Red Mage: Endgame Gear Guide

Category:Guides 
A somewhat subjective, but hopefully well-reasoned guide to Red Mage gear at level 75, for the 5 main equipment slots.
== Head Slot ==
Warlock's Chapeau 
The Warlock's Chapeau is a great nuking piece for the head since it combines good INT (+3) with a substantial +10 to elemental magic skill and a fast cast bonus. The fast cast effect reduces casting timers by 5% and casting speed by 10%. Only the Warlock's Chapeau +1, which gives INT +5, and a little more MP, is better.
Duelist's Chapeau 
The crown jewel of RDM gear combines autorefresh with a giant boost in enfeebling magic skill. You want to wear this whenever you're not doing anything, to keep the refresh effect going, and for "must-stick" constant effect enfeebles like sleep, bind or gravity. Even for the MND-based variable effect enfeebles Slow and Paralyze, this may be worth using since the +15 enfeebling magic skill should outweigh the loss of no more than usually 4 MND (ignoring the hard-to-get Goliard Chapeau and Maat's Cap). The truly pimp RDM has a Duelist's Chapeau +1 which comes with an additional MND+3.
Raven Beret
This affordable and good-looking piece gives enmity-8 and is advantageous for actions that generate hate spikes, such as large cures. Great for RDM/WHM main healers.
Hydra Beret
Same enmity reduction as the Raven Beret, but with an addition hMP+2. If you don't have a Duelist's Chapeau or a complete Yigit set, this is the best head piece for resting. If you do have the Duelist's Chapeau and just need to macro something in for large cures, you're better off with the Raven Beret since it has higher defense and evasion (not that the difference amounts to more than a placebo).
Elite Beret
Gives Divine, Elemental and Enfeebling skill +4. This is the best constant effect enfeebling piece to use for the majority of red mages who have neither Duelist's Chapeau or Crimson Mask. Not worth using for nuking since the Warlock's Chapeau is far better. Whether the Beret is worth using for slow and paralyze, rather than a good MND piece like the Yigit Turban or the Zenith Crown, is situational. 
Wise Cap
Magic accuracy +5 is the most relevant stat of this piece. This is probably no better than the Elite Beret for enfeebling, and again pointless for nuking. The only use for this piece is to improve Drain and Aspir, and for stunning partially stun-resistant HNMs like the Dynamis Lord.
Nashira Turban
This piece combines the same magic accuracy boost of the Wise Cap with a little haste, a substantial decrease in enmity of -5 and -10% spell interruption. Once you get this, you can dump the Raven Beret, and the Wise Cap too if you ever bothered to get it, and use this for (chainspell) stunning, Drain, Aspir and heavy main healing. If a merit party needs little curing and enmity is thus not an issue, better use the Warlock's Chapeau (+1) for more haste and faster spells.
The Nashira Turban is also a good piece to macro in when you have to keep strong mobs sleeping while getting attacked by them, such as in Dynamis.
Yigit Turban
The MAB+2 is nice for nuking, but pointless since red mages should always use the Warlock's Chapeau (+1) for that purpose. This turban has the best MND for the head slot, which was previously only obtainably from the Zenith Crown+1 and the Mahatma Hat, and is therefore the head piece of choice for slowing and paralyzing weaker mobs where enfeebling skill is not an issue. The hMP+1 also makes this a good resting item for anyone who doesn't have the Duelist's Chapeau, 
Crimson Mask
High defense and autoregen make this a good soloing piece. Red mages who can manage to acquire the nearly impossible to get Wyrmal Abjuration: Head from King Behemoth but don't have the Duelist's Chapeau (yet) will find this to be a decent compromise piece for endgame enfeebling. The clear downside is the intimidation effect from demon and drg type mobs, which can get you or others killed if it aborts a sleep spell.
Zenith Crown
Like all NQ Aquarian Abjuration gear, this shifts 50 from your max HP to your max MP, making it the perfect head piece to macro in for convert. The INT+3 is almost pointless since the AF hat has that too, and the MND+3 can be obtained far cheaper from the errant hat and is now outclassed anyway by the Yigit Turban. The well-equipped red mage equips this for convert and then keeps it in until the surplus MP is burned off.
