Quote Originally Posted by Sunako View Post
DPS output between RDM and SMN is not really big. RDM Embolden is better than SMN buff. You can not choose when you can use your phoenix heals without massive dps loss. RDM do not need hold Swiftcast for raise. RDM magic Magic Barrier can be used on any mechanic you want without dps loss.
Red Mage's only curatives are on the gcd. Red Mage by necessity dumps 500+ potency worth of gcd in order to raise at all. Red Mage is still bound by its initial 1.9s cast time, if interrupted it loses not just one but two casts. With potencies as they are, e. Reprise is a hilariously bad dps loss even as a "mobility tool" so once Red Mage reaches the end of its mobility from dualcast and possibly swift cast, they've reached the limit of their mobility, unless you count their melee phase which is fair, but limited itself both by range and resources.

Phoenix tends to come out during bursts of damage anyway, and it's worth way more than a 10% mitigation every two minutes. Summoner now also has access to essentially two ogcd personal shields at will. Summoner has so many free gcds of movement that they have a "casting phase." On a category of classes called "casters." Raise aside, their sheer mobility is going to make them much more valuable for prog than Red Mage, especially in fights as unforgiving as ultimate where you barely even have a chance to raise.

Of course the question none of us can answer right now is if SMN and RDM stay where they are damage-relative. As it stands, there are benefits and drawbacks to both casters, and now that double caster is on the table it may come to pass that both become the prog mage.