Understanding your limit break

[Fluffernuff]

For shame. I was hopeful this would actually be a PSA on how the LB actually stack up and explain how damage is worked out. I wasn't expecting to be told information the game gives you at level 15... the stuff everyone knows. Bah!

Ok, so to fill in the massive blanks here...

A limit break has a varying potency based on the Type of job using it. Damage is modified based on a few factors. The baseline damage** is further calculated taking the AVERAGE OF THE COMBINED ILVL OF THE PARTY'S WEAPONS. From there, and LB does increased damage based on the obvious 1/2/3 bars used. This damage also is unaffected by any buffs you have or debuffs the enemy has. No Trick attack shenanigans here!

As for tanks and healers, those are much more obvious to use. Healers are a party-wide heal leading to the full-party rez in their LB3. There's always generally a use for a healer LB3 in alliances raids or in progression. Only LB3 will rez, and the rez component Will not APPLY a weakness stack. However, it will not CLEANSE a weakness already suffered.

Tank LBs purely reduces more and more damage to the party. When in competiton with DPS LB doing a ton of damage, or a healer LB saving the group, its hard for a tank LB to have any use. It CAN save a group. it's not USELESS. There are also fights such as Alexander 12 Normal and Savage that REQUIRE Tank LB3. Though simply reducing damage is far less useful than killing the thing or rezzing the party.




**Baseline potency is Melee (Single target) > Ranged Caster (Ground Target AoE) > Ranged Physical (Line AoE) > Tanks=Healers. The baseline damage is purely based on this. A SAM's Braver is no more powerful than a DRGs. A BLM's Meteor isn't stronger than a RDM's. etc, etc.

I've also personally seen some conflicting information about if base potency for Caster or Physical does more damage. More information seems to point that Caster's has a higher base potency. The circle ground AoE is also considered superior to the Line AoE. Generally a Caster will be seen as "better" than BRD/MCH. I don't have a hard source about which is actually higher base potency, so take this information with a grain of salt.

[Raldo]

I've also personally seen some conflicting information about if base potency for Caster or Physical does more damage. More information seems to point that Caster's has a higher base potency. The circle ground AoE is also considered superior to the Line AoE. Generally a Caster will be seen as "better" than BRD/MCH. I don't have a hard source about with is actually higher base potency, so take this information with a grain of salt.

I'd be curious to know if anyone has actual data on this; I've always operated on the assumption that ranged physical hit harder than caster, but I have zero evidence to back that up. Maybe they do the same damage?