000 temporary Hit Points to your entire party. Now, have you noticed something? Cecil's USB2 gives a heal to all allies in the front row (which is particularly the reason I want it). This Brave USB grants temporary HP and Last Stand, and there's Healng Smite. You could have Pally!Cecil be your team's extraofficial healer! With his USBs and Healing Smite, you can potentially keep everyone on top shape, help them mitigate damage and more! If I manage to get my hands on P!Cecil's USB2 AND Basch's USB, I'll definitely have the Brothers in Pain in action. (Though, it'd be even better if I got Ramza's Holy Chain and THUNDER GOD AWAKENING)
• Jecht's Abes' Uniform! This is his USB Light Armor, which is essentially his pants; also, a nice +Fire physical Light Armor. The USB is actually quite good, granting him EnFire, IC1, +ATK/DEF boost, and allowing his Fire attacks to chase! The Chaser is quite beastly (pun intended), and an excellent addition to Team Physical Fire, what with Fires Within keeping him in tip-top shape. That also means he has both his USBs, making Jecht a surprisingly effective party member. What are the chances?

Now, I have a conundrum. As you know, I nailed the predictions I made (though they were easy to predict, and Reddit already suspected most of them; the Focused Relic Draw had a 50/50 chance of being one or the other, so it was really reading between the lines), and the Focused Relic Draw is there. It's full price, but it allows you to choose any one USB. Any. One. (Provided you can pull twice). And there's a ton of nice relics there, including both Tyro's God Wall, Paladin!Cecil's Paladin Wall, and Basch's RikkUltra clone. You know, the things I'm looking for the conceptual all-make, all-Holy, all front line team? However, I need 100 Mythril, and I only have...23 so far. I can get 50 rather easily, though I had to use the biggest Mythril resource on the fest (the 30 Myth Gift Dungeon) to pull on Banner 3 for the third (charmed) time. So, I need 77 Mythril in about 10 days, so that I can make the pull.

Right now, I have about 3-5 Mythril from daily bonuses; I can get a few more in 10 days, so that's a resource. I can also get 5 Mythril if I do Magicite Dungeons, which I can do rather easily. That's about 20 Mythril right then and there. The Focused Relic Draw ends in about 10 days (IIRC), meaning I have to get roughly 5.7 Mythril per day (that means 5 Mythril per day, plus an additional two every three days. Do you think it's humanely possible to achieve this? The relics don't matter that much (though Locke could solidify his position in Team Physical Fire if I get his relics; then again, there's a lot of Fem!Cloud relics...), but there's a chance to get one of those relics I want!

Now...you may be saying, "well, there's the Dream Relic Draws! You can probably get what you want from them, right?" Here's the thing: first, they cost Gems (which I don't have right now). Second, it depends on whether they have a USB Dream Relic Draw. Third, the list of relics is unknown so far, so I can't say I'll get the relic I want. And fourth (and most important)...that's IF Dream Relic Draws happen to appear. So, there's a lot of ifs. The first point, well...I *could* claim the floating card I'm still owed, but that might not happen at this moment. Thus, that Focused Relic Draw is, currently, something I'm indeed VERY interested on, if only to get both sources of Wall (and thus, collecting every single source of Wall in the game).

P.S.:

On a related note - I've been hording 5* motes and really should spend some.
Not sure who I'll invest in yet, but something to think about.

The idea is, you should primarily invest on those characters that have W-Cast LM2s, in particular White Mages. The chance of W-Cast on a LM2 is higher than that on a LMR, and also easier to get. Same for Black Mages, Summoners, and many others. Note that Cloud is the only one who can W-Cast Combat skills with an LM2 (NocNoc can, but with a LMR), and you can only W-Cast Ninja skills and Dragoon skills through LMRs. Keep that in mind. If you have his BSB, Cid Raines is an excellent candidate, if only because he gets W-Cast with Holy and Dark skills. That means his BSB can be dualcast, and also Darkness skills (like Mark of Darkness, for two chances to Imperil Dark).