Errant Hat
This is the only high MND item that can be readily bought from the AH and therefore has value for red mages who cannot get a Zenith Crown or Yigit Turban. The additional enmity-5 makes this a decent piece for main healing too.
Walahra Turban
Generally not worth using. The Warlock's Chapeau fast cast effect gives the same 5% (spell) haste but more spellcasting speed. This turban gives 10 more MP for converts, but if convert efficiency is this important, better get the Zenith Crown. The only exception are Tarutaru red mages who can achieve HP/MP parity with only 2 Zenith pieces equipped. They will get more mileage out of the Walahra Turban plus two Zenith items than three Zenith items, because the turban also raises max HP. This is assuming that the convert macro uses remaining MP to cure up the 30 HP before converting.
Morrigan's Coronal
The combination of the second highest MND available for the RDM head slot (ignoring Maat's Cap again) and the magic accuracy + 5 of the Nashira Turban and Wise Cap makes this a superior piece for MND-based enfeebling. Only the Duelist's Chapeau +1 is even better.
Goliard Chapeau
This new piece offers the highest MND for the RDM head slot, but without any enfeebling skill or magic accuracy. That makes it very good for slowing and paralyzing relatively weak opponents, but inferior to Morrigan's Coronal and the Duelist's Chapeau +1 for difficult ones. The combination of high MND with Enmity-4, HP+20, MP+20 and no stat penalties makes this a better choice for main healing than the Errant Hat and an alternative to the Nashira Turban.
Shadow Hat
The new Hadean Abjuration head piece offers nothing one can't get from the Wise Cap. A little more MP, a little less Magic Accuracy, and a minor enmity reduction by 3 which is worth even less because of the Physical Damage Taken +3% penalty. Given the difficulty of obtaining the abjuration from Einherjar, this item is not worth pursuing.
== Body Slot ==
Warlock's Tabard +1
This body or its HQ version are indispensable for reaching your greatest potential with constant effect enfeebles. If you don't have the Duelist's Tabard, then this piece should always be macroed in for gravity, silence, blind, bind and sleep. If you have a Duelist's Tabard, you may want to use it instead of the AF body for constant effect enfeebles on not too tough mobs. The extra fast cast may make the difference between silencing a BLM just in time before a -ga III goes off. For sleep spells- which are often cast while under attack - the Warlock's Tabard may be preferable anyway because of the spell interruption rate -10% (or -12%). 
The HQ version should be used instead of the Errant Houppelande for resting since it has the same hMP+5 but also increases maximum MP by 34.
Duelist's Tabard
The item of choice to macro in for all spells where speed is of the essence, or spell performance is not heavily stat dependent. Great for cures, blink, utsusemi, refresh, haste, protect, shell, escape, warp and teleport spells.
Yigit Gomlek
There is little reason to use the Yigit body by itself. Its Magic Attack Bonus +5 gives almost, but not quite, the nuking performance of the Errant body on tier III nukes; and the exact same hMP+5. Red mages who are tired of the look of the Houppelande and need an excuse to use this piece instead can justify it with the better defensive stats: evasion+7 def 40 is preferable to AGI-7, VIT-7 and def 42.
The main reason for red mages who don't have the Duelist's Chapeau to get a Yigit Body is to get the entire set to wear
while idle or resting, for the autorefresh effect. 
Chasuble
This is not a very useful piece. The AF body is vastly superior in terms of enfeebling skill; and for nukes, the small decrease in resist rate is generally not worth the loss of INT+10. If a mob is so hard or strong to magic that it resists red mage nukes a lot, then red mages shouldn't be nuking it in the first place, and the Chasuble is not going to change that.
The Chasuble has some value for red mages who have neither Glamor Jupon or Nashira Manteel and want to lower resist rates on drain and aspir or land elemental enfeebles. Using offensive blue magic on RDM/BLU is another conceivable application.
