• Pre-Charm: Repeat for every time that you want to equip. When equipping a Light Staff and Bugard Strap, use '/equip main "Light Staff", /wait 1, /equip sub "Bugard Strap"', as you need to /wait when equipping items in your off-hand slot that require you to equip something in your main-hand slot first.
  1. /equip (slot) "+CHR/+Charm Item" (repeat as necessary)
• Charm: Some people say to use <stnpc> instead so you don't accidentally use it on the wrong mob, but I find that a) I don't make that mistake often and b) that the extra time spent with <stnpc> causes more problems for me than those mistakes that do happen. I add in the /recast commands because when I fail to Charm something, I use Tame if it is available and spam Charm if Tame is down and I want a general idea as I run around like a chicken with its head cut off smartly avoid damage, of how much longer I have.
  1. /ja Charm <t>
  2. /wait 1
  3. /recast Charm
  4. /recast Tame
• Post-Charm: Exactly the opposite of Pre-Charm.
  1. /equip (slot) "Melee-type item" (repeat as necessary)
• Tame: 10 minute recast means I don't bother with checking its timer with this macro. Again, I use <t> over <stnpc> because I think that there's less problems that way, but, as before, it's a personal call.
  1. /ja Tame <t>
• Call Beast: The /wait + /equip additions are because I kept forgetting to change back to my ammo item, so I built in the automatic helper. I have Happy Egg there, but some people have various other items, like Tiphia Sting or White Tathlum. I hope for Failnaught as a Ranged Item, but every time I get it, I wake up to my alarm clock.
  1. /ja "Call Beast" <me>
  2. /wait 2
  3. /equip ammo (ammo-type item)
• Reward: Again, the /equip and /wait lines are so you can maximize your time with and minimize forgetfulness, when it comes to beneficial ammo-items. I never use any food by Zeta, but I've never decided to make stuff the newish Reward items.
  1. /equip ammo "Pet Food Zeta"
  2. /ja "Reward" <me>
  3. /wait 2
  4. /equip ammo (ammo-type item)
• Status-Check: This macro is long and you will spam it a lot, really. I call it a Status-Check because it shows your main 4 recast timers when fighting (most of the other timers are <10 seconds, so not worth adding) and your Pet's TP% and HP% (not HP in absolute terms, just %).
  1. /echo <pethpp> HP, <pettp> TP
  2. /recast Reward
  3. /recast "Call Beast"
  4. /recast Sic
  5. /recast Snarl
• There is no Gauge macro that I use. I have two reasons. First, you should learn, in general terms, what you can and can't charm, so that you won't need the macro. Second, if curious, use it before charming, but never decide that you should use it when swapping pets.

• Fight: Okay, the /p commands are my option, and a bit of a controversy at times. I prefer the confirmation that I have used the right command, targeted the right enemy and that my party knows what I am doing, as a result of having to pull with a pet before. However, that's optional. Fight has a 10-second recast, so I don't think that a /recast macro is called for. Oh, and I use the auto-translate function so that everyone in the party understands and I don't spam weird symbols.
  1. /pet Fight <t>
  2. /wait 1
  3. /p <pet>, Fight <t>!
• Heel: Again, the /p is optional. Again, auto-translate. Again, recast is short enough (5 seconds) that a /recast is too much spam.
  1. /pet Heel <me>
  2. /wait 1
  3. /p <pet>, Heel!
• Stay: See Heel above, really. One added note. This can be used with /p as part of a notice to your party about kiting, but that's about it.
  1. /pet Stay <me>
  2. /wait 1
  3. /p <pet>, Stay!
• Sic: Again, the /p is optional, but it helps prepare the party, especially if it is something neat in an XP party. Again, especially if the Sic is a Status-effect. But other than that, like above, it is mostly for my confirmation. Now, with a 2 minute (120) recast, you will want to know the /recast. I don't use /wait 60 + /wait 60 + /echo Sic Ready lines that some people use for things like Jump or Provoke because you will be spamming other commands in the meantime, like your Status-Check macro. Using other macros interferes with /wait timers.
  1. /pet Sic <me>
  2. /wait 1
  3. /p <pet>, Sic <t>!
  4. /recast Sic
• Snarl: This is a change-up because every other command was in order in which you receive them. However, the next local command was Leave and I do not put Leave anywhere near any other commands, to avoid accidents. Using Snarl instead of Sic is not fatal. Using Leave instead of Sic almost assuredly is. I use /recast on this because the recast is 30 seconds, just long enough for me to want to know.
  1. /pet Snarl <me>
  2. /wait 1
  3. /p <pet>, Snarl!
  4. /recast Snarl
• Leave: No /p lines or whatever, it just leaves. Despite being #6 on the list, this is actually my "ALT + 8" command on my keyboard to separate it out from the previous five. In party situations, I can't think that you would be using this.
  1. /pet Leave<me>
• Status-Check: I add this as the last command, again, keep it away from Leave, so that you have one of these per line of macros. This is important information on a number of fronts.
  1. /echo <pethpp> HP, <pettp> TP
  2. /recast Reward
  3. /recast "Call Beast"
  4. /recast Sic
  5. /recast Snarl

