How is BLM in new expansion?

[Akiza]

Black Mage is fine they just have to learn to deal with mechanic. This reminds me of T6 where the Black Mage potency was 10% potency higher than the Summoner and SE buffed them as an over reaction becuase movement affected there damage. I think Black Mages just want to deal hard hitting damge without any cost. A lot of jobs have built in weaknesses as Summoner can't spam there hard hitting abilitie without having DoTs up and going into Dreadwrym Trance which require Aetherflow thats on a 60s cool down. Black Mages hard hitting abilities are for the most part spammable they don't have internal weaknesses so they have an outside weakness where movement affects there dps. Black Mage already has 20% more single target potency than the Summoner any more and it'll obliterate the Summoner.

[HaroldSaxon]

Black Mage is fine they just have to learn to deal with mechanic.

Level BLM to 60 then talk.

And BLM doesn't have 20% more single target potency than Summoner. SE buffing them way back when wasn't an over-reaction, as they still weren't as good as a Melee at Single target. The issue back then was Summoner Mana issues which was more noticeable in longer fights.

[hallena]

snip

This whole post can summed up with *I have no idea what im talking about but i will comment about blm anyway*

[Garotte14]

This whole post can summed up with *I have no idea what im talking about but i will comment about blm anyway*

That's not actually true. Now at first I was pretty much disgusted by what happened to BLM in 3.0, but I've been playing non-stop for the last week and I must say officially that BLM is currently in a decent spot. Sure, adjustments will be made. If it was me, I'd probably make two minor adjustments. I'd extend Astral Fire to 13 seconds instead of 10. This would allow us a little more freedom to move out of an aoe without completely losing a GCD. And Second, I'd probably shorten the Blizz IV Cast time to 2 seconds.These are very minor and wouldn't change anything with our 3.0 rotation. The job would still play as SE intended, only it would allow us a little more freedom with movement.

Now with that being said, I'm currently i170 and averaging between 800 and 900 DPS on every single boss fight in the level 60 dungeons and 1100 on dummies. You just have to practice and learn the most effective way to utilize every single tool you have been given. AM, Swiftcast, Sharpcast, Manaward, Manawall all are vital. When you cast Ley Lines, immediately move to the very edge of the circle. If you're targeted by an aoe under your feet, 90% of the time you'll still have room in your Ley Lines to move to the other edge. If a mechanic forces your enochian to fall off before expected, immediately switch to 2.0 rotation and don't panic. I'm still hitting Fire 1 crits for 3.1k and Firestarter crits for 4.3k. If you don't freak out when something causes your rotation to get screwed up and can make the transition smoothly, you can still maintain high dps until your enochian is ready.

I've not yet seen a single DPS out parse me in a dungeon. Granted, I'm not saying they can't and I've slightly out geared the ones who have come close. My only point is its not "The Sky is Falling" for BLM right now. At first I was annoyed, but I dusted it off and told myself its time to get good. Sure, some won't have any desire to dedicate the time to adjust to this new playstyle. I'm only saying its possible

[hallena]

Snip

bismarck extreme is usualy where it start getting extremely annoying.
With tornadoes
Aoes
Stuns from bismarck
Movement when weather change
If fights like these is what SE plan for alexander, there is no way anyone would bring a blm over smn

[Sleigh]

If fights like these is what SE plan for alexander, there is no way anyone would bring a blm over smn

That's the main thing that worries me. For BLM, I have no doubt it is currently viable, it's honestly not too bad in any 3.0 content (I dare say Neverreap bosses are more annoying than Bismark or Ravana EX). That said SMN is gonna wipe the floor with BLM, especially when it's actual progression and DPS checks/enrages are a thing with a lot of mechanics.

Heck, BLM I bet could keep up with SMN if you really practiced in an environment with some mechanics. Do you want to practice for hours trying to get to that point when SMN can do it better the first try and on?

[SuzakuCMX]

Do you want to practice for hours trying to get to that point when SMN can do it better the first try and on?

Yes, because some people find BLM more fun than SMN and the game isn't all about min/maxing for first clears...

[Xisin]

Sleigh that's honestly how i feel about it too. I'm currently in the process of re-leveling summoner and going into 2.2 mode where I play both and compare and contrast alot. Here are by FAR the most annoying rage inducing things ever on blm atm:

1. Co-dps kills whatever you are targeting blizz 4 on. This happens in ravana ex some ... makes me want to punch kittens, because it makes you a 2.x blm for 15-30 seconds

2. the blizzard rng tick of doom and most blms know what im talking about here - basically you throw blizz 3 and it happened JUST after the server tick, this will murder you if it happens on fire chain 2

3. invulnerability/jump mechanics are very unforgiving

The job feels so good when everything goes perfect, feels like a dream... however it is literally a train wreck when one bad thing happens. Very polarizing

[Akiza]

Summoner isn't going to wipe the floor with Black Mage anytime soon unless its against a crappy Black Mage that doesn't know their job. A good Summoner will do 1100 Damage in 3min while a Black Mage does 1300 damage in 2min in a turret fight.

[Sleigh]

Summoner isn't going to wipe the floor with Black Mage anytime soon unless its against a crappy Black Mage that doesn't know their job. A good Summoner will do 1100 Damage in 3min while a Black Mage does 1300 damage in 2min in a turret fight.

For one thing, the DPS difference is almost non-existent as far as we've tested. But more importantly, what turret fight? Savage content hasn't been known for turreting ...

Also, it's not just turreting/moving that's annoying/detrimental to the rotation. It's phase shifts and invincibility, something we didn't have to deal with before. Even something disappearing for 10s is enough to make us cry foul.