SE are leaving BLM to rot by giving SMN and RDM even more utility

[Taranok]

"When paired" being the operative words here. Most statics still follow the double melee paradigm. A single glance at the recruitment discord will show you just how many groups ask BLM players to play RDM/SMN for prog. It isn't simply the hardcore having such a prerequisite. Furthermore, RDM hasn't been the red-headed stepchild for a while. It dwarfs Black Mage static players while frequently pulling ahead of Summoner as the most popular caster. It even made it into the 5.5 speed meta.

BLMs aren't playing the victim. Raise is objectively a massive advantage during prog, regardless of your static's skill level or aspiration. Hence why this discussion comes up, especially in light of the dev team wanting to remove Resurrection. Doing so basically guarantees RDM a slot in a good number of groups when no other role is afforded such luxury. Now I don't necessarily think BLM should be given a Raise. I'd rather they kill off Verraise and Resurrection.

Actually, my Eden's Promise static requested (but did not require) I played a raise-capable caster for progging. I had the option to BLM but I chose SMN because, despite being objectively worse on SMN than BLM, the raises easily shaved a month off prog time for my static's glacial prog process (3 hours/week).

My TEA static, where I am also BLM, is also requesting I swap. I'm doing fine in the group, we're able to consistently get past Living Liquid now with practice, but the request is coming down as: "We would like res utility pushing forward." Res utility is a serious problem to the balance of the game. It's not in question. BLM has basically been forgotten. The devs keep putting ever taller hats on what is effectively an ancient rotation dating back to ARR that has been retrofitted to work for HW and then barely changed since, and BLM mains are going: "Wow, this is fine, we need more of this!" while refusing to accept the reality that the class isn't keeping up with the direction the game is, and has been, going in.

Honestly, due to Magick Barrier alone, RDM is probably going to be the de facto caster of EW. The class has it all. A 2m tactician mixed with mantra, the ability to raise up to 6 people in a row (lucid dreaming, starting at max MP, an amount of time between 5th and 6th res as Lucid ticks), and with SMN having about 85% freedom of movement, it will probably beat SMN in both personal DPS and raid utility and people squabble over 'lore' in a game where RDMs literally cannot double as a healer because if they could, it would be mandatory in all prog forever.

[remiff]

Actually, my Eden's Promise static requested (but did not require) I played a raise-capable caster for progging. I had the option to BLM but I chose SMN because, despite being objectively worse on SMN than BLM, the raises easily shaved a month off prog time for my static's glacial prog process (3 hours/week).

My TEA static, where I am also BLM, is also requesting I swap. I'm doing fine in the group, we're able to consistently get past Living Liquid now with practice, but the request is coming down as: "We would like res utility pushing forward." Res utility is a serious problem to the balance of the game. It's not in question. BLM has basically been forgotten. The devs keep putting ever taller hats on what is effectively an ancient rotation dating back to ARR that has been retrofitted to work for HW and then barely changed since, and BLM mains are going: "Wow, this is fine, we need more of this!" while refusing to accept the reality that the class isn't keeping up with the direction the game is, and has been, going in.

Honestly, due to Magick Barrier alone, RDM is probably going to be the de facto caster of EW. The class has it all. A 2m tactician mixed with mantra, the ability to raise up to 6 people in a row (lucid dreaming, starting at max MP, an amount of time between 5th and 6th res as Lucid ticks), and with SMN having about 85% freedom of movement, it will probably beat SMN in both personal DPS and raid utility and people squabble over 'lore' in a game where RDMs literally cannot double as a healer because if they could, it would be mandatory in all prog forever.

this is totally wrong that the red mage has more potential to beat the summoner on the dps because the summoner is mobile, the tax does not apply to the summoner due to the fact that they also have buff the mobility of the red mage in addition to granting him a more consistent burst, a better aoe rotation, and a double mitigation in addition to keeping his ability to chain resurections.

You don't have to look any further with the tip of your nose to be sure that the red mage will never beat the current summoner in dps for the simple reason that he now has the best kit of the 3 casters,
he is therefore already godtier, even if he has a lower dps than the summoner.


People underestimate the mobility of the red mage, with the mana white/black combo buff only granting free mobility spells, gap closer x2 and jump back x2 also granting mobility,

do not forget the passive, a casted spell, the next one is instant.