The Ultimate Black Mage Resources with Damage Calculator

[EasymodeX]

Now I hope we can agree that 0.01 second extra cast time is not going to make a difference (if any) if we were to get 1 extra Fire I every 235 casts in one fight (if the fight even last that long). (1 Fire cast = 2.35 GCD and -0.01 GCD = 1 extra sec every 100 casts).

You have a +0.4% chance of getting an extra cast off for every consecutive spell cast prior to moving for a mechanic. 235 casts simply provides a 100% guarantee that you get an extra cast off.

If you cast 10 spells in a row before having to move for a mechanic, then that 0.01s from SS will result in you being "ahead" by 0.1s total out of a 2.35s GCD. That means you have a 4.2% chance of getting the final cast off.

After 20 spells in a row, you have an 8.4% chance of getting an additional cast off.


Anways, that first result requires approximately 10 SS to acquire. For 10 CRT instead, you gain 0.7% chance to crit -- to deal +50% damage. To guarantee a bonus 100% full cast (the same threshold you used in your SS assessment), you need to cast 1/0.007/.5 = 286 spellcasts.

Hope that helps.

[MBTL90]

I have a couple of questions about the basic BLM rotation.

1. What are you supposed to do when firestarter procs on your last fire in the rotation before blizzard 3? Currently, I've been saving it and having the Fire 3 going back into Astral Fire being instant, but this also prevents you from double dipping on the first fire 1. Are you supposed to instead cancel the blizzard 3 and use the proc? Wait a sec after the last fire to see if you get a proc? I play my casters with the Always Be Casting motto, so I'm mashing the next spell in my rotation well before the previous finishes. Waiting on the last fire 1 seems really wrong to me.

2. Thunder timing: Is it ever worth it to not recast thunder in umbral ice due to long duration left on the thunder? Say if I get a Thundercloud proc right near the end of my astral fire period, should I still fire up a thunder 2 dring umbral ice, or switch to something like scathe/blizz 1 in the regen period of umbral ice?

3. Thunder recast during astral fire: Is it ever right to cast thunder during astral fire? Say for whatever reason you just went astral fire 3 and realize that you don't have thunder up. Should I recast a thunder, or just stick to fire 1/3 spam until I can thunder in umbral ice?

4. Thundercloud proc vs. Firestarter proc: When both come up at the same time, which should I use first? I've been using the Thundercloud procs first because it refreshes the dot, allowing for more procs, is this right?

[PessimiStick]

I have a couple of questions about the basic BLM rotation.

1. What are you supposed to do when firestarter procs on your last fire in the rotation before blizzard 3? Currently, I've been saving it and having the Fire 3 going back into Astral Fire being instant, but this also prevents you from double dipping on the first fire 1. Are you supposed to instead cancel the blizzard 3 and use the proc? Wait a sec after the last fire to see if you get a proc? I play my casters with the Always Be Casting motto, so I'm mashing the next spell in my rotation well before the previous finishes. Waiting on the last fire 1 seems really wrong to me.

I typically wait an extra half second for the second mana tick in UI3, and then Transpose --> Firestarter. It's *possible* that cancelling B3 and using FS first might be better, but it's hard to test real world with how infrequent it is compared to your overall damage, and I haven't really spent any time trying to model it.

2. Thunder timing: Is it ever worth it to not recast thunder in umbral ice due to long duration left on the thunder? Say if I get a Thundercloud proc right near the end of my astral fire period, should I still fire up a thunder 2 dring umbral ice, or switch to something like scathe/blizz 1 in the regen period of umbral ice?

You should use B1. I tend to use Scathe because I don't actually have B1 bound, but B1 is marginally better (6 potency on average).

3. Thunder recast during astral fire: Is it ever right to cast thunder during astral fire? Say for whatever reason you just went astral fire 3 and realize that you don't have thunder up. Should I recast a thunder, or just stick to fire 1/3 spam until I can thunder in umbral ice?

Probably not? Not entirely sure, but the best solution is to not f up in the first place. =p

4. Thundercloud proc vs. Firestarter proc: When both come up at the same time, which should I use first? I've been using the Thundercloud procs first because it refreshes the dot, allowing for more procs, is this right?

