The Beast Within -- A Guide To Blue Mage

WSD Helps? But only the first hit so its really low on Priority list for CDC.

Notable Exceptions:
Almace Aug Applies to all hits (Main Hand only)
DRG sub Applies to all hits.

Other than that, its a case of... If you literally have nothing else lol.

I would swap Karie for a DEX Ring or Illabrat if you don't like Begrudging.
Jhakri for Adhemar, etc etc.

After I checked the spreadsheet, Malignance Tights *SHOULD* be superior to Max Samnuha so that would help save you some time spamming SR. (Or rather.. Picking your poison?)

The spreadsheet I have doesn't have a tab for PDL so I just took the displayed WS Avg and Multiplied by 1.05 (+5% PDL) So that should give an accurate number putting the WS AVG ahead vs Samnuha. Plus, DT and extra STP make everything else better too.

Odd question though, is there any reason why you're focusing on CDC? Just covering all your bases? Because Savage blade should be much stronger for spamming I think

Hmm.. the NQ adhemar would be better then the 7% then? I'll try that. I've been focusing on one before I focus on the others. Like I know I need to do str and DA/ext for savage/the other one. One step at a time since I'm kinda bad at getting gear.

The last posts in this sections have been months ago. Does anyone not see how badly this job needs an update?

Jobs like RDM are completely surpassing BLU in almost everything. Like, literally anything you would use a BLU for in endgame you can just replace with a RDM. 8~10m+ buffs and debuffs, barely needing to recast anything compared to BLU recasting every minute... Self buffs that gives them huge benefits like GAIN and Temper, and they last ages.

It is time for a much needed update to BLU. Even a job like COR has surpassed or met the DMG a BLU can do. How is it possible that just a year or two ago people had pitchforks for BLU because it was bandwagoned and had Cocoon, yet now nobody talks about how silly RDM and COR dmg is in addition to all the benefits they provide?

I don't even see people posting on OF about BLU getting updates or anything here on this site, just people bandwagoning MNK again.

We need a lot of things but just some ideas I can suggest:

-Unique gear that enhances certain spells or JA (for example, AF2+2/3 PLD hands give Shield Bash Dispel.)
-Longer buffs 1m buffs is not fair or sufficient and recasting eats a lot of DMG and time.
-Adjustments to JA's like unbridled knowledge, its not used ever outside of Mighty Guard and putting up an aquaveil. Either make it duration based and not single use, or remove those spells so we can use them normally.
-Potency increases to all Blue Magic, a BLU should be casting and there is not much of a benefit to using our spells, especially outside of JA bonuses like Azure Lore or CA/Efflux.

Someone should post on OF too so we can get some ideas going.

Here's my wishlist for a BLU update:

1. Substantially lower the cooldown of Diffusion
   

   • I understand that the cooldown was created so that you couldn't buff and then swap out those spells before the start of a fight. This feels outdated now where buffs will last less than or barely longer than one-minute lockouts of your blue magic, buffs tied to unbridled learning spell cooldown, and buffs tied to magic that provide good passivbe bonuses when set.

2. Make Chain/Burst affinity resemble SCH's stratagem system
   

   • Multiple charges with relatively short cooldown
   • Can be used for either affinity just like light/dark arts
   • Helps put more focus on a BLU using their spells

3. Monster Correlation revamp
   

   • The goal is to make physical blue magic viable when right now they interrupt TP that could be used for more effective weaponskills
   • One way would be to significantly increase the bonuses like they once were long ago, making certain physical spells effective against enemy types
   • Another way would be to couple it with a % damage bonus for all physical spells. May still be weaker than sword weaponskills, but might be useful when blunt or piercing damage types are more effective

I don't see them giving BLU any passives or changing the ones they currently have. I also don't see them changing convergence since they seem to like their 10 min cd abilities on mage jobs that provide little benefit overall (Makes my change about diffusion seem less likely, but hoping they see it differently since it's support and not damage.

Another improvement would be do boost critical attack bonus. This would help out dual wield jobs like thf and dnc as well, in addition to making crit weaponskills more competitive.

Blue mage is fine. It's well-balanced, not competing with the heavy DDs in raw dps by any means but having a broad ability to melee, cleave, heal, and solo. I wouldn't mind seeing some quality-of-life changes. BLU should be able to magic burst more easily, that would hardly be game-breaking. I like Chocobro's idea of a shorter Diffusion timer. Otherwise leave BLU as it is, I'm happy with my blue mage for what it is.

