Stat priority questionsFollow

I read the stickies. If it's in there, I missed it.

I've been leveling BLM lately. I'm coming up on level 51 and I'm confused about what the stats do. Blm damage output seems to be about Elemental Magic Skill, Magic Attack, and Intelligence.


Elemental Magic Skill seems to be the Accuracy stat. Prevents resists and lessens spell interruption.

Magic Attack seems to be a damage multiplier placed in a ratio with the target's Magic Defense.

And I can't tell exactly what the hell intelligence does. All I know is that when I stack it my blm is full of win, and when I don't I die constantly.


So, the questions:
1) What does int do, exactly?

2) What order of preference should I stack stats? I was thinking Elemental Magic Skill > Magic Attack > Int, but I'm not sure as I don't know how to measure the importance of int.

3) Is there a cap for how much any of these three I would need? I know, for example, that most bards get to +30 charisma and call it done.

4) I'm going to need a filler gear set, pieces that allow me to swap for the best results while casting. For example, if I'm casting Freeze, I don't need the AF legs (which boost dark magic). Would I want something int based such as errant, or something with Magic Attack and Accuracy such as the Cobra set?

5) Does Magic Attack matter at all for Dark Magic or Enfeebling Magic?

Thanks in advance.

1) INT is a damage and accuracy stat. Our int does a check against the targets INT which is called dINT. As dINT changes, it changes how potent INT is. dINT < 10, INT will be worth 1 point of MAcc and deal damage, dINT > 10 INT will be worth .5 points of MAcc and deal damage.

2) Depends on what you are fighting. Obviously adding more Skill won't help if you are already capped for Acc. Between MAB and INT, it depends on how much of each. 3 INT is better then 1 MAB normally.

3) Not really for MAB or INT, Skill yes, once you hit 95% hit rate, you can't get any more accurate. On most low end mobs (anything less then HNMs, Gods ect.) You tend to cap MAcc with our normal nuking gear.

4) Errant/Maha are your best option for the most part. Relic legs when you get them are the best for same day/element nuking (Casting thunder on thundersday). Morrigan's are the best you can get outside of the above statement. The ASA pants with 4 MAB 4 MAcc are better then Maha for pure damage, and are worse for MAcc. They are worse then Morrigan's pretty much always for both damage and MAcc.

5) MAB only affects direct magic damage. Drain/Aspir/Bio/Stun are only effected by skill for potency. Enfeebles are effected by enfeebling skill for accuracy, and INT/MND (depending on whether black or white magic) for potency and accuracy. Things that don't have a Potency (Sleep, Gravity) are only effected by INT for accuracy.