BLU's circular requirements are yet another example of poor job design

[ItMe]

Are you able to ask your FC or static to run things with you?

[DPZ2]

Where, exactly, did SE say "Blue Mage parties should contain nothing but Blue Mages"? Back when it was new, I joined FC parties and ran low-level Blue Mages through low-level instances for spells by tanking for them, as well as providing DPS for higher-level instances where both Tanks and Healers were also involved. Moved on to another instance once all the Blue Mages in the party 'got the spell' they wanted.

Resurrections were the least of their worries.

[Mavrias]

?? just do the mechanics, my guy. you shouldn't need raise to clear seven year old content.

[ZedxKayn]

Unrelated to OP's point but "just do the mechanics, just don't die" doesn't work for BLU because of the RNG nature of mechanics and crit auto-attacks (hello Bahamuth with that nasty TB+AA combo on a "tank" that's really just a DPS job with some damage reduction)

If there is any plan to do the synced no echo achievements, raise is a necessity.

[Raikai]

Unrelated to OP's point but "just do the mechanics, just don't die" doesn't work for BLU because of the RNG nature of mechanics and crit auto-attacks (hello Bahamuth with that nasty TB+AA combo on a "tank" that's really just a DPS job with some damage reduction)

If there is any plan to do the synced no echo achievements, raise is a necessity.

Also adding that the tanking game for Blue Mages in Tanking Mimicry is really unnerving for all the wrong reasons:
- They don't benefit from melding Tenacity, which I know it's not really a desirable stat for normal tanks, but I'm sure it would help a ton with the innate squishyness and spikyness;
- ALL of the mitigator spells have a nearly 2s cast time, this makes extremely difficult to properly react to the tankbusters unless you can pinpont precisely when they'll be coming. At least you have Swiftcast, but still it's a 60s cooldown there;

Kudos to people that managed to tank for the Morbol mount, because if this design - as in making a Tank without proper tanking tools THE actual challenge - is intentional then, sadly, isn't for me.

[Nezerius]

Raise is not required... as dps, but it's an important part of any healer's kit, basic I'd even say.

They should just put these cookie-cutter spells like Raise, Aetherial Mimicry, Pom Cure, Chelonian Gate (the tankbuster mitigator) on open world content, or gated behind totems with quest advancement. Those are essential for the roles, like the basic of the basics, they should be more readily available.

None of these are essential for the roles, because the roles can easily be played without them in the content where they're obtained.

• Raise: Most of the spells are from HM trials or 4-man dungeons, both of which are very easy to do, even with a BLU that's only using Mighty Guard. Which is an essential skill for tanking, and obtained using a totem after learning just 10 spells.
• Aetherial Mimicry: Obtainable in a lvl 60 dungeon, which is easy enough to do with a BLU using Mighty Guard, and using White Wind (also obtained using a totem after learning just 10 spells) to keep the party alive.
• Pom Cure: While very useful to have in combination with Mimicry, every BLU still has White Wind to heal with. It's also very easy to obtain, because it only requires killing the CNJ moogle in Thornmarch.
• Chelonian Gate: While it's good for damage mitigation, you'll generally want to use Diamondback for tankbusters like Akh Morn.

Also adding that the tanking game for Blue Mages in Tanking Mimicry is really unnerving for all the wrong reasons:
- ALL of the mitigator spells have a nearly 2s cast time, this makes extremely difficult to properly react to the tankbusters unless you can pinpont precisely when they'll be coming. At least you have Swiftcast, but still it's a 60s cooldown there;

Kudos to people that managed to tank for the Morbol mount, because if this design - as in making a Tank without proper tanking tools THE actual challenge - is intentional then, sadly, isn't for me.

Being able to time your mitigation ability is kind of the point of BLU tanking. Just because it's unnerving to you doesn't mean that it's actually a flaw of BLU tanking.
It's also not nearly as "extremely difficult" as you make it sound, as bosses in XIV generally follow a strict rotation of mechanics. You simply plan ahead, because you know when that tankbuster is coming.

@OP: The pre-60 cap BLU must've been hell for you, given the fact that the job didn't even have a raise spell available back then.

[Vyrerus]

as in making a Tank without proper tanking tools THE actual challenge - is intentional then, sadly, isn't for me.

Blue Mage has more mitigation on demand than any other tank in the game.

Mighty Guard is 40% mitigation you get to have 100% of the time. Dragon Force is 40% mitigation in Tank Mimicry or 20% without. Chelonian Gate is 20%. Diamondback is 90%.

The only limitation on BLU mitigating attacks is its MP, and the "dedicated" cooldowns have recast timers of two or so minutes. Diamondback is effectively invulnerability, because in order to kill a level 70 BLU, the default damage on an attack would have to be set to deal close to 500,000 damage to kill you through it.

Enmity is no concern to a BLU. They may spam White Wind at the beginning of a fight with Mighty Guard up, and it will generate more enmity than a level 80 tank in tank stance.

Beyond that, if a BLU tank doesn't have the MP for Diamondback or its tank CDs are on cooldown, it may use the spell Assail in order to force damage onto the OT, basically a reverse form of Cover. They shouldn't need to, but they can.

BLU doesn't even need Tank Mimicry in order to tank. All Tank mimicry does is enhance a couple of cooldowns, and increased defenses x4. While very practical for a group situation, Healer Mimicry actually allows more power to BLU tanking because of the ability to heal yourself with a lot less MP, as well as apply your own shield with Gobskin whenever you want. Every % mitigator actually gains power when your defense is lower as well, because the more damage that is being dealt to you, the more damage is mitigated. THat's why % mitigation is a top shelf thing. As long as you can keep MP and enmity stable, BLU can tank anything in the game with no trouble at all.

[Kaurhz]

Unrelated to OP's point but "just do the mechanics, just don't die" doesn't work for BLU because of the RNG nature of mechanics and crit auto-attacks (hello Bahamuth with that nasty TB+AA combo on a "tank" that's really just a DPS job with some damage reduction)

If there is any plan to do the synced no echo achievements, raise is a necessity.

If this were savage/extreme, and some certain raid encounters then you'd have a perfectly valid point, but to be quite frank if you're doing the achievements then there is an expectancy that you'll have all spells in the first place otherwise you're just gimping the group.

So yes, just don't get swatted out by a hard-mode encounter with outright neglect to do mechanics. Across all 4 characters I've done BLU on, I've not once met someone dying to the hard mode encounter, except when their brain decides to malfunction and they think doing final sting is a good idea! If people struggle on anything- then sure, Ravana may catch some people out with Surpanakha and with general Tanking on the fight but everything else you near enough outgear by like 40-50iLv

[Rein_eon_Osborne]

B-b-but... it's too hard...! Dumb it down please!

hint: *sigh* How about a 'no'?

[WoW]

Just don't die lol.