New To NIN...

I've raised my NIN to level 12, and am ready to start partying...

...only I have no idea what to do. I've been playing for about a year, but only on DD jobs, primarily a DD-only WAR. So I have no idea how to tank.

So...

- What is the best sub to use? Why?

- What tools will a level 20 Ninja need? Which ones will a level 20 Ninja not need?

- Explain "Hate sharing" to me, please. Also, how to tank.

- What macros will a newbie NIN need?

- What tools aren't worth using?

- For the tools I need, how many stacks of 99 of each tool?

For some reason, when I tried to ask people in one of my LS's these questions, they broke my pearl and kicked me out. >.> I'd appreciate it if you could actually give me answers.

Thank you so very much in advance.

Solo to 30 /DNC, leech your way to 90, gear accordingly.

Grab a WHM, get said WHM to spam cure you, profit.

My guess is they broke your pearl because most of this information is horribly easy to come across by doing some simple research on wiki, or even just by playing the game, and to them you sounded like an ignorant fool. However, I will help you. If you are planning to level up the traditional way, you will be /war always. You need Provoke to tank. Tanking is simple, keep hate and keep your shadows up (Utsusemi). Your most important tool is shihei (for utsusemi), you will need many, many, many stacks of them. The elemental spells are mostly garbage, but the Ni level elementals are somewhat good from 40-50. The enfeebles are very useful for tanking at any level (jubaku/hojo/kurayami).

If you wish to solo, use /dnc. With shadows and curing waltz, you are essentially invincible against anything IT or lower.

Not very good advice to someone who's asking how to play the job, and not how to leach his way to 90.

In party situation you want to /war for provoke.
If solo you'll want to /dnc.

Obviously your main spell/tools is gonna be utsesemi/shihei respectively.
But I would get all the spells as you level into them. (you're gonna need all of them eventually)

The nin infeebs are great, expecially solo. Although you might not end up using them in party if someone else is enfeebling.
Probably not gonna need the elemental wheel at lower levels. The ichi version is too slow anyways.

I suggest going out and soloing some stuff so you can practice going from Utsusemi ichi ---> ichi, because thats the skill you're gonna have to learn at first. Until you get NI, ninja kinda sucks. and anyone who can sub nin for ichi can pretty much do the same thing as you.

Bah, you pretty much beat me to it.

ninja elemental spells, in abyssea, can knock out nice damage. however, you will need to gear for higher INT/MAB, and for higher dmg, use nuking atmas, which will reduce your melee dmg output.

hey guys quick question:
can tobi +2 do same ws damage as Kannagi?

my kannagi 85 can still out do a tobi+2 i'd presume a tobi+3 will out do a kannagi 85 though

Also, Nin no is a cheap job, you need, evasion/haste gear, many stack of Shihei and the others tools, the scrolls as Utsusemi: Ni are very expensive, think about it if really want level Ninja, but the job is really awesome lvl 90, loved in abbysea and good for solo. please no try leech so much, a ninja with lack evasion/ninjitsu skill is a bad ninja, also you need know about the shadows use.

hey guys thanks alot, Im going to try and play my job now...

>:D

People mention /WAR for Provoke, but you shouldn't discount Berserk (definitely 40+ when you've become more accustom to Ichi/Ni tanking). With NIN's generally low attack, Berserk can be a very nice way to help hold hate (because I assure you, provoke alone won't cut it).

The best advice I can give you on playing NIN, is to play offensively. Pretend it's your job to tear the mobs face off. The problem is, to hold hate well at later levels, it won't be easy or cheap.

You'll want to use Sushi to make sure you hit.


In terms of Spells/Tools, don't waste money on the Elemental Spells at 15, get the Lv.40 ones though because they are both good hate tools (especially in the 40s) and they're !! Procs inside Abyssea.

"Hate Sharing" is a method of tanking where the mob has no specific tank, it bounces around from one person to another. This method is normally used by 2 DD /NIN until 37 (or 2 people with Utsusemi: Ichi). You need to count 3 shadows/attacks on your partner, then Provoke the mob so it's no longer on them (they should also be doing the same, counting when your 3 shadows have gone and Provoking so you can recast).

As for macros, I only macro'd Berserk, Provoke and WS, though you may want to macro Kurayami/Hojo: Ichi, Utsusemi: Ichi/Ni, etc

Typical NIN macro would be:
/ma "Kurayami: Ichi" <t>, /nin can be used instead of /ma if you prefer, there's no difference between the two (/nin is just short for /ninjutsu)

At the early stages, you'll probably only need a handful of Shihei bags (~12 to get NIN to a SJ'able level), anything more than that and you'll need (as others have said) a lot more.


Anyway, gonna be late for work >_> Feel free to PM me if you need anything, I'll reply whenever I get back~

Sidenote: If you ever find yourself on Sylph and looking for a LS, /tell Me or Cynic (my mule) and I'll sort you out with a LS. We actually have a few newer starters in there (that started in the past few months), so there's likely to be someone who's in a similar predicament to you~

in my experience i hated leveling ninja at low levels, and as been mentioned try stay away from leeching exp in abyssea, ninjutsu skill/evasion skill/parry are all nice skills to have capped at all times, parry being the worst one to get skillups on.

at level 40 it becomes easier to tank with yonin for enmity but alot of acc will be required to make up for it, when i leveld my nin there was not much for ACC gearwise so spent alot on the expencive food, now there is more acc gear available.

today the best way to tank is all out DD agressivly and let the mages just cure the hellout of you if/and when needed.

as Darkei stated, it is not really a cheap job to level, certain gear can be expencive as well as the tools, seen them up to 12-15k per stack on cerberus at times. the amount of tools you use will also be some what dependant on your evasion skill, assuning you have a level 90 job with capped evasion then eva skill wont be a worry.

think it through before you really comit to it, i spent 7 mil in my first 50 levels in nin, thats including byung utsusemi ichi and ni.

more and more NINs have started to pop up now as they burning them up to 90 in abyssea, the other day i seen 3 using retsu in an abys - la thiene exp, asked one wtf they was using retsu instead of jin and the reply i got was "katana skill is only 134" /facepalm, then i realised they have stage 1 kannagi completed, i donno whats worse.

also its not just katana you want to have skilled, when i am on nin anytime except solo i always /war with capped club, dagger, GK, katana(with capped merits), sword, polarm(subjob capped useing pitchfork+1) staff. this covers 10/13 WS's needed for red !! proc in abyssea and very usefull to have low man/duo.

spells wise, i didnt get the ichi elemental spells i have all the enfeebles, lvl40 elementals and all self buffs and most i use bar utsusemi is Jubaku, kuryami, hojo, yurin, myoshu, magiwari, aisha. some i dont use in larger groups but apart fom the level 40 elementals and utsusemi these are some of the ones you should have/get

bah i really thought this was a troll but looking at other posts he made maybe he's just uber new..

if this was srs or maybe for other new NINs who come across this thread. don't be lazy read guides first then when you get a decent understanding of your job and have specific questions about newer post 75 gear and ***like that come back and ask the experts.

Alla's NIN Topic thread with about a gazillion useful links

The rest are from bottom of Wiki's NIN page

How-To Guide: Ninja

Ninja: Guide to Races and Subjob Selection

Ninja: Elemental Wheel

Job Specific Equipment/Ninja

(Old) Endgame Guide for Ninja Gear

Essential Ninja Equipment Guide

Equipment Guide

The everything including the kitchen sink Ninja Equipment Guide by Everyone with an opinion