BW LIGHT vs. BW ROBE SET (for buffers/healers)

I've always thought that BW robe was the way to go for both buffers and healers. I just got BW Light set for my buffer, however, and I think it might be better. What do you guys think?
BWlight has faster casting, which my buffer seems to always be buffing someone, and the +3MEN lets her regen MP pretty fast. My SE has BWrobe and is always casting RECHARGE, so she needs the +MP bonus and the 5% MP regen. To me, it seems that +15% casting speed is greater than the +3WIT of robe set...and the +3MEN is greater than the +5.24% MP regen of the robe set...

QUESTION: how does +3MEN stack up to 5% MP regen bonus?

Prophet: BW LIGHT:
P. Def. +5.24%
Casting Spd. +15%
INT -2
MEN +3
WIT -1


Shilein Elder: BW ROBE:
MP +206
MP Regeneration +5.24%
INT -2
MEN -1
WIT +3

+3 WIT should be a smidge faster than 15% cast speed. Not quite sure about the +3 MEN though.

The problem with your comparison is that you neglected the -15% cast speed due to light armor. That will make BW robes much faster, since it basically zeros out the BW light's casting speed bonus. The main advantage of BW light is the increased pdef, but its not a huge difference, and normally your healer shouldn't be taking much damage. As far as mp regen bonuses, you're not going to notice much of a difference between the two sets.

Edit: Some rough numbers. The mp regen speed should be <1% difference between the two. The cast speed difference is around 10% with the robes being faster.

Robe for robe the WIT bonus on BW robes is better than just flat 15% casting speed. And with light armor you are base, slower than in robes.

Not sure about the regen though.

Thanks!

I totally forgot about the bonus just for being a robe hehe.

But after looking at the armor sets, I decided to buy Majestic Robes instead! best of both :)

I don't see how you could consider a BW set if you have the capability to just jump up and say "You know what, I think I'll just get a Majestic Robe set."

By Buffer is still in Divine with a Acumen Weapon, and will be for quite a while to come AFAICT.

Majestic robes are really nice, the only true upgrade to BW robes. I even tried DC but there's no way I would pry majestic off my body after that :)

Heh, I'm still torn between DC Light with DC robes and Majestic Heavy with Majestic Robes for my prophet (not that she'll ever reach A Grade, notorious reroller that I am).

Majestic robes are just so nice on a prophet. I picked it just becuz of the looks of it :P
It looks so, so royal!

I did the test once, with BW robes and BW light, regarding MP regen: With BW robes, I was regening 14 MP per tick. With BW light, whooping 14 MP per tick, not a single time more. Both masteries were at max level.

BW light and robes will regen about the same. I notice no difference in regen when I tested it a while back. your casting speed will be slower, but you will cast a little faster then a set of robes that doesn't provide +15% cast speed. Such as Divine. Your p.def will be higher and m.def will be higher. My OE BW Light set works for me and I'm 77.

I did some math on this once and found that the +3 Wit gave 16.9% increase in casting speed. So the robes will be a bit faster. Don't forget though, if you pickup the LA masteries, they also provide an increase in your casting speed as well as some other bonuses.

Light Armor Mastery
Increases P. Def., Casting Spd., Atk. Spd. and MP regeneration when wearing light armor.


Add the LA masteries to the other bonuses that BW LA has and this is really not a bad setup for a mix between Buffer and Battle SE/PP.

Right but light armor no matter what mastery will never be as fast as robe casting, base. BW light just has really nice casting bonuses.

Oh I agree. I was just pointing out that the BW LA wasn't really a bad choice if you wanted to go with LA. Probably the best of the LA choices in this case.

Yes, it's too bad there is nothing even close in any other grade ><

But but but ... it looks ugly on DE male :( I feel like big blue bug with those two wind-cases or whatever it is on your butt. Even BW robes with that skirt is lesser evil for me LOL :)

Ha! Those make you run faster you bent-over bug XD

So what's better then, the wind cases, the full poodle skirt (theca, dark crystal robes), or the slashed peep-show skirt (divine, karmian)? XD Oh right, the top coat tails (avadon robes)

Just on a random side note: While it's true that BW light casts a bit faster than a set with no cast speed bonus, Divine is not one of those sets. ^^ Robes all the way. If you're going to go light, I hope it will be to take hits in PvE - and then it should be doom. Not that a bishop should be, considering that in the kind of parties where they're useful, they're most useful in robes.

For SEs ... Iuno, they can't heal well anyway, so might as well either twink out the cast speed to be able to do semi-decent HPS with pre-40 heals or ignore it altogether. ^^

VR + SE Heals (And throw in cheap Healing potions) should be good enough for what you would want to do with Light Armor.

But I'm having trouble seeing the benefit of putting > Cg armor on mine. She does well enough in a group in Cg, and doesn't get hit that often there - and I play in groups more often.

I was looking at light armor and Bg+ is the only grades where I would even consider spending money for LA for a buffer/healer.

I meant wing-cases, shells, typo ahppened eh.
But the analogy with running faster is awesome, but I should be red with Ferrari title to act like formula :D