Solo Job? I think not...

[Palladiamors]

No I am pretty aware of the "higher INT scaling" and the 3 Maim and Mend traits instead of 2. The scaling is still terrible. Your 120 potency spells are still hitting like wet noodles at 50. At level 50 1 weapon damage was worth 7~11 of the main stat. The comparison was using a level 1 weapon where you only have 1 WD vs a level 5 weapon where you have 2 to see how visible the difference is. BLU does have a pretty bad scaling issue compared to the other jobs.

You don't KNOW the scaling, you can't say its terrible. You're also leaving off Off-Guard which is another 50% increase AND you're forgetting that Blue Mage spells cast around 20% faster than black mage spells. You're also not factoring in the power of Primal Spells...though for some reason Bristle doesn't work on those so admittedly they aren't hitting for as much as they SHOULD be. But that's another problem in and of itself, BLU really needs those spells to even be close to competitive but farming anything but eruption requires a group.

Blue mage single target damage is low, though. Not as low as you are making it sound, but still low. BLU either requires targets to be weak to status ailments that every boss is immune to, or requires a heavy time and party investment in order to be...sub-par on anything other than trash mobs.

[MagiusNecros]

Primal skills are "abilities". Bristle only affects "spells".

[QT_Melon]

Primal skills are "abilities". Bristle only affects "spells".

It was affecting Shock Strike which is a primal skill. So no not all primal skills are Abilities, unless they changed Shock Strike with the Hotfix from 1/24

[MagiusNecros]

It was affecting Shock Strike which is a primal skill. So no not all primal skills are Abilities, unless they changed Shock Strike with the Hotfix from 1/24

Yeah Shock Strike isn't using up Bristle. So yeah.

[Kabooa]

You don't KNOW the scaling, you can't say its terrible. You're also leaving off Off-Guard which is another 50% increase AND you're forgetting that Blue Mage spells cast around 20% faster than black mage spells.

Being a faster cast doesn't mean you get more damage. It's 2.5 GCD regardless and potency across any job is balanced around this.

Also, the hyper scaling replaces weapon damage. Anyone who has played ARR at i130 will likely tell you the same. Blue Mage ends up in roughly the same spot as other DPS once kitted out in i130.

It's actually one of the more frustrating parts. They went through and meticulously ensured the damage formula comes out to about the same as other Jobs, use spells about the same as other jobs, but it's still treated as its own special things that can't play with the other kids in the sandbox.

[KylePearlsand]

Bristle is still worth having actually. It increases the dot damage of Song of Torment which is an overall gain in damage. It's best used like this. Bristle:Off Guard -> Song of Torment. Song of Torment goes from 300 potency total to 450 potency total. Really the only time using Bristle is worth it unless it is a phase where you can't target anything. In which case you'd probably use it on Song of Torment anyways.

[MagiusNecros]

Bristle is still worth having actually. It increases the dot damage of Song of Torment which is an overall gain in damage. It's best used like this. Bristle:Off Guard -> Song of Torment. Song of Torment goes from 300 potency total to 450 potency total. Really the only time using Bristle is worth it unless it is a phase where you can't target anything. In which case you'd probably use it on Song of Torment anyways.

Yes I've found Bristle is best used when you cast it and then weave in Eruption or Feather Rain into SoT since the cooldowns line up perfectly.

So Bristle > Eruption/Feather Rain > Song of Torment

Keeps you casting. BLM mentality runs strong in me.

[KylePearlsand]

Yes I've found Bristle is best used when you cast it and then weave in Eruption or Feather Rain into SoT since the cooldowns line up perfectly.

So Bristle > Eruption/Feather Rain > Song of Torment

Keeps you casting. BLM mentality runs strong in me.

I think it's just my Bard mentality that makes me do it like the way I normally do it.

Especially since my opener is Bristle: Off Guard > Song of Torment > Sharpened Knife: Peculiar Light > Fire Angon: Glass Dance > Fire Angon: Shock Strike > Fire Angon: Eruption, etc.

My goal being more lining Off Guard with Song of Torment and lining up Peculiar light with Shock strike and Eruption for a burst phase.

[QT_Melon]

Yeah Shock Strike isn't using up Bristle. So yeah.

Wow, then they patched it in the hotfix. It was most definitely being used up prior to the Hot Fix.

[MagiusNecros]

Wow, then they patched it in the hotfix. It was most definitely being used up prior to the Hot Fix.

Guess they didn't want a super buffed Shock Strike with OG + PL + MF + Bristle.

Which I kinda hate Moonflute for it's after effect. It seems way too harsh.

And the original version from FF5 was an AoE Berserk buff.

So it's kinda disappointing to me.

For 15 seconds of do nothing I feel the attack buff should be increased drastically to compensate for such a drawback.