Hello, new player returning after who knows how many years! So excited to return to a game that gave so much joy so many years ago. I chose to start as a WHM with the thought that it would be my subjob for either Bard or Beastmaster. Problem is I can't seem to kill anything to get started. Starting in Windhurst and going out and fighting EM Bees and Mandragora, I can't seem to kill them and keep dying. I have my club to swing away with auto attacks and that's it. I can sometimes get a cure off but that only delays the inevitable.

Any tips to help me get started?

Hi Nels, welcome to Nasomi!

If you're starting out in Windurst, I would recommend going to East Sarutabaruta (take the exit from Windurst Woods) and then head south immediately. There is a small area with bees/mandragora/hares that are low level. The bees are probably the easiest, then the mandragora. They might con as EM for the first level but you should be able to club them down, even as WHM. I'd avoid the hares unless you run out of mobs to kill.

It gets easier after the first level or two, but I would stay in that area for a while. Can even get to level 10 on those mobs on Nasomi, and in the beginning it is much faster mowing down EP and DC mobs than taking on EM+

Once you get level 3 pick up a Dia scroll and leveling becomes even easier. Some of those mobs will die to a single dia and maybe one club hit.

Hope that helps!

Remember Signet

Even match is miss leading they tend to kill you solo

Honestly the best advice I can give you is to start with BLM, take it to around lvl 20, do your subjob quest, lvl WHM to 37, and then go unlock BRD. Having BLM already leveled for a subjob will make the solo part of WHM much easier with the BLM spells. WHM to 12/13 is a ROUGH start without a subjob.

IMO chain EPs. Killing an EP with 5-6 Melee strikes.

Dia => Melee to death
Cure when needed
Repeat

Nasomi has made the range for EPs to still give exp larger. So you can get 30-50 exp and chain stuff fast even with. You will get more crystals and more exp/hr as you can churn and burn 10ish monsters before a rest out of mp.

Bronze Hammer at level 5
Brass Hammer will make things melt like butter at level 12 and not having a subjob is not an issue.
Decurion's Hammer at 18 (Bastok rank 2 reward, buy if not from bastok)