Black Mage Sanctuary - A Guide to DPS

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Originally Posted by Lunafreya

Well It could benefit in raids with more accuracy for sure so I'll have to wear it for a6+ I'm not sure on this right now though since I lose a lot of spell speed!

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Well, until you need the accuracy, I would keep the i230 lore as it weights higher than the Midan i240 ring.

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Originally Posted by Milkbeard

Anyone else pumped to see Aikaal posting again?

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Curses! My grand return is foiled!

Anyways, anything I've missed out on BLM-wise for skipping this patch, other than Weeping chest? Quit before it hit and just started again yesterday, and am too lazy to read however many pages it has been since my last post.

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Originally Posted by Waliel

Curses! My grand return is foiled!

Anyways, anything I've missed out on BLM-wise for skipping this patch, other than Weeping chest? Quit before it hit and just started again yesterday, and am too lazy to read however many pages it has been since my last post.

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Just the next relic step, if you're doing one. Deep Dungeon also came out, but it's pretty much dead now I think.

I have a question about situation rotations: Let's say you're in a fight and you've lost Enochian, so you've had to revert to the 2.x rotation. If your Enochian comes off cooldown in the middle of your 2.x Astral Fire rotation, do you:

1) Finish your AF rotation, go through Umbral Ice to replenish MP, then pop Enochian when you go back to Astral Fire,

2) Immediately cast Blizzard III, replenish MP, then pop Enochian when you go back to Astral Fire,

3) Immediately pop Enochian while in Astral Fire, regardless of how much MP you have?

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Originally Posted by ShaolinMike

I have a question about situation rotations: Let's say you're in a fight and you've lost Enochian, so you've had to revert to the 2.x rotation. If your Enochian comes off cooldown in the middle of your 2.x Astral Fire rotation, do you:

1) Finish your AF rotation, go through Umbral Ice to replenish MP, then pop Enochian when you go back to Astral Fire,

2) Immediately cast Blizzard III, replenish MP, then pop Enochian when you go back to Astral Fire,

3) Immediately pop Enochian while in Astral Fire, regardless of how much MP you have?

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Between 1+2 depending on the fight. But I personally almost always will do #2. #3 just sounds like a waste.

I actually have a question I'm hoping someone can answer. I'm an ilvl 237 BLM and I've finished nearly every dungeon/trial/raid available in the game there is to do (Short of a few Extreme primals) and yet I never worked my Archer up to get Quelling Strikes. I keep hearing people being told that Quelling Strikes is a mandatory skill and that BLM cannot be played without it. Often this deters people from going for BLM, so I figured I'd ask, what's the verdict on Quelling Strikes?

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Originally Posted by Reptiletc

I actually have a question I'm hoping someone can answer. I'm an ilvl 237 BLM and I've finished nearly every dungeon/trial/raid available in the game there is to do (Short of a few Extreme primals) and yet I never worked my Archer up to get Quelling Strikes. I keep hearing people being told that Quelling Strikes is a mandatory skill and that BLM cannot be played without it. Often this deters people from going for BLM, so I figured I'd ask, what's the verdict on Quelling Strikes?

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If you get a tank you don't trust to hold hate, then Quelling Strikes won't make you bait.
If you're with a tank that can agro all, then burn your enemies and make them fall.

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Originally Posted by Reptiletc

I actually have a question I'm hoping someone can answer. I'm an ilvl 237 BLM and I've finished nearly every dungeon/trial/raid available in the game there is to do (Short of a few Extreme primals) and yet I never worked my Archer up to get Quelling Strikes. I keep hearing people being told that Quelling Strikes is a mandatory skill and that BLM cannot be played without it. Often this deters people from going for BLM, so I figured I'd ask, what's the verdict on Quelling Strikes?

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The requirement of QS is not black and white. 3 factors will determine if it's necessary: The skill of the BLM, the skill of the MT, and the composition and goal of the party. I will break it down.

If you are a highly geared/skilled BLM you should pull hate at every pull against most tanks. This depends a lot on the type of tank, and the stance they are in. Defiance vs. Deliverance, Shield Oath vs. Sword Oath, etc.

