Focus question/gear check

[Mackilvenny]

Have been playing my mage quite a bit again recently and raced through levels up to 65, now that I'm here I've been trying to update my gear a bit, had a look in my bank and saw that I have an Icy Torque of Distrust http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=35196, but when I looked at my neck item, I saw that I have a healing focus in that slot - so wanted to check A) does healing focus work for our pet heals? and B) is it worth having a slightly degraded heal focus over the extra 5% fire focus, and if so should I try to look for another heal focus?

Also since I'm posting thought I'd do a general gear check, please bear in mind that I have severely limited funds and the baz on test isn't generally all that populated.

edit: forgot to attach magelo - http://eq.magelo.com/profile/1364722" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

thanks in advance

[Ottaro]

Have been playing my mage quite a bit again recently and raced through levels up to 65, now that I'm here I've been trying to update my gear a bit, had a look in my bank and saw that I have an Icy Torque of Distrust http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=35196, but when I looked at my neck item, I saw that I have a healing focus in that slot - so wanted to check A) does healing focus work for our pet heals? and B) is it worth having a slightly degraded heal focus over the extra 5% fire focus, and if so should I try to look for another heal focus?

Also since I'm posting thought I'd do a general gear check, please bear in mind that I have severely limited funds and the baz on test isn't generally all that populated.

edit: forgot to attach magelo - http://eq.magelo.com/profile/1364722" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

thanks in advance

A) Yes it does
B) I don't heal my pet alot, mostly have a merc for that. Fire nukes being my bread and butter get my full attention.

As for the gear check, i'll let someone else answer that. I honestly never check lower lvl equipement. My goal is always to hit 85 ASAP so if i can buy better stuff out of Bazaar i do, if not i wear what drops and keep exping. It's my M.O.

[Zatpus]

Most all slots are covered well (if not best) with defiant gear.

At PoK close to the crescent reach portal there are 2 'new' vendors selling the defiant jewellery. For the ear-slot you can buy there some petfocus-items. Odd at this vendors is, that they show there stuff to you, once you have reached recommendet level and not required level of the next layer of defiant stuff.
Visible defiants you get from bazaar; waist, shoulders, back you can get on your own doing the hotzone quest given by the guy a pok close to the guild-lobby (orelse also in bazaar as they are droppable as well).

Gearwhise that should be good upto level 80. Than Sod-Progression and SOD gear gets interesting and you should have a look there.
The SOD-droppable Archaic gear is likely the best you can buy right now (but not big difference from best defiant, so you might can skip it), from there on you will have to do progression and start to farm your Essences to further progress.