Black Mage - Aspect Mastery

[Shurma]

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Date & Time: Thursday July 18th, 2019 / 7am PDT
Frequency: All the time
World name: Goblin
Character name: Shurma Raha
Retainer name: N/A
NPC name: N/A
Monster name: Any
Class/Level: Black Mage 72
Party or solo: Party and Solo
In-game time: Any
Area and coordinates: Any
Housing: N/A
Steps:
1. Obtain 3 stacks of Umbral Ice III (Cast Blizzard 3)
2. Cast Flare [Costs me all MP] (Current Text of Aspect Mastery should be 0 MP cost for Flare)

Issue:
Aspect Mastery "Accumulating full stacks of either Astral Fire or Umbral Ice then casting a spell of the opposite element will consume no MP. "

The tooltip needs to be updated with something along the lines of "*With the exception of Flare" OR it should work as the text states and work with Flare.

[Kurando]

You need Umbral Hearts to reduce the MP cost of Flare, so you should be using Blizzard IV. If it consumed no MP it would be very OP to use...

[Shurma]

I disagree that it would be OP to use. It doesn't change the AoE rotation at all because of Umbral Heart. Enhanced Umbral Heart states that "Casting Flare completely removes the Umbral Heart status." Which means, I should lose all stacks of my Umbral Heart, even if it did cost me 0 MP. So, if Umbral Heart is working as expected, then what you assume to be OP is not OP. It would actually causing players to do less DPS for the lack of understanding their Job.

The *Only* reason it matters is for Single Target damage. If the Trait works as text states, a BLM would be casting Flare over Fire 3 for the increased 20 potency damage to the target. 1.7s over a 2.0s (Both under GCD, thus Flare would be the one to use)

[Kurando]

Why would you be casting Flare on a single target at your level when Fire IV is more potent? Flare at higher levels is generally reserved for mobs/multiple targets.

If one does not understand the job then they can just ask, there are plenty of BLM players here in the forums that can help with anything that isn't clear.

[Shurma]

You seem to be misunderstanding me. I am talking about casting Flare as your opening Fire attack (from Umbral Ice III) to gain 3 stacks of Astral Fire. I am not talking about using Flare over Fire IV.

Flare would in theory replace Fire III in the current rotation if the trait worked as stated in the text.

Fire III -> 240 Potency
Flare -> 260 Potency

[Kurando]

Why would you open with Flare against a single target? Please explain this to me because you just wouldn't, at least i don't know anyone that does. Flare does not replace Fire III.

Here is a link you can read to learn BLM rotations.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-BLM-senpai%21

[Shurma]

The short answer, I don't use Umbral Hearts to extend my fire phase, thus if I use Flare to transition it will cause more damage.
As with all theory crafting, there isn't always 1 definitive rotation that is best.

[Kurando]

There is no theory crafting here, at lvl 70+ (even 60+) you should be using Umbral Hearts, and be switching with Blizzard III/Fire III between transitions (or Transpose if necessary) for single targets, and Flare/Freeze for mobs. You can't aim for more damage with Flare alone when actually your biggest bursts come from Enochian spells.

Perhaps you used a job boost item to increase your BLM, but whether you did or didn't I would greatly recommend using the guides (others are online as well) as much as you can or even asking for assistance for anything you don't understand. Because if others catch on to what you are during in (high level) duties, don't be surprised if they call you out or even kick you from the party.

[Shurma]

I'll agree that there is a single rotation that is best if you don't have to worry about mechanics.
Either way, what I posted still holds true; Aspect Mastery is either buged or has a tooltip error that needs corrected.

There is always theory crafting, if you want to think for yourself or not is completely up to you.

[JustinHiryu]

Shurma, I will support your report as a bug. I actually found this out myself earlier today and brought this to the attention of those on Novice Network. Many of the players there agreed that Flare should be able to be cast for free under full stacks of Umbral Ice due to Aspect Mastery. There are no exceptions listed under Aspect Mastery, Flare, or the Astral/Umbral effects that say it should function otherwise. However, let me make it clear how it should work just in case someone posts here without a full understanding of all things involved:

1.Flare is not a non-aspected spell. Flare, in its description, says that it does Fire aspected damage.
2.Flare has the added effect of getting rid of any stacks of Umbral Ice and giving you full stacks of Astral Fire.
3.Casting Flare while having Umbral Hearts reduces the mp cost of Flare by 1/3 and removes all Umbral Hearts. This is dealing with Umbral Hearts alone.
4.Aspect Mastery states that while you have full stacks of either Astral Fire or Umbral Ice, casting a spell with the opposite element will cost no mp.
5.Flare absolutely has an mp cost. It says 10,000 mp on the tooltip, which we know as all of our mp. What most people do not know, is that there is actually a minimum mp cost for the spell. You must have 1000 mp or more. Either way, Flare has an mp cost.

Now, let me state this case. Casting Blizzard 3, Freeze, or using Umbral Soul enough times will give you full stacks of Umbral Ice. I can cast Fire, Fire 2, and Fire 3 for free. They are all fire aspected spells, and I have confirmed their costing no mp under Aspect Mastery. However, if I have full stacks of Umbral Ice and then cast Flare, if I have any Umbral Hearts, Flare will cost 1/3 mp and remove my hearts. If I have no Umbral Hearts, it will cost all of my mp. The issue is not how Umbral Hearts affect Flare. The issue is how Aspect Mastery affects Flare. With no tooltip or anything to state Flare as an exception, Flare should, by all intents and purposes, under full Umbral Ice, COST NO MP. Period. Our rotations, or how anyone else feels how we should play the job is not an issue here. In fact, what anyone else here has to say in reference to how the job should be played or if something is OP or not is irrelevant. Those opinions belong on another thread. What IS relevant here, is the possible bug we have found. Nothing else.