Now having a Nin in your party can reduce that stress with Smoke Screen and/or Shadewalker. Having Quelling Strikes, really just adds another level of cushion in case you have massive crits and procs in your opener. Also it depends a lot on the situation. If you are fighting a single mob, hate won't be as much of an issue. If the tank is attempting to hold hate on two mobs for example, it could become an issue. Any more than two mobs, you should be AoEing. With only two mobs, you should still be single targeting. A good example of this is add phase in A8S when one tank is holding Vortexer and Swindler and DPS is attacking both mobs. Since the tank is having to hold hate against two mobs where a ton of damage is going out, the use of QS is extremely helpful.

Now keep in mind that this is talking about raiding where you pushing as much DPS as possible is extremely important. If you don't do serious content and DPS isn't an issue, QS is not mandatory because you can lay back a little bit. Sure your damage might suffer, but if you clear, it doesn't matter.

If you don't have QS, I would just keep an eye your your hate generation and if you need to slow a bit, its not the end of the world.

So what's the preferred opener nowadays? I still use Quelling+Sharpcast>Fire 3>Enochain+Ley Lines>Fire 1>F4>F4>F4>F3P+SC>F4>Convert>F4>F4>B3...


So what's most used now? Or what would be a better option? I really wanna learn BLM and want to main it next patch!

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Originally Posted by Israacf

So what's most used now? Or what would be a better option? I really wanna learn BLM and want to main it next patch!

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That opener is still decent, but with the change to Astral Fire and our increased spell speed, it is not optimal. I have still yet to see a better opener than the Sharpcast opener as far as Potency goes. It makes better use of oGCDs.

Sharpcast > Quelling > Ley Lines > F1 > Enochian+Raging Strikes > F3P > Potion > F4x3 > Fire > Swiftcast > F4+Convert > F4x2 > F3P* > Blizz 3 > Thunder > Blizz 4.

If you don't use a potion just move Raging Strikes in place of the potion.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

That opener is still decent, but with the change to Astral Fire and our increased spell speed, it is not optimal. I have still yet to see a better opener than the Sharpcast opener as far as Potency goes. It makes better use of oGCDs.

Sharpcast > Quelling > Ley Lines > F1 > Enochian+Raging Strikes > F3P > Potion > F4x3 > Fire > Swiftcast > F4+Convert > F4x2 > F3P* > Blizz 3 > Thunder > Blizz 4.

If you don't use a potion just move Raging Strikes in place of the potion.

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Thanks a lot! Time to practice :)

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

If you don't use a potion just move Raging Strikes in place of the potion.

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Actually, it's better to move Ley Lines in the spot of a potion if you're no using one and leave the rest where it is. RS will still cover all 6 fire IVs, the first firestarter proc, and even the potential firestarter proc at the end assuming you have high SS.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

That opener is still decent, but with the change to Astral Fire and our increased spell speed, it is not optimal. I have still yet to see a better opener than the Sharpcast opener as far as Potency goes. It makes better use of oGCDs.

Sharpcast > Quelling > Ley Lines > F1 > Enochian+Raging Strikes > F3P > Potion > F4x3 > Fire > Swiftcast > F4+Convert > F4x2 > F3P* > Blizz 3 > Thunder > Blizz 4.

If you don't use a potion just move Raging Strikes in place of the potion.

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That's reliant on a F3 proc near the end which has a chance of not happening. I'd much rather set up B3 >T1 > F3 > pop the skills > F1 >F4x4 > Convert > F3P > F4x3 > B3 > T1/T3P > B4. That way it's all guaranteed.

By starting at max MP you'll get off F4x7 and have just enough for B3.

Course Piety is gonna make all the difference. I sit at 350 because I can.

One I've playing with on SSS is.

Sharp,B3,T1,F3,F4,F4,T3,SC Flare, Convert, F4, F4, B3, B4 etc.

Haven't mathed it out or arranged the CDs but it has decent results.

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Originally Posted by Lilyth

Actually, it's better to move Ley Lines in the spot of a potion if you're no using one and leave the rest where it is. RS will still cover all 6 fire IVs, the first firestarter proc, and even the potential firestarter proc at the end assuming you have high SS.

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This is incorrect. Casting Ley Lines pre-pull will be a better PPS increase. If you aren't using a potion, you are then weaving RS under a FS proc. Trust in that I've done the math a dozen times. The only time you would not want to cast LL right before your first spell, would be if you cannot be prepositioned.