Always TC. TC can re-proc before you've used it. FS can't re-proc because you're not casting fire. FS --> TC has the potential to lose a proc, the reverse does not.

[Youmu]

Depends, I used to SR with a PLD who had slightly better gear (some i90, I only have DL), and we used Foe on most packs. I always have QS up for the first pack of each section when I have Convert up, and I never pulled from him.

Yeah thats fine and all, Im just saying that later on when you're geared enough, PLD flash spamming is the only chance at keeping hate from you. Hell, even that isn't enough, often on packs I have convert/raging/quelling up for, I usually still pull agro on anything I crit more than once on. So the idea is, in terms of min/maxing, you may as well take advantage of the manasong since it will be there for WP most times you run with a PLD.

You should use B1. I tend to use Scathe because I don't actually have B1 bound, but B1 is marginally better (6 potency on average).

Probably not? Not entirely sure, but the best solution is to not f up in the first place. =p

I prefer scathe for mobility reasons, which I dont find the 6 average potency worth giving up 2.5 seconds of free movement on scathe. The exception is on single target rotations after swiftcasting flare, transpose>bliz1 twice to ensure you regain full MP and get you cast speed buff for fire3/fire1.

Its never worth stopping a fire1 rotation to cast thunder if it falls off. For one, the net potency of a Thunder wont exceed the net potency of a fire1 cast, even taking into account the respective procs. There is also the issue with an added thunder mid-rotation limiting fire1 casts to four, and the issue with the Thunder DoT falling off mid fire rotation again if you don't get any procs. As you said though, best solution is to never let it fall off.

[PessimiStick]

Yeah thats fine and all, Im just saying that later on when you're geared enough, PLD flash spamming is the only chance at keeping hate from you. Hell, even that isn't enough, often on packs I have convert/raging/quelling up for, I usually still pull agro on anything I crit more than once on.

If you're geared enough, you'll kill everything before the PLD goes OOM anyway. =p We were almost doing that already. Or you'll pull aggro and die. Not sure which breakpoint actually happens first.

[Youmu]

Most certainly the latter, Im pretty sure if I bursted any harder than I already do Id get my face ravaged. Quelling is only up once every two mins, anytime its down Im juggling between 80-95% threat on the entire pack even with flash spam. The exception is pulls you have a) youre entire CD set up for, and b) LB pulls .

[PessimiStick]

Which kinda makes it all a moot point. Optimizing your damage for Ballad just makes you more likely to die. =D

[Youmu]

You should be aiming to push threat to 90% regardless - if using the highest possible DPS rotation also means you take agro on 1-2 mobs per pull due to high crits, then that's fine as long as you dont let it interrupt or kill you.

This whole conversation is off-topic, however, because the original topic wasn't about the threat one rotation generates, but about manasong being up for most pulls to fuel flash spamming. It is true that on some pulls you can battlevoice requiem and drop two or three flares on to burst down before threat even matters, but due to cooldowns this isnt reasonable for most pulls.

[PessimiStick]

You should be aiming to push threat to 90% regardless - if using the highest possible DPS rotation also means you take agro on 1-2 mobs per pull due to high crits, then that's fine as long as you dont let it interrupt or kill you.

This whole conversation is off-topic, however, because the original topic wasn't about the threat one rotation generates, but about manasong being up for most pulls to fuel flash spamming. It is true that on some pulls you can battlevoice requiem and drop two or three flares on to burst down before threat even matters, but due to cooldowns this isnt reasonable for most pulls.

In the context of WP there's really only 4 pulls, and you have full CDs for three of them, plus LB for one of those.

[Sleigh]

4. Thundercloud proc vs. Firestarter proc: When both come up at the same time, which should I use first? I've been using the Thundercloud procs first because it refreshes the dot, allowing for more procs, is this right?

I usually wait on Thundercloud, due to how infrequently it procs. Two good things about waiting: it technically does more added damage the less time you have left on your current Thunder, and the thing about Thundercloud is you can use it after a Fire I and you essentially get a "free" Firestarter chance you normally have to use two Fire Is to check against.

The downside of course is you can miss out on a free proc, but considering its rarity, and the advantages of waiting on it, I rarely use it ASAP.