FFXIAH.com

Welcome! The aim of this guide is to help those new to the job and veterans alike. Please excuse any errors within, I will do my best to correct any brought to my attention. I am by no means the best Red Mage, just someone who enjoys pushing the job to its limits. Any suggestions in this guide are just that, suggestions. I do not take any credit for the information in this guide, as it is a culmination of work from many different people throughout the community over many years.



Red Mage is one of the most versatile jobs in FFXI and is available as one of the six base jobs starting out. While they are experts in Enfeebling Magic, they also have the ability to be competent at party support, healing magic, elemental magic damage, melee damage and more all at once. You may not be able to outclass jobs that specialize in those other areas, but you can remain a very strong contender nonetheless. A Red Mage's spell set includes white magic and black magic spells that cover a wide range of uses from Sleep to Haste to Cures. The job is most proficient in swords and daggers, but can also use other weapons types with varying degrees of success and utility. With so many tools at their disposal Red Mages make incredibly competent soloers that require little in the way of support. If this sounds like something you would enjoy then keep reading!


Chainspell (Lvl 1)[1:00:00]- Your first 1-hour ability. When used, for 60 seconds all magic you cast will be instant-cast (aka Quick Magic) and will have zero recast time. Any spells cast prior to using Chainspell will not have their recast timers reset. Duration can be extended by 20 seconds with Duelist's Tabard +2 or better.

Convert (Lvl 40)[10:00]- This ability will allow you to replenish your MP by swapping your current HP and MP at a 1:1 ratio. Use in a safe place away from battle or have Stoneskin up when using. Recast time can be reduced with merits and HP to MP ratio can be improved using the Mythic weapon Murgleis.

Composure (Lvl 50)[5:00]- This Job Ability lasts 2 hours when used and triples the base damage of Enspells and triples the duration of most self-targeted enhancing magic at the cost of a 25% increase to recast times. The duration of enhancing magic cast on others can also be enhanced via the set bonus from the Estoqueur's Armor +2 set or better at the time of casting. Melee accuracy is also enhanced depending on your level [floor(((24 × Level) + 74) ÷ 49)] and can be further upgraded via Job Points.

Saboteur (Lvl 85)[3:00]- For 60 seconds this ability increases the magic accuracy of ALL spells you cast, enhances the duration and potency of all Enfeebling Magic spells you cast by 100% (112~114% with Lethargy Gantherots +1~+3 equipped during spell midcast), and increases the chance of an Immunobreak occuring. Spells like Sleep and Silence not affected by potency will only receive the duration bonus while spells such as Dia will have their DoT and duration affected, however the defense down % will remain static. Spells such as Bio are unaffected by this ability as they are Dark Magic spells. This effect is greatly reduced when used against Notorious Monsters (+25% increase, +37~39% with Lethargy Gantherots +1~3 equipped during spell midcast).

Spontaneity (Lvl 95)[10:00]- Allows you to instant-cast you next spell similar to Quick Magic with zero recast delay. This ability lasts for 60 seconds or until the next spell is cast. You may also target other party members with this ability and grant them the ability to instant-cast their next spell.

Stymie (Lvl 96)[1:00:00]- A Red Mage's second 1-hour ability. The next Enfeebling Magic spell you cast will be guaranteed to land with a few exceptions: your target has a complete immunity to the spell, it has an active magic shield, or any native resistance traits they may possess are triggered resulting in a "Resist!" message. Duration of 60 seconds or until an Enfeebling Magic spell lands.




What you decide to upgrade in group 1 is mostly going to be based on preference/needs. These merits apply to all spells of their respective element. Fire will affect Addle and Fire nukes. Ice will affect Bind, Paralyze, Distract and Blizzard. Wind boosts Silence, Gravity and Aero nuke accuracy. Earth affects Break, Slow and Stone nukes. Lightning affects Thunder elemental magic and Stun. Water affects Poison and Water nuke accuracy. Ice magic accuracy is arguably going to be the most helpful category to merit as it helps many of our most useful spells. The rest depends on your situation and what you find yourself casting the most. I would advise against convert recast as refresh gear is easy to come by these days unless you're hurting for MP. Don't forget, you can change these merits at any time to fit your needs.


Group 2 merits are highly dependent on how you play Red Mage, your gear and what content you plan to participate in. Let's say you're just starting out, perhaps meriting some extra magic accuracy to land Enfeebling Magic on tougher enemies would be beneficial to you. Maybe your main role is to provide support via Haste/Refresh and other spells, then maxing Enhancing Magic duration may be the way to go for you. Are you looking to increase the potency of your Enspells? You may want to merit Enspell damage to increase your damage potential. Immunobreak chance merits are useful for lowering a target's negative status resistance rank via the Immunobreak mechanic in different encounters. Enfeebling duration is helpful for occasions where long lasting spells are critical. Accuracy merits are the least useful since Composure already grants a large accuracy boost and Red Mage has access to the Distract line of spells which lowers your target's physical evasion.


You'll want to max out magic accuracy bonus and Saboteur first. Just do it, there really are no excuses not to. Magic accuracy bonus affects all spells you cast, including the accuracy of Enspells. Saboteur effect will give you a very large magic accuracy boost when maxed out making your spells even more accurate on resistant monsters. What you decide to dump job points into next depends entirely on your needs. Enhancing Magic duration, Enfeebling Magic duration, Composure effect and magic attack bonus are all worthwhile depending on what you do most. Stymie effect and Convert effect would be good choices to max out next. Stymie's effect duration is nice to have and not dying in the middle of a Convert is also handy, but you should be doing that someplace safe or have Stoneskin up. Chainspell effect and Quick magic effect should be left for last. Chainspell nukes are not utilized very often, and unless you have Chainspell or Spontaneity active you won't be getting much in the way of MP savings with Quick Magic effect due to Quick Magic+ equipment randomness. In the end, the goal is to fully upgrade all categories so there is no need to overthink where to spend your points.


For Red Mage, the big rewards for total job points are the spells. The first spells you get are at 100 job points-Fire V, Blizzard V, Aero V, Stone V, Thunder V, and Water V. Nothing too exciting but a welcome addition to your spell set. At 550 points you are gifted with Addle II, Frazzle III and Distract III. Addle II is situationally useful for lowering enemy magic accuracy and increasing their spellcasting times. On the other hand, Frazzle III and Distract III are huge additions allowing you to lower enemy magic evasion and physical evasion respectively even further. 1200 job points gets you the coveted Refresh III for even more MP sustain and Temper II for your frontline damage dealing adventures.



As you can see from the chart above, Red Mages have native skill in many different types of magic. Not only are they experts in Enfeebling Magic, but they are also very competent in Enhancing Magic. They also have passable Elemental and Healing Magic skill. Red Mages only get the Bio line of spells for Dark Magic, and no spells natively from Divine Magic.