Following that, you should probably focus on Aerith. It may sound weird, but here's the reason: her LM2 grants a small chance to cast a mini-Medica when using WHM spells. That means, potentially, that every Curaja/Curada you cast can become a mini-Medica, further increasing your healing capabilities. If you happen to have her USBs, even more reason to. (Note that Lenna can do it, but ONLY through a LMR.) Likewise, you should consider doing the same for Mog and Cait Sith, as they have similar effects but with Dancer skills. Echo also has a similar one with Bard skills, and so do a few others. Keep those in mind.

A third one would be those characters that have IC1, IC2 or IC3 at the start of combat. Orlandeau is a supreme example, letting him act immediately and still have two turns worth of instant actions. Shelke is the prime example, having IC1 on a character that can Entrust, therefore allowing virtually anyone to fire their SBs almost immediately.

Aside from that...whoever you want. I obviously did it for my waifu (Trance mode is awesome, but now that she can access it via her Awakening...), I had a guilty pleasure with Gaffgarion, and I thought a few others deserved it (like Ramza). Some LM2s are hidden gems: Balthier, for example, has a small chance to Imperil Fire with Machinist skills. Between the Machinist skills, you happen to have both Flame Offering and Burnt Offering (the latter the 6* version of the former), which ALSO have a chance to Imperil Fire. So, you have a smaller chance to Imperil Fire twice, making him an absolute beast at a Fire team, particularly if you have his USB that grants QC1 when using Machinist skills. With that, you can do rapid fire debuffing quite reliably. Even without that (or his BSB, which ALSO Imperils Fire and the Burst Command 1 works like a Flame Offering), that makes Balthier quite good. Agrias has a similar effect (Imperil Holy with Knight skills), but she suffers from not having a Knight skill that causes Imperil (WHM has it, though, but no offensive WHM caster that has a LMR that offers it), and so does Laguna (but as a LMR, IIRC) and Irvine (but with Sharpshooter skills). If you notice that you have something good with a LM2, take it as your fourth consideration when spending Motes.

[Red Fel]

Well, Daily Draw was merciful - Ursula's BSB. Naturally, I'm inspired to test my luck on some LotRs:

Spoiler: No dupes this time!

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• VIII: Fujin's USB - En-Wind, Quick Cast, and chaser. Pretty great.
• VII: Cait Sith's USB - ProShellHastega for the team, Multi Break for all enemies. Very nice!
• VI: Celes' USB - Holy/Ice/Wind/Non damage, Grand Cross, +SPB damage, W-Cast WPB. Like a mini-Awakening!
• V: Krile's Glint - 0CT En-Fire, Quick Cast 2. End of the disco balls, end of my pulls for now.

[SuperPanda]

Having decided I'm done with the fest for now I've cleaned up the vault a bit and am doing a couple of the 15 mythril 11 pull lucky pulls. I have enough Mythril for 6 pulls right now and will be mining more throughout the day/week.

Spoiler: Sorting Banner Priorities - mostly for me, I think better with things written out

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Really should pull on these:
FF I - Have an outdated medica, could use a boost for just about anyone. Solid choice. Thanks to Lenses I have at least an SSB for everyone on the team.
FF XV - No medica, lacking damage
FF T0 - Have Medica, need more stable damage.


Want to pull on these, but know I'm hunting specific things
FF VI - Strong, somewhat out-dated, could use a Setzer boost.
FF VII - Still rather strong, could use a better Red XIII relic.
FF VIII - Very strong overall, need a better medica.
FF XII - Have an awesome team but could use a better Medica - or I could double healer and stress on my other 3 picks.
FF IV - I have an awesome team, but I want to pull here. Doubt I'll get anything exciting but its that chance which matters.
FF V - I do need a Medica upgrade and I still don't have Bartz's USB 1 if I get really lucky.
FF T - Need better Medica

Feeling free to skip these unless I get more Mythril than I expect to
FF II - I could use a power boost to get the "Easy" torment under 30 seconds. Have excellent healing options. Nothing off the top of my head that I really want.
FF III - I have an awesome team, can't think of anything I'd pull here.
FF IX - Can't think of anything that would be a real upgrade.
FF X - Can't think of anything that would be a real upgrade.
FF XI - Can't think of anything that would be a real upgrade.
FF XIII - Can't think of anything that would be a real upgrade.
FF XIV - Can't think of anything that would be a real upgrade.

