Black Mage Dps Rotation Guide! in 90 Seconds!

[Sleigh]

My Blizzard III less Rotation.

Thunder II -> Fire III -> Raging Strikes -> Fire I / Fire III proc (last Fire I when mana => 1k) -> Flare -> Convert -> 1x Fire I / Fire III proc -> Flare -> Transpose -> Thunder II ->>>

This takes 0-3 seconds to replenish mp for thunder II, by the end of thunder II / Fire III cast MP is full. Flare is our strongest spell, y u no use?

Flare is only the tiniest fraction better than Fire I from a raw DPS standpoint, and if you count the Firestarter proc chance Fire I is technically better for DPS. Flare should only be used with Swiftcast against a single target, plain and simple.

[MykeMana]

Flare is only the tiniest fraction better than Fire I from a raw DPS standpoint, and if you count the Firestarter proc chance Fire I is technically better for DPS. Flare should only be used with Swiftcast against a single target, plain and simple.

Fire I IS technically better. This replaces Blizzard III, Fire I is still your main go to DPS skill. You can't cast Fire I with 300 MP, so use it for Flare instead (2x in this rotation, 1 swiftcasted). You'll have to wait 2 server proc for full MP regen on Blizz III, 3 server proc for this rotation while doing Thunder II -> Scathe on both and casting Fire III midway on regen.

As for the pots... It's expensive lol.

[Sleigh]

Fire I IS technically better. This replaces Blizzard III, Fire I is still your main go to DPS skill. You can't cast Fire I with 300 MP, so use it for Flare instead (2x in this rotation, 1 swiftcasted). You'll have to wait 2 server proc for full MP regen on Blizz III, 3 server proc for this rotation while doing Thunder II -> Scathe on both and casting Fire III midway on regen.

As for the pots... It's expensive lol.

What about using your Convert on 2X Fire I + Blizzard III (which gives you not only no true downtime but also gives you the 2-for-1 AH3 + UI3 Fire III and Fire I after) instead of Fire I + Flare + Transpose delay into low DPS? It's what I do.

Swiftcast Flare may have a place in optimal rotations, when combined with Convert, but I can't say I see Flare -> Transpose ever trumping a Blizzard III rotation. Blizzard III gets you back to your highest DPS phase quickest, to throw that away would be a huge DPS loss.

[zaela]

See my quest is a. Why use blizzard 3 at all? And 2, why use thunder 2 over thunder? My standard rotation (Without raging strikes and potions just to be simple) is Thunder 1 - Fire 3 - Fire spam/Firestarter proc - Swiftcast - Flare - Convert(Or saved for raging strikes/Potion nuke, depends) - Transpose - Refresh Thunder - Fire 3 - Etc. By the time I cast thunder 1 and fire 3 my mana bar is totally full. So why blizzard 3 and thunder 2? It feels like a waste to me because I almost never run out of time on my thunder, and my mana bar already refreshes quickly.

[PessimiStick]

See my quest is a. Why use blizzard 3 at all? And 2, why use thunder 2 over thunder? My standard rotation (Without raging strikes and potions just to be simple) is Thunder 1 - Fire 3 - Fire spam/Firestarter proc - Swiftcast - Flare - Convert(Or saved for raging strikes/Potion nuke, depends) - Transpose - Refresh Thunder - Fire 3 - Etc. By the time I cast thunder 1 and fire 3 my mana bar is totally full. So why blizzard 3 and thunder 2? It feels like a waste to me because I almost never run out of time on my thunder, and my mana bar already refreshes quickly.

2 ticks of Umbral 1 should not be filling your mana bar. In fact, I don't believe you.

[zaela]

>_> You can believe me or not believe me, not going to change my original rotation. NOW it doesn't 100% fill it, I am missing 100-150 mp SOMETIMES, not always, like every two transposes, but it never seems to slow me down.

[zaela]

Also question because I cant spell. I encourage you to try my rotation, Pessimistick, and tell me if perhaps you think the other way works best? I have tried the rotation suggested but I feel to clunky, I feel I spend to much time casting thunder 2 and blizzard three. Also if you do not believe me that the two/sometimes three ticks fill up my bar sufficiently why then not just cast thunder 2 instead and buy some time? I find Blizzard 3 pointless. For that matter why not fill in with virus (Not needed but perhaps slightly more useful than the 4 extra seconds from thunder 2 without the mana requirement), or even another filler skill. I am not saying the suggested rotation is wrong I was simply asking why it is more desirable than the one I am using now.

[Azoryl]

I never use transpose, unless I mistime a Bliz III at the end and actualy can't get the UI3 buff at the end of combat. In those instances I use transpose. Switching from AF3 to UI3 by way of Blizz III is way faster.

[AsheliaDalmasca]

My testing reveals you should go directly to a hard cast of Fire III....

The reason I prefer fire 1 over 3 is because as a BLM we are very vulnerable to fights that require fast movement and having to break a fire 3 cast is brutal. Also in my personal experience the proc rate for fire 3 is around 30%. I have had more success in fights that require movement with fire 1 spam rather than fire 3. And yes I failed to mention it but I would Have to say that as an opener using instant cast blizzard 3 ( snag a Scathe on the GCD)> thunder 3 > followed by fire 3 Would be my preferred method of starting off in a fight.

With so many fights that require target swapping and movement I am of the opinion that parsing is not a completely accurate manner in which to fully measure the BLMS DPS.

To each their own though : )

[AsheliaDalmasca]

Also if your having to use transpose you have probably done something wrong. Or used flare.