Blue Mage: Best thread ever

[Draylo]

Well person who used it in game had told me 4 a tick, diffusion same result to a naked person no sanction etc.

[Aben]

I agree kaeko. I'm very interesting in some of these new spells enmity. It's not like we don't have enough tools as is, but if we can buff ourselves while gaining hate...That's even better. What strategies would u use since dispel isn't a reliable flag marker anymore. Another blu and blank gaze perhaps?

[Draylo]

Exuvhiation is a nice one.

[Nightfyre]

Exuvhiation is a nice one.

^^^

I agree kaeko. I'm very interesting in some of these new spells enmity. It's not like we don't have enough tools as is, but if we can buff ourselves while gaining hate...That's even better. What strategies would u use since dispel isn't a reliable flag marker anymore. Another blu and blank gaze perhaps?

I believe Repose was not adjusted, so it's likely our spells were left as is too since they weren't mentioned by name.

Well person who used it in game had told me 4 a tick, diffusion same result to a naked person no sanction etc.

kk thanks

[Kaeko]

I agree kaeko. I'm very interesting in some of these new spells enmity. It's not like we don't have enough tools as is, but if we can buff ourselves while gaining hate...That's even better. What strategies would u use since dispel isn't a reliable flag marker anymore. Another blu and blank gaze perhaps?

BLU has always had very strong CE and VE gainers. Blank Gaze is essentially equivalent to old dispel - same CE/VE, same MP cost, same recast timer, same cast timer. They also have some "stun-like" hate moves like Jettura, Actinic Burst, and Temporal Shift, though these are more mp costly and have bad recast times.

The problem with BLU/NIN tanking has always been MP efficiency. You could not consistently generate enough CE/VE over long periods of time without having a huge net-loss in MP. Their CE gain is fine (blank gaze wasn't nerf is is basically a blu's version of dispel, and exuviation is amazing), but their VE gainers aren't efficient.

If there's 1 thing to look for, it's a 1ce/640ve spell with reasonable cost (something similar to old-blind). That would essentially make BLU a RDM tank with some +s and -s. Nothing I saw on the new list looks like a good candidate, but more 320CE buffs are nice. Plus refresh is great to keep up with your MP usage.

[Aben]

Ya I would agree with that statement. I never felt comfortable tanking anything serious without a brd (or cor) and rdm to keep mp up. With just one refresher, I would eventually run out. And trust me, I've memorized half that blue magic enmity list, and used it plenty of times. (Did we ever figure out what the sahagin move did? lol)

Also, more prevalent to the new spells: Hypothesis on Limule mobs

Blazing bound is only used by fire elemental limule's. They all have an element associated and use a unique move depending on that element with associated magic. I found some different elemental Limules that never used the move. However, at 1 min remaining (go figure) I found a fire elemental limule. Got it to 60% but got kicked before I saw its move. I could have just had horrible tp move luck, so let me know if this hypothesis is anything close.

[Rena]

Not entirely incorrect with your assessment of BLU tanking, but it's not quite as bad as it seems at first glance. Actinic Burst is comparable to Flash in MP cost, and produces only slightly less enmity. Jettatura and Actinic Burst are enough to maintain VE if needed, as well as covering the CE loss from lost shadows, which anything with Blind-like values wouldn't. Only real issue is when building hate, where you usually have to add Temporal Shift into your rotation, which is the more expensive of the three main VE gainers, but at the same time, CE gainers, especially Exuviation, have decently high VE values too.

Personally I also use Poison Breath, which is effective on a surprisingly large amoung of mobs (should mention I have full m.acc/blue magic skill merits, though), and at 22 MP can easily produce ~250ish damage without any real gear swaps for damage (other than relic head), which is a good ~1k VE, and a decent amount of CE as well.

On top of that, we also have access to MP Drainkiss (and I suppose Magic Hammer, but I never used that in a tanking situation due to inventory and spell point restrictions), usage is obviously somewhat limited, but I've had fairly good success with it against Ultima and Byakko to name a few things. Even if you don't get a good return, you usually break even and gain ~320 CE.

