(Dengekionline) Preview for patch 3.2.

[Lunaxia]

You may not know but Dengeki is pretty big in Japan, So i can say for certain what they have is correct.

I meant an error as in someone got the name wrong, not that their information isn't from a valid source.

Completely bizarre choice of primal and pose for caster if not, though.

[Alahra]

Completely bizarre choice of primal and pose for caster if not, though.

Given that THM/BLMs are one of two classes with actual Ice elemental magic (NIN is the other), I don't know that Shiva is really a bizarre choice at all for casters. The pose does look a bit strange, but there's nothing that says a caster has to look annoyed all the time.

[Lunaxia]

Given that THM/BLMs are one of two classes with actual Ice elemental magic (NIN is the other), I don't know that Shiva is really a bizarre choice at all for casters. The pose does look a bit strange, but there's nothing that says a caster has to look annoyed all the time.

Yet the other classes have their weapons drawn?

'Tis true they use ice magic, but their main destructive force is fire - they also use lightning spells, so why ice when little else of the class matches it?

[Alahra]

Tis true they use ice magic, but their main destructive force is fire - they also use lightning spells, so why ice when little else of the class matches it?

Because they're the only class that really uses Ice in any significant way. NIN does have an Ice spell, but it's essentially never used, and Shiva is presented as a caster in battle that wields powerful Ice magicks. The closest thing to that among the classes/jobs is THM/BLM. I mean, yes, they could have given caster the Ramuh set just as well (or the Ifrit one), but that would then require shuffling the other classes around.

[Lunaxia]

Because they're the only class that really uses Ice in any significant way. NIN does have an Ice spell, but it's essentially never used, and Shiva is presented as a caster in battle that wields powerful Ice magicks. The closest thing to that among the classes/jobs is THM/BLM. I mean, yes, they could have given caster the Ramuh set just as well (or the Ifrit one), but that would then require shuffling the other classes around.

They're also the only class that uses fire/ lightning in any significant way... and all the primals are "casters that use powerful (element) magicks", Shiva is no different. Well, actually, she is, in that she swaps weapons to a sword and bow as well as wielding magic. You could argue why not a Shiva PLD/ BRD instead with that logic.

It's an odd choice combat-wise as well as stylistically.

[Alahra]

They're also the only class that uses fire/ lightning in any significant way...

The difference though is that the other classes overlap to some degree with the other primals in other ways. Ifrit fights primarily with his claws and also dashes around on the ground—similar in many ways to PGL/MNK. Garuda is heavily associated with the sky, just like LNC/DRG, and so on.

I do agree that the caster set could have been Ramuh, but given Ramuh's association with the Shroud and the Sylphs, which are rather closely tied to Conjury and White Magic, healer is the more likely thematic choice for him.

It's not just the fact that Shiva uses Ice magic that made it their choice for caster. It probably also has a lot to do with Shiva fitting less well with the other classes, and since BLMs use Ice magic, it was the simplest fit.

Your association of Ice with healing doesn't even really build off of much in game—the elements of Conjury are Earth, Air, and Water. Ice is specifically associated with destructive (i.e., Black) magic in the game itself. The three healing classes have no association with Ice in the game, whereas THM/BLM does have some.

[Yamimarik]

Yet the other classes have their weapons drawn?

'Tis true they use ice magic, but their main destructive force is fire - they also use lightning spells, so why ice when little else of the class matches it?

Honestly seems like you're putting too much thought into this, people have shown you two separate sources that calls it caster, you can believe what ever you like obviously, but they are both very viable sources. Also promotional artwork and pictures of in-game gear/characters always have out of the ordinary poses as someone posted earlier, with the DRG using the WHM /cpose as their pose in the picture. This isn't anything new for the XIV when they show promotional content for upcoming patches/expansions.