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Originally Posted by MagiusNecros

That's reliant on a F3 proc near the end which has a chance of not happening. I'd much rather set up B3 >T1 > F3 > pop the skills > F1 >F4x4 > Convert > F3P > F4x3 > B3 > T1/T3P > B4. That way it's all guaranteed.

By starting at max MP you'll get off F4x7 and have just enough for B3.

Course Piety is gonna make all the difference. I sit at 350 because I can.

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Also incorrect. This is not reliant on an F3P at the end. Its only a bonus if you get it. Also starting out with Blizzard III will be a PPS decrease no matter how you spin it. Especially if you have a DRG who is using Battle litany on their 2nd GCD. You will waste a ton of BL by starting out with B3. I see many people talking about a 7 F4 opener. More damage does not mean more damage per second. You have to take into consideration your party buffs like Trick Attack, Battle Litany, Fey Wind, Balance, etc. Of course I will never tell anyone how to do their opener, but if you are asking what is the best opener, that comes down to PPS and Sharpcast > F1 will win. Especially if you are using a potion because you can weave that under Firestarter and that is an extremely long animation lock that you can almost completely avoid.

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Originally Posted by Judge_Xero

One I've playing with on SSS is.

Sharp,B3,T1,F3,F4,F4,T3,SC Flare, Convert, F4, F4, B3, B4 etc.

Haven't mathed it out or arranged the CDs but it has decent results.

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I will take the time to update my spreadsheet with PPS for all openers. It's been awhile since I've updated with the increased SS. I don't foresee much of a change comparison wise, but there are a few more openers out there that people are curious about. I will make sure to update everyone once I've finished.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

junk

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From what I've seen either or is fine. The difference in PPS isn't by a whole lot. Besides I'm accounting for lack of party buffs. I personally feel if you are to use convert it's either for another Flare or 3 more F4's.

Plus since I rely on my crit build and base my numbers off of luck it's very possible to get high returns. But again it becomes a game of luck and numbers at that point.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

This is incorrect. Casting Ley Lines pre-pull will be a better PPS increase. If you aren't using a potion, you are then weaving RS under a FS proc. Trust in that I've done the math a dozen times. The only time you would not want to cast LL right before your first spell, would be if you cannot be prepositioned.

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I'd really like you to further clarify why.
If you place the oGCDs like you suggested, you're exchanging the first AF1 Firestarter proc under RS for an AF3 Blizzard III. That doesn't sound promising.

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Originally Posted by Lilyth

I'd really like you to further clarify why.
If you place the oGCDs like you suggested, you're exchanging the first AF1 Firestarter proc under RS for an AF3 Blizzard III. That doesn't sound promising.

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I'm not exactly 100% certain what you're asking. I could be completely misunderstanding what you were saying. The point I'm trying to make is you want to make the most of weaving skills underneath your Firestarter. So if the two options are: (Ley Lines > F1 > Enochian > F3P > Raging Strikes > F4x3) or (F1 > Enochian + Raging Strikes > F3P > Ley Lines > F4x3) the former is 5.2 PPS higher. In the second scenario, both Enochian and RS are not being weaved at all. So that adds an extra second. Then the F3P isn't under Ley Lines which is a differnece of .33 seconds. In both scenarios the Blizzard III at the end will hit under RS, so that is not a factor.

Edit: Ok, so I kinda see what you are saying after rereading it. You are somewhat correct. You still want to cast Ley Lines prepull regardless if you are using a potion or not. But the better option would be to swap Enochian and RS, since this solves the problem you are referring to. So the better opener without using a potion would be:

Precast Sharpcast + Quelling Strikes + Ley Lines > Fire > Raging Strikes > Firestarter > Enochian > Fire IVx3 > Fire > Swiftcast > Fire IV > Convert > Fire IVx2 > Blizzard III > Thunder > Blizzard IV.

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Originally Posted by MagiusNecros

From what I've seen either or is fine. The difference in PPS isn't by a whole lot. Besides I'm accounting for lack of party buffs. I personally feel if you are to use convert it's either for another Flare or 3 more F4's.

