While explaining Weapon Skill Chain to some new players (known as renkei to Japanese version) they didn't see the importance of element choice. Although sometimes one will notice it's better to ignore element and go for what weapon skill chain is stronger and yields more damage, I still wanted to explain why in the long run it's good to keep Elements in mind when battling. So for everything else, I decided to write a little column on how elements are important to life in Vana d'iel.

There is a story to every part of Vana d'iel's nature which you will encounter in your travels. It's up to the player whether or not he takes it to heart, but one thing is for certain, you will see it everywhere even if you spend all your time simply leveling up.

Ten thousand years ago there were five true crystals that rested beneath the surface of Vana d'iel. Their power was harnessed peacefully and contained in a smaller form. However something catastrophic happened causing the energy of the smaller crystals to be released and spread all over Vana d'iel. Centuries passed and the energy accumulated inside all living forms, crystallizing. These became the crystals we see everyday in the game.

In battle when you defeat monsters and gather crystals from them, when you synth with a guild skill or take apart items using crystals, you start to realize nothing is ever really destroyed in Vana d'iel. They only change form. This nature is also the basis of the Final Fantasy XI storyline.

For each element I will talk about what it's associated with. Sometimes if you keep it in mind, the order in Vana d'iel starts to make a little pattern. Not just scrolls and magic, even your statuses, abilities, weapon skills and items have to do with the elements. Even the colors of AF sometimes show the element or status most associated with that job.

Fire
The main stat associated with Fire is Strength (physical power). Anything Fire related is indicated by Red. Fire crystals are used for heating items up. Meat Mithkabob (something my linkshell nicknamed Viagra) is a popular food synthed by using Fire crystals. Fire job abilities include Berserk, Boost and Last Resort. Passive abilities include Resist Paralyse and Attack Power up. A spell called Burn causes INT down, and a song called Minuet raises attack power of party members. Nearly everything Fire related is strong against something Ice related.

Ice
The main stat associated with Ice is Intelligence (offensive magical power and magical defense). Anything Ice related is indicated by Light Blue (in the past it was Dark Blue, but it apparently was a mistake). Ice crystals are used for congealing items together. Preserved types of foods such as Dried Sheep Meat or Selbina Butter are made by Ice crystals. Ice job abilities include Provoke. Passive abilities include Clear Mind. A spell called Frost causes AGI down, while Paralyse and Bind are weakening spells which restrict movement. Nearly anything Ice related is strong against something Wind related.

Wind
The main stat associated with Wind is Agility (evade and range accuracy). Anything Wind related is indicated by Green. Wind crystals are used for carving items. Items made by Bone Working guild often needs Wind crystals to cut and refine hard objects. Many Wind job and spell abilities are "MGS" (hiding) ones such as Sneak and Invisible. Thief abilities such as Steal and Flee are also Wind related. Passive abilities include Evade Up and Martial Arts. A spell called Choke causes VIT down and Blink is a defensive Wind spell which creates something like an illusion. Nearly anything Wind related is strong against something Earth related.

Earth
The main stat associated with Earth is Vitality (physical defense). Anything Earth related is indicated by Orange. Earth crystals are used for bonding items together. Most items made by Weaving guild use Earth crystals to bond cloth materials together. Job abilities include Invincible and Defender. Passive abilities include Physical Defense Up. A spell called Rasp causes DEX down and Stoneskin is a defensive Earth spell which creates an armor to absorb some damage. Nearly everything Earth related is strong against something Thunder related.

Thunder
The main stat associated with Thunder is Dexterity (melee accuracy). Anything Thunder related is indicated by Purple. Thunder crystals are used to split items apart. Some items can be dissassembled into other items by using a Thunder crystal to impact it. Job abilities include Focus, Hundred Fists and Continual Magic. Passive abilities include Accuracy Up. A spell called Shock causes MND down and Shockspike can cause Stun status. Nearly everything Thunder related is strong against something Water related.

Water
The main stat associated with Water is Mind (divine and recovery magic power). Anything Water related is indicated by Dark Blue. Water crystals are used to dissolve items. Usually you will find people using them to make fruit juices or poison related items. Job abilities include MagicFont (short for Fountain). Passive abilities include Resist Virus. A spell called Drown causes STR down, while a defensive one called Aquaveil helps a caster from being cancelled. Nearly everything Water related is strong against something Fire related.

Light
The main stat associated with Light is Charisma (bard songs and beastmaster charm success rate) which was almost considered the "Luck" stat of FF11, however it's not quite so. Light crystals are used to restore items. Often you will see someone using it to fix a broken item such as a fishing rod. Job abilities include Benediction and Chakra. Passive job abilities include Magic Attack or Magic Defense boosts, Double Attack and Resist Blind. Nearly all Light spells and abilities are recovery or defense up, except Banish and Dia which cause defense down. Anything Light related is strong against something Dark related.

Dark
No stat is associated with Dark, it's almost considered a negative element. Dark crystals are used to decay items. When it comes to cooking, things like Vinegars, (Wine) Grape Juice, Yagudo Drinks and Cheeses give you an idea of how a Dark crystal is used for aging something. Job abilities include Souleater, Blood Weapon and Elemental Seal. Passive abilities include Arcana Killer. Nearly all Dark spells are absorb type, except for Bio which is attack down. Anything Dark related is strong against something Light related.

Whew, that was a lot. I spent most of my time scrolling in my moghouse to find what is what element, since there really is no other way to find out. I didn't include Summons or Ninja abilties, because they're too obvious. Hopefully after reading this, you have a better idea of how the elements encompass Vana d'iel!