Scathe to extend AF/UI duration by 3s

Scathe 960MP
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 100.
Additional Effect: 20% chance potency will double
Additional Effect: Extends Astral Fire/ Umbral Ice duration by 3s

I have been playing BLM for quite some time. At times, I still find myself having to use transpose to refresh the timer as I dont have time to use Blizzard 3 or Fire 1 due to mechanic/movement/mistake. As we know, using transpose to refresh the timer is not desired or optimal and will obviously disrupt our rotation.

I was thinking why not have Scathe extend AF/UI by 3 seconds. When the situation calls for it, we use scathe as we are moving out of AOE. As a result, we will have enough time to cast a Blizzard 3 or Fire 1 to refresh AF/UI to full duration, which will keep the flow of our rotation.

What do you all think?

I’d be for it, the BLM rotation is so tight on UI/AF timings there are often times I find myself barely getting fire off in time before I lose enochain, especially in high movement scenarios. And swiftcast can be so unresponsive with animation delay that even when I use it I still end up hardcasting the spell. With scathe’s instant cast it would buy you a few extra seconds to get that fire off.

It could be useful at lower level play/during prog or when mistakes happens, since MPs are reserved for F4/F1 in fire phase this will still result in a dps, though perhaps it's something SE might consider doing since it would make life easier for new BLMs.

There are positives and negatives to this imho, it could work idd, though higher end BLMs won't find as much use for it.

You would not want to use it in ideal situation. Just that in situation when u need to save enochian due to movement, you can use Scathe + F1/B3 instead of transpose.

F4 F4 F4 ---> can't cast or finish casting F1 due to mechanic forcing you to move and timer is running out ---> Move out of AOE + Scathe ---> F1 F4 F4 F4

Yea I could see that being helpful. With the Potency being low too it would make it a poor choice to keep casting scathe to top up the UI/AF meter too meaning you wouldn't need to worry about players using it to keep in that state forever. Althernatively, 2 seconds to allow for transpose if they were to view 3 as too much time gained.

Would give it a new use which I'd be all for. I did post in the other thread about new skills that I'd like to see a stronger instant cast spell like scathe for BLM going forward (into new expansion) but this could be a way of keeping the old one relevant.

Given that Scathe is on the GCD, adding 3s only really increases your window by 0.5s.
If you have 2s left on the clock and throw out a Scathe to give you 5s, you'll still need to wait 2.5s for GCD to recharge, then the car time for whatever fire/blizzard spell you next used.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Seraphor

Given that Scathe is on the GCD, adding 3s only really increases your window by 0.5s.
If you have 2s left on the clock and throw out a Scathe to give you 5s, you'll still need to wait 2.5s for GCD to recharge, then the car time for whatever fire/blizzard spell you next used.

---

Yes but if you use it on movement when the timer is about to expire (3s left?) you can preserve the AF timer for fire 1 later on, as opposed to using transpose with a sad face :(

Still seems really finicky to me.

How about Scathe resets the enochian timer, but subtracts the same amount from the polyglot gauge?
Say you hit it at 5s remaining, you'd reset enochian to 13s, but delay your next Foul by 8s.

No #10char

You'll need to make Scathe into an oGCD ability with the guaranteed extending effect to even be remotely meaningful.
And that's not to mention that Scathe's potency is so low that most experienced black mages would never to use it, even with this additional ability.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ayden

Scathe 960MP
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 100.
Additional Effect: 20% chance potency will double
Additional Effect: Extends Astral Fire/ Umbral Ice duration by 3s

I have been playing BLM for quite some time. At times, I still find myself having to use transpose to refresh the timer as I dont have time to use Blizzard 3 or Fire 1 due to mechanic/movement/mistake. As we know, using transpose to refresh the timer is not desired or optimal and will obviously disrupt our rotation.

I was thinking why not have Scathe extend AF/UI by 3 seconds. When the situation calls for it, we use scathe as we are moving out of AOE. As a result, we will have enough time to cast a Blizzard 3 or Fire 1 to refresh AF/UI to full duration, which will keep the flow of our rotation.

What do you all think?

---

Yes please.

increase scaths potency to 300 too (when lv 70), than i'd agree

take out the scath proc if needed, but keep a 3-6 sec eno increase

Would be interesting, but it wouldn't impact much or be part of a rotation in that method. Think about it, being that scathe is gcd, 3s extention would mean you gave yourself 0.5-0.8s of usable AF/UI time to get off that b3 or f3, while basically sacrificing a gcd to do a lot less damage.

I'd rather see it turned into an ogcd with maybe a 15s cd and become a mild damage boost to weave between procs or instant casts or something like that.

Side note but I'd like for SE to give a pass to lv 15 abilities and reinforce what is underpowered, those skills are given as a reward for completing the class quest and essentially levelling the job it's only natural that they should feel rewarding, aside BLM and their scathe I'm not really sure how WHM feels with the almighty fluid aura of now for example.
Melee and their ranged attack should be looked upon too considering how SAM has a decent interaction with the ranged attack (no I'm not saiying it's optimal or the best thing ever, I'm just saying that the interaction is interesting and decent)

If it remains an instant GCD spell, it will indeed only add 0.5-0.8s to the timer as some of you commented. On the surface it seems to achieve nothing. However, it effectively PAUSES our AF/UI timer for 3s, giving us a little more wiggle room. We can use it right before we start moving or on the move.

In a scenario where you do not have firestarter/ swiftcast/ triplecast, and a mechanic is forcing you to move, you will not be casting any spell anyway. You might say a good BLM will anticipate the mechanic and save firestarter/ swift cast for the movement. I say why not have an additional option to extend the timer, and unlike Transpose it is without switching AF/UI.

I'm not suggesting Scathe to be included into BLM's rotation. It is merely for situational use. So potency wise it can remain as it is. Of course I would not complain if they buff the potency XD.

I don’t see the point in it when it will cost you a fire iv to use. We have just enough Mp for 6 fire iv. What’s the point in keeping the timer going if you won’t get in another fire iv due to scathe’s MP cost? If you don’t have time for a fast b3 you can just transpose right now. Dropping a fire iv to be able to cast a fast blizzard is :(

I just want FFXII's Scathe...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZJbtuFQQkE

I'm nearly sure they missused the name, it should be "Scrath" for FFXIV, not "Scathe"