Plus since I rely on my crit build and base my numbers off of luck it's very possible to get high returns. But again it becomes a game of luck and numbers at that point.

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Hey, if that's what you prefer, there's nothing wrong with that. But I'm only here to give advice. Yes either or is fine, but the difference in PPS is huge. You are looking at around 15.21 PPS decrease over the Sharpcast opener. This is not even taking into account party buffs, and its also not taking into account that in order to even do this, you have to spec a lot of extra Piety to even pull that off which takes away from other secondaries. You are losing tons, and I mean tons, of DPS doing a 7x Fire IV opener.

Maybe someone can help me with the math on my opener. I usually cast F3 right at pull then RS, eno, ley, F4 sharp F1, F4, F4, F4, F3proc, convert, F4,F4, B3, B4, T1 and into the standard rotation. Am I wasting any pps by not using sharp f1 first?

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

starting out with Blizzard III will be a PPS decrease no matter how you spin it.

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Looking just at just the PPS for two bursts of uneven length misses half the story. An example with extremes and easy numbers:

• You do 1000 dps outside your burst
• Burst A rotation does 2000 dps and lasts 20 seconds
• Burst B rotation does 1800 dps and lasts 30 seconds
• Burst A is higher dps, but is beaten out by Burst B over time

Yes, you're noting some major factors in what you cast during party buffs and weaving oGCD casts after FS. Trick and Litany are factors, but Arrow and Fey go against your argument as much as for them.

There's also the precast time of B3 making it the essentially the same as casting F1 as your opener, and the UI3 F3 leaving some room to wiggle in an oGCD with a minimal stutter (maybe none with a better ping/machine than mine).

Another factor is the fight itself; when you have to move, when the boss vanishes, and when adds appear. If you are casting B3 when adds pop or you need to phase push, that's significant. If you are at full MP casting F4 (vs low MP casting B3) when the boss jumps, that's a factor.

Sharpcast F1 is probably slightly more dps in most cases, but not always.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

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Yes, now I see what you meant and apparently so did you. Ty for explaining and I do agree with your conclusion. :)

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Originally Posted by StouterTaru

Another factor is the fight itself; when you have to move, when the boss vanishes, and when adds appear. If you are casting B3 when adds pop or you need to phase push, that's significant. If you are at full MP casting F4 (vs low MP casting B3) when the boss jumps, that's a factor.

Sharpcast F1 is probably slightly more dps in most cases, but not always.

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Absolutely. I also make this very clear in the guide where I explain that building an opener around each fight is important for optimization. There are instances where starting with Blizz 3 could net you more uptime on your opener depending on movement windows and when/if the boss becomes untargetable. But if you're looking for the best opener PPS wise, Sharpcast > F1 will win. I'm not saying to never use a blizz opener. I'm only stating that it is less optimal in most cases.

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Originally Posted by StouterTaru

• You do 1000 dps outside your burst
• Burst A rotation does 2000 dps and lasts 20 seconds
• Burst B rotation does 1800 dps and lasts 30 seconds
• Burst A is higher dps, but is beaten out by Burst B over time

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I'm not understanding this logic at all. Maybe I misunderstand, but those numbers are pretty much impossible in comparison. You are viewing these DPS scenarios completely in a vacuum by saying 1000 DPS for 10 seconds, which I'm not sure where you got that number. B would not beat A over time, because A is starting out higher, and assuming both would decline evenly. In your scenarios, you are saying that you will deal 40,000 damage in 20s with A, and you will deal 54,000 damage in 30s with B. This gives your bursts 2000 DPS and 1800 DPS respectively. But you are then saying that you will deal 10000 damage in the additional 10s left in burst A, which is impossible unless you are literally throttling back dps. In reality, using these arbitrary numbers, if you burst 40,000 damage in 20s, you will deal roughly 18,000 damage in the additional 10s; putting you at around 58,000 or 1900 DPS. At this point both A and B would decline at an even pace, with scenario A always being about 100 DPS higher than B.

Hey guys, I'm about to learn a bit more how to compute the pps of different openers and some quick questions occured ...

1. Is it still valid to assume 0,5s for each OGCD (like RS or Enochian) after a hardcast?
2. How many seconds would you take for a Potion after a hardcast?
3. How many seconds would you take for three OGCDs after a firestarter

My reference is this sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...HxA/edit#gid=0, but I noticed that the bonus damage contributed by the potion is not considered.