Nashira Manteel
The best body for dark magic. Because of the haste+3%, this is also the third best item after the Duelist's Tabard and Goliard Saio for stat insensitive spells that need to be recast often.
Errant Houppelande
This popular piece is good for almost everything: nuking, MND-based enfeebling and resting. Completely replacing the Houppelande by equally good or superior gear is difficult. Extremely well equipped red mages may use the Warlock's Tabard +1 or the Dalmatica for resting and the Crimson Scale Mail for MND-based enfeebling and nuking, or even the Mahatma Houppelande, which outperforms all of these items except for max MP. 
Morrigan's Robe
The new Salvage body may only be a situational improvement for black mages who are spoiled by the Igqira Weskit, but for RDM, it represents a giant leap forward in nuking performance. No other nuking body comes even close. 
But the most outstanding feature of this piece, from a red mage perspective, is the refresh effect. This, and the additional MND+8, makes the Morrigan's Robe the perfect all-in-one piece for merit parties. 
For HNM situations, the Dalmatica is still superior because of the powerful magic defense bonus that this piece is lacking.
Whether or knot the Morrigan's Robe should replace the Errant or Mahatma Houppelande, or the Wyrmal Body for MND enfeebling is harder to answer and more situational. For merit parties, the loss of 2 or 3 MND is insignificant, and Morrigan's can be worn full-time. In HNM situations, this loss may be less acceptable. 
Raven Jupon
With enmity-9, this is a piece to consider for heavy main healing. Owners of the Duelist's body will usually rather have fast cast, and try to get the enmity- from other equipment slots if it's really needed.
Hydra Doublet
For non-melee purposes, this is a Raven Jupon with an extra MP+40. Again, good item for heavy main healing, and usually for convert too if your HP/MP>1 and have neither Dalmatica or Crimson scale mail. Too bad the refresh effect is only an enchantment and limited to 20 charges. 
Dalmatica
The elusive Aquarian body - generally only obtainable by signing up with whatever group monopolizes kings on your server - is the perfect companion to the Duelist's Chapeau. Together, they give a unique autorefresh 2, which no other job can get just from gear. Unless you already have several Aquarian piece or are Tarutaru, the Dalmatica will also get you closer to HP-MP parity for more efficient converts.
The magic defense bonus+5 (a full level of shell) comes in handy against HNMs that unleash strong magic-based attacks, such as CoP Wyrms, Kirin, the Jailer of Love or Limbus proto machines.
Crimson Scale Mail
The other impossible to get red mage abjuration body. Superior to the Errant body in all non-resting situations where you may get hit and would rather have higher defense, more HP and no heavy penalties to agility and vitality. With a good macro system that ensures that no wyrmal gear is equipped while casting critical spells such as sleep or bind, the intimidation effect should not be a problem. 
Due to the HP+40 MP+40, the scale mail is also a very respectable convert item. If you can already achieve an MP/MP ratio of near or greater than 1 without a body, then this will give you better convert performance than any other body piece except the Goliard Saio.
Goliard Saio
Haste+4% and enmity-5 makes the new Nyzul Isle assault body piece a very good choice for casting 
constant-effect spells and main healing, possibly even superior to the Duelist's Tabard in some situations. This piece also gives the biggest simultaneous boost to HP and MP (+42 to both) which makes it an excellent convert item.
Glamor Jupon
This is the only RDM body piece with elemental skill or enhancing skill. It is good for working with elemental enfeebles on rdm/blm, for enhancing skill-dependent enhancing magic like Phalanx (II), and good for drain and aspir for red mages who own neither Shadow Coat nor Nashira Manteel.
Shadow Coat
The new Hadean Abjuration body gives an unprecedented Magic Accuracy+10 which makes it a strong piece for drain/aspir and elemental DoTs. For everything else, there are better choices.
Vermillion Cloak
Good item to macro in while idle for everyone who doesn't have a Duelist's Chapeau, Dalmatica or Yigit set. 
