So ... Apocatastasis

I've been using Apocatastasis, assuming it reduced ALL incoming elemental damage by 30%, and only bothered to read it correctly today. It only increases the resistance for fire, ice and lightning by 30%.

Apart from the obvious; Ifrit, Chimera, Ultima HM and Coil (and I'm not sure whether some of the skills actually have an elemental affinity, rather than just looking cool), where exactly would I bother using this? To gain it at level 40 too, I would have assumed that it would be viable for content at that level range - NOPE; 99.5% useless. With it's fairly specialized nature, 12 second duration, 120 second cooldown, and the 60 second immunity being applied to the target after it wears off - plus the slight reduction in damage dealing when using it - I would have thought it would be more ... impressive.

It can be useful in VERY specific circumstances, and that's the issue I have with it - why is a class that is focused on damage dealing and nothing else, have such a niche skill? I doubt the vast majority of BLM reading this even thought 'oh, ADS - Apocatastasis is useful here'

It should increase ALL elemental resistances by 30% for it's duration, considering it only lasts for 12 seconds (maybe 1 or 2 actual elemental attacks happen in this duration).

Considering it's up time and niche use, I don't believe it would be overpowered even with that change.

Thaumaturges and Black Mages are supposed to have mastered the use of elemental aether, so why do we suck at it so bad?

Final Thoughts: Why is a skill that screams CHIMERA not even unlocked until two levels after Cutters Cry opens it's doors?

You sir are mistaken, currently there is not even a specific case where you would actually use it. The spell need fundamental changes since Yoshi did in fact say he does not want end game to be about elemental resistance.

The spell does not need a buff, it needs actual design change.

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Originally Posted by NeoAmon

You sir are mistaken, currently there is not even a specific case where you would actually use it. The spell need fundamental changes since Yoshi did in fact say he does not want end game to be about elemental resistance.

The spell does not need a buff, it needs actual design change.

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I agree, it does need a major design change. However, I cannot forsee such a change occurring any time soon, and so at least SOMETHING would be nice. It wouldn't be hard whatsoever either, just add the remaining elements to the skill - that's it.

Also, I recall Yoshi P mentioning something similar. I do believe though that this wouldn't effect that goal. This is not going to base all end-game around elemental resistance. Suddenly Earth Resistance IV won't suddenly fly off the shelves, it will simply provide a use for a skill (which is only marginally useful) in a few more situations.

well technically it is useful at stone vigil, which is only 1 level higher

at least i think isgebind's attacks are ice-based

Does Apocatastasis work on the the Fire spitting twintania stages? is there any point to casting it on my MT if he's running around with fireballs on him?

I would be suprised if it actually reduced elemental damage at all. Resistances a broken to begin with

I could see it being useful in PvP against another BLM... maybe. I don't know. *shrug* That's what I originally thought it 'would' be used for when I first read the tooltip. It's clear that PvP was in mind when some abilities were made. For example, Rouse (SMN pet cooldown buff) wipes all CCs in addition to added damage -- and that was in the game long before PvP was introduced. The CC-wipe component of Rouse was absolutely useless until PvP.

It takes a good chunk of resistance to start to see an impact and even then, I don't know if it's a flat out reduction or percentage based.

One time you may consider using it is in Ifrit Extreme if you get chained to a tank and they're about to swap. Since you might reposition yourself to be closer to this tank, you might use Apocatastasis on the tank to reduce the damage of Incinerate (or triple Incinerate depending on timing *unenthused yay*).

But yeah... that's too many ifs lined up to use up an ability slot.

The spell flat out sucks as is and we don't even have a use for elemental resistance. Materia resistance is a waste as well. I agree the spell needs a complete change, but not the change you suggested. Your suggestion unfortunately keeps the spell at the suck level. It won't help it in other words. I have been flat out told "don't worry about doing that...it does not do anything". Elemental resistance is just a waste period.

I don't have a suggestion for a fix, but I can concur the spell is useless right now.

Please make a change to this spell to make it useful. Please make freeze better also.

I wouldn't mind seeing act like Manaward on the target. Even keep the debuff so it can't be spammed on a single target.