Will stagger 1 "Should" pull with 1 "Want" pull, two at a time so.

Today will be FF I and FF T.
FFI: 1/11
Warrior of Light LMR. Was disappointed until I read it: After taking damage, small chance to Counter Attack 3 ST Holy/NE + Heal and ally 1,500 HP. Hope that triggers on AoEs. No real meta change but some extra healing and damage (RNG based).

FFT: 1/11
Orlandeu BSB dupe (and no Anima Lenses).

Disappointing for the Mythril spent, might not keep doing these. Will decide tomorrow which should be XV and V.

On the other hand, I did just sub 30 the D240 Torment X. Now have enough rubies for Healing Smite which might open the door for a few other D240 clears (or my first D280 clear). After that I'll need to plan my third ability. A more powerful Wind summon for Alphi (Brave USB grants summoning recharge) would be nice as would an upgrade for Shantoto's awakening (dual cast, damage cap breaking witch sounds nice). And the Dual Element spell blades just sounds awesome all around.


Dive thoughts:

Spoiler

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Current Full dives (not counting Job Motes)
Ayame, Orlandeu, Bartz, Locke, Yuffie, Squall, Balthier, Zell, Cloud, Tidus, Shantoto, Lightning, Cid Raines, Y'shtola, Alphinaud, Ramza.

Appealing Candidates:

Elarra: USB1, featurs on 2 magicite teams, will be a pinch healing on Torment runs after full synergy teams fail.

D. Cecil: Have a BSB, LMR, and USB for him - His LM2 gives him a chance to heal from using Dark abilities which offsets the major drawback of using Dark abilities. Unsure how good his USB is in high end content (The EX mode only lasts as long as his HP bubble).

Garnet: Have BSB1, BSB2, USB - Lightning Radiant Shield and summoning chase. LM grants Trance, mostly for Hp recover.

Ashe: Have Chase USB. LM grants Double Cast Lightning.

Riku (KH): Have Chase USB, LM grants double cast Dark.

Auron: Have Chase USB - Despite his potential power he isn't currently on any A team (off element for X, Fire team is already full).

Actually - in starting to write this out what I find is: If I'm thinking it might be a good reason to give them a full dive I have more than enough motes to do so without worrying about it. Also, it seems like we get 5* motes more freely than I remember, so I don't need to be in this resource scarcity mindset.

Now, for resource scarcity things... Artifacts. I'm starting to think about grabbing some beyond the starter and my quesiton is more on Rainbow Crystals.

Quickly looking at the stats on Artifacts - a Level 1 artifact is ~ a level 20 native 6*. Would it be a better use of my Rainbow crystals to have 1 max level artifact or a couple ~ level 30 artifacts (I noticed that post level 33 rainbow crystals start showing serious diminishing returns). I'm not sure just how powerful a max level Artifact is (I know the numbers but not how much that number matters). I'm not planning on poking 5* magicites anytime soon, haven't even tested my light and dark teams against their 4* counterparts yet.

[Red Fel]

Regarding Dives... Yeah. It's been said. Go for W-Casts, then go for synergy with the relics/LRMs you have, then go for the characters you love. That's pretty much it.

Now, for resource scarcity things... Artifacts. I'm starting to think about grabbing some beyond the starter and my quesiton is more on Rainbow Crystals.

