Spoilers*Test Server

[SpankWustler]

2 set points and 32MP, and your wanting it to be your best damage spell? It already does more damage then spells that are twice as expensive and have higher set point costs. There has to be a down side somewhere (high MP cost, longer cast time, high set point cost, or low accuracy).

Personally, I would be a lot happier if all aspects of Heavy Strike, including MP cost, were increased to normal levels, with the automatic critical aspect left intact. This would make Heavy Strike a great spell for anything that has more defense than a 95 year old cancer sufferer waiting out his last two days under Hospice care. Reduced accuracy was a lame draw-back to pick for a spell which is best on really hard monsters.

Well, unless this spell just sets a precedent for the unique qualities that single-hit spells will possess for here onward. In that case, awesome work development bros. Keep them coming. Me gusta. Feels good man. Etc.

[saevel]

I could understand them making it a 90+MP spell with 4 set points, then it's just the natural upgrade from VC / BT type spells.

[Nightfyre]

2 set points and 32MP, and your wanting it to be your best damage spell?

No. I want it to be an efficient spell in a specific niche where we are largely lacking in utility. It's not nearly as good as you're making it out to be on lesser mobs.

[saevel]

No. I want it to be an efficient spell in a specific niche where we are largely lacking in utility. It's not nearly as good as you're making it out to be on lesser mobs.

Umm the SS's of 6K aren't "as good" huh?

Its 32MP and 2 set points, and you want it to beat out GR/BT/VC/QC and so forth? Cause that's all that your saying.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

Not everyone has a place in every type of content.

[Prothscar]

Umm the SS's of 6K aren't "as good" huh?

Its 32MP and 2 set points, and you want it to beat out GR/BT/VC/QC and so forth? Cause that's all that your saying.

Those 6ks are with every possible buff/JA that BLU has, numbers that can already be reached with Sneak Attack if you really cared to replicate them. Doing a 6k Heavy Strike on an Easy prey clionid in abyssea is a very far cry from doing consistent and worthwhile damage on a notorious monster that actually matters.

The people on these boards that have absolutely no idea how BLU works and go around spouting how amazing and powerful it is never fail to amaze me. Idiots, the lot.

Do go try any spell that Blue Mage currently has access to on any monster that checks above VT, especially higher level NMs. You'll be lucky to hit over 500.

[Prothscar]

Not everyone has a place in every type of content.

This is the stupidest argument I've ever read, and that's saying a lot after considering gems like Rosina. You're justifying a poor form of game design, by no means should it be that anyone should ever have to sit out or not be included in something because of their poorly implemented job mechanics or poorly implemented battle systems.

[SpankWustler]

Not everyone has a place in every type of content.

I agree that it's totally okay for some jobs to be stronger or weaker in certain content, but Blue Mage and Voidwatch are currently mix like cat poop and a nice Cuban sandwich. Physical spells performing poorly on harder stuff is to be expected, but the way the proc system operates currently is awful for anyone playing Blue Mage during the event.

This could change a bit, since apparently the hints for procs on the test server are more detailed, but right now the proc system is awful for Blue Mage (and Summoner to a lesser extent) by design. Not awful by way of exclusion, either. Awful by way of inclusion.

[Nightfyre]

Umm the SS's of 6K aren't "as good" huh?

Ah yes, Abyssea... the one place where this spell is useful, because critical damage is inflated beyond all reason there. The problem is, by that logic it's a new spell for old content. If SE had released a retooled, slightly weaker/more expensive version of this spell in the Scars version update I doubt anyone would have complained, but Abyssea is not the focus of the game anymore.

Outside Abyssea, an older spell called Delta Thrust is far superior to Heavy Strike when fighting lower level/def mobs. It's slightly cheaper, it does about the same damage as Heavy Strike in these relatively low-def situations, and it has half the recast. The only reason you'd use Heavy Strike at all in this situation is because you'll already have it set for DA trait and can thus sneak in an extra Delta Thrust equivalent every ~30 seconds. The acc nerf will not have much impact here, and the heavy duty spells are still superior for per-cast damage if you're working with a strong refresh rate.

For higher level NMs, I've found myself turning to an old mainstay. Regurgitation is as efficient as ever, putting out ~500 damage per cast on Voidwatch NMs. Furthermore, I'm completely safe while doing this because I will never take hate and I will never be in range of any avoidable AoE. Heavy Strike, as you saw, is doing less than that on a 90 cap NM at 95, meaning it will perform worse vs 95 cap NMs whereas I'm likely to see the same results that I currently do with Regurgitation at 90 cap vs anything at 95 cap that doesn't resist water damage or has innate MDT. Regurgitation's recast is also lower.

So what I see here is a new spell with the potential to fill a niche - efficient physical spell vs high-level NMs - and it's been nerfed into the ground for those NMs because of how dire the need for acc is in that situation even without a penalty. What we have now is a new spell for old content instead of a new spell that will lead the way into new content... and really, why shouldn't we get new and effective spells? There will be more spells at 99, and some of them may replace old mainstays. I'm okay with that. But not once in this entire discussion, despite your repeated asking, have I sought for Heavy Strike to replace these old physical spells. I've sought for it to fill a niche they never had a place in to begin with.

[Tashan]

You guys are disagreeing with Daniel_Hatcher, but what he's saying is true.

It's not neccesarily how it SHOULD be, but it is how it is.

A large part of it isn't even SE's fault. It's ours. We're always trying to be better and more efficient at what we're doing and critically analyse every last detail in this game to the point of arguement. Or we read other peoples testimonies, and just take the lazy route and copy it.

LV75 Merit Parties - No Room for Black Mages.
Pre-Easy Mode Sky - SAM SAM SAM SAM
Abyssea - Boy, sure is a long time since I've seen a Dragoon.

The only thing with Voidwatch is in the past I've always managed to find a way into completing most content with just BLU. However, it doesn't sound likely with VW.

Which tbh I'm not even sure I'm too bothered by it. I just hope upgrading Almace doesn't have to lead me towards it.