Question regarding Black Mage in regards to maximizing Firestarter

[Atmaweapon510]

Assuming I have the instant casts available, is it better to spend Firestarter in Astral Fire phase or to execute a double transpose rotation that skips UI 3 ?

[SeiyaSoiya]

using firestarter is a GCD, and it has lower potency than a fire 4 or a despair, so technically it is better used to transpose lines
however in actual high end gameplay you will more often than not use the firestarter proc for movement or to refresh astral fire, transpose lines is a very, very small gain of potency/second over the course of a long fight

[Ferrinus]

All other things being equal, it's a small dps gain to Transpose->Firestarter at the end of your umbral cycle than it is to simply throw your proc in AF3, but that assumes you've got enough GCDs lined up and an instant cast to weave with as your MP tops off, and also assumes you don't need the Firestarter to move or weave something earlier on.