Quickly looking at the stats on Artifacts - a Level 1 artifact is ~ a level 20 native 6*. Would it be a better use of my Rainbow crystals to have 1 max level artifact or a couple ~ level 30 artifacts (I noticed that post level 33 rainbow crystals start showing serious diminishing returns). I'm not sure just how powerful a max level Artifact is (I know the numbers but not how much that number matters). I'm not planning on poking 5* magicites anytime soon, haven't even tested my light and dark teams against their 4* counterparts yet.

First off, even the first-gen Artifacts - the stat-sticks, not the +Element Artifacts - are pretty solid in cases. That FFV Artifact Dagger finds its way onto almost every team I have, and the +MND T-0 Daggers are frequently available as well. That said, they're basically just filler. A good combined relic with synergy will meet or exceed their performance pretty much every time. If I have a combined USB healer relic - even with just a single + - it will generally be stronger with synergy than those Daggers. (Also, worth noting that the +Holy daggers are objectively better, but I digress.)

That's the first-gen, non-element Artifacts, though. Think of the +Element Artifacts, on the other hand, as an edge. When dealing with specific content, you may need that little extra advantage. Let's say, for example, that you have a MAG Fire team, and Vivi is easily capping damage, but Terra has her Awakening which breaks the cap, and you think you could squeeze out a bit more pain. If you have a +MAG +Fire Artifact that does the job, it may well be the boost she needs. And these are relics that do well in Magicites - where synergy bonuses aren't a thing, and thus an upgraded Artifact may well out-stat a synergy relic.

As with 6-star abilities, the question with Artifacts is, "Is this something I need, or that will help me imminently?" If so, grab one. If your Tidus is no longer capping damage, grab that +Water ball. If Kuja just isn't pulling his weight, +Dark rod. And so forth. But if you don't particularly need it, I wouldn't even bother. Artifacts are, at best, a slight edge; otherwise, they're little more than a place-saver until you roll a better relic on the gacha. Useful when needed, but "needed" is a tricky thing. Definitely don't get them just to get them.

[SuperPanda]

Thanks for the advice Fel.

On thinking about it: I'm pretty happy with where I'm at right now.

Classic Dungeons: Up to Date.
Eilite Dungeons: 134 to clean up
Record Dungeons: A little past halfway through Prelude.
Nightmare: Finished.
Magicite: Dark and Holy 3* and others 4* complete - possibly able to 4* Holy/Dark - next big challenge there (working on inheritance).
Torment 6* collection: Have bought 2 abilities and have 180 spare rubies. Making progress with my D240 clears.

I am considering the 6* Witch. I do not need it, but today I got a Hell Thunder Quad Cast (with a near-full Gen1 Chain and near max imperil on Kraken). Seeing Shantoto his 24x 17500 was extremely gratifying but also makes the best possible case for not getting that ability. Likely to hold onto the rubies for now.

Relic collection: While I lack a lot of the more recent killer items, I've a very strong foundation of old items to draw on. I also have a ton of stuff sitting in the vault that I've never looked at again usually because I have better options now but might, somehow, need them again when running an oddball comp for an event.

Down to 80 Mythril and planning on sitting on it until it grows into a stockpile again.

Spoiler: D 240 Torment Rundown

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FFI: Complete - not Sub 30.
FFII: Sub 30
FFIII: Sub 30
FFIV: Sub 30
FFV: Sub 30
FFVI: Not yet beaten
FFVII: Sub 30
FFVIII: Not yet beaten
FFIX: Sub 30
FFX: Sub 30
FFXI: Sub 30
FF XII: Not yet beaten
FFXIII: Sub 30
FF XIV: Sub 30
FF XV : Not attempted
FF T: Sub 30
FF T0: Not Attempted.

Yet to win any D280 but also haven't seriously gotten into trying / planning for them.

[Red Fel]

Alright! The last banner of Fest! Survey says... 1/11, Agrias' En-Holy LMR. Meh.

Maybe one of the remaining LotRs will do me better. Let's find out!

