The Black Mage Rotations

[Mecan]

You posted a lot, but most of it was useless fluff.

I'm unsure what you're referring too overall. I even put in red that "With luck..." but it's an idea to strive for. Yet that is a Single-Target DPS Rotation, which has nothing to do with AoE Rotation. Everything I wrote was not useless fluff, I highly recommend you take time to read through it. Basically the order of the DPS Rotation was quite fortunate, but by using Convert during the DPS Rotation it helped to increase the odds of such a rare, but long DPS Rotation. This was not impossible, just really damn lucky.

Don't forget there is some considerable downtime between each Instant Cast, despite it being instant you still have to wait a full cooldown timer. This is pretty much my standard DPS Rotation:

(Swiftcast) Thunder III - Fire III - Raging Strikes - Quelling Strikes - Fire I - Fire I - Convert - Fire I - Fire I - Fire I - Fire I - Blizzard III - Thunder II - Fire III

[PessimiStick]

Don't forget there is some considerable downtime between each Instant Cast, despite it being instant you still have to wait a full cooldown timer.

There's exactly 1 GCD, hence the reason it's called the GCD.

This is pretty much my standard DPS Rotation:

(Swiftcast) Thunder III - Fire III - Raging Strikes - Quelling Strikes - Fire I - Fire I - Convert - Fire I - Fire I - Fire I - Fire I - Blizzard III - Thunder II - Fire III

So you're trying to maximize the time you're casting damaging ST spells under RS, yet you're opening without B3? Should fix that. You're starting at a mana deficit and probably costing yourself at least 1 Fire cast.

[Mecan]

There's exactly 1 GCD, hence the reason it's called the GCD.

So you're trying to maximize the time you're casting damaging ST spells under RS, yet you're opening without B3? Should fix that. You're starting at a mana deficit and probably costing yourself at least 1 Fire cast.

Typically I'm under the effect of Umbral Ice III when opening my DPS Rotation so I always begin with maximum mana. The Swiftcast Thunder 3 is to add 3 seconds to the Thunder Tick (1 whole tick) because my DPS Rotations are long and drawn out and I don't always have the luck of proccing an Instant Thunder III. Sad to say I prioritize Raging Strikes while under DPS Rotation instead of the Thunder Tick -- normally it would be the other way around. You're nitpicking extensively without knowing where I actually place my main DPS Rotation during a battle and for no good reason for that matter.

Edit: If you didn't catch what I mean, by the time I cast my 1st Fire, the Mana Bar is full. So the Full force of a DPS Rotation is primed and ready for several aggressive casts.

[PessimiStick]

Typically I'm under the effect of Umbral Ice III when opening my DPS Rotation so I always begin with maximum mana.

You're under the effect of UI3 without casting B3? No. This is clearly the start of the fight since you have RS and QS off cooldown at the same time. (and it's generally not worth casting QS again if it comes off CD later, unless you outgear the tank by a lot)

The Swiftcast Thunder 3 is to add 3 seconds to the Thunder Tick (1 whole tick) because my DPS Rotations are long and drawn out and I don't always have the luck of proccing an Instant Thunder III.

Or because there's not really anything else to use it on, of course. Your only real options are the opening B3 or the T3, and hardcasting the B3 is a better choice for threat reasons. Without Swiftcast or convert you should be using T2.

Edit: If you didn't catch what I mean, by the time I cast my 1st Fire, the Mana Bar is full. So the Full force of a DPS Rotation is primed and ready for several aggressive casts.

Except that if you didn't start with B3, it's not, which was my point.

[Mecan]

You're under the effect of UI3 without casting B3? No. This is clearly the start of the fight since you have RS and QS off cooldown at the same time. (and it's generally not worth casting QS again if it comes off CD later, unless you outgear the tank by a lot)

I hating doing Quote Points for single phrases. Like I said, you're nit-picking for nit-picking sake, and for no good reason. But let's play your game a little longer...

I'm going to use The Binding Coil of Bahamut Turn 4 as my main source here, this is where I measure a lot of how a Black Mage balances their abilities. Just because I have Raging Strikes and Quelling strikes off cooldown doesn't mean "it's the start of the battle", actually the first Dreadnaught drops in approximately two minutes into the battle. As a Black Mage, I reserve my cooldowns such as Raging Strikes, Quelling Strikes, and Convert for this moment. This is because the Dreadnaught absolutely must die in under 60 seconds. If it doesn't, it gets fully healed and buffed, resulting in a failure.

At this point I'm exiting combat on schedule with another foe, my Umbral Ice III is up by this time rebuilding my Mana and prepping me for the Dreadnaught phase and my main DPS Rotation -- or my "Big Guns" as it were. This is DPS Check situation, every time I encounter one of these all of my cooldowns are reserved. There are several different forms of DPS Checks in Turn 4, two of which are Dreadnaughts that must die in under 60 seconds: here is the second one. I reserve Raging Strikes & Convert for both of those situations.