Quote Originally Posted by Numquam View Post
I don't get why people want RDM to melee? I mean, it is just another backline job.
But its not, if you take away RDM's melee power you get a SCH who has Refresh instead of Sublimation, Enfeebling, weaker heals, weaker nukes, some self buffs, less unique party buffs(Phalanx II), and Convert. The sad part is RDM does not really even have all of that compared to SCH because SCH's best sub is RDM, meaning it takes away RDM's only unique party buff because of Accession, Convert, and all but 2 non-merit Enfeebling spells. So RDM's key differences in that case become... Refresh, weaker healing, weaker nukes, some self buffs, merit Enfeebling, Addle, Gravity II, and no JAs that really help its magic besides composure which is great but beaten on other players even with all +duration gear when you count in SCH's Perpetuance. In essence even if we sub SCH we gain a couple spells and their Arts but lack real stratagem use which means we are still weaker than SCH is just about every possible way.

Making us a back line job only would leave us as just a gimp version of SCH, and any attempt to make our magic side stronger is basically stepping on SCH's toes unless its via Enhancing or Enfeebling. Enfeebling is great except if its of any great use like Amnesia or such it will become impossible to land, look at the new NMs and Silence for example, it is possible to land Silence on them, I have done it, but even if you do, even with Elemental seal it lasts about 5~10 seconds and wears instantly, Amnesia would do the same, so the spell is gimped. Enhancing magic is either going to be not enough to invite the job or its going to do nothing but bring back buff cycling, we can not hit 500 Enhancing Magic skill and have full duration gear, the best we can do it 2 pieces of AF3+2 with duration Feet & Back, so we still are cycling it quite a bit.

I myself do not think that buffing our magic side is needed, I think we have exactly what we need for it, we have the best nuking gear, a good tier trait for it, best recast times, T4s, I think were going good on that, and healing, well you can cap Cure Potency with just 5 pieces of gear, 7 if you lack Iaso Head, and none of it includes your weapon, which effects the next part. Melee is in need of assistance, while we can cure well, and we can nuke well, our melee is very sub-par because we are left off of almost any gear of real use for it which drags us down a ton.