• IV: Kain's OSB. I appreciate the disco, but I have his USB. At least it's new.
• III: Ingus' En-Earth LMR, and a dupe.
• II: Scott's En-Fire LMR. It's new, even if it is on a character I don't use.
• I: Master's ATK-up-when-using-MNK LMR. A dupe.

Looks like I ended Fest on a low note. Last three LMRs couldn't even do me the dignity of giving me discos. Pity.

Still, it was overall a pretty great Fest. Happy Fourth, and happy pulls.

[danzibr]

Sorry to hear, Red Fel.

I too did one final pull. 1/11, Sephy AOSB dupe.

[Red Fel]

Sorry to hear, Red Fel.

I too did one final pull. 1/11, Sephy AOSB dupe.

Eugh, that hurts.

But still, let's put things in perspective, shall we? I mean, the end was a bit of a letdown, but look at the overall picture.

Spoiler: Fest Banners

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• Banner 1: Fujin's MAG Chain.
• Banner 2: Cloud's LMR, Deuce's LMR Squall's LMR, Squall's Awakening.
• Banner 3: RAIJIN CID's Awakening.
• Banner 4: Gabranth's Dark PHY Chain.
• Banner 4, Take 2: Tidus' LMR.
• Banner 5: Agrias' LMR.

Spoiler: LotR

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• T-0: Deuce's USB.
• FFT: Delita's USB.
• XV: Gladio's LMR.
• XIV: Haurchefant's USB.
• XIII: Snow's USB.
• XII: Vaan's Brave USB.
• XI: Shantotto's LMR.
• X: Rikku's BSB. Dupe.
• IX: Steiner's Realm Chain.
• VIII: Fujin's USB.
• VII: Cait Sith's USB.
• VI: Celes' USB.
• V: Krile's Glint.
• IV: Kain's OSB.
• III: Ingus' LMR. Dupe.
• II: Scott's LMR.
• I: Master's LMR. Dupe.

Spoiler: Free 40-pull

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• Steiner's BSB.
• Wol's BSB.
• Vayne's BSB. Dupe.
• Zidane's BSB. Dupe.
• Prishe's LMR.
• Elarra's LMR. Dupe.
• Minfilia's LMR.
• Steiner's Glint.
• Celes' OSB. Dupe.
• Wakka's USB.
• Sarah's Brave USB.
• Galuf's USB.
• Jack's USB.
• Ayame's USB.

Spoiler: Free 9-pull

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• Queen's BSB. Dupe.
• Edea's BSB. Dupe.
• Yang's BSB.
• Y'shtola's LMR.
• Laguna's LMR. Dupe.
• Krile's LMR. Dupe.
• Ayame's Glint.
• Cid (XIV)'s USB.
• Delita's USB.

Spoiler: Others

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• Chain LD:
  • Galuf's Glint.
  • Seifer's LMR.
  • Strago's Water MAG Chain.
• PHY USB LD:
  • Freya's USB.
  • Reno's Brave USB.
• MAG USB LD:
  • Lulu's USB.

So, all things considered, a lot about which to be happy. Even if the ending was a bit of a letdown.

In any event, as if by way of apology, the game gave me a USB in today's Daily. Specifically, Krile's USB. No, not the Fire one with a chaser (I already have that one). Her Earth one with En-Earth, Quick Cast, Quick Cast while using Earth, and a mult-hit chaser that does more hits if Galuf is in the party. (You know, because of all those times they were both in the party in the original game.) Goes great with Galuf's Imperil Earth USB - which, coincidentally, I now also have.

Apology accepted, DeNa.

[danzibr]

Mm nice daily draw. I found my V team went from Fire to Earth with the acquisition of Galuf’s CSB a while back.

Speaking of which, my physical Fire team can’t beat their 5* magicite due to essentially lack of a chain. Now chain’s aren’t mandatory, but Mateus’ savage mode gives him some wild damage reduction or something. Granted I only did like one attempt, can prob get it to work, but that’s later.