There's a bigger issue with magical WS that needs to be addressed. COR and RDM aren't beating BLU out in melee damage, it's the stupid potential of Leaden/Sanguine/etc. in content.

The CA/BA being like stratagems is a good idea, haven't thought of that.


No it isn't fine, it could use an update like everyone else has been getting. Just look at my example, COR and RDM bring so much in utility and they are barely behind BLU in damage, in some cases they are ahead. Why would you bring a BLU over a RDM? Ask yourself that and see how silly that is that a RDM can be on equal footing dmg wise and yet still keep up 10m+ buffs and debuffs. Nobody cares about cleaving trash mobs, its not a benefit for most as most jobs can even do that.

They are beating BLU or on equal footing. Savage Blade has gotten to ridiculous damage points, especially with TP bonus swords and guns. Compare a BLU to A RDM, typically spamming magical WS or savage/Expacion. A RDM can be on equal footing w/savage or magical WS and still have 8~10m+ buffs and debuffs, meaning less time casting and more DDing. A BLU needs to maintain 1m buffs which means a lot more casting and lowering of DPS. In most cases the RDM buffs are much stronger and allow them to solo extreme amounts of content that were designed for parties.

Love the CA/BA strategems idea. It would double-down on BLU's solo status and enable the Dynamis sword Path C to be more viable. CA/BA could be ridiculous for chain and burst damage solo, but keep BLU's place in zerg fights.

I'd also love to see some longer duration buffs. Tie some of the shorter buffs (EG cocoon, meditation) duration to blue magic skill and it won't hurt /BLU's viability. Maybe I've been spoiled by RDM.

BLU's flexibility is what I love. Crafting specific loadouts for fights is amazing. And the traits are really great as-is. I just... miss casting physical spells, but they hurt damage so much. With the strategems change, I'd be casting physical spells again, pulling wild chains back to back.

Between RDM and COR, I don't really need to go BLU for much any more. And when I do I miss the long buff duration, or devastating Leaden damage, or potential to give a mob aids, or back up and fight from range.

The problem in my opinion is that weapon skills became way too powerful. Physical weapon skills that scale based on TP and STR became way better than anything else and two-handed jobs can typically perform those better. Magical weapon skills became better than magic and COR became a better BLM than BLM, RDM and RNG as well.

I don't think you can nerf them at this point, but you need to make everything else stronger. However, with the devs thinking that elemental magic is fine right now, I don't think they'll see many issues with BLU for similar reasons.

A lot of it is also gear related, all the WSD augmented items and gear that were given to those jobs. RDM getting huge enhancing/enfeebling magic duration buffs via gear. That is why I suggested they add similar gear to BLU. Would be nice to have a piece that extends all our additional effects by x % or a bonus that adds amnesia or some status to x spell or while using a spell under CA/BA. It would add utility without having to nerf or super buff stuff.

Uhhh... Not one single solitary COR I've ever seen has been remotely close in damage to my BLU. Literally bring me the best there is and they'll lose every parse. I don't think they'll even match up on Spreadsheet. Only way is if you somehow keep the COR Rolls for yourself and that'd be going against your job's role. Same for RDM, it has great toys and can do respectable damage now but still not on BLU's level.

The part that seems to be eluded here is that a Maxed BLU is only a very small step behind the A-list DDs right now. R15 Tizona with all BiS is around the same DPS as Reso WAR and that's no exaggeration. Even better damage than WAR Savage but with DRG sub, Thibron and extra speed gained from Dual-Wield. The biggest thing holding us from that top circle is our lack of a powerful multistep Skillchain; we're better off just spamming Expiacion forever which is great damage but Multi-Steps are worlds ahead of that. I feel like people don't understand how strong this job is anymore.

HOWEVER I will 100% agree that BLU needs updates. Or at the very least needs to STOP BEING LEFT OUT OF NEW GEAR LISTS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD..

Many of our best tricks are not even remotely game-breaking anymore, it'd be nice to have them released or have that Timer lowered. I agree with you 100% there.

A lot of our JAs are literally in Never-Use so something to make them useful or changed is welcome. Let me be clear though, I have no interest in being made some random Mage. SE has always said BLU are swords masters, I want that honored.



I actually like these ideas a lot.

