Black Mage Sanctuary - A Guide to DPS

[Maero]

What should my accessories look like if I don't do raid content? A mix of Alex Story and Eso or just full upgraded Eso?

Some of the eso gear, is really not all that great tbh. Like Waliel has said you can try for a few Diadem pieces (ring, etc) also the Void Ark hat is fairly good.

[Sleigh]

Speaking of mana ticks, can we please get a fix on that we randomly don't get two ice ticks when doing the AoE rotation? Nothing is more frustrating than ending up with sub 3000 mana after F3 when it worked just fine for the last 10 times during that run and nothing changed between them.

It's because you can't queue when you have no MP. Thus, how quickly you input the F3 is really based on lag and how fast you're smashing the button. It's to the point where with a 2.36 GCD, I can consistently, if trying, get no MP tick before F3 goes off, smashing that button like it's nobody's business. My friend, with the same GCD/gear, can't do it if he tries, he's just a little laggier than me, which technically works to his favor in that scenario.

It's only random in the sense that lag or your button press works out more or less favorably. Just delay it, or press F3 on reaction to the MP tick if your SS is too high.

I will say the rotation being able to fail is kind of stupid, but I think the rotation itself is user-created and not intended. Surely they know by now it's the nigh official rotation, so they probably should have done something to make it smoother by now in the way that B4 made the UI phase smoother in HW, IMO.

[jmdude]

I'm having trouble explaining to my friend why 6 fire IV opener is weaker than proc fire 1 opener. He can't graps that getting more spells under buffs is better than losing a fire IV. Anyone got a really brief but detailed explaination I can just copy paste.

[Lavitz_]

I'm having trouble explaining to my friend why 6 fire IV opener is weaker than proc fire 1 opener. He can't graps that getting more spells under buffs is better than losing a fire IV. Anyone got a really brief but detailed explaination I can just copy paste.

I have no problem fitting 6 Fire IVs, a Firestarter and Blizzard 3 in Raging Strikes.

[Sleigh]

I'm having trouble explaining to my friend why 6 fire IV opener is weaker than proc fire 1 opener. He can't graps that getting more spells under buffs is better than losing a fire IV. Anyone got a really brief but detailed explaination I can just copy paste.

Do you mean Sharp F1 opener vs F3 opener?

F1 opener is generally more DPS because you're unable to get MP screwed, you have an easier time with oGCD entry, and if you luck out and get a Firestarter proc you do more damage anyway regardless of other factors.

F3 opener is strong but you have to slow it down due to raw oGCDs, and if you get no MP tick at the start you will literally sit there for 0-3 seconds waiting for an MP tick without casting anything. You use the F3 opener, or any opener that isn't the F1 opener, for timing/mobility purposes, like in A3S and Thordan.

I wouldn't call the F1 opener "losing" a F4. You're just turning it into a Flare, barely a difference TBH.

[Nephisto]

What should my accessories look like if I don't do raid content? A mix of Alex Story and Eso or just full upgraded Eso?

If you go full Eso, you will have too much accuracy. Right now, I'm ilevel 193 and I have a mix of Eso, Prototype Gordian, Void Ark and the Sky Pirate. If you want to ileveling up and have good Crit and SS, you'll have to grind Diadem. If not, you can reach ilevel 200 with a respectable Crit and SS with a mix of Eso and Prototype and not too much acc.

[jmdude]

Do you mean Sharp F1 opener vs F3 opener?

F1 opener is generally more DPS because you're unable to get MP screwed, you have an easier time with oGCD entry, and if you luck out and get a Firestarter proc you do more damage anyway regardless of other factors.

F3 opener is strong but you have to slow it down due to raw oGCDs, and if you get no MP tick at the start you will literally sit there for 0-3 seconds waiting for an MP tick without casting anything. You use the F3 opener, or any opener that isn't the F1 opener, for timing/mobility purposes, like in A3S and Thordan.

I wouldn't call the F1 opener "losing" a F4. You're just turning it into a Flare, barely a difference TBH.

I'm talking about the 6 f4 opener and Sharp 1 opener in the opening post, thank you. Would you ever use the Quad F4 opener mentioned in the video?

[Sleigh]

As far as I understand the F4 X4 opener, it relies on an MP tick to let you do F3 F1 F4 F4 F4 F4 F3P Swiftcast Flare F4 B3 T1 B4, vs the standard F3 F1 F4 F4 F4 F3P Convert F4 F4 F4 B3 (variable action due to MP). While I'm not sure I really understand why you wouldn't still just do F3 F1 F4 F4 F4 F3P F4 F4 F4 B3 T1 B4 if you had a guaranteed MP tick, I personally don't foresee myself using it. In my group, we have the WAR initiate an Infuriate upon our ready check being 8/8, then our NIN does an immediate Huton in response to that, and an immediate pull macro in response to that. Everything's tight, I'm not sure if I'd be able to put a guaranteed MP tick in relation to those timers.

So the answer is, no? Unless I was an even bigger tyrant than I already am.

[Waliel]

If you go full Eso, you will have too much accuracy. Right now, I'm ilevel 193 and I have a mix of Eso, Prototype Gordian, Void Ark and the Sky Pirate. If you want to ileveling up and have good Crit and SS, you'll have to grind Diadem. If not, you can reach ilevel 200 with a respectable Crit and SS with a mix of Eso and Prototype and not too much acc.

You will still do more damage with upgraded -- or even non-upgraded -- eso pieces than Sky Pirate or 190 Gordian. And about any accuracy on gear is too much if you don't raid, so that point is moot.

[Nephisto]

You will still do more damage with upgraded -- or even non-upgraded -- eso pieces than Sky Pirate or 190 Gordian. And about any accuracy on gear is too much if you don't raid, so that point is moot.

Hummm, ok, so if I don't raid (by that I mean AS, because I do Primal Ex), I just have to go full Eso and don't care about my stats? I mean, it's better to be ilevel 200, have 690 acc and 512 SS than to be ilevel 195, have 528 acc and 769 SS (random stats, but they can look like that in full Eso)? If yes, is it because Int makes a bigger difference in damage than all the other stats?