Here are some important things to know:



This category of spells applies negative status effects to one or more enemies. As a Red Mage you'll be able to decimate an enemy's attacks and defenses with your arsenal of spells.

Enfeebling Magic Potency: floor(floor((Base Potency × Saboteur) + {dStat Modifier}) × (Enfeebling Magic Effect+ Gear))

Enfeebling Magic Duration: ((Base Duration × Saboteur) + (6s × RDM Group 2 Merit Point Level) + (3s × RDM Relic Head Group 2 Merit Point Level Augment) + RDM Enfeebling Job Points + RDM Stymie Job Points + Gear that list Seconds) × (Augments Composure Bonus) × (Duration listed on Gear) × (Duration Augments on Gear)

Dia Duration: ((Base Duration + RDM Enfeebling Job Points + (6s × RDM Group 2 Merit Point Level) + (3s × RDM Relic Head Group 2 Merit Point Level Augment)) × Saboteur × (Augments Composure Bonus) × (Duration listed on Gear) × (Duration Augments on Gear)) + (RDM Stymie Job Points × (Duration listed on Gear) × (Duration Augments on Gear))


Magic accuracy

When you cast a spell on an enemy, your Magic Accuracy is compared to the target's Magic Evasion to determine Magic Hit Rate and resist states. The higher your magic accuracy, the better your chances are at not only landing a spell, but also having it landing unresisted. Your base stats are also compared to the target's stats resulting in a magic accuracy correction depending on the difference in dSTAT.


INT will increase the magic accuracy of Black Magic spells while MND will increase the magic accuracy of White Magic spells. Distract and Frazzle line spells are the exception to this, and use dMND for magic accuracy correction despite being black magic spells. Current testing shows 1 Enfeebling Magic skill is roughly equal to 1 magic accuracy. The "Magic Accuracy Skill" statistic found on ilvl weapons converts to magic accuracy at roughly a 1:1 ratio. For example, an unaugmented Colada will have a total of +216 magic accuracy. Please read the walls of text on the BG-Wiki Magic Accuracy and BG-wiki Resist pages if you want to find out more.

When you cast an Enfeebling Magic spell you will see one of many different messages show up in the chat log depending whether or not a spell lands. Here are some examples:

Player casts Sleep on the Huge Hornet. The Huge Hornet is asleep.-Congratulations! You successfully landed your spell.

Player casts Sleep on the Huge Hornet. The Huge Hornet resists the spell.-Your spell was resisted, most likely due to lack of magic accuracy or the enemy's innate elemental resistances are too high.

Player casts Sleep on the Huge Hornet. Resist! The Huge Hornet resists the spell.-The enemy's native resist trait (in this example, Resist Sleep) has triggered and has caused your spell to fail to land. A monster's "Resist!" trait will activate at whatever rate it possesses. The "Resist!" check happens before any magic accuracy checks are performed. This can also occur with Stymie active.

Player casts Sleep on the Huge Hornet. →The Huge Hornet completely resists the spell.-The enemy is immune to the spell. Stop wasting your time with that spell and move on.

Immunobreak

When a monster is particularly resistant to an Enfeebling Magic spell but not completely immune there is a chance of an Immunobreak occurring. The following is an example of the message that will appear in the log:

Player casts Sleep on the Huge Hornet.
→The Huge Hornet resists the spell.
→Immunobreak!

Immunobreak allows you to lower your target's resistance to particular lines of Enfeebling Magic. The more Enfeebling Magic skill and Immunobreak merits you have, the higher the chance that an Immunobreak will occur. This results in the lowering of the target's negative status resistance rank which, in turn, lower's its magic evasion to that effect. Equipment with the "Immunobreak+" stat (currently only available on Chironic Hose) will lower the target's resistance by an additional rank per Immunobreak. Once the spell lands resistance values will be reset. Repeated use of Immunobreaks on an enemy will progressively lower the chance of them occuring.

This is a very important mechanic for anyone picking up Red Mage to familiarize themselves with. For a more in depth look at how Immunobreak works read here.

Exceptions

There are three spell lines that cannot be resisted unless an enemy possesses a magic shield: Dia, Bio and Inundation.



Enhancing Magic spells enhance you and your party's attributes in many different ways. Many (but not all) derive their potency from Enhancing Magic Skill. Important math ahead:

Enhancing Magic Duration: (Base Duration + (6s × RDM Group 2 Merit Point Level) + (3s × RDM Relic Hands Group 2 Merit Point Level Augment) + RDM Job Points + Gear that list Seconds) × (Augments Composure Bonus) × (Duration listed on Gear + Naturalist's Roll) × (Duration Augments on Gear) × (Rune Fencer Gifts)

Barspells: This line of spells increases magic evasion against specific elements or statuses.

Bar-element potency: Below 300 skill Resistance = 40 + floor( Enhancing Magic Skill ÷ 5 )
Above 300 skill Resistance = 25 + floor( Enhancing Magic Skill ÷ 4 )
Bar-status potency: Self-target spells grant +30 resistance to a particular negative status effect while Area of effect Bar-status spells grant +20 resistance. More Barspell info

Enspells: These spells give the caster an additional effect of elemental damage to melee strikes. They do not give any additional enmity or TP and potency is based off of Enhancing Magic skill.

Enhancing Skill	Formula
≤180	Floor(Enhancing Skill / 9) + 5
>180	Floor((Enhancing Skill - 180) / 8) + 25

Tier I Enspells use the above formulas for damage calculation. Potency is determined by Enhancing Magic skill gear at time of cast which can be removed afterwards. Tier I Enspells apply to every hit of an attack round.

Tier II Enspells, while using the same formulas as tier I to calculate initial base damage, work a little differently. Tier II Enspells only apply to the first hit of an attack round. Additionally, tier II Enspell damage is recalculated every attack round. This means you will need to have Enhancing Magic skill gear equipped while attacking to maintain a higher level of Enspell damage. Each attack after the first will cause Enspell damage to rise by 1 point until it reaches the cap of double the base initial damage. Finally, tier II Enspells also temporarily reduce elemental resistances. See the BG-wiki Enspell page for more info.

Gain spells

The Gain- line of spells increase your base attributes using the following formula: Potency = floor[(Enhancing Magic Skill - 300)÷10] +5. Skill level caps at 500 for a +25 increase.

Phalanx: Phalanx and Phalanx II both grant a reduction in damage taken, and both use the following formulas: Up to 300 skill: F = Floor(Enhancing Magic Skill/10) - 2, Over 300 skill: F = 28 + Floor( (Enhancing Magic Skill - 300.5) / 28.5). Phalanx + gear is added directly to the amount of damage reduction received, but the target of the spell must be wearing it to gain it's benefits.




