SHB BLM is the peak of this game's job design

[Seraphor]

Crunching some more numbers on this AoE stuff, and, umm, maybe I've missed something but are you better off just spamming Freeze (and Thundercloud procs) from level 35 to 50 for AoE?

Maths:
Freeze (in UI) = 100 / 2.5s = 40 PPS per enemy.
Fire II (in AF3) = 80*1.8 = 144 / 3.0s = 48 PPS per enemy.

So we are OK so far, Fire II (while being cast in AF3) has a higher PPS... the issue comes in when you put it in a rotation, mainly that you can only cast 3 Fire II's before having to switch back to UI (with Freeze), and that the best(?) way to switch from UI back to AF is Fire III (a single target spell).

So a rotation of Fire III > Fire II > Fire II > Fire II > Freeze has a PPS of (67.2 + 192 + 192 + 192 + 112) / 5 = 151 for 4 enemies (where AoE > single target)... but Freeze alone has a PPS of 40 x 4 = 160 for 4 enemies, and it doesn't get any better (it actually gets worse) as the number of enemies increase; so, ummm ???

Add to this that we don't even get AF3 until level 40 (Magick and Mend II) and it gets even worse. It gets a bit better at level 50, where adding in Flare increases the PPS of the rotation to greater than that of Freeze alone… even then though, using Flare without Umbral Hearts (to say nothing of having to Transpose and wait for an MP tick) is kind of clunky.

Thoughts?

We can finally play an Icemage, below level 50?

[Acidblood]

We can finally play an Icemage, below level 50?

It seems so

Flare changes things and is worth it up to about 8 enemies if you are hard casting, though it somewhat depends on how long you have to wait for an MP tick after Transpose. Swiftcast Flare in AF is definitely worth it, but the real game changer isn't until level 68 (Enhanced Umbral Heart), and then of course level 72 (Aspect Master).

[PyurBlue]

Maybe I'm missing something (edit: these calculations are rough), but:
(168 + 192 + 192 + 192 + 327.6 + 160) / 6 = 205.3
(168 + 327.6 + 160) / 3 = 218.5

Oh you're right. I accidentally typed the potency of F3, not the PPS. The averages are correct, just the F3 PPS is wrong.

Updated: Noob mistake with the averages, but the conclusion is still the same: Freeze spam > Fire II rotation :/

I hadn't really given the pre 50 rotation much thought. Good to know that Freeze and thunder is the way to go. I just hope it doesn't confuse the rest of the party that you happen to be in. There are probably a few people who don't main BLM but know enough about it to think avoiding fire is a huge DPS loss. Maybe add a macro to freeze "/p yes this is actually optimal" lol

[Shepceptional]

That AOE rotaion of Freeze -> Filler -> (F3 Optional) -> Flare -> Flare -> Repeat is so smooth.

What is Filler? I missed that somewhere?

[Seraphor]

What is Filler? I missed that somewhere?

Thunder/Thundercloud procs and Foul.

[Shepceptional]

Thanks! Should i be sharpcasting the T4 or F3 spells in AOE rot.?

[Seraphor]

Thanks! Should i be sharpcasting the T4 or F3 spells in AOE rot.?

Sharpcast Thunder spells.
F3 for transitioning from UI to AF is shorter cast and no MP anyway.

[Shepceptional]

Thanks! Should i be sharpcasting the T4 or F3 spells in AOE rot.?

[HumanNinjaToo]

I am a budding BLM and I just wanted to say thanks to all you who have posted the info and opinion in this thread. Reading through it has really explained a lot about the evolution of play style I should expect as I keep leveling up.

[Dragonpuff]

Has anyone figured out if it's worth using a firestarter proc after using despair if you never used it during your rotation, or is it better to just go into umbral ice at that point? Also, does black mage have an AoE rotation between 50 and 72 that doesn't feel terrible?