Narasimha's Vest
Good item to macro in for melee, to boost strength, accuracy, evasion & vitality. Does nothing for mage stats. Nice low-cost alternative to Scorpion Harness; better defense, strength & vitality, but less accuracy and evasion.
== Hands Slot ==
Warlock's Gloves
Purely a melee item with almost no useful mage stats.
Warlock's Gloves +1
Parrying skill+15 and DEX+6 makes this a great item for meleeing tougher mobs. The MND+2 INT+2 is a nice bonus for that application, but not enough to make this item a serious contender for the hands slot in magic only situations.
Duelist's Gloves
Good for pushing Phalanx, Phalanx II, En spells and Bar spells to the limit. With these gloves, it is possible to reach an enhancing skill of 300. The combination of Magic Defense Bonus+2 and INT+4 (which further reduces damage taken from enemy magic) makes this a great item to wear while idle (macro it back in after finishing spells.)
Duelist's Gloves +1
An ever so marginally improved version of the Duelist's Gloves, this is a "might as well take it if I can get it" kind of upgrade, but nothing more.
Yigit Gages
The new almost-all-in-one piece for the RDM hand slot. This combines the second highest MND for the slot (same as Wise Gloves+1) with the second-best INT (only Mahatma Cuffs have 1 more) and a magic attack bonus on top of that! Great for nuking and variable-effect enfeebles.
Wise Gloves
A good MND piece for red mages who don't have yigit gages and can't afford Wise Gloves +1. A reasonable choice for main healing since it also comes with a little enmity reduction.
Marine M Gloves / Marine F Gloves
Very good, though not cheap, alternative for Humes who dont have Yigit Gages. Nice +35MP boost and +4 to both INT & MND (but -3 for Vit & Agi). 
Wood Gauntlets / Wood Gloves
An excellent but not cheap alternative for Elvaans who likely need both the +55MP boost and +4 to INT (but -30 HP & -3 Vit).
Nashira Gages
Because of the avatar perpetuation cost-1, this Proto-Ultima piece is highly prized by summoners. But it has much to offer to red mages too. The substantial enmity reduction of -4 and the haste+1% makes this an alternative to Raven Bracers or Hydra Gloves for main healing, and the extra magic accuracy +3 makes this the hands item of choice to use for constant effect enfeebles in areas where Master Caster Bracelets don't work. 
Zenith Mitts 
The black mage item of the Zenith Set slightly outperforms the Yigit Gages on tier III nukes and like every piece of the set is perfect for convert. The combination makes this item worth getting in addition to the Yigit Gages.
Errant Cuffs
The poor mage's Zenith mitts. 
Morrigan's Cuffs
The best choice for constant effect enfeebles for the hand slot. Because of the combination of solid magic accuracy with the Zenith Mitt's MAB+5, this is also the most desirable hands item for nuking.
Goliard Cuffs
Basically a slightly less powerful version of Morrigan's Cuffs, with +4s instead of +5s, and without the extra 25MP. 
Raven Bracers
Enmity -5 makes this a good piece for red mage main healing. Hydra gloves or Nashira gages make this obsolete.
Hydra Gloves
Same enmity-5 as Raven Bracers, but with hMP+1 and useful melee stats. There is no other rdm hands item that increases MP recovery while resting. This piece is great for main healing, meleeing and for maximizing MP recovery while resting.
Crimson Finger Gauntlets
This gives the greatest boost to dark magic skill that rdm can get from any single piece, and there are only a few items that boost this stat. That makes these gauntlets indispensable for casting Drain, Aspir and Bio II. The abjuration is relatively easily obtained from Seiryu.
Master Caster's Bracelets
This is the only hands piece that adds elemental or enfeebling skill, and a lot of it too, which makes it a must-have for red mages who want to push their enfeebling performance to the limit or want to nuke hard mobs. The balancing restriction that the bracelets don't work in areas under your own nation's control (or any ToAU areas) is severe, but fortunately they always work in important end-game relevant areas such as Horlais Peak or Sea, and much of the time in sky too as long as your nation doesn't control it. Red mages who are not Windurstian may want to switch allegiance to Windurst and get to rank 8+ just for this.
