White Mages and Scholars: Dungeons edition

[Jaminos]

Please note this is not a thread to argue which class is better. Simply application.

So I have been running Stone Vigil quite a bit recently. I usually am a big advocate of having White Mages in my party just because sleep is so useful in dungeons.

But today I found myself rethinking how I looked at it. I want to admit that I have not given summoners and Scholars their fair shake until today. Simply because I have not SEEN anyone perform the class correctly in a dungeon until today.

My party layout for SV was Paladin, Scholar, Monk, Summoner. Normally I cringe at a party formation such as this simply because I have had bad experiences with some of the classes. However we instead worked as a symphony rather than a car wreck.

In my "preferred" layout for a ideal Dungeon party is usually Paladin, White Mage, Black Mage and "other" which is a free spot for any DPS class. Usually this is because of the big heals, the big damage, and two classes who can sleep targets, making my job easier.

However, with the formation I had for this run, it was all about sustainability. Constant Damage from the Monk, good support from the Summoner, and sustainable heals from the Scholar.

While I believe that you can hop into any random party with any possible class combination within their designated roles, I do feel that some classes compliment each other.

So this is both my question to you, the reader, as well as my own personal feelings on what classes compliment certain classes. Please remember that this is just based on opinion and from.what I have seen. No way is this a MUST for groups.


Scholar Healers

-Less MP consumption (if they are doing their job efficiently)

-More battlefield awareness because they are not stuck as much with long cast times which can get caught in AOE's.

Recommended formation:

Tank: Paladin
-Less health, more mitigation. More need of little heals over the fight, rather than big ones.

Damage First Choice: Dragoon, Monk
-Both can take punishment longer from bosses while dealing high damage that is offset by the Paladin's lower DPS.

Damage Second Choice: Bard, Summoner
-Both are good at support roles.
-Summoner can set pet to off tank on difficult mobs.
-Bards can compensate for the lack of buffs from a scholar.

White Mage Healers
Big heals
Able to CC
Buffs

Recommended Formation:

Tank: Warrior
-Lots of health
-High damage
-Self Heals

Compliments White Mage because of high health, meaning less need of constant healing such as Paladin will need. Able to sustain self longer with self heals, meaning healer can focus on other classes more.

Damage First Choice: Black Mage
-High damage output meaning quicker battles.
-Fast AOE damage combined with Warrior.

Second choice: Dragoon, Summoner, Monk
-High single target damage
-Versatility

Keep in mind that each dungeon is very different. Sometimes other classes might be more useful than others. Some dungeons just are not friendly to classes with pets due to AOE's or because your level restricts you from your key abilities.

Again this is just based on lots of trial and error from leveling 1-43 so far on my Paladin. Again, any class combination can work as long as everyone is on tip of what they are doing. However, some classes do compliment each other better than others.

[Arriverderci]

You can add to the first post if you edit it again.

[HEC]

You can add to the first post if you edit it again.

He knows

[Jaminos]

You can add to the first post if you edit it again.

Yeah I know.

My post's tend to be fairly extensive so I usually post a small teaser and then edit it for a full post with detailed information.

[Nekodar]

As a WHM I greatly prefer Paladin tanks over Warrior tanks.

So far Warrior tank HP goes like a yoyo as they take a lot of damage and I have to constantly heal them up again, causing a lot more stress when I also have to CC.

[Soukyuu]

I think it depends on a) the content you're playing and b) the tank in question. For example, I swore to not go into Brayflox as SCH anymore, because at that level it lacks AoE heals and having to navigate a fairy around the poison pools while keeping her and the party alive is just a lot of stress. WHM is a clear winner there.

Stone Vigil however, I somehow prefer SCH there. Even though Adloquium heals less than a cure II, it stops HP from dropping, allowing you to recast another one/throw a Physick in there. Also, with the fairy taking less damage, you can just throw a Sustain on her now and then and it should be fine.

Like I said, another point is the tank. If the tank isn't geared right (no matter paladin or warrior), then SCH will have a hard time keeping the HP up. WHM will have a hard time not running out of MP and to not pull aggro because Aevis's attacks will have you spam Cure II almost non-stop. Also tanks often don't seem to understand that a Scholar's healing potency is split between them and the fairy, meaning it's a very bad idea to run out of range of the fairy, or worse, to rotate the boss so that the AoE hits the fairy. Navigating the fairy in combat is not an easy thing to do.

[Archaegeo]

And this belongs in new player help why?

[Jaminos]

And this belongs in new player help why?

First: Because it is discussing uses for classes under level 50 and their synergy.

Second: Posting limit per day is not limited here.

[seekerofpower]

I run a SCH and I have yet to have any party makeup that I could not work with, as long as the players knew how to perform their jobs. To the guy that says WHM is the clear winner in Brayflox, you should run with me sometime. Same with Aurum Vale, people say SCHs can't be used effectively there, I beg to differ. I almost never use AoE heals, even when I can use them, and I still have no problems keeping up a party. It is all about the player.

[Soukyuu]

To the guy that says WHM is the clear winner in Brayflox, you should run with me sometime. [..] It is all about the player.

Assuming you mean me, I meant WHM is the clear winner there for me. So yeah, it's all about the player.

I would be interested in how you manage to keep the tank and the rest of the party alive without AoE heals there, maybe I was unlucky both times I went there as SCH, but I had nowhere near enough healing power to have any spare time to single-target heal myself or party mates. Not to mention you don't have access to any debuff removing spells as SCH at that level, so poison is hard.

I already have all MND accessories I could gather, and while I got no problems on WHM, on SCH it's just too much to handle for me