BLM needs more damage

[EllieShadeflare]

What the devs need to see is our cries for more damage. Not for utility, not for a raise (because let's be honest, in the current lore, BLM having a raise would not fit at all) and certainly not for anything that hurts our identity. We need more damage.

We're the pure DPS. This means that versus other classes who can fling a buff out (Including and most importantly Summoner at this moment and also Samurai) we should be outdoing them in DPS. By a pretty wide margin, actually, to make up for our lack of support.

[Tanathya]

What the devs need to see is our cries for more damage. Not for utility, not for a raise (because let's be honest, in the current lore, BLM having a raise would not fit at all) and certainly not for anything that hurts our identity. We need more damage.

We're the pure DPS. This means that versus other classes who can fling a buff out (Including and most importantly Summoner at this moment and also Samurai) we should be outdoing them in DPS. By a pretty wide margin, actually, to make up for our lack of support.

You did not just mention SAM support capabilities for its slashing down resistance. Tell me it was not your intent.

[EllieShadeflare]

You did not just mention SAM support capabilities for its slashing down resistance. Tell me it was not your intent.

To be fair? Samurai has more support than BLM for that slash down resist ALONE.

Granted, it's a utility that's lost when you have Warrior, but when you don't, it benefits both tanks and a Ninja who doesn't have to waste part of their rotation for Slash Down (and unlike Ninja, who can't use their full combo if they use Shadow Fang, you should already be using Yukikaze for its Sen whether you're converting it into Kenki, getting Higanbana or saving up for Midare).

also samurai can boost its own potencies to pretty disgusting levels and get faster as part of their normal rotations but black mages only get enochian and every 90s get Leylines so there's that

we initially had it as foe requim until hw as magic dmg buff?? now it has became universal dmg buff.
the only thing about making them having too much/huuuuge dmg margin is that it will sway the the comp to 4x blm, no?
thats why i prefer blm to get a raid utility instead a signaficant dps increase by a margin etc.

Black Mage will NEVER be able to DPS hard enough to shift the meta into 4x Black Mages, unless you make Fire IV's base potency higher than 355-400 (giving it at least 665-760 practical potency when under Enochian and Astral Fire IV for what basically amounts to a filler spell).

The main reason is simple. Other classes provide DPS boosts both directly (as flat damage buffs or vuln debuffs on bosses) or indirectly (increasing DH chance, Crit chance or attack speed). Not to mention, the game highly penalizes multiple party members of the same class in high level content.

Black Mage getting raid utility is a VERY BAD IDEA, even its current state because A. we'll turn out similar to Monk (because adding support would only lead to further bad decisions to remove BLM's identity) and B. it'll be Summoner all over again. SMN got a boost to both their support and their damage as of 4.1, and they're now higher than even Samurai on FFlogs. Not to mention, of 5 clears of Ultimate Bahamut, 4 of the groups had Summoners.

[itti18]

What the devs need to see is our cries for more damage. Not for utility, not for a raise (because let's be honest, in the current lore, BLM having a raise would not fit at all) and certainly not for anything that hurts our identity. We need more damage.

We're the pure DPS. This means that versus other classes who can fling a buff out (Including and most importantly Summoner at this moment and also Samurai) we should be outdoing them in DPS. By a pretty wide margin, actually, to make up for our lack of support.

exactly what I think , I find playing BLM fun for their pure damage , I hope they stay that way

[Zerathor]

Another example: WHM before 4.0. The glaring balance issues were immediately identified, lengthy discussions were had (often VERY heated), and positive fixes followed. As long as the discourse is constructive, these threads are helpful.

Pretty much this.
There has been a lot of good ideas discussed, and any would work, but we just need something.
Either flat across the board potency buff, enochian % dmg up, make umbral hearts boost the damage of fire spells they're used on, ect.
All of those would work great, but it just needs to be done. A pure dps job has zero reasons to not be far ahead of all the utility based dps. Blm, and sam should have a massive lead over any other dps, but that simply isn't the case atm.

[Valdegarde]

There's a Red Mage thread right next to this one asking for damage too, and lest any arguments break out about caster balance comparisons, as a Red Mage I fully think Black Mages should be doing leaps and bounds more as the highest caster. Actually more than even Samurai I should think, since Black Mage has to struggle with most fight mechanics more.

[Remedi]

I'd say the reason why BLM should do more dmg than SAM is because dmg buffs for casters are less prevalent since they could shuffle boss mechanics to be more annoying for melees than ranged if they want to

[Zerathor]

I'd say the reason why BLM should do more dmg than SAM is because dmg buffs for casters are less prevalent since they could shuffle boss mechanics to be more annoying for melees than ranged if they want to

^1000x this

Why should all physical damage jobs get to buff each other endlessly while casters get next to nothing and are expected to compete?

[Tanathya]

SAM does get to get shunned for the lack of support. Also, SAM does cast (very little, but can actually screw a rotation if they gotta dodge, royally) and take care of positionals. It's alright to cry out and be heard, and I'm with you BLM does need a buff, but don't do it to the detriment of a job that's looked upon more often than not because of virtually the very same reasons BLM is.

[Komaru_Tatoro]

we initially had it as foe requim until hw as magic dmg buff?? now it has became universal dmg buff.
the only thing about making them having too much/huuuuge dmg margin is that it will sway the the comp to 4x blm, no?
thats why i prefer blm to get a raid utility instead a signaficant dps increase by a margin etc.