Which isn't to say I wouldn't welcome a better VE-gaining spell, but I honestly feel the job's already strong enough as is (speaking pre-Battery Charge, which looks to be pretty huge for tanking, and there's still potential for Animating Wail, which we need more info about still), and I'm kind of worried about facing a potential nerf like RDM just got if it gains even more.

[Aben]

Poison breath VE usage....very interesting idea. With the decrease in rdm enm, i think we should gather up blu tanking experience to gain ideas and usage. Strengths and weaknesses and how we can improve them.

I've to this point had experience tanking every major HNMs except ground kings and tiamat (always missed it when we got claim). As stated earlier the key to getting to tank on blu is prove it can be done.

My personal favorite blu only trick is going ichi > ni > ichi > zephyr mantle and maintaining shadows on a fast mob. Zephyr mantle has a very block rate for blink imo.

[Nightfyre]

There's a BLU tanking thread buried here somewhere; it's locked due to some bullshit at the end of the thread. Might be worth exploring that topic in depth again soon though...

On the note of increased self-sufficiency while tanking, Serpentes hands/feet provide a permanent 1/tic Refresh and Regen that would pair nicely with Battery Charge.

I'm kind of worried about facing a potential nerf like RDM just got if it gains even more.

Honestly, I'm not. We're not quite at the same tier of durability as a RDM/NIN tank, nor the same level of self-sufficiency. We make a very strong choice for a non-engaged tank now that our MP regeneration has been buffed and most of our competition has been sidelined, but it's nothing like what RDM had and I don't forsee SE replicating that situation.

[Draylo]

Attack bonus on P embrace seem % based? Varying results from diff atks on diff party members.

[Sepukku]

I've heard speculation from within a BLU alliance while hunting Qutrubs and Limules that it might be moon based? Gnoles, would it be that farfetched? Still could be % based as you speculate, but as the moon approaches new or full moon the % given increases/decreases and the magic attack either also increases/decreases or conversly declines/increases as the attack does the other.

[Nightfyre]

Not sure what the pattern for matk is, but the attack bonus has definitely been increasing with moon phase.

[TheTaru]

Dragunov(really polite JP with mythic and stuff) told me Animating Wail is 15% haste, self target only, 5 minute duration. Didn't see this posted before, sorry if it was.

[Sho]

369 -> 397 Attack During 50% Moon Phase. Triumphant Roar overwrites this at this moon phase, unsure about others.

[Nightfyre]

Dragunov(really polite JP with mythic and stuff) told me Animating Wail is 15% haste, self target only, 5 minute duration. Didn't see this posted before, sorry if it was.

Oho.

Ohohoho.

I like this update.

EDIT: I was getting 25 attack iirc in the party I was in earlier tonight. ~46% moon phase.

[Draylo]

Got 28 atk, 50% moon phase.

Edit:

"369 -> 397 Attack During 50% Moon Phase. Triumphant Roar overwrites this at this moon phase, unsure about others. "

lol we have same attack, yeah same result here.

[Draylo]

Dragunov(really polite JP with mythic and stuff) told me Animating Wail is 15% haste, self target only, 5 minute duration. Didn't see this posted before, sorry if it was.

Interesting, guess its not aoe like mobs then ;/

[Nightfyre]

There was no way it was gonna be AoE at 53 MP. Once we knew the MP cost that went out the window. Can't say I'm terribly disappointed though, AoE would have forced using Refueling solo since we knew Cimicine would be slow only per datmining.

Speaking of which, any tests on the slow potency?

[Villian]

So do Animating Wail acts like haste spell or like dancer's haste samba? The description confuses me.

edit: I think it acts like haste but I *hope* it acts like samba.

[Nightfyre]

If it was JA haste the shitstorm would be glorious. Betting it's magic haste.