4. How much potency win (in percent probably) would you estimate for a max-potion of intelligence for instance?
5. Are the timings there valid? 1,88s for firestarter (with 1100+ spellspeed) etc.?

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Originally Posted by Primm

Hey guys, I'm about to learn a bit more how to compute the pps of different openers and some quick questions occured ...

1. Is it still valid to assume 0,5s for each OGCD (like RS or Enochian) after a hardcast?
2. How many seconds would you take for a Potion after a hardcast?
3. How many seconds would you take for three OGCDs after a firestarter

My reference is this sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...HxA/edit#gid=0, but I noticed that the bonus damage contributed by the potion is not considered.

4. How much potency win (in percent probably) would you estimate for a max-potion of intelligence for instance?
5. Are the timings there valid? 1,88s for firestarter (with 1100+ spellspeed) etc.?

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This is the spreadsheet I've created and put in the guide. Yes, all of the cast times are correct. I just updated it yesterday. I use 0.5 for every oGCD that is hardcast. 1 second for potions that are hardcast. I allow 1 second of free time under an instant cast such as Firestarter or a Swiftcasted spell. So for instance RS + Enochian + Ley Lines would be 1.5 seconds. But if you cast firestarter > RS + Enochian + Ley Lines, RS and Enochian would be 0.00 and Ley Lines at 0.5.

Now these numbers won't be exact cause the time could be .41s or .67 for a hardcast or a potion might be 1.2 seconds and under a F3P, it could be 1.88s + 0.2s. Also increased SS will affect casting oGCDs underneath a Firestarter.

Point being, the total time of the opener will not be exact, but by keeping all of those oGCD times even across all openers, comparing them will remain correct.

Also potions are not calculated into the PPS because a potion does not effect potency. It raises Intelligence and there is no math that I know of that computes Intelligence into potency. You are welcome to figure that out, and if you do I will edit and update the spreadsheet. Just know that spreadsheet is current and accurate.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

I'm not understanding this logic at all. Maybe I misunderstand, but those numbers are pretty much impossible in comparison. <snip>

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Well he was talking in extreme numbers to make a point how lower DPS for longer could be a better opener. You could go with ~1520 for normal, which is what you get for discounting Ley and RS from the 2000 and then adding 5% from 33% uptime Ley. I'd say the bigger problem here is that you can't even do a 30 second burst on BLM because Eno forces a hard cap on how long you can stay fire. Using 1520 and 25 seconds, option A would win (47600 to 45000). Your burst is over the moment you hit that B3, no matter how many buffs you have up.

Is there something wrong with this? http://ffxivrotations.com/9pj Firestarters are used on Fire III's, or in place of Fire if I'm short on proc time. Thunder III's are used in place of Thunders, or after Fire if I'm short on proc time (Skip one Fire IV). I repeat my opener when cool downs and time permit. If I'm short on time from moving, I'll refresh enochian early, or swiftcast blizzard IV to keep it going.

Just wanted to add the opener I was working on since I was still playing around with it (from previous post)

QS, Sharp, Leylines, B3, T1, RS, F3, Eno, F4, F4, F1, T3p, Covert, SC, F4, F4,F4 (F3 Proc if happens), B3.

Seems to flow ok. Just not sure on the PPS. This is with around 1100 SS so ~11% Reduction in cast with ~ 10 increased DOT potency

Not sure if I had more SS if I could do,

** F4,F4,F4,F1,T3p, Convert etc to reduce the T1 clipping a bit if that would make much difference.

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Originally Posted by Waliel

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I understand that part, but it's a flawed logic. To say that lower dps for longer could be better is correct, but that's only because you stop doing damage in the first place. I'm only using his example. So yes, doing 54,000 damage over 30s is more damage than doing 40,000 over 20s because, it's 14,000 more damage. But assuming both rotations decline at an even pace, starting off stronger will always be better if you spike up to 3000 damage on an a opener then steadily decline into a non burst rotation, you will always be higher than someone who starts at 2000 dps and declines at the same pace. It is why openers are so important. If your opener is weak, it forces you to play catch up.