Devotee's Mitts Plus 1
This piece gives the best MND (+6) for the hands. Due to the INT-3 penalty, it should not be used for INT-based spells.
== Legs Slot ==
Warlock's Tights
The combination of MND+3 and Enhancing Magic Skill+15 makes this a great item to macro in with Stoneskin. It should also be macroed in for En-spells, Phalanx and Phalanx II.
Warlock's Tights +1 
This has even more MND than the NQ version and is the best legs item to macro in for stoneskin. It's decent for slow and paralyze, though errant/mahatma slops are still preferable. 
Duelist's Tights
DEX+5 and Enhances Spikes Effects makes this one of the better RDM melee soloing items. Whether it's better to use the elemental skill+10 of this piece or the INT+7 (INT+8) of the Errant (Mahatma) Slops for nukes is situational. It is certainly a highly desirable item for applying elemental enfeebles with /BLM.
Duelist's Tights +1
With even higher DEX than the NQ, this is probably the best RDM legs item for melee soloing hard opponents.
Yigit Seraweels
The hMP+2 is the most notable stat of this piece, especially since no other RDM leg item gives any hMP. That, and completing the yigit set for refresh are the only reasons to get this.
Wise Braconi
This is the only easily obtainable leg piece that boosts enfeebling skill, and therefore the standard constant effect enfeebling piece for all red mages who don't have Nashira Seraweels. The enmity-4, the same as the more expensive Mahatma Slops - makes it well suited for main healing. 
Nashira Seraweels
The "red mage item" in the Nashira set, combines an otherwise unobtainable increase in enfeebling magic skill in the leg slot with a boost to magic accuracy that alone is equal to that afforded by the Wise Braconi+1. The haste effect makes this also useful to macro in for frequently used constant effect spells such as haste or refresh.
Zenith Slacks
Convert item for those who don't mind the inventory space-1 and the high price of the cursed slacks. At least the abjuration is relatively easily obtained from Seiryu or Suzaku. 
Errant Slops
No other item except the HQ version will give you more INT and MND for the leg slot and an enmity-3 bonus on top of that. This is the perfect choice for the budget conscious red mage for para/slow and nuking. The heavy melee stat minuses make this piece unsuitable for solo meleeing.
Mahatma Slops
This used to be the single best MND and INT piece for the leg slot, before Morrigan's was introduced. Still excellent for nuking, slow and paralyze, and good for main healing. 
Jet Seraweels
A new ToAU item that has the same INT+7 MND+7 of the Errant Slops, the Enmity-4 of the Mahatma Slops, extra MP but no stat penalties. In situations where you may take hits, such as Dynamis, this piece is greatly preferable to the Errant Slops, and even to the Mahatma Slops since you will have 5 or 6 more AGI and VIT. 
Morrigan's Slops
The new best MND and INT piece for the leg slot, with 2 more MND and INT, almost the same enmity reduction as Mahatma Slops, additional MP and no stat penalties! It's almost too good to be true.
Raven Hose
Enmity-6 makes this a main healing item only. Not worth getting if you have Errant or Wise pants or their HQ versions, or Jet Seraweels.
Hydra Brais
Good melee item due to the Accuracy+10, Evasion+10. If you already have this item to use it for melee, you might as well switch it in for main healing in parties and for resting to use the hMP+1. The latter use becomes obsolete with Yigit Seraweels which giver higher hMP and MP.
Crimson Cuisses
One of the RDM crown jewel items, grants the owner the priviledge of movement speed +12%. This is invaluable in any kind of kited battle, for assaults and for running away from mobs that threaten to kill you. 12% may not seem like a lot, but it often (such as on weapons in Ro'Maeve) makes the difference between taking constant hits while zoning and taking few or no hits.
== Feet Slot ==
Warlock's Boots
This is purely a melee solo item. AGI+3 and Shield Skill+10 are good defensive traits, but not particularly useful for real red mage work.
