The Black Mage Rotations

[NeoAmon]

Anyone else notice more frequent thundercloud procs with thunder III?

Nah it is the same as always. There is a chance where you would get 4 procs in a row back to back. Also if you thunder more than one target you will get a better chance at thunder cloud. Example thunder I/II on both soldiers in T4 or both snakes in T1.

[baopee]

Single target

T2 - F3 - F1 spam - B3 - (B1, SC, virus, T2) - (swift cast/ when available) - F3 - F1 spam

T2 - F3 - F1 spam - B3 - F1 (fast cast given by B3) (swift cast/ when available) - F3 - F1 spam

multiple target

F3 - F2 spam - flare - transpose -repeat

F3 - F2 spam - flare - transpose - swift cast - flare - convert - flare - transpose - [(F3 - F2 - flare) repeat]

[qivis]

When I get it right, after the nerf of Blizzard II, ist is not useful in the multiple target rotation anymore. But I wonder, if anyone has tested to use Freeze instead, whose damage was increased with 2.1, if I remember right. So what about this AoE rotation?

F3 - F2 spam - Flare - Transpose - Freeze - Freeze

[LetBloodline]

When I get it right, after the nerf of Blizzard II, ist is not useful in the multiple target rotation anymore. But I wonder, if anyone has tested to use Freeze instead, whose damage was increased with 2.1, if I remember right. So what about this AoE rotation?

F3 - F2 spam - Flare - Transpose - Freeze - Freeze

Best rotation with 4+ target (good timing is required, high risk) is

setup: F3 - F2 spam - Flare
rotation : Transpose - wait 2 sec - Flare - Fire 2 - Flare

Best rotation with 2-3 target is
setup: F3 - F2 spam - Flare
rotation: Transpose - F3 - F2 - F2 - Flare

[FurryFury]

Best rotation with 2-3 target is
setup: F3 - F2 spam - Flare

Why not just F3 -> Flare -> Transpose -> F3 -> F2 -> F2 -> Flare -> Transpose etc.? Assuming tank can mantain aggro.
F2 is more like filler for Traspose cooldown.

[qivis]

Thanks for your answer

Best rotation with 4+ target (good timing is required, high risk) is
setup: F3 - F2 spam - Flare
rotation : Transpose - wait 2 sec - Flare - Fire 2 - Flare

I do not want to use this rotation, because I think it is kind of using a bug (everyone should decide that for him/herself, no judging). So I would like to know if my rotation is better for 4+ targets than your second rotation.

[ShinryuReishiki]

F3 - F2 spam - Flare - Transpose - Freeze - Freeze

Unfortunately, even with the potency increase Freeze is still pretty bad. It would either need a higher potency or a shorter cast time to be worth using like Blizzard II in the old rotation. Even with its nerf, Blizzard II would probably still work better here...

Why not just F3 -> Flare -> Transpose -> F3 -> F2 -> F2 -> Flare -> Transpose etc.? Assuming tank can mantain aggro.
F2 is more like filler for Traspose cooldown.

You will do overall more damage by including Fire II. In the very short term, yes, going straight to Flare is a little higher DPS, but if the enemy is going to survive long enough for you to need to use Transpose, you'll want to include the Fire IIs.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post1816927

[O-Deka-K]

Unfortunately, even with the potency increase Freeze is still pretty bad. It would either need a higher potency or a shorter cast time to be worth using like Blizzard II in the old rotation. Even with its nerf, Blizzard II would probably still work better here...

I agree. Freeze only does 100 potency, which is weak compared to the rest of our arsenal. Not only that, but targeting the ground takes extra time and you could miss. I'll do the math just for fun:

Again, N is the number of targets and PPS is potency per second.

When I tried it back when 2.1 first came out, I could do this in 30s (theoretically):
F3 > F2 x 4 > Flare > Transpose > Freeze > Freeze (30s)
Potency formula: (1388 x N + 154) / 30 = 46.3N + 5.1 PPS

If you can do it faster and save a mana tick, then it would be 27s:
F3 > F2 x 4 > Flare > Transpose > Freeze > Freeze (27s)
Potency formula: (1388 x N + 154) / 27 = 51.4N + 5.7 PPS

I say theoretically because I couldn't actually do F2 4 times. However, the cast time is 3.0s (minus spell speed), so this would extend the rotation by exactly one mana tick (3.0s).

This still doesn't compare to the established AoE rotations:
Transpose > F3 > F2 > F2 > Flare: 55.2N + 18.2 PPS
Transpose > wait 2s > Flare > F2 > Flare: 58.8N PPS

[Alistaire]

Nah it is the same as always. There is a chance where you would get 4 procs in a row back to back. Also if you thunder more than one target you will get a better chance at thunder cloud. Example thunder I/II on both soldiers in T4 or both snakes in T1.

It'd be a bit higher in the long run because you have an extra tic for it to proc off of.

[qivis]

snip

Thank you very much