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Originally Posted by Judge_Xero

Just wanted to add the opener I was working on since I was still playing around with it (from previous post)

QS, Sharp, Leylines, B3, T1, RS, F3, Eno, F4, F4, F1, T3p, Covert, SC, F4, F4,F4 (F3 Proc if happens), B3.

Seems to flow ok. Just not sure on the PPS. This is with around 1100 SS so ~11% Reduction in cast with ~ 10 increased DOT potency

Not sure if I had more SS if I could do,

** F4,F4,F4,F1,T3p, Convert etc to reduce the T1 clipping a bit if that would make much difference.

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So, there are actually many variables in this rotation so its difficult to calculate exact PPS, as it is with any opener that relies on server ticks.

First I'll start off with you don't have a potion listed in your opener so that's less damage overall, but I will ignore that for PPS. For reference with my SS, the Sharpcast opener is 237.49 PPS, and that is with a potion.

Your first Thunder would only have a potency of 150 at most because it will only tick 3 times max (possibly only twice). Without using a potion, this rotation is far shorter than most because you are only doing 5 Fire IVs instead of 6 (or 5 + Flare) which does put PPS about 10 higher than a Sharpcast opener. Which is ~248 PPS. But that can be deceiving for a number of reasons. Your TC being buffed by Raging Strikes and Enochian is a massive 894.6 potency, but by the time you cast Blizzard III there is still 16 seconds remaining. If you immediately cast Blizzard IV, then you will risk not having full mana on your next rotation (which under Ley Lines and/or Fey wind is a certainty) which negates any PPS you might have gained. If you recast Thunder, you are clipping your TC to 504 potency, which reduces it to ~227 PPS. If you let TC keep ticking and use Blizzard instead, then your PPS would be ~238, which is about even with the sharp opener. If you add a potion into the equation, you add 1 second bringing your PPS down to ~229. Your only saving grace at that point would be if you got another TC for your filler which would bump you up to ~240 PPS with a potion and ~249 PPS without a potion.

Sorry if thats kind of confusing. I know it's a lot of information.

Point being, this opener could be higher PPS, but any opener incorporating TC is going to heavily rely on RNG.

This is the opener I have been using:

Sharp F1 > Eno + RS > F3P > Ley Lines > F4 > Pot > F4 > F1 > F4 > (F3P )SC F4 > Convert > F4x2.

The difference between this opener and the F4x3 > F1 opener is that it guarantees 6 F4s while also having that nice F3P > SC F4 > Convert if you get a proc vs the non weaved F3P at the end of the other opener.

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Originally Posted by frostfirefawcett

This is the opener I have been using:

Sharp F1 > Eno + RS > F3P > Ley Lines > F4 > Pot > F4 > F1 > F4 > (F3P )SC F4 > Convert > F4x2.

The difference between this opener and the F4x3 > F1 opener is that it guarantees 6 F4s while also having that nice F3P > SC F4 > Convert if you get a proc vs the non weaved F3P at the end of the other opener.

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You will benefit greatly by moving Ley Lines to right before F1. You then move the potion to where Ley Lines was. This allows you to bypass almost all of the long potion animation lock.

Also, as SS increases this becomes more viable. But the downfall is if you don't get the proc, you are casting 4 Fire IVs in a row without refreshing AF. This is reasoning behind doing Fire IV x 3 > Fire.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

Also, as SS increases this becomes more viable. But the downfall is if you don't get the proc, you are casting 4 Fire IVs in a row without refreshing AF. This is reasoning behind doing Fire IV x 3 > Fire

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4 x F4s in a row is perfectly doable after the AF/UI duration buff. Even at sub 850 SSPD, I have no problems doing this opener.

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Originally Posted by frostfirefawcett

4 x F4s in a row is perfectly doable after the AF/UI duration buff. Even at sub 850 SSPD, I have no problems doing this opener.

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I'm not at all saying it's not doable. It's definitely better if you get the proc. Without the second Firestarter proc, the PPS would be exactly the same. With the Firestarter, you gain around 5 PPS so its really nice. Only downfall I could see would be not getting the proc and then getting targeted by an AoE. If you have to move you could lose AF which would be bad news. This could lead to a full hardcast of Blizzard III and then not enough mana to cast Thunder or Blizzard IV. I would consider it risk reward, but on fights where you know you won't have to move, I would recommend that opener. I'll put that into the guide since, with the proc it becomes highest PPS. But make sure to precast Ley Lines and weave that potion. Will be a big increase for you.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

Point being, this opener could be higher PPS, but any opener incorporating TC is going to heavily rely on RNG.

