Returning Black Mage - Rotation Reminder?

[dinantes]

Heya. There's a few topics on the subject I've seen, but most are pre-2.3 posts and the rotations posted are followed by bitter arguments.

Was wondering if any pro black mages out there would update me as to what the current rotation was under basic circumstances.

Thanks in advance for saving me the trouble of combing through pages of text =)


Also, for a black mage decked out in darklight with a relic weapon (not +1) where do I jump in? Last I played was just before 2.1, so I've never even done the crystal tower...

[Numenor1379]

Single target sustained: T3 - F3 - F1 spam - B3 - T2/1/+ B1 (depends on mana ticks) - F3 - F1 spam - repeat...
AoE sustained: F3 - F2 - F2 - Flare - Transpose - F3 - F2 - F2 - Flare - repeat

AoE opener: F3 - raging &quelling strikes - Flare - Convert - Flare - mega ether - Swiftcast Flare - Transpose - rotation above

[dinantes]

Just what I was looking for. Thanks again!

[Sen_Terrechant]

Fire Fire Fire Fire OHGODIMOUTOFMANA
Bliz kimgood
FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE

[Skeith-Adeline]

For your opener, don't waste mana by immediately heading a Flare off. The only difference between your AoE openener and the rotation that follows, is that you are to Convert + Swiftcast + Flare after your initial flare. Raging Strikes is fine, but ether's are overkill. Chances are, the enemies will be naught but dust when you finished or close to it.

Fire 3, Raging Strikes (and quelling if you have it), Fire 2, Fire 2, Fire 2, Flare, Convert, Swiftcast, Flare.

Fire 3, Fire 2, Fire 2, Fire 2, Flare, Transpose, Fire 3, Fire 2, Fire 2, Flare and repeat until death.

[Numenor1379]

Why do people insist on using their MP pool up at the start of an AoE rotation? Doing so lowers your overall DPS as it takes you longer to get back to Flare. In addition the opener should be the hardest hits you can manage, ethers are perfect for adding that extra Flare in there, and using them early means they will be up sooner for later use.

[Uninstall]

If you are using ethers, you should use 1 Fire 2, since with Flare+Convert+Flare+Ether+SwiftFlare you have some time left on your Raging Strikes still by the time the last Flare ended and you're stuck in transpose restoring mana.

If you aren't using ethers, you can add either 1 or 2 more Fire 2 to it so you use up your entire Raging Strikes duration to do damage.

[Tenshi]

At the start of an AoE run, if you have Convert, Swiftcast, and Raging Strikes up, shouldn't the rotation be:

F3 > F2 (until under 1000 mana) > Raging Strikes > Flare > Transpose > Swiftcast > Flare > Convert > Flare > Transpose

That way RS hits for all 3 Flares and Transpose is back up by the end of the 3rd Flare.

[Numenor1379]

At the start of an AoE run, if you have Convert, Swiftcast, and Raging Strikes up, shouldn't the rotation be:

F3 > F2 (until under 1000 mana) > Raging Strikes > Flare > Transpose > Swiftcast > Flare > Convert > Flare > Transpose

That way RS hits for all 3 Flares and Transpose is back up by the end of the 3rd Flare.

No because there is no point in doing those F2's at the start and with your rotation Flare is not under AF3 for all of it's casts. The AoE move you want to use is Flare. You want to use it as often as possible as it gives the best damage. You want to do everything you can to get BACK to being able to cast Flare as quickly as possible, and when it is cast you need to make sure it's under AF3. You NEVER want to cast Flare without that buff as you lose a HUGE amount of damage.

Here's the correct AoE Opener and sustained rotation in sequence:

F3 - Raging/Quelling Strikes - Swiftcast/Flare - Convert - Flare - Mega-Ether - Flare - Transpose - F3 - F2 - F2 - Flare - [repeat from Transpose]

[Tenshi]

Oh, I see what you're saying! Thank you, I'll try that.