The Elemental Magic category of spells is primarily focused on dealing magical damage.

Magic Damage Equation
Damage Dealt = D × MTDR × Staff × Affinity × SDT × Resist × MB × MBB × Day & Weather × MAB/MDB × TMDA × Potency Multipliers




These are you restorative spells. Red Mage doesn't get too many natively, but enough to be useful. See the Cure Formula page for more details.



Red Mage only natively gets access to the Bio line of spells in this category.



Subjob selection will ultimately depend on your role in a party. The following are the most commonly used:

SCH: This is the most effective subjob if your role has more of a backline focus. This subjob affords many bonuses with Light Arts and Darks Arts active such as reduced MP cost and casting times of White and Black magic respectively. With Light Arts active, your Healing Magic and Divine Magic skill get raised to a B+. With Dark Arts active your Elemental and Dark Magic Skills are boosted to a B+ level. With Addendum: White you get access to all status healing spells except for Stona. Addendum: Black, on the other hand, does not grant you any new spells. Accession is a great tool to make certain single target Enhancing Magic spells and Cure spells AoE. Manifestation does the same but with certain Black magic Enfeebling spells. You'll also get access to all of the Tier I -storm spells, Klimaform and Drain/Aspir. Be advised though, strategem charges are slow, and you only get a maximum of 2.

Master Level Update: At M. lvl 5 RDM gets a huge boost as /SCH granting it access to an additional strategem for a total of 3, faster charging strategems, and access to Stona under Addendum: White. At M. lvl 30 you get access to the job abilities Rapture and Ebullience. Making it to M. lvl 50 will reward you with the ability to use the Regen III spell.

WHM: This subjob is mostly used to get access to the Stona spell. You get access to all status removing spells, AoE barspells, Curaga I and II and some teleportaion spells. You also get access to the Divine Seal job ability, but its long recast time prevents it from being something that can be relied upon. One often overlooked tool you get with this subjob is the White magic sleep spell Repose. This spell is a powerful tool against monsters that are resistant to dark based sleep.

Master Level Update: M. lvl 10 grants access to Curaga III allowing for an easier time when needing to cure multiple targets at once. The various Recall- teleportation line of spells are available at M. lvl 30. Every RDM's favorite spell Auspice (/sarcasm) also becomes a part of your spell list at M. lvl 30.

BLM: This is a situational subjob that gives you access to the Sleepga, Drain, Aspir and Stun spells. The Elemental Seal job ability is also used to give a spell a significant magic accuracy boost. You also get access to Warp I/II, Escape, Tractor, and the elemental DoT spell line (Burn, Choke, Rasp, etc).

Master Level Update:This subjob becomes more interesting from a crowd control perspective when you unlock Sleepga II after reaching M. lvl 35.

NIN: This is the primary melee focused subjob granting you Dual Wield III to help reach minimum weapon delay to maximize your DPS. You also get access to Utsusemi: Ichi and Utsusemi: Ni making you very difficult to kill if you are any good at tanking with shadows allowing you to block attacks that the Blink spell would be unable to. Master levels haven't changed anything regarding this subjob.

DNC: This is the second melee subjob that grants access to traits such as Dual Wield (albeit only up to Dual Wield II) and Skillchain Bonus. Haste Samba is a nice boost to help reach the delay cap, however, it does not stack with Enspells. You'll also get to access to various other dances such as Waltzes which provide varying levels of job ability-based healing abilities. The Steps, Jigs, and Flourishes available each provide their own utility in various situations.

Any other subjobs not mentioned here will have their own niche uses. Don't be afraid to try new things out, you may be surprised at what you'll find!


As a Red Mage you have the ability to fulfill many different roles. However, gearing for those different roles can take a large toll on your inventory. If you plan to maximize the job for many different scenarios be prepared to have the inventory space necessary to hold all of those extra gearsets.



Mandatory: Atrophy Gloves +3, Atrophy Tabard +3, Atrophy Tights +3

The +3 gloves provide the most Enhancing Magic duration (even so at +2) on yourself and others while also being a decent Savage Blade piece until you upgrade to augmented Nyame. The body is a staple in any Refresh potency set and also provides a large amount of total magic accuracy for Enfeebling Magic spells. The legs have the highest Enhancing Magic skill available in this slot for Temper and Enspells while also doubling as a good starter curing piece.

Nice to Have: Atrophy Chapeau +3

The hat is basically an integral part of a Fast Cast set due to the large amount it provides.

Unimportant: Atrophy Boots +3

These are not used for anything useful. Feel free to skip these. Due to how shield block rates are calculated, Shield Skill+ Chance of successful block+ are useless for RDM.



Mandatory: Vitiation Chapeau +3, Vitiation Tabard +3, Vitiation Gloves +3, Vitiation Boots +3

The chapeau is the best head piece for casting Enfeebling Magic, and only gets better if you have Magic Accuracy and/or Enfeebling Magic duration merits. It also has a nice bit of Refresh as well as being a decent Savage Blade piece prior to aquiring and upgrading Nyame Helm with a few ranks. The tabard has so many great things in one piece: the most self-target Enhancing Magic duration bonus, the most Enhancing Magic skill (Temper and Enspells), the most Fast Cast and the most Healing Magic skill (for Cursna) available in this armor slot. The gloves offer a huge boost to Gain spells and have the highest amount of Enhancing magic skill available in that slot. The boots are a staple of all Enfeebling Magic sets for spells that vary in potency and become even better with Immunobreak merits. They are also a decent nuking piece.

Situational: Vitiation Tights +3

The tights can be used for certain Enspell damage setups. They're also OK to have for a beginner CDC/Evisceration piece.



Mandatory: All of it

You will need the entire set for the Composure set bonus when casting Enhancing magic on others. Atrophy Gloves +2 or better will eventually replace the hands for this purpose but you will still use the Lethargy Gantherots +1~3 while casting Enfeebling Magic with Saboteur active to increase potency and/or duration (must be worn during spell midcast). The body is used in Enfeebling Magic sets for spells with variable potency such as Frazzle and Distract. The legs increase the potency of Refresh spells and become a nice magic accuracy piece at +3 in situations where Chironic Hose is not needed. The feet bestow the most Enhancing Magic skill and duration available in this slot. At +3 they also become our best option for many different Weapon Skills. At +2~+3 you'll use all 5 pieces in your free nuke set and the legs/feet during magic bursts.



Below are lists of different equipment sets for a variety of different scenarios. These sets are meant to give a general idea of what to gear towards and not be any sort of "Best-in-slot" collection. Feel free to make your own adjustments/gear compromises according to your situation/how you play/how much inventory you're willing to dedicate to the job. Just the space needed for Ambuscade capes alone for Red Mage can make your inventory cry.