BST/NIN Strategies

1. Charm a Mob, Fight Beside It: The first and most basic. You use Charm against a DC or EM and have it Fight a EM-T. Once your pet has established enough hate, join it. Best to let it die if you don't have Leave yet. If you do, try to defeat the mob before you pet dies, then use Leave to let your pet heal. Either way, finishing with a good Weapon Skill is nice. If you steal hate, simply unlock from the mob, turn around while it eats your Utsusemi shadows, and let your your pet regain its attention.
2. Charm a Mob, Let it Wear Down the Enemy, and Swap it out: After you gain Leave, this is the most common strategy for using 2 weaker pets to take down Tough+ mobs. It's a bit unpredictable before you get Leave because you're still kinda new to the job and because you can deplete an area and be left without charmable pets more easily. Typically, you want to try and predict when you can join in combat with your pet, but typically, it should be after the first swap. If 3 pets are required, it's after the 2nd swap. Remember, your pet's hate disappears with Leave; yours does not.
3. Charm Mobs and Throw Them at Suicidial Mobs: This can result in some incredible fast and potent XP. Goblins, Bombs, Dolls and Bees all have "Death Moves" where they do massive damage and then die. By throwing weakier and easy-to-charm pets at them, you feed the enemy TP until it suicides. Don't melee until it gets below 5-10%, because in the case of all but Bees, the suicidal move is AoE and quite deadly. For the record, I've gotten up to 400+ XP per mob in chains this way, with luck.
4. Easy Prey Rampage: Charm an EP+ or DC Mob and send it at a weaker mob, bring a bow with you and /ra the next closest mob and work it down as your first defeats its own. In zones such as South Konschtat Highlands, the mob count is incredible, and the EXP stacks up quickly. Areas with Fields of Valor buffs such as Regen and Refresh make this even easier. This also works well for combos such as NIN/BST or even any job with BST as support.
5. Party: Simple, get your best DD gear on, use Call Beast with a DD-pet, such as Funguar Familiar or Tiger Familiar, among my favorites, and have at it as a regular party member. DoT is your guide, so I typically build for Accuracy and eat meat if possible, or sushi if I need the accuracy.
6. Multiple BSTs/SMNs/PUPs: I call this a "pet dog-pile" situation, and is more commonly known as "jug burn" or "pet burn" and is becoming more common thanks to Level Sync. Everyone calls their pet or charms one, depending, and you roam or camp spots where you can tackle tougher and tougher mobs. The pets actually end up tanking, if you do it right but none of them, with luck, take so much hate as to be quickly killed. Let me tell you that 12 attackers against a single target takes it out quite quickly. You can actually run into problems where you are taking out enemies faster than you can pull them. An added bonus of this approach is that it allows a wider latitude of jobs and support jobs, as long as they aren't pulling more hate than the pets (/dnc and /whm, especially).
   
7. Variations on a Theme: One of the above, adjusted for your particular style and situation. BST, because it lets pets do the heavy-lifting, figuratively speaking, is remarkably flexible in how to operates. Also, because your ability to Charm weaker enemies is powerful, if you want to take things slowly, you can.

Please see: Black Mage Solo Guide by Lion heart and Beastmaster Duo Guide for some ideas on the subject of innovative camps.

General Tips

Feel free to add them in...

1. You will die. Expect it and prepare for it. However, I would be remiss if I didn't point out the Reraise lasts 1 hour. However a Reraise Earring lasts 2 hours. One earring only possesses 10 charges, so that's 20 hours of play before the earring is useless. Decide in advance if it's worth it.
2. Bring Supplies. Supplies should include emergency jug pets (Fish Oil Broth is best if not the cheapest), Shinobi-Tabi/Sanjaku-Tenugui, warp items, party food (sushi usually), and, if your prey has a Poison-based attack, Antidotes. You can wing it but it'll cost you XP over the long run.
3. Consider bringing your pure DD-gear with you. Some places offer XP better than the bother of parties. Some places, however, don't come close. In that case, Look For Party (LFP) while soloing and bring DD-based gear along just in case you get that invite. This is more important now that Level Sync means you can get invites from anywhere and for any level.
4. Keep all skills leveled. Axe is easy enough. However, Scythe, Dagger, and Sword/Club are harder unless you remind yourself, but you can get Spiral Hell and Evisceration, and leveling these skills at your leisure helps in case you decide to level DRK or THF or DNC, etc, later on.
5. Some places rock; others don't. Hence the LFP tip, but also this tip is more about being prepared for 100 XP/kill, maybe gettings chains of 1-2 tops, for 20-30k at a time. Learn to live with it and just keep moving.
6. You suck without a pet. BST is all about having a pet. After around Level 6-7, you shouldn't try leveling without them, because your ability to fight drops very sharply. At the very least, having something to use Snarl with so you can recast Utsusemi will be a big difference against Easy Prey and Too Weak mobs.
7. Some Campaign advice. Campaign is expensive relative to leveling. Your ability to really earn XP will depend on jug pets, because without them, a BST/NIN against those mobs is like a gimpy WAR/NIN, and very few battles take place in zones with decent Charmable pets. Take note, however, that at 75, with good gear, you also want the jug pet for Snarl, because unless you are fighting besides a PLD/DNC or SAM/DNC taking hits for the XP, you may end up drawing hate simply by being awesome (actually, it's because no one else will tank...).

Continued...

Continued at Guide to BST/NIN by Ctownwoody/Page 3 for my take on equipment...