SAMURAI SHOWDOWN

[Nalien]

For me, it's one that uses magic.

That's fine, just realize when I (and likely others) ask for a mage tank, it isn't what you consider a mage tank. For you, using MP is enough, in which case Dark Knight and Paladin are "mage" tanks, for me the Job actually needs to be using magic as its primary toolset. MP management is a large part of Dark Knight, but for the most part that is down to Dark Arts, and Dark Arts is an enhancement more than anything...

Let me put it this way; A true mage tank would get as much out of Foe's Requiem as Black Mage. Dark Knight gets very little out of Foe's Requiem.

Of course it can be done, but It's more complex than you're suggesting.

It really isn't... Why would you even convert INT into STR? It's a mage tank, it would be used VIT and INT, not VIT and STR... You'd convert some INT into the missing VIT, which would potentially be no different than the damage loss from using Grit/etc. The extra defense is an issue, but that really isn't complex either... It's essentially just something extra tacked onto the Clerics Stance style formula, it's incredibly simple. There is more to it than Clerics Stance, but that doesn't really make it any more complex...

What is so wrong with a RDM healer?

Nothing? Like you said, Red Mage was typically a jack of all trades, and thus I think it could fill any role. Personally I'd like it to be a hybrid melee/mage DPS, Fencing and weaving spells in and out of combos, while sort of like Summoner with regard to White Magic (has a cure and raise for no real reason), but it can be a tank or a healer. Healer is arguably the best option since White Mage is essentially Red Mage already, considering it has heals and nukes, though we lose the fencing aspect certain games made popular.

Why is DNC as a frontline healer an okay option, but RDM is not?

Not what I'm suggesting for Dancer at all... Dancer should be a ranged healer, throwing weapons rather than a carbon copy of XIs version of the Job (although XI gave the Job a throwing weapon for its AF quest, subsequent Relics were all daggers though). Still a backline healer, with Dances having "cast" times, since I know of no dances that are instant, and being the primary form of the Jobs support, can even cost MP for all I care. The Stone/Ruin/Malefic/etc. attack "spells" for Dancer would be TP based attacks based on the Jobs thrown weapon. Slap in a stance that does for DEX and MND what Clerics Stance does for INT and MND, and you can even slap it in appropriate DEX gear, rather than have a Dancer wearing robes...