Hopefully SE gives us something but they accidentally made a monster the last time they gave BLU a significant update. We've been left on a "Soft Nerf" for years now but there are still Maxed BLUs out there that rival A-List DDs. I think that's what SE is worried about, they see the Top-End and worry that's what every BLU's doing and if they make it worse, the game goes back into BLU-ONLY again and they don't want that.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you, BLU is not that far ahead of a maxed out COR or RDM. I understand the job, for you to say that is quite silly as its my favorite job since it was released and most who post here know that. BLU is not only one step behind other DD, its quite far behind, especially in zerg scenarios.

Also, our lack of updates have made us fall way behind on things BLU used to excel at like solo's. It is like almost every other job has been brought ahead except BLU.

Yeah at least include blu in gear updates.

I know that it's literally screaming into the void but BLU is supposed to be right about where it is. It's actually in a better spot than it should be.

Yes, run cor rdm(enspells) are not where they should be.

I wish that they had some semblance of balance, and would post a "melee capability tier list" so you can understand that BLU is not what you think it is/want it to be. BLU is not supposed to be a swordwarrior.

And "zerging" as we do it shouldn't be a thing at all, be thankful they're too stupid to fix it and that it works at all.

Very well, I'll draw up the spreadsheets in the morning for COR, my own RDM is completely maxed and very well behind my BLU. Temper II is nice but cant measure up to BLU's granted Traits and raw power. RDM is locked into NIN or DNC sub, no native STP or Acc or Attack Traits, it can make up for this with Naegling and Spells but will still be left wanting.

Yeah it's mine too but I've always been a Career DD. Emphasis on DD, I take great pride in Damage potential so to see someone say BLU is lacking or falling to COR/RDM? nah, that wont fly.


No sir, the only WAR I've seen that might outright beat my own would be Spaitin but he seems to be very meticulous and WAR is his absolute Main. That said, I use WAR and BLU interchangeably with no impacts. It literally comes down to how well buffed the group is that makes me decide. If the group is lacking proper support, BLU helps bridge those gaps. If the gaps are filled, I'll pick WAR mostly for Retaliation because it's just more fun. If Expiacion had a proper means to Skillchain for heavy damage, I'd be abusing it all day.

I will agree with you on Zergs though because all bow to WAR when MightyStrikes is used. It is very hard to overtake that Ability.

as a player with multiple Maxed DDs BLU is quite strong. Not as strong as WAR, MNK, SAM, DRK but right about the same level as DRG, and THF which is pretty close to that top-line. From SE's standpoint, any significant increase to BLU's DPS potential could put it back in top-tier again and then people will only BLU for it's Power coupled with Flexibility and the crying will start all over again.

I will agree again that I'm tired of all the good gear skipping BLU, that's very annoying.

Gear-Release Frustrations aside, I agree with this.

You are allowed your opinions, mine is better though because BLU deserves an update and should be at the very top. Saying it does not deserve any update seems quite silly in the face of what other jobs have gotten recently, so if its your favorite job I don't know why you would say that.

RDM is not left wanting, you have to weigh it against all its other benefits that BLU just can't compare to. Most of its debuffs/buffs being a huge benefit to most groups and content. The recent gear updates and JA/magic updates to a lot of jobs have widened the gape quite a bit.

Post-adjustment DRG is way ahead of BLU and on-par with any other heavy DD. There aren't as many DRGs so perhaps people aren't aware but DRG can do towering dps now right alongside SAM, MNK, DRK, or WAR. Last zerg I parsed DRG was ~33% ahead of thief and ~10% ahead of WAR, just as a for-instance, and typically for melees DRG parses first on wave 3s but that content is tailored to its strengths.

On the other hand short fights warrior cannot be beaten.

Oh? I keep hearing people say “better but still meh” I agree, it should be pretty strong now. Gotta look into it.



No one is saying BLU shouldn’t get an update. We’re all sick and tired of BLU getting skipped on new gear and we have several JAs and spells that literally never get used and that’s a problem. I was acknowledging that BLU was broken for a time and that SE might be afraid to throw it a bone is all.


I believe Afania covered this particular point back when Wave 3 was released and people were asking why RDM wasn’t used. Short answer is that it’s not really THAT useful.

