Seeing Red - A Complete Red Mage Guide

[Rawrz]

I've been doing some thinking. Apoc is a very powerful skill, but its kinda niche. Unless I'm sure a fight has a Mdmg buster of hell its kinda unnecessary mitigation, since Cure II/coupled with other healing will probably top the tank or party member off.

Instead i've been running with Mana Shift. It's got some fun utility. Sending a low healer MP, topping a plds mana off for Requiscat, giving the BLM a wtf moment when they can flare again.

Both have their uses but i feel mana shift has more raw utility in the choices you have with it and a lower cd.

I run with:
Lucid
Swiftcast
Addle
Erase [I love it too much xD]
Mana Shift

I'll know how i feel about it after I see a fight that can make rdm go dry without raising.

[Rbstr]

Primals are one thing, but RDM only has lucid dream for mana managment. It doesn't seem wise to be kicking your mana off to others in a raid-type fight, in particular when the others, like BLM and PLD have strong mana regen capability anyway.

[Rawrz]

Primals are one thing, but RDM only has lucid dream for mana managment. It doesn't seem wise to be kicking your mana off to others in a raid-type fight, in particular when the others, like BLM and PLD have strong mana regen capability anyway.

Look at our spell costs though. We got the Ast treatment. EVERYTHING is dirt cheap! Our most mana consuming spells are verflare/verholy at a whopping 5% of our max mp. VerThunder/VerAero are about 3% at 480 mp (same with scatter.) Jolt/Verfire/VerStone/impact are about 2% at 300... All on top of a break with melee gcds to allow natural mp regen. We have so much mana that it takes us dying or 4 teammates dying for us to have any mana issues. I use lucid dream for antiaggro than directly because I'm mana starving. xD Just my line of thought on it all.

[Sacerdos]

I can confirm, if you're using Lucid Dream on cd and have a BRD/MCH for Refresh too (might not even need that actually), you absolutely have the mana to use Mana Shift on cool down, assuming you don't have to Verraise at some point (which is saving your healer's mana indirectly too).

[Kogekigami]

So far I found I have only needed lucid dreaming if i have just been rezzed or rezzed a few people to help the healers.

[Garotte14]

I've finally finished leveling BLM so started a more serious look at endgame in my static with RDM. I have quite a few things to add to the guide for optimization purposes and for "Openers." I will add them to the guide shortly, but wanted to post them in here as well.

First, during your opener, assuming you have a countdown you should be hardcasting Veraero/Verthunder. Also its important to note that you want to be weaving both Corps-a-corps and Displacement right away. When you get to 40/40, Manafication will reset these anyways so not using them before Manafication is a waste of 260 potency. You should also should be weaving Contre Sixte and Fleche in a single GCD if your ping will allow this to be done without clipping your GCD. This is mainly so CaC and Displacement can also be weaved under party buffs.

Secondly, as I've seen others mention in this post, the optimal timing for Embolden for personal reasons, would be weaved directly after Enchanted Zwerchhau. Your Potion will be weaved the GCD before right after Enchanted Riposte. You do this to make sure both Enchanted Redoublement and Verflare/Verholy are getting the full 20%. Using more for party benefit will depend entire on if you have a ninja, then Embolden should be happening the exact time Trick Attack goes out. It will then line up with every other TA through the course of the fight.

So opener should look like this:

Precast Acceleration
Hardcast Veraero at 5 seconds
DC Verthunder
(Fleche + Contre Sixte)
Ready Proc
DC Thunder/Aero
(Corps-a-corps>
Ready Proc or Jolt II
DC Thunder/Aero
(Displacement)
Repeat until 40/40 then Dualcast
(Manafication + Corps-a-corps)
Riposte
(Potion)
Zwerchhau
(Embolden)
Redoublement
(Displacement)
Verholy/Verflare

Also its correct that the soonest you'll have 40/40 is 7th GCD and the latest is 9th GCD as others have stated in this thread. This information will be added to the guide when I have a few minutes to spare. More to come.

[TheChemicalCat]

As a rule you should be using Displacement/Corps a corps AFTER executing skills like Verflare/holy or Fleche.

Why? Because it looks cooler. Simple. Nothing like jumping away just as the explosion goes off, or diving in with your ice rapiers.

[Fortune_Cookie]

Last, you shouldn't ever be casting Impact if you have a Ready proc. Its 20 more potency plain and simple. Let Impact fall off. I don't have months of testing in a raid environment yet to say 100% on that, as I've not encountered every scenario. But at the moment, I see no benefit of casting Impact over a Ready proc.

I don't follow this.

Where does the 20 potency difference come from? Why shouldn't you use Impact when the "Impactful" proc is about to drop and the "ready" proc isn't, unless doing so would cause you to (i) cap mana, (ii) become imbalanced, or (iii) waste an opportunity for a proc?

Verstone -> Verthunder -> Impact -> Veraero and Impact -> Verthunder -> Verstone -> Veraero are equivalent outside of specific circumstances (such as, e.g., both "ready" procs being up). It just seems a waste to let "Impactful" drop when there is no opportunity cost to using it.

[Rawrz]

I don't follow this.

Where does the 20 potency difference come from? Why shouldn't you use Impact when the "Impactful" proc is about to drop and the "ready" proc isn't, unless doing so would cause you to (i) cap mana, (ii) become imbalanced, or (iii) waste an opportunity for a proc?

Verstone -> Verthunder -> Impact -> Veraero and Impact -> Verthunder -> Verstone -> Veraero are equivalent outside of specific circumstances (such as, e.g., both "ready" procs being up). It just seems a waste to let "Impactful" drop when there is no opportunity cost to using it.

she is saying its 20 more potency because of the white or black mana it gives. Not sure if the six mana black and white mana is in that line of thought. If i have a fire proc and an impact proc that is about to fall off, ill impact and go for a stone proc, through aero. Two chances at getting a proc at 270 base potency instead of one fire then if it fails to proc, having to lose 30 potency and jolt ii.

So to clarify, if impact is falling off and you only have ONE proc, you may impact to try and get the proc you do not have. If both of your procs are already up, just let impact drop.

[Fortune_Cookie]

If both of your procs are already up, just let impact drop.

About this part, is that really right?

That was my first instinct too, but "ready" procs are only a 50% chance. In other words, you're weighing the definite loss of "impactful" (worth 30 potency and 2 mana) against a 50% chance of wasting a "ready proc" (worth 30 potency and 3 mana).

Say you let "impactful" drop and cast VS -> VA failing to get a VS "ready" proc. Contrast that with casting Impact -> VA first - same potency, one less mana but you still have both "ready" procs. And that has a 50% chance of being the outcome.