How is BLM in new expansion?

[Sleigh]

Thundercloud is also awkward now. Is it even good? It feels worse than just casting Fire now. Fire is a GCD for 180*1.8 = 324 potency that also refreshes Astral Fire and has a 40% chance to give you the ability to- at no mana cost- throw out a 240*1.8=432 potency spell at the cost of a GCD that ALSO refreshes Astral Fire. Thundercloud only brings refreshing thunder to the table and Thunder is probably going to last you until you cast it next anyway.

What do you do when you go Fire 3->Fire IV and then see the Thundercloud proc? Using it immediately means You're looking at 4 seconds left on Astral Fire so you have to Fire afterwards, so it just took Fire IV's slot (you're down 108 potency). Any usage of Thundercloud needs to either 1) Take advantage of the extra DoT ticks or 2) Let you get that Fire IV you replaced in. Which means you're going to spend 3+3+2.5 seconds not casting Fire. Cutting it close.

But if you ignore the proc, is using Thunder during Umbral Ice even good?

Thundercloud can generally only be used in rotation 1 of Enochian, and that doesn't include your opener because most openers are limited to the amount of GCDs you can even do. Rotation 2 you can do a Thundercloud if and usually only if you didn't use a Thunder after B4, which means ... you won't even get a Thundercloud. Rotation 3 you have zero time for procs until Enochian wears off.

Thunder is right now in the category of filler only. You use it for MP ticks, nothing more, and if you have the opportunity to skip using it you should do so.

[Sayori]

I've been playing black mage for a very long time now and i can say i am not happy with the changes they made to black mage.
Enochian is the culprit. While it does allow you do deal crazy damage, it's also the problem about black mage right now. We're basically a stationary monk with 2 greased lightnings to keep up, that's just awful given the cast times and heavy movement in endgame content. Also for thundercloud i've found very few moments to use the skill cause
1) enochian is about to run out
2) why use thundercloud when you can use fire IV which deals more damage?
3) astral fire/umbral ice is about to run out

I'm very sad about the blm changes and i hope they'd just make enochian a stance like bard's minuet and perhaps nerf some of the IV numbers to balance that. The skill cap for current black mages is just skyhigh. Black mage just feels like rocket science now given you have to watch 2 timers while trying to reduce movement as much as possible.

[Bambam]

Agreed. As soon as I refresh Enochian with a B4, I wanna get back into Astral and start spamming F4 with the time I have left. Leaving Thunder & thundercloud procs to go unnoticed unless I'm locked out of Enochian.

Not to be off topic, but is anyone else getting stuck in a running animation when trying to move and cast F3. Not sure if its my whacky internet connection or some sort of bug anyone else is experiencing.

[Twilite]

Not to be off topic, but is anyone else getting stuck in a running animation when trying to move and cast F3. Not sure if its my whacky internet connection or some sort of bug anyone else is experiencing.

Yes.. I thought it was just me experiencing that. And not just being stuck in the running animation, sometimes I can't even move or do anything.

[Aikaal]

Thunder is right now in the category of filler only. You use it for MP ticks, nothing more, and if you have the opportunity to skip using it you should do so.

Thundercloud can be a nuisance sometimes. When I get a proc and I used B4 and still have a long time and my dot has 8 seconds... I just B1 lol

[HaroldSaxon]

I've been playing black mage for a very long time now and i We're basically a stationary monk with 2 greased lightnings to keep up, that's just awful given the cast times and heavy movement in endgame content.

If only we had Monk DPS.

The timings of Enochian and Astral Fire/Umbral Ice are too long (considering the 3 second cast time of F4/B4).

I like the idea of it, but they've messed up the raw numbers and the timings. There's no reason to go BLM over SMN right now, and if its purely single target and no "Magic only" mechanics, just go 3 x Melee.

[alphamax112]

I have a DRG friend who complaints about DRG has a Greased Lightning now then I said to him BLM has 2 Greased Lightning now xD
They should make Fire IV/Bliz IV has BotD mechanic, like increasing AF/UI duration by 3s (even 2s is more than enough)

[Waliel]

At least you can use the Thundercloud proc when you have to move, if nothing else.

[Underlord]

Im 60 blm... Although I understand everyone's complaints. I have no problems. I run ley lines and enoch... then the f4> bliz3> b4...etc rotation. At first running new dungeons I hesitated. But now im familiar with them, with a few exceptions on some bosses. I don't move much. And do major dmg. I still use f3 for aoe instances with flare. Eventhough not as powerful as before, can't dismiss that it works. I like my blm, and will continue.

[HaroldSaxon]

At least you can use the Thundercloud proc when you have to move, if nothing else.

Good luck keeping up Enochain and Astral Fire when using Thundercloud procs. Using them in Astral Fire can actively punish your dps as you have to revert to a single F4, before refreshing astral fire, rather than two.