The Black Mage Rotations

[Allyrion]

you say this can be repeated on CD what do you mean? only could down i have is raging strikes and swiftcast i dont understand what ur trying to say

Initial Flare of rotation was followed by Convert + a second Flare. This was repeated on CD.

Convert is the CD being referenced. He's saying that you can start with
Fire III ==> Flare ==> Convert ==> Flare ==> Transpose ==> Blizzard II ==> Blizzard II
This is a double flare with convert. You can do it whenever convert is off CD.

[Kalvin1783]

All parses were done for 2 minutes nonstop on 3 targets.

Rotation
Note: Initial Flare of rotation was followed by Convert + a second Flare. This was repeated on CD.

Data

It sounds as if you are saying you are using the double flare convert combo twice in each test, but at the beginning you say these are 2 minute tests. Are you using convert twice in under 2 minutes? And if so please teach me how.

Second, I wanted to talk about what to use the two extra swiftcasts on inbetween double flare combos. What about F3>fast cast F2>swiftcast>flare>transpose etc. You would use swiftcast after the F2 cast timer is complete but before F2 gcd is finished, so no time would be wasted on swiftcast animation, and then get an earlier transpose during flare's gcd allowing you to continue the rotation sooner. I was wondering if using this twice during convert cd is a dps gain for the aoe rotation.

[Doogsi]

For AoE on turn 4 of coil I've been using the following:

Fire 3
Fire 2 x3 (Or until about 1000MP)
Swift Cast - Flare
Convert
Flare
Transpose

It works well on ad phases so far and just about times correctly with CDs.

this is the same rotation I use for speed runs in WP followed up with Blizzard2 x2, repeat. I'm up to try different rotations, but this is the best I have found.

[Synovius]

You will get roughly 10% more DPS out of the rotation I've posted.

[Doogsi]

I just went to Whitebrim and tested your rotation and it's better than I thought, but the highest dps I was getting in 2min period came from Fire3-> fire2 spam -> flare -> transpose -> Blizzard2 and then repeat. At least I learned that 1 blizzard 2 is sufficient and a second is not needed.

[Synovius]

Hmm, I'm not seeing those numbers, Doogsi. I'm consistently seeing that rotation come in about 10% behind mine. I'd like to think I'm running both rotations spot on but maybe it's a matter of being more comfortable with my rotation and you being more comfortable with that one?

[Devils]

I just went to Whitebrim and tested your rotation and it's better than I thought, but the highest dps I was getting in 2min period came from Fire3-> fire2 spam -> flare -> transpose -> Blizzard2 and then repeat. At least I learned that 1 blizzard 2 is sufficient and a second is not needed.

Just a quick question as I tend to run on BRD but my BLM is now almost 48. I am leveling it to 50 to have another ranged DPS and more options for SR's in the future.

Why are you using 2 min parses? On any boss fight I have done the adds don't last that long? And on a WP SR the groups don't last that long either? Or it sure doesn't seem like they last that long anyways.

Would it be better to test a rotation for less time? More of a burst AOE rotation based on average up time?

[SeraviEdalborez]

@OP, Why would you ever Flare with full MP?

[Synovius]

@OP, Why would you ever Flare with full MP?

Flare is our hardest hitting ability, by a large margin. For this reason, it is a mathematical fact that the more Flares we can fit into our rotation, the more damage we'll fit into a given period of time - so long as we're not doing something hokey that results in a non-fluid, clunky rotation or a rotation that is very situational based on RNG. The rotation that I've listed out for AoE casts Flare, with three stacks of Astral Fire, as often as is possible with the lone exception of using Convert for a double Astral Fire III Flare. Mana is a bit irrelevant when it comes to a rotation. Remember: a DPS rotation's goal is to maximize DPS. DPS doesn't care about what you're mana pool looks like.

On top of all that, I've extensively parsed various AoE rotations and the rotation I've detailed out came out on top by a sizable margin.

[SeraviEdalborez]

Were you also doing Blizzard2 for the Fire2 rotation? Because it's not like you just sit there after Transpose.