The Black Mage Rotations

[Waliel]

I would gladly take a 10 second cooldown on Flare if it meant that we're getting the old UI/AF changing back.

[Kalvin1783]

I think the best fix to using double flares would be to make it so bad that no one would ever want to use it. It would be very simple to do. Just give it the same properties as Fire 1 instead of Fire 3 regarding AF/UI stacking.

As is, Flare gives you a full stack of astral fire when casted. Double Flare from umbral ice is strong because the first Flare is reduced potency, but it grants AF3, and the second Flare is full power.

If Flare acted like Fire 1 instead, the first Flare would be reduced potency and only remove umbral ice, while the second Flare would be under no umbral ice or astral fire.

This would make double Flare via umbral ice so impotent that no one would waste time with it, while at the same time not nerfing the spell in any way for it's intended purposes. Flare is clearly meant to be used while already under AF3, not as a means to attain AF3, as the spell drains all of your mana. Making this change would only emphasize that intention.

Implementing this "nerf" could effectively kill double flare and then hopefully they would give us back our previous UI/AF swapping mechanics.

[Allyrion]

The change wasn't just about double flare. They also said that they didn't want us double dipping from the reduced cast times.
Though I agree that it was a band-aid fix since I doubt the awkward UI phase was an intended consequence.

[Pinworms]

The core problem wasn't double flare itself, but casting speeds involved with doing the flares iirc. So they did "fix" the issue,

Looks like the guy above beat me. Lol

[Kalvin1783]

While I agree that it's a glitch and I understand that no game designer wants one in their game, I wonder what is so bad about having double dipping...assuming they fixed double flare somehow? For the sake of conversation I would point out that, as far as AOE rotations, double dipping rotations wouldn't be as strong with the Blizzard 2 nerf. We have a "legit" rotation now that's almost as strong as the pre 2.1 double dipping, un-nerfed Blizzard 2 rotation. Plus, how much did double dipping really help ST rotations? DD'ing your first Fire 1 didn't really gain dps due to GCD, although it did give you enough time to see if your F1 proc'd. But that's something we should be able to do anyways. DD'ing into another F3 was more damage but only allowed you to cast 4 F1's, giving you one less chance at a free F3 proc...kind of a wash.

So, I suppose the question is, post 2.1, assuming double flare was fixed, would double dipping be so good as to be considered broken?

[Synovius]

Updated OP with some more information in the tricks sections.

[Kalvin1783]

If you guys want an easy way to time the double flare, use this macro.

/wait 1
/ac "Flare"
/wait 4.5
/ac "Flare"

I did some testing, and it works 100% if I press it as fast as I can naturally react to a mana tick all the way up to what feels like halfway to the next mana tick. I keep a healthy stock of mega ethers hotbar'd, and this has made me very confident for pulling off pentaflares.

Fire 3 > Raging Strikes > Flare > convert > Flare > Mega Int Pot > Swiftcast > Flare > Transpose during GCD > wait for mana tick > double Flare macro gets it done.

Edit: You're probably gonna want to add in some Quelling Strikes as well.

Also, this all fits within a transpose cool down almost perfectly, so it effectively syncs itself up to the server ticks after the first rotation just like Transpose > Fire 3 > Fire 2 > Flare. So if you wanted an easy 2 button steady stream of flares, this will do it.

[Karasumori]

Could anyone give me some advice on how to handle conflag for turn 5? Specifically a good rotation for fast conflag? I'm used to doing T5 with my DRG and I know techniques like setting up disembowel for conflag for that extra 10% dmg boost makes all the difference.

[Synovius]

Hey Karasumori

For the fast Conflagarations, I plan in advance. About 5-10 seconds before a fast conflag, no matter where I'm at in my rotation, I hit Blizzard III==>Thunder II and then Fire III. I then will cast 1-2 Fireballs on Twin to try and get a Firestarter proc. When the Conflag drops, I hit [TAB] once which immediately targets the Conflag and I do Fire ==> Firestarter and then do Fire I spam. I will usually throw in a Swiftcast + Flare at the end if I feel we're taking too long on them.

If I don't get a Firestarter proc I simply do Fire I spam on the Conflag and almost always throw a Swiftcast + Flare out after a few Fire I.

[TaroBBT]

If you guys want an easy way to time the double flare, use this macro.

/wait 1
/ac "Flare"
/wait 4.5
/ac "Flare"

I did some testing, and it works 100% if I press it as fast as I can naturally react to a mana tick all the way up to what feels like halfway to the next mana tick. I keep a healthy stock of mega ethers hotbar'd, and this has made me very confident for pulling off pentaflares.

Fire 3 > Raging Strikes > Flare > convert > Flare > Mega Int Pot > Swiftcast > Flare > Transpose during GCD > wait for mana tick > double Flare macro gets it done.

Edit: You're probably gonna want to add in some Quelling Strikes as well.

Also, this all fits within a transpose cool down almost perfectly, so it effectively syncs itself up to the server ticks after the first rotation just like Transpose > Fire 3 > Fire 2 > Flare. So if you wanted an easy 2 button steady stream of flares, this will do it.

Thanks for the macro. it works great after the first tick of transpose. Question, where are you getting the mana for the third flare in your rotation? I see f3>RS>flare>convert>flare (out of mana when this flare goes off ) > MIP > swiftcast > Flare. I'm not seeing how you get that third flare...and I missing something ?