Some love for Blue Mage

[Dralonis]

I did not say make it exclusively melee. I said "a" melee combo. Of course I am not asking it to be the next SAM or MNK.

In FF5 even BLU's Magic Stat was low. BLU was a battle mage just like red mage. Slightly weaker magic and slightly stronger attack (BLU wore shields while red mages didn't). BLU was never about raw power in either aspect but rather about special and cheesy effects. For example BLU isn't a healer but White Wind is a very strong heal. Heck the ffxiv iteration of WW is the weakest it's ever been (since it used to have aoe esuna in 7, 8 and 9). Their offensive and defensive capabilities came from abusing certain effects. Just like how this iteration is trying to make it, but failing miserably at it.

I wasn't even comparing this BLU to FF5's BLU specifically. However, Every FF game that had BLU had them with decent melee capabilities. Check Tactics Advance, FF5, FFXI, And to an extent Quistis and Quina in 8 and 9. What SE classifies them is irrelevant, RDM has the same classification of Magical Ranged DPS and still has its strongest burst in the form of a melee combo. Paladins are tanks yet they have one of the strongest single target heal spells and one of their burst phases is a magical nuke spam.

Their magic was lower, but not entirely super low like that of RDM. BLU had -8 to melee damage but +23 to magic. (however, this point is sortaaa moot since they got the power of their spells from the magic not the STR. so they just wouldn't be whacking the mob with a cane, but with spells unlike RDM, so only a visual difference) RDM had +8 / +8 to magic but had agility, sorta would be like making them more mobile .That's also probably why RDM's burst is put into their melee rotation since they have tons more STR. BLM had -9 / +31 , SMN had -10 + 33 Just mentioned those for points of reference to other spell casters.

The main problem I have with it is that I'm not a huge fan, personally, being forced into melee range to do that. Paladins, you can do it at range and in melee range. They already do it with RDM so they could with BLU, just saying that it isn't exactly the same with PLD, is all. I guess I'd be ok if it was an OPTION but not forced though for BLU. At least, for class fantasy sake and for it to not literally be a BLU clone of RDM,but it would make sense, so they probably may do a melee rotation for them.

As long as it's not too long. Personally, I'd prefer RDM and BLU to have a 2 button melee rotation if anything. Goblin punch+ aqua breath or something. If it becomes a full class. Would be cool to visually change some skills, have that kinda customization and swap out aqua breath for flamethrower, but I doubt they'd put that much into the class, if it were to go full class. Also, they clearly looked at FF5 and said they are modeling it after FF5, I don't think they are going to go off the identities of the other versions of BLU tbh. I kinda wonder if we will see goblin punch, aeroga, flare, and graviga.