Note: Equipment augmented via dark matter are excluded from nearly all sets below unless otherwise noted. Lethargy Earring~+2 has been excluded from nearly all sets except for Enhancing magic duration sets where the NQ version would suffice. Voracious Resurgence reward rings have also been omitted.



Idle sets/damage mitigation sets are an important part of any job's gearsets. Being able to mitigate damage/evade negative status effects is invaluable not only to you, but your entire group.
The Max Refresh set has Colada and all Chironic pieces augmented with +2 Refresh. I don't recommend wasting your Moonshade Earring augment on refresh though unless all your jobs are backline only. How often you use a set like this and how many pieces you utilize will obviously depend on your gear and what kind of buffs you're getting (Ballad, how potent your Refresh is, Escha vorseals, etc.). Feel free to mix these with your -damage taken gear as you see fit. Shamash Robe is still a good substitution if you're lucky enough to have one. A set like this rarely gets used these days, but can still be handy in a pinch.

There are many different options for a Turtle idle set with the introduction of Odyssey gear. The Nyame armor set will give you -38% damage taken and has a physical damage reduction focus due to its high defense. 5/5 Bunzi armor will give you -40% damage taken with a focus on magic damage mitigation and you can reach the -damage taken cap by just adding a Defending Ring. The Malignance armor set is also a good choice while giving -31% damage taken. The Empyrean +3 head, body and hands are also great options to swap in. An honorable mention goes to the Ayanmo +2 armor set that comes in at -20% damage taken (-23% if you add the Ayanmo ring) for newer players. You don't need all the extra -damage taken listed in the above set, they are just listed to provide options for any substitutions you may wish to make. Some other notable mentions include the Suit Of Adamantite Armor and Null Masque.

Many options from the turtle set can apply to the magic evasion set, you'll just need to adjust your accessories to cap damage reduction accordingly. The above set will grant a massive +782 magic evasion not including the +elemental resistance on a few pieces of gear. You'll also get a hefty +48 magic defense bonus while overcapping -damage taken at -53%. Shadow Ring is a good substitue if you anticipate taking excessive magic AOE. Null Belt and Null Shawl are also great options.
Cape augments: [MND +20/Evasion +20/Magic Evasion +45]


As you get enough gear together you'll want to create different Enfeebling Magic sets depending on the spell you're using and the situation your using it for. If you're just starting out, just use whatever gives you the most magic accuracy until you start to develop more gear/merits/job points that will allow you to take adantage of Enfeebling Magic potency/duration gear. Being able to land your spells consistently in the first place is more important when starting out than anyting else.

Note: For all Enfeebling magic that varies in potency, Lethargy Gantherots +1~3 will be the best piece to use while Saboteur is active to maximize spell potency.


Here's an example of an Enfeebling magic starter set with easily attainable pieces. If you're just getting to 119 you have some options including the Weatherspoon +1 set sold by Vesca in the Peacekeeper's Coalition in Eastern Adoulin, the Agantyr set obtained by participating in Domain Invasion and sold by Zurim in Norg, and the Jhakri armor set bought with hallmarks earned in Ambuscade from Gorpa-Masorpa in Mhaura.


This set is pretty self explainatory. It's for when you need to land an Enfeebling Magic spell. Murgleis is obviously not required, just use whatever weapon combo that will give you the most magic accuracy. Acuity Belt +1, Null Belt, Null Shawl are also a good alternatives. If casting spells that are not Enfeebling Magic, Empyrean +3 pieces can be substituted in. Swap in whatever duration or potency pieces you feel are beneficial.


Here are some maximum potency Frazzle III/Distract III sets. Gearing for these spells can be a little confusing if you don't know how they work. Their base potency is determined by Enfeebling magic skill and, to a lesser extent, dMND. The formulas for each are below:

Frazzle III: Potency = [Floor(6/21)(Enfeebling Skill - 205)] + Floor(dMND/5); where dMND/5 caps at 0 and 10
Distract III: Potency = [Floor(6/21)(Enfeebling Skill - 190)] + Floor(dMND/5); where dMND/5 caps at 0 and 10

Frazzle III caps at 625 skill and Distract III caps at 610 skill, however, actually reaching the cap is not super important. You will get much more potency by mixing Enfeebling magic skill and Enfeebling Magic Effect + gear. This is because Enfeebling Magic Effect + gear allows you to reach higher levels of -magic evasion/evasion than with just skill alone. The first set will give a job master Red Mage with Enfeebling magic merits 613 Enfebling magic skill and Enfeebling Magic Effect +54 while still retaining a decent amount of magic accuracy.
You can swap out hands for Kaykaus Cuffs +1 or legs for Chironic Hose if you need some extra magic accuracy while sacrificing very little in potency in the first set. If using Grioavolr for potency, be aware of it's lower overall magic accuracy compared to other weapon combos, even if it is well augmented. This set can also double as your Poison II set if you adjust accordingly for INT.

Master Level Update: After aquiring some Master Levels and better gear you can leave the Contemplator +1 behind and still maintain a very high if not maxed potency Frazzle/Distract and use a better weapon combo.

Psycloth Lappas Path D, Cape is augmented with [MND +30/Magic accuracy +20/Magic damge +20].


This set is for casting spells that depend only on dMND for potency (Paralyze/Slow/Addle). For these spells you want to focus on adding in as much MND and Enfeebling Magic Effect + gear while still maintaining a reasonable amount of magic accuracy. If you know your target will not need Immunobreaks you can swap in Lethargy Fuseau +3. Use whatever weapon/shield combo that will get you the most MND and magic accuracy for you situation. This set can also be used to cast Blind II (adjust gear for INT accordingly).
Chironic Hose augmented with MND and magic accuracy, Cape augmented with [MND +30/Magic accuracy +20/Magic damage +20].


The above set is for casting spells that do not vary in potency such as Silence, Sleep, Petrify and Bind. The goal here is to squeeze in as much duration increasing gear without sacrificing much in terms of magic accuracy. With Empy +3 out now it is much easier than before the get the most duration out of these spells. Substituting Chironic Hose is a must if you need Immunobreaks.


This is a common way to setup Dia/Inundation. Since Dia and Inundation cannot be resisted you can cast in maximum duration gear (the Empyrean armor set Composure bonus increases Enfeebling magic duration). For Dia, you can add or focus on Enfeebling magic effect + gear to increase its DoT effect if you'd like (Dia's defense down effect will remain static). Each % of effect + gear will give you 1 extra dmg/tick. Fill in the empty slots with whatever useful stats you'd like. Lethargy Gantherots +1 or better can be swapped in if you don't have Regal cuffs.