Warlock's Boots +1
A decent all-in-one item with MP, INT+3 and MND+3 in one piece. Good to use permanently if macro and/or inventory space is tight. Since Yigit Crackows have been introduced, this piece has become less attractive.
Yigit Crackows
This combines the INT+3 and MND+3 with a MAB+2, making this is great all-in-one feet item that gives good enfeebling as well as nuking performance. The lack of MP is a downside.
Duelist's Boots
Another all-in-one feet item that is preferable to the Yigit Crackows because it has 1 more MND and MP+15. The MAB+4 adds approximately the same potency to tier 3 nukes as the MAB+2 INT+3 of the crackows. Adequate for most situations. 
Duelist's Boots +1
With an extra MND and MAB over the NQ version, this is the one of the best all-round pieces for the RDM feet slot. 
Wise Pigaches
An affordable nuking piece for red mages who can't get Yigit Crackows, Duelist's Boots or Morrigan's Pigaches. Hume RDMs who can't get these rare/ex
items may use Custom M Boots instead, which give slightly less INT but make up for it with additional MP.
Errant Pigaches
This gives the same MND+5 as the Duelist's Boots +1, shifts 20 HP to MP and gives enmity-2. A great choice for the budget-conscious red mage who cannot get any of the rare/ex pieces and wants one piece only for the feet slot that covers the most important stats.
Mahatma Pigaches
This gives an excellent MND+6 for the feet slot, shifts 25 HP to MP and gives a significant enmity-3. Perfectionist red mages, even those who have Duelist's Boots +1, will want to get this piece for slow and paralyze and maybe for main healing. The second best feet item for merit parties and HNM activities.
Morrigan's Pigaches
Another "too good to be true" Morrigan's item. Double the MND of the Errant Pigaches, the same MP+20 without the HP-20 penalty and enmity-2 make this an unambiguous and dramatic improvement over Errant Pigaches, even without considering the extra INT+3 and STR+3. Overall, Morrigan's Pigaches even beat Mahatma Pigaches.
Goliard Clogs
The most remarkable stat of the Goliard feet is the unprecedented MP recovered while healing +3. Red mages who have a Duelist's Chapeau can push their HMP to record levels with this piece: full Yigit gives HMP+8 + Refresh, while Duelist's Chapeau+ any HMP+5 body + Hydra Gloves + Yigit Seraweels + Goliard Clogs gives HMP+11 + Refresh. 
The stat combination of DEX+4 INT+4 MND+4 Evasion+5 also makes this a good all-in-one item for solo meleeing, nuking and enfeebling.
Nashira Crackows
Due to the elemental magic skill +5 and magic accuracy+2, this item is mainly desired by black mages who want to lower resist rates on very magic resistant HNMs. Since red mages have almost no chance of landing unresisted nukes on such mobs anyway, and since using this item on more realistic targets means giving up on the extra nuke potency from Duelist's Boots or Yigit Crackows, the nuking value of this piece for red mages is questionable. It is excellent though for lowering resist rates of elemental enfeebles.
The magic accuracy +2 makes Nashira Crackows somewhat attractive for constant effect enfeebles, since there is no other feet item that gives enfeebling skill or magic accuracy. Perfectionist red mages who have everything else already will want this to push their enfeebling skill even further. They may also want to macro this in for refresh and haste, to benefit from the slight Haste+1%.
Zenith Pumps
Purely a convert item for those who can manage to get the abjuration from Fafnir or King Behemoth and don't mind paying the premium for the cursed pumps.
Raven Gaiters
Enmity-5 and no other relevant mage stats make this an item to consider for main healing. The extra enmity reduction compared to the Errant/Mahatma Pigaches doesn't seem to be worth the loss of extra MP and MND though.
Hydra Gaiters
Perfectionist red mages may want to have this for the hMP+2. No other RDM feet piece, other than Goliard Clogs, gives hMP. If it's already there and taking up inventory space, one might as well take advantage of the enmity-5 and macro it in for Cure IVs and Curaga IIs.