Dia III - is nice but not irreplaceable. Same value as T-Crush
Distract - is great but in most content the DDs have no trouble hitting ACC checks if properly geared, and even then, BRD easily solves that problem. Unless you’re on a particularly evasive target, this isn’t strongly desired.
Frazzle - Is great but mostly desired for Magic Events like Wave 3.
Silence - Can usually be landed on most NMs that are susceptible at least 2 or 3 times before needing to get into Immunobreaking, any WHM or GEO or BLU can usually land without much issue as long as their sets are up to date. Unless you’re going to be in for a longer fight, not a thing you would covet RDM for.
Slow, Para and Addle are lovely but won’t usually make or break a fight. Back at 75, these were my favorites (addle wasn’t out yet) but now?
Temper I and II are super powerful but can’t be cast on anyone other than the RDM. If these were accessionable omg they’d be broken but sadly it’s not.
Same with Gains
They do have the best Bind though for sure, and can use that to solo otherwise very difficult fights (Goblin Ambu) but that’s RDM’s thing; they solo ***that shouldn’t be soloable —-Avesta.

That just leaves Refresh and buff duration. Refresh is great. Buff duration is great but it mostly allows one RDM to buff an entire alliance without needing to immediately restart the buff cycle. (I’ve done this before it’s nooooooot fun). It’d be nice to increase our buff duration but it’s not terrible right now either. Most of ours are either 3 or 5 minutes, our shortest is Nature’s Meditation. I would love some duration+ gear but I can’t say it’s ever really slowed us down - usually just reapply between mobs or something, they’re near-instant cast.

We’re winning on Freenukes. Hell, our big nukes hit harder than BLM. But ham-strung on Magic Bursts, that cooldown is pretty bad.

These “Advantages” you speak of are more or less Niche or tailored to specific fights.

I say again: Don’t get me wrong, BLU needs some love. Or JAs are a mess, most of our physical spells are hot garbage and we’ve been dodged on gear updates for far too long, they give us RMEA and Relic Upgrades but they were more or less Obligated to do so and it’s frustrating. But RDMs not taking any of our roles, it’s doing the same RDM things it’s always been doing since 75 just better.

Completely irrelevant. Dia is in its own category and it definitely irreplaceable if you dont have Frailty or Geo debuffs are weakened. If anything, you can argue that you will have someone with DiaII anyway and DiaIII is "only" 5% def down more.

If anything T crush is not irreplaceable, because its in the same category as all def down WSs, angon etc.


Im pretty sure Afania meant that putting Distract on everything in Dynamis would be kinda hard and BRD doing madrigal instead is better option BUT thats for dynamis. When you fight less mobs but stronger tho, or you dont need accuracy for trash, but need for NMs, then Distract is very useful, because it will free up song.


Again, mostly true for event like Dynamis in big group. When your kill speed of trash is simply too high to care for enfeebling. Still even in Dynamis enfeebling magic on some mobs is very significant (silence on BLUs and RDMs for example). In lowman groups enfeebling magic would be very useful tho. Especially on wave 2 bosses.


But now they are actually game breaking lol. People just go around it and zerg mobs, but as soon as you are in lowman situation and cant zerg something (very possible we will get that in Odyssey, with various NMs doing invincible/PD etc.) Para/Slow is just amazing. Have you seen RDM solo Wave 2 boss video? How Para and Slow II can shut down them?

Come on, we are in 2020. we have new RDM heroes :P

I think RDM will be way more useful in Odyssey than you can predict right now.

Make diffusion a stance for 3/5 minutes. Should be more focus on buffing the group with short duration buffs compared to RDM long duration but single target.

I thoroughly like this idea


True, I can’t help it though, I’m old school lol. I cast Slow/Para on everything. Watching a mob struggle to breathe pleases me but in the grand scheme of things it’s not helping all that much in a party. Mobs still use TP moves. Tank will tank and likely not notice if it’s on or not (unless NIN Tanking, they love it) PLD is a wall and RUN can actually hit permanent Invincibility on all current targets except maybe Mireu? PLD Probably can too, unsure.

For Dia there’s always a Dia source I meant, not having Dia 3 isn’t going to break anything.

As for Odyssey, that’s a very good point. It’s format could very well favor RDM over BLU in needing more true control instead of flexible control.

So your mad RDM COR to some extent BRD can do dmg now while still doing their job like BLU?

Blu is exactly where it should be, being left off new gear sucks, just like being left off melee gear sucked for RDM for 12 years.

Sounds like you want BLU to melee DPS on the level of a DPS who's only point is to DPS. Buff for long periods like RDM's. AoE cure on level with a whm with a better erase too.

It should be close to jobs like RDM and COR in DPS. If anything jobs like NIN THF should be upset RDM BLU COR are in the same range DPS wise.