For Bio III you need 400 Dark magic skill to cap its DoT effect (17 damage/tick max). Personally, i wouldn't worry about going out of my way to get gear for an infrequently used spell with such a miniscule DoT effect, but in case you just have to have one, there's a set listed above. Just like Dia, Bio's attack down effect remains static regardless of skill level. But, as said before, the amount of DoT is miniscule so don't waste your time. Bio is unaffected by Enfeebling magic effect + and Enfeebling magic duration gear as it is classified as Dark magic.



Here are some Cure sets to aim for. If you plan to take advantage of weather effects you can swap in Chatoyant Staff, Twilight Cape, or Hachirin-no-obi as needed. If just starting out Tamaxchi is a great cure piece to use, as is the Vanya armor set. Daybreak is a great curing club if you can get one early. Bunzi's Rod is another great curing piece, although it lacks the Refresh and magic evasion of daybreak. Atrophy Tights +3 can be used instead of Kaykaus legs if you'd like.

I would recommend using a more defensive set similar to the one above. Staying alive is more important than trying squeeze out those last 2HP from your cures.

The Cursna set with Healing magic merits will put you at 542 Healing magic skill as /WHM (578 as /SCH with Light arts active) and +70 Cursna effect.

Kaykaus sets-head and feet path B/body, hands, legs path A. Vanya sets-path B, Cape augments [MND +30/Evasion +20/Magic Evastion +20/Damage taken -5%]



These are some free-nuke sets. The Jhakri armor set is a decent nuking set if you're starting out, and it's free! If you're furtunate enough to have one, Orpheus's Sash will put out the most damage while in range with with no weather bonuses. Add in Hachirin-no-obi if taking advantage of day/weather bonuses.
Amalric gear: body, legs, path A/hands, feet path D, cape [INT +30/Magic accuracy +20/Magic damage +20/Magic attack bonus +10].


Here are some magic burst sets you should aim for. NQ Ea head, body and legs are just fine along with Jhakri Pigaches +2 if just starting out. DO NOT waste your time with Ea Pigaches, even NQ Jhakri Pigaches beat them out by a considerable amount due to the severe lack of INT. Not even HQ Ea feet are not worth it. Swap in Orpheus's Sash if within range without weather bonuses or Hachirin-no-obi if taking advantage of day/weather bonuses. When /NIN use Daybreak in the offhand (or Maxentius if you don't have one).
Amalric-hands and feet path D, cape [INT +30/Magic accuracy +20/Magic damage +20/Magic attack bonus +10].


The Crepuscular Cloak and it's level 90 version the Twilight Cloak allow you to cast the incredibly underrated spell Impact. It gives the target all stats down -20% while dealing some dark elemental damage. You'll want to stack as much magic accuracy as you can so the duration of the debuff does not get resisted. Don't be afraid of its 666MP cost, if you're /SCH just use Parsimony to cut that cost in half. Null Belt and Null Shawl are good alternatives if you have them. You can obtain the Twilight Cloak from the Shinryu fight at the end of the Abyssea storyline. The Crepuscular Cloak can be had from the High-Tier Mission Battlefield of the same fight. Be prepared to do the fight multiple times as the drop rate is abysmal. A.M.A.N Trove will likely be the "easiest" route of obtaining one.


Here are some pieces you can use when casting Drain/Aspir. I don't recommend using full Merlinic gear due to it's lack of magic accuracy. Since RDM has such abysmally low native Dark magic skill you'll want to start with a magic accuracy set and swap in accessories first that have Drain/Aspir Potency + on them as your magic accuracy allows.
Merlinic pieces augmented with Drain/Aspir Potency +.



These are the main Enhancing Magic sets. The first is used for casting tier I Enspells and Temper II. Nothing complex, just stack as much Enhancing Magic skill as possible.
The second set is for self casting static potency spells like Haste. Swapping in Vitiation Gloves +3 when casting Gain spells with the above set as Job Master RDM will cap Gain- potency. Eventually, some spells will hit the duration cap of 30 minutes with Composure active which will allow you to remove some duration gear in favor of some more defensive gear while casting on yourself.
The third set is for casting static potency Enhancing magic on others like Haste, -storm spells if /SCH and Phalanx II on others. Just make sure you swap in some Enhancing magic skill accessories to reach the cap of 500 if needed for Phalanx.
The last set is for casting Refresh. Swap in Embla Sash when casting Refresh on others.
Colada augmented with +4 Enhancing Magic duration, Telchine Cap/Braconi augmented with Duskdim Stone +10% Enhancing magic duration, Ghostfyre cape augmented with [Enhancing magic skill +10/Enhancing magic duration +20].


This Phalanx set will put you just over the cap at 502 Enhancing magic skill at job master with Enhancing magic skill merits and +22 Phalanx received for a total of -57 damage reduction. Remember, this is for self cast Phalanx only. If you're lucky enough to have dark matter augmented Merlinic or Chironic gear with Phalanx +4-5 swap those in. Don't forget to swap out Enhancing magic skill pieces for other more beneficial stats as you gain master levels.
All Taeon pieces augmented with Duskdim stones with +3 Phalanx received, cape augmented with [Enhancing magic skill +10/Enhancing magic duration +20].


Here are a few utility sets. For the Aquaveil set you can swap in Chironic Hat if you don't have Amalric. The above set will prevent 8 spell interruptions. In the second set you can swap in what you need to reach the 102% spell interrupt cap for whatever you're casting(must be worn during spell casting). Chironic Gloves can be augmented with up to 11% spell intterupt down, and the cape is augmented with 10% spell interrupt down.
The above Stoneskin pieces will raise the cap to 475 HP Stoneskin. The hat and sword are only needed if you are not capped on fast cast for some reason. Fill in the rest with whatever you you deem necessary.
Cape augments:
SIRD-[Spell Interruption Rate Down 10%]


The first set is all Fast Cast which caps at 80%. Red Mage gets 30% from traits natively and another 8% from job points for a total of 38% Fast Cast. You do not need every piece to reach the cap so use what you need and fill the rest with whatever gear suits your situation. Normally, only Atrophy Chapeau +3, Vitiation Tabard +3, and Merlinic Crackows augmented with at least +6 Fast Cast are needed to reach the cap when Job Master. The second set is for Quick Magic if you choose to take advantage of it. Quick Magic caps at 10% so, again, use what you need. Notable mentions: Voltsurge Torque, Kaykaus Tights +1, Volte Gloves, Volte Brais.
Merlinic Crackows augmented with Fern stones.
Cape augments: [Fast Cast +10%]


Before we get to the actual melee sets, it cannot be overstated that the bar for entry is high if you decide you want to melee effectively on Red Mage. Despite the addition of the Malignance armor set, this job still has a limited selection of melee equipment and melee boosting abilities. You'll find that your damage will not really begin to take off until you get access to Temper II (which is 1200 job points away) and obtain a good Enhancing magic skill set.