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Thank you very much for looking into it.

Is there any way you think it could be improved upon if it has potential?

I know it is RNG based but it is nice how often you get a F3 proc or extra T3 proc during UI or both.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

I understand that part, but it's a flawed logic. To say that lower dps for longer could be better is correct, but that's only because you stop doing damage in the first place.

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As I said in the post, the numbers were exaggerated and made for easy math for the concept. Starting an opener with B3 gives you an opener with a longer duration

Imagine this opener has more PPS than yours, while being considerably shorter:
Eno > QS > LL > RS > Potion > F3 > F4 x3 > SwiftFlareConvert > F4 > B3 > T1 > B4

If this opener did more PPS than yours, then why wouldn't this one be superior?

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Originally Posted by StouterTaru

As I said in the post, the numbers were exaggerated and made for easy math for the concept. Starting an opener with B3 gives you an opener with a longer duration

Imagine this opener has more PPS than yours, while being considerably shorter:
Eno > QS > LL > RS > Potion > F3 > F4 x3 > SwiftFlareConvert > F4 > B3 > T1 > B4

If this opener did more PPS than yours, then why wouldn't this one be superior?

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Honestly, I do apologize if I'm misunderstanding you in some way. If that opener did more PPS, then it would be superior. That is my exact point. A Blizzard III opener does not do more PPS. It is a good 4-6 seconds longer than a Sharpcast opener. As such, you are doing roughly the same damage but spread out over a longer period, resulting in lower damage per second. The point is to do as much damage in as short amount of time as possible.

To use another metaphor, if I'm understanding the logic correctly, you are comparing it to a foot race. In which person A starts off strong but runs out of steam, while person B keeps a steady pace and ends up finishing ahead in the end. If that is how I'm understanding your point, then it is an incorrect way to compare to DPS.

In reality, using the same example, person A (Sharpcast opener) would start off stronger and take a commanding lead. Person B (Blizzard III opener) would keep a steady pace and gain slightly as person A starts to slow down. But then both would settle down to an even pace for the remainder of the race, with A always remaining in front.

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Originally Posted by Judge_Xero

Thank you very much for looking into it.

Is there any way you think it could be improved upon if it has potential?

I know it is RNG based but it is nice how often you get a F3 proc or extra T3 proc during UI or both.

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Looking at it, I can't really see a way to improve on it. You are effectively using oGCDs in the best position. It's a pretty risky opener with RNG, but could pay off if server ticks line up and additional procs happen. Again, regardless of what you do, this opener will be less damage because you are not using a potion. Adding a potion will put you about even with the sharpcast opener and only slightly better under perfect circumstances. Just keep that in mind. I know a lot of people don't use a potion which is fine. I only recommend that for raiding anyhow. I would say keep on doing what you're doing and you shouldn't have any issues.

In a raiding scenario where you are trying to optimize damage, I would not recommend a Blizzard III opener at all. The reason being is Battle Litany. Battle Litany is a DRGs second GCD. Its a 20 second CD and you aren't at full steam until a good 6-7 seconds into it. Meaning you are losing out on 2-3 buffed spells under that cooldown. And as we all know, a buffed crit on BLM is ridiculous. I had a 17k crit Fire IV the other day.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

stuff

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I think it's more person A does a lot of damage but eventually drops off or slows down while person B also does a lot of damage but is able to sustain it for much longer in effect climbing ahead over a period of time.

And if Person B crits on everything they will definitely outpace Person A who is solely relying on their burst and party support to punch in their numbers.

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Originally Posted by Garotte14

A Blizzard III opener does not do more PPS. It is a good 4-6 seconds longer than a Sharpcast opener. As such, you are doing roughly the same damage but spread out over a longer period, resulting in lower damage per second. The point is to do as much damage in as short amount of time as possible.

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It's far from the same damage, when you toss in that Thunder, ~47% shot at a ~740 potency TC, and guaranteed FC vs 40% chance FC.