Relative to what? Who made you the definitive authority to determine what BLU isn't? The Devs gave BLU access to a wide-range of melee/magic gear. They also have access to top tiers of DW, Store TP, Attack, Double Atk, Triple Atk, Skillchain Bonus, as well as things like Critical Hit, etc. They have spells to buff melee capacity as well as enfeeble (to a degree). They have one of the highest cost/benefit ratio Cures in the game. 13 shadows with a 13 sec recast. List goes on. Maybe BLU was created to the be a top soloer in the game. Who knows?

If you want to really get into what BLU LITERALLY isn't (a RANGED DPS), you should be complaining about the fact that they have 3 tiers of Snapshot Rapidshot, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever (as a main, as a sub, or whatever).

Not all classes were created equal, and I think the Devs know that's why people actually play this game vs. WoW where EVERYTHING is streamlined.

Your opinions are fine, but don't spout that nonsense as if they are facts and you are the sole creator of this entire universe and reality that we live in.

All you need is some mob like this Cactus from Odyssey who hit cor for 600-1200 and give him hate reset or better just go for random member of party after some TP move or something. Then enfeebling magic will suddenly be amazing.

Addle2 is just amazing these days with the kind of stacking MEVA we can get, you're always going to want a RDM in alliance for this.

I would like to see BLU get something like that, a spell with -MACC for mobs. Actually a couple new spells would be cool.

All about the new spells. Sadly, with stat bloat, BLU's spells (stat increases) aren't OP as they used to be, and that makes me sad. /biasedtowardBLU

It would be awesome if they gave BLU an immunobreak-like mechanic, where if you cast enough of the spells it can add an enfeeble status to the mob. But sadly, I doubt they would make something like that. I think the main issue with BLU is that EVERY spell is tied to one stat, which is BLU Magic Skill vs RDM where it has individual skills for each range of spells. It appears hard to balance for Devs?

This was mentioned above, but one of the biggest changes that also needs some fixing is how CA/BA works. Wow, what crappy abilities, mainly because of the timers. Back way when where -10% movement speed was normal, maybe it worked (maybe?). It doesn't work so well today.

Also, if we could get an extra treat, take Unbridled Learning off the timer and make it a stance. :D

Fair point on hate reset. I agree with that, I’d hate to rely on it? But can definitely save someone.

And yeah, it’d be nice to give BLU more spells, there are mobs we don’t have anything from yet like Porxies and those Reisin Beetle/LadyBug Alts.

Wish List I’d like to see,
More Gear Inclusion: Add us to Niqmaddu, Gere Ring, Sherida Earring and Yamarang (I’m just being greedy these will NEVER happen) or at least stop pulling us off the juicy stuff. I’m happy we’re on Malignance but enough’s enough.

Make Diffusion a stance that lasts 5 minutes with a cooldown of 5 minutes or 3-On/5-Off like Berserk. That’d be awesome and allows us to be much more helpful to the party.

Make Unbridled Learning a Stance and give it something like 1-On/3-Off. Gives us our power-spells but won’t last long enough to get stupid. Either that or lower the cooldown so we’re not stuck on only one or two buffs.

Give back some power to the physical spells so we actually have a reason to use them.

Make Chain Affinity last a certain duration, say.. 2-On/3-Off? This would give us very good SC ability so maybe not idk.

Burst Affinity I’d like a lower cooldown. So much so that the SU5 weapon would become a part of the toolbox and allow us to participate in MB setups?


That’s really it for me, more Gear Inclusion and something to make our JAs more useful is all I’d ask for right now.

I would actually like to get one QoL on BLU so *** much. The ability to see if additional effect actually landed. Seriously, why can't we see if def down on Tcrush is actually applied or silence on silent Storm etc. At least on Sudden Lunge I can see mob being pushed away when the spell fails to stun.

Another thing I would like is to get answer if add effect element on damaging spells are tied to element of damage they do. For example, if Def Down effect on Tcrush is darkness based, or is it wind? I know I could go and test all spells on elementals, but I have enough things to do in this game already XD

Haha Agreed.

No it is not where it should be, it needs a buff like everyone else has been getting and multiple people have shown examples.

No DPS has the only point of "DPS." Many times they are brought for their secondary benefits as well.

BLU should be past COR and RDM, because it primarily was a damage dealing job that has secondary benefits like the others. RDM and COR were built as support jobs. Also we don't have a better erase than WHM, Esuna exists and most idiots don't know how to use it. They also get Yagrush and the neck to enhance it.

To sit here and debate about a job getting buffs is stupid, just let people get their favorite jobs buffed.