Note: All TP sets assume /NIN with capped magic haste. If meleeing as /DNC or with a subjob that does not grant dual wield, swap in equipment more beneficial to your situation.


This is a very good starter set for RDM melee with relatively easy to obtain gear. This set caps gear haste at 26% and dual wield at +11, and comes with 44-49 Store TP depending on your Unity ranking. The best part is it only relies on one piece of Taeon gear if you're not a fan of the random augment system.
If you're just starting out and need something to swing a sword in the Ayanmo set from Ambuscade is a good place to start.
Taeon augments: [Snowslit-Accuracy +25/Leafslit-Triple attack +2/Dusktip-DEX +10], Carmine legs path D, Carmine feet path B, cape augmented with [DEX +20/Accuracy +30/Attack +20/Store TP +10].


The Malignance Armor set is the ultimate melee set for Red Mage with large amounts of accuracy, magic accuracy, Store TP, -Damage taken and a very large helping of magic evasion. Whether you're focusing on physical or magical damage, this is the set you'll likely be in a majority of the time while on the front line. Focusing on gaining TP quickly to unleash Weapon Skills swiftly is normally the most effective strategy to increase your damage. The above sets are just 2 examples of how to build out a TP set. Sailfi Belt +1 can be a good substitute waist piece if you don't have Windbuffet Belt +1. Eventually, you will want to swap in Bunzi's Hat when it's close to R30. If you're using Crocea Mors and happen to be in a slower paced encounter where Enspell damage will count for more, then swapping in Ayanmo Manopolas +2 and Orpheus's Sash will significantly increase the output of your Enspells.
Cape augmented with [DEX +20/+30 accuracy/+20 attack/Dual Wield +10]


Note: All Nyame Armor is assumed to be R15 or above


This set serves as the basis for many different weapon skills due to Red Mage's lack of melee equipment selection and covers Savage Blade/Death Blossom/Knights of Round/Black Halo. With the advent of path B Nyame upon us begging Oseem for WSD augments on gear for RDM is mostly a thing of the past. This set can also be used for Mercy Stroke, Ruthless Stroke, and Imperator. Pre-Nyame set shown for those working up to Nyame. Shukuyu Ring and Rufescent Ring are decent substitutes for those starting out. Moonshade Earring is augmented with TP Bonus +250. For Weapon Skills that do not scale with TP feel free to swap in something like Ishvara Earring in place of Moonshade Earring. If you have enough buffs to take advantage of Physical Damage Limit+ gear you can swap in Crepuscular Pebble and Malignance Gloves as needed.
Cape augmented with [STR +30/Accuracy +20/Attack +20/WSD +10%]


Here is a Chant du Cynge/Evisceration set. Critical hit rate + and DEX are your friends here. If you are not capped on attack you can swap in Lethargy Sayon +3 or Nyame Mail and Nyame Gauntlets path B. If you're just starting out, just use whatever you have that has the most DEX and +Attack. Beware when using Begrudging Ring as you will take an extra 10% damage which is substantial in a set that is already very weak defensively.
Cape augmented with [DEX +30/Accuracy +20/Attack +20/Critical hit rate +10].


Sanguine Blade is one of the main weapon skills you'll use with Crocea Mors path C. Not only can you deal steady magic damage spamming this Weapon Skill, it is also basically a full cure each time you use it making you very hard to take down.
If you pair Crocea Mors with Daybreak and Weatherspoon Ring +1 you can boost Seraph Blade from a lackluster weapon skill to a magic damge powerhouse. Pairing Thibron and chaining Seraph Blade/Red Lotus Blade is also a great way to deal significant damage to your target.
Aeolian Edge is basically just used for cleaving groups of monsters efficiently.
For these sets, you can substitue in Empyrean +2~3 armor if you don't have access to high ranking Nyame and still have excellent results.

Side note: magical weapon skills cannot miss, but they can be resisted. When using Sanguine Blade with Crocea stack MND, otherwise use INT. Seraph Blade uses MND/STR, Aeolian Edge/Red Lotus Blade use INT.
Moonshade Earring augmented with TP Bonus +250,Capes augmented with:
Sanguine Blade with Crocea Mors/Seraph Blade [MND +30/Magic accuracy +20/Magic damage +20/WSD +10]
Sanguine Blade without Crocea Mors/Aeolian Edge/Red Lotus Blade [INT +30/Magic accuracy +20/Magic damage +20/WSD +10]


Requiescat is not a weapon skill that is often used unless performing mulit-step skillchains or using it to break Caturae shields as a result of its low damage output. You'll want to focus mainly on MND for this weapon skill as its modifier pretty significant (85%). Attack and accuracy will be your other main focuses as this weapon skill has an attack penalty below 3000 TP (-20% at 1000 TP, -10% at 2000 TP, -0% at 3000 TP). No matter what you do, this Weapon Skill will do terrible damage, so don't sweat it.
Moonshade earring augmented with TP Bonus +250, cape augments [MND +30/Accuracy +20/Attack +20/Double Attack +10%]. ~Honestly, just use whatever MND Weapon Skill cape you already have made and save yourself some space.


If you happen to be using Ullr to multi-step with Empyreal Arrow, or Exalted Bow +1 with Arching Arrow, these are the sets you'll want to aim for. These are the only Fusion based weapon skills Red Mage has access to outside of the Knights of Round granted by Excalibur. Stack as much ranged accuracy as you can to compensate for Red Mage's low native Archery skill. You can use 5/5 Nyame path B if you want your ranged Weapon Skills to hit a little harder at the cost of around 70 ranged accuracy. Cape augmented with [AGI +30/Ranged accuracy +30/Ranged attack +20/WSD +10%].


These sets are for the famed 0 TP Enspell strategy for encounters such as the Odin HTBF. Grab the lowest delay 1 Dmg daggers you can find. Every now and then you can get some decent ones from Ambuscade rewards or monthly campaigns. The first set is for group settings where you're lucky enough to have capped magic haste to allow for greater gear flexibility. The second set is for when you're on your own relying solely on Haste II for attack speed. Fencer's Ring is also an option if you don't mind sitting at yellow HP.
Taeon Boots Augmented with [DEX +10/Accuracy +25/Dual Wield +5]
Cape augments:
Ghostfyre Cape: [Magic Accuracy +10/Enhancing Magic Skill +10]
Sucellos's Cape: [DEX +20/Accuracy +30/Attack +20/Dual Wield +10]


Before you go into battle you need to know whether you will need to focus on magical or physical damage. Crocea will be your magic damage dealing sword, while most others will be for physical damage. Below I'll list some of the main weapon combos in no particular order.

