Quote Originally Posted by DWolfwood View Post
People who want RDM as a DPS almost always claim that it's because they want a swordmage, which is the strongest identity that BLU can lay claim to.
An interesting argument, but horribly flawed. Red Mages have had the ability to wield swords since the very first Final Fantasy game, while Blue Magic wasn't even introduced until the 5th installment. Strago Magus, the next blue mage in the series, had rather low strength and used wands instead of swords. Quistis Trepe used a Whip. Quina used forks (she's a cook), Kimahri used a spear. Need I go on? I really can, as you must surely realise.

Exactly where did this this idea that Blue Mages are synonymous with swords come from? Where most of these concepts originate is Final Fantasy Tactics. A single game. Granted, it's one of the few that has a class system, but I remind you that in that game also Red Mages used swords. Rapiers, to be precise.

Both RDM and BLU have a fair claim to the DPS throne, so it's up in the air as to which one gets the gold. We can't really use past games as an example after Dark Knight, a long-time DPS class, was turned into a tank.