Why are there so many black mages around?

Because it's easy, it's Final Fantasy, it's flashy, it's got dem crits... and (once more) it's really EASY.

I don't see this on midgar, what I do see however is an over abundance of SCH's.

Because it's a very easy to play, flashy and big numbers dps class. There are other reasons, like being the most famous caster in the series, being someone's favorite job since before this game, being a needed job in the FC, etc., but the first three I believe are the most common ones.

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Originally Posted by Renjin

Only if you don't know what you're doing.

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Wide Volley uses 160 tp and unproc-ed Rain of Death is 200. With 1000 TP, you can use 6 before you are too low on TP. Invigorate restores 400 tp but has a 2 minute cooldown. You can use Army's Peon but only as long as you have mana.

In comparison, when a BLM gets low on mana, you can use Transpose or Blizzard 3 to trigger Umbral Ice and you have full mana again in seconds.

It's completely possible to do speedruns with bard. I have been doing bard for expert dungeons since the patch so that if any Shikaree gear dropped, I could "Need" on it instead of hoping to be lucky with Greed rolls. But IMO it's just more fun to use Black Mage. Your mileage may vary.

Because summoner was a let down to a lot of people. Also, tracking DoTs and managing a pet is significantly more difficult compared to the much simpler BLM rotations. Also doesn't help we only have 2 casting dps classes. Since blm is the easier played of the two, it's going to be more popular. Blm is also more bursts which typically becomes more handy than long sustained dps with no burst. At least with a lot of encounters this is the case.

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Originally Posted by Krr

They also generally come out on the top-end of DPS period, too, if they're halfway-decent.

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Generally, top DPS will be fought over by SMN and MNK (I even out-DPSed a BLM on T4 as a SMN, and it was my first T4 as a SMN), then DRG, then BLM, and BRD is last. This assumes about equal skill and gear, and content that doesn't favor one job a ton over another.

BLM is flashy and easy to play, but that also means their skill cap is lower, and overall DPS is too (unless they're able to do some double-Flares on groups of mobs, or get a TON of procs). They're the kings of AoE, especially if they can get multiple crits on Flare, and are great for speed-running. But in raids...IMO, they're better replaced by a SMN if you only want one caster, and will be out-DPSed by everyone but BRD (and can be out-DPSed by BRD if they get very few procs on single-targets) if the skill and gear of the group is about equal.



To answer the OP, its just the whole speed-running of Brayflox that has brought all the BLM out. When every group wants 2 BLM, everyone is dusting off their Stardust Rods and trying to get more caster gear so that they can get Myth faster.

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Originally Posted by TeaTimeBear

I don't see this on midgar, what I do see however is an over abundance of SCH's.

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I do. Did turn 2 all blms...I do agree we have a over abundance of Schs though

Because blm is a fun class :)
I am usually the only one in my group anyhow when i run Ct.
But yes Brayflox HM for example is awesome with a blm and either Bard or summoner. Bard can help with the song ;)
blm's are king of AOE but single targets we can do high damage but casting time and movement is our enemy there.
But hey our procs are higher damage :D

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Originally Posted by skaterger

So what is your reason for playing a black mage?

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http://gamerescape.com/wp-content/up...IV_PS4_FOB.jpg

In all seriousness though I started as a scholar and due to the layout of my group/coil static, I had to go from healer to DPS. Since a lot of caster skills overlap making a BLM was the most viable solution!

I'm sorry all I can see is nose with a mustache staff anymore

They screwed up SMN in this game by making it a Warlock from WoW and not from the FF series so its not surprising everyone is playing a BLM over SMN. If they some day overhaul SMN to be more like the FF series then you will see more people playing it otherwise everyone will just play a BLM.

Black mage seems to be one of the rarer classes I see around. All of the mages seem rare compared to bard, and dragoon to a lesser extent.

i see brds everywhere, but yeah blm is the fotm , SR myth i guess

Probobly a combination of a lot of things. People really like ranged dps and blowing stuff up, the black mage gear looks awesome and along with white mage it's one of the most iconic final fantasy jobs going back to FF1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUVI5ukXcRI&t=2m27s

Its one of the easiest classes? downside is thats exactly what makes it the most boring. I got my BLM to about lvl 32 until I called it quits and went back to SMN. Thats wasn't the only reason though. BLM is the slowest DPS class and many later dungeons require constant movement, its like a turtle compared to the others. SMN, BRD, MNK are my faves. SMN for people who know how to use them are phenomenal. Ive ran a couple dungeon as a SMN with a second SMN who knew what they were doing and we breezed through the dungeon faster than anytime I had a BLM in the party.

Problem with SMN is, many people do not realize its full potential and are half using it a lot of the time. But when you get that person who knows the abilities in and out = Epic dps.

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Originally Posted by Inosaska

They screwed up SMN in this game by making it a Warlock from WoW and not from the FF series so its not surprising everyone is playing a BLM over SMN. If they some day overhaul SMN to be more like the FF series then you will see more people playing it otherwise everyone will just play a BLM.

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They didn't people just can't use SMN right, even being nerfed twice its still an OP class.

BLM main in FFXI.
BLM main 4 life.

too bad sleep control is hardly important in FF14.