Crocea Mors/Daybreak: This weapon combo will bring out the best in Seraph Blade. Due to its fTP scaling you want fire off at above 2000TP where it's fTP really starts to take off. Best used against enemies with little to no magic damage resistance in conjunction with a GEO using Malaise/Acumen.

Crocea Mors/Thibron: This setup allows you to put out great damage against enemies weak to magic by endlessly chaining Red Lotus Blade and Seraph Blade together.

Crocea Mors/Bunzi's Rod: Use this pairing if you plan to only spam Sanguine Blade and you have enough points invested in the rod to beat out Daybreak.

Naegling/Thibron: If you're in need of physical damage and not able to skillchain, this is an amazing option as it's easy as a RDM to stack a bunch of buffs to take advantage of Naegling's attack boost. Spamming Savage Blade at 1000TP is the way to go with with the TP bonus sword. I wouldn't recommend holding TP as Savage Blade's fTP falls off sharply after 2000TP (which you will have reached at 1000TP with Thibron). It even does very well at attack cap due to the boost it gives to Savage Blade.

Maxentius/Thibron: A surprisingly good combo for Red Mage DPS that can keep up with Naegling with full buffs. Obviously the best option against enemies weak to blunt type weapons.

Murgleis/Thibron/Ullr: With AM3 up this combo opens up some skillchaining fun. Death Blossom>CDC>Empyreal Arrow>Savage Blade>CDC is a very potent 5-step skillchain with this setup. Mostly for solo play.

Tauret/Thibron: Mainly used for cleaving with Aeolian Edge. Can also be useful in Dynamis D if you have a GEO running Malaise/Acumen to help clear fodder enemies. Bunzi's Rod and Daybreak are also a good offhand options.

Excalibur/Gleti's Knife: Knights of the Round can open up some surprisingly potent self-skillchaining options when solo or low man. Savage Blade>CDC>Knights>Savage Blade>Knights is a wonderful skillchain combo.


The following are examples of the foods you'll use:

Marine Stewpot: This food is great if you are on the frontlines meleeing and casting on physically/magically evasive enemies. The magic accuracy will help keep your Enspells and magical weapon skills from being resisted. This has a three hour base duration and is an AoE food. Does not stack and can be expensive/tough to get depending on your server unless you're friends with a crafter.

Rolanberry Daifuku: A good alternative to the Marine Stewpot for when you're melee mage on the frontlines against evasive enemies. This food stacks and can be found at the Curio Vendor Moogle.

Tropical Crepe: Good magic accuracy food to use when you're mainly backline. Stacks and can be found on the auction house.

Pear Crepe: Cheap magic accuracy. Found at the Curio Vendor Moogle.

Oden: New food introduced with the Voracious Resurgence missions that makes for another very good Marine Stewpot alternative. Stacks and can be bought off of the auction house.

Sublime Sushi: The most popular way to boost your accuracy when focusing mostly on physical damage. Easily attainable at your local auction house.

Red Curry Bun: If you don't have accuracy concerns and are going for mainly physical damage this is a cheap and effective attack food. Can be found at the Curio Vendor Moogle.

Miso Ramen: Defense and magic evasion rolled into one. Stacks, can be found on the auction house.


Whether you plan to stay in the backline or join the fray, you will need to learn many different aspects of game mechanics (or nearly all of them if you do both). Wonder why your're having a difficult time landing Frazzle on that bat? If meleeing /NIN or /DNC, do you know how much Dual Wield + gear you need to cap weapon delay? Are you better off using Naegling or Crocea for the upcoming battle? Should you magic burst if there are others in your party who are significantly more capable at that task? At what TP should you be using Savage Blade?
All of the above questions pertain to different aspects of the game and all are relevant to Red Mage in one way or another.

Aside from game learning game mechanics, the most important trait of a good RDM is situational awareness. This is not only important when fulfilling your primary job of enfeebling, but due to the sheer amount of tools you have at your disposal you'll need to be ready to fulfill multiple different roles at a moment's notice.


Let's start with the scenario you'll most likely find yourself in when starting out. As a back line caster your main focus will likely be debuffing enemies and buffing your party/alliance, but things can vary depending on your role in a pt and subjob. Red Mage can be an incredibly busy job when things get going, therefore, knowing what spells to prioritize or outright ignore depending on your situation/kill speed/enemy type will benefit you immensely. Much of this knowledge can be found out before hand through research. Other bits, unfortunately, are only going to come through experience. Let's start with debuffs:

Not a spell but- Saboteur: With the updates to Saboteur use it as often as you can. There will be some situations on some content where you'll want to time it with certain debuffs. Otherwise, go crazy.

Silence: This needs to be your #1 priority for enemies with dangerous spells. Get silence on before your entire group is incapacitated by sleep/break/paralyga/silence/etc, or to keep GEO's from casting bubbles. If you're having trouble landing Silence make sure to land Frazzle before hand to increase your chances of success.

Dia III: This is usually your first priority if . Communicate with any Corsairs in your party so they can use Light Shot to increase its defense down effect.

Impact: You'll want to use this on NM's before you cast any other spells that rely on stat modifiers to give them a boost. Don't forget Spontaneity exists to save on casting time. Due to it's MP cost and very long casting time I would save this for NM's.

Frazzle III: Prioritize this if you need the extra magic accuracy to land your other spells or to keep your Enspells from getting resisted if you're on the frontlines. Also nice to land to help out other casters or magical damage dealers in your group.

Distract III: Cast if your DD are below the accuracy cap, or if the enemy throws out a lot of Blind/Accuracy down status effects. Also helpful to completely negate the evasion boost TP moves of some enemies.

Paralyze II: This spell can be a life saver when it procs on a dangerous spell (Meteor) and can turn Hundred Fists into a non-issue.

Slow II: Situationally useful. Many higher level enemies have some form of Regain so it's not as useful for them.

Addle II: Useful to cut down on status ailments from enemies and to increase spell cast time on harmless casters. It's also nice to Addle ninjas in Dynamis [D] to lower the chances of death if Mijin Gakure goes off.

Inundation: Prioritize this if DD in your pt are using different weapon types or if your strategy specifically incorporates skillchains. Otherwise ignore.

Blind II: Very niche for evasion tanking. Otherwise, bottom of the priority list.

Poison II: If you're in a long fight cast it.

Bio III: Highly situational. You'll need a very good reason to use over Dia III.

Dispel/Dispelga: High priority for enemies with spells and TP abilities that greatly enhance their capabilites (Defense Boost/Protect/Shell/Dread Spikes/etc).

When it comes to crowd control, your party setup and subjob will determine how you deal with it. Crowd control is pretty simple as /BLM with Sleepga and as /SCH with Manifestation you can turn Sleep/Sleep II/Break/Bind/Gravity I into AoE spells. With /WHM you get an extra crowd control spell with Repose, but no AoE abilities. When keeping an enemy at bay you can hold it indefinitely (barring increasing resistances) with Sleep, then overwrite with Sleep II, then when sleep II is about to wear cast Break or Bind and reapply Sleep when it wakes. Use Gravity/Gravity II as a safety net when reapplying Bind on enemies that cannot be slept. Enemy resistances/immunities must be taken into consideration.

One thing that is not often talked about is setting up efficient macros. Everyone likes to do things differently. The important part is that you devise a macro layout where you can access important spells, abilites, gearsets, etc. with ease and most importantly speed. For example: I like to have one macro line dedicated to the most used debuffs in order of priority so I can easily skip anything down the line that isn't needed on the current enemy. That's just how I do it, so create a setup that works best for you and what you do most.

Make sure your Config. settings are set to show your damage in the chat log if you need to see why your spells may not be landing in important fights to get the different types of resist messages.

Did you know you can magic burst Enfeebling magic? An enemy's magic evasion is at its lowest during a skillchain which will allow you to land spells that would otherwise be incredibly difficult to stick outside of using Elemental Seal or Stymie. Just make sure the elemental properties of the spell you are using correlate to the skillchain being performed. Spell potency is unaffected when magic bursting Enfeebling magic, only magic accuracy is affected.

Speaking of magic bursts, if your strategy involves magic bursting elemental magic on an NM and there are other jobs much better equipped to do so, do not attemp to magic burst unless you are coordinating with the other mages. This is because every spell of matching elemental damage that is cast after the first receives a damage penalty (up to 60%) for 1 second after the initial cast, and for 4 seconds afterwards the damage penalty is halved. This is commonly referred to as the Nuke Wall. That means if you magic burst Thunder V in very poor gear for 20k on a light skillchain, the Black Mage's Thunder spell that lands right after yours that would have done 80k now only does 32K. As you can easily see, this loss of damage could have been avoided if you just timed your spell to land 2 seconds after the Black Mage. If you are well geared and nuke on par with/better than the other mages then by all means do so, but it is best to communicate with others in order to set up proper spell timing. Be aware that the nuke wall only applies to Notorious Monsters, so magic burst to your heart's content any other time.

If you're having trouble landing spells in potency gear, try landing Frazzle II first in full magic accuracy gear. This will give your target a minimum of -40 magic evasion without Saboteur. Then overwrite with Frazzle III in potency gear. Don't forget to have Saboteur active for an extra magic accuracy and potency boost. Be aware that Frazzle is a darkness based spell, and as such, you will have a more difficult time landing it on enemies with high Dark resistance.

As a general rule, keep Composure up. There are niche circumstances where you would want cast without Composure active, but they are rare.

It is also important to know what to prioritize when maintaining a buff rotation during longer events. It is very important not to let Haste II fall off your DD's as it is a huge hit to DPS. Instead of waiting for it to wear, use another buff you cast on someone else with a somewhat similar duration like Refresh III as you indicator to start recasting Haste II soon. Once you start seeing Refresh starting to wear you know you'll need to start recasting Haste, and do so when the next opportunity presents itself. Don't forget to Flurry your ranged DPS!

I don't think it really needs to be said but keep your mages refreshed. There are a few exceptions that need to be mentioned. Communicate with your White Mages and Scholars as they may want to stick to using Sublimation. There are some niche occasions when DD's that are using Schere Earring will need Refresh. Don't forget to Refresh the DRK!

When your role is backup/main healer the most important things to prioritize will be keeping people alive and negative status removal (if subjob allows). You'll want to learn which tp moves inflict what status effects so you know which ones to keep an eye out for. Paralyze and Slow are absolute DPS killers so prioritize those first. Curse can be very dangerous if the enemy also has potent AoE abilities. Doom is obviously top priority whenever it lands on a party member. If you're grouped with a White Mage, don't overwrite their barspells. A WHM's barspells are significantly more potent than yours. Also, cast Haste on your WHM to help keep their recast timers down, they'll appreciate it.

In the case of a wipe/near wipe you have some decisions to make. Depending on your group's abilities and the content you may be able to hold the enemy and recover with a Chainspell/Raise of the group's dead. Other times you may want to just take the full wipe, but before doing so you can toss out a max duration Dia III if it has worn to prevent enemy HP regen in many cases while your group recovers. Also, be aware that you can use Spontaneity on other party members. Targeting your White Mage with this ability will allow them to cast Arise twice in a row and cut down on the amount of people waiting for weakness to wear.



There may be times where you are not super busy doing Red Mage stuff and you'll have time to join the front lines, or maybe you just want to see how your developing melee sets stack up. As long as you're not getting too sucked in watching your numbers roll by and neglecting your duties (this can happen very easily) and you're not doing it at inappropriate times, go wild. If you can stay frontline full time without being a liability, go for it. Just be wary of enemy AoE (Malignance armor set is great for this). There are times where the extra TP you feed the enemy from your attacks could be more detrimental to your party than if you had just stayed in the back line. You will eventually get a feel for these scenarios as time goes on. If you're messing around with your friends/LS, do whatever and have fun.



If you are brought into a group specifically to be on the frontlines then your focus will obviously shift towards contributing to your party's overall DPS and hopefully you are geared well enough and knowledgable enough to perform at a respectable level. If you want to be able to contribute meaningfully through melee DPS you need Temper II, end of discussion. The bar for entry is very high when it comes to RDM DPS and will require even more gear sets if you plan to do it effectively in a variety of situations.

Also, it would be a good idea to learn how skillchains work. You can find all the info you need here. You'll find that unless you're using Ullr/Exalted Bow +1/Excalibur, there is a distinct lack of weapon skills that we can use that have the Fusion property. Keep this in mind when setting up skillchains with other players.
Sanguine Blade does not have any weapon skill properties, so you can spam it all you want and not interrupt anyone else's skillchains.

Lastly, just because you are specifically invited to do DPS does not mean you can ignore all the other tools you have at your disposal. If someone is about to eat dirt and your WHM is busy, toss out a cure to your fellow party member. Being a team player means taking a hit to your own DPS sometimes for the benefit of the group.


Just some quick points: With capped magic haste (43.75%) as /NIN you will need +11 Dual Wield from gear to cap weapon delay, and if /DNC you need +21 from gear. If you only have the Haste II (30%) you can provide yourself you'll need +31 Dual Wield when /NIN and +41 while /DNC. If you are either /DNC or are grouped with a Dancer you can take advantage of Haste Samba to reduce the amount of Dual Wield gear you need. Just remember, Enspells overwrite Haste Samba and do not stack. If you'd like a super detailed explaination about Attack Speed, please read the wall of text on this page.