Black Mage Umbral Heart Confusion

[cauliflower]

I have been leveling my Black Mage, and I'm extremely confused by Umbral Hearts, I recently unlocked Despair, and assumed it'd interact with Umbral Heart the same way Flare would. After it didn't I went to go look for a reason why, thinking it would be a future trait or something.
But what it lead me to realize, is that it's not explained anywhere (at least that I can find) on why or how it works with Flare! The Umbral Heart trait doesn't explain it, the Job Gauge description doesn't mention it, and Flares tooltip doesn't talk about it either. I tried to look it up and found there used to be an Enhanced Umbral Heart trait that explained it, but was since removed. It's very confusing! It really should be mentioned somewhere. I think it's important to explain, especially considering how it works differently then the normal use of Umbral Heart.
Please let me if there is an explanation in game.

[Keichi]

The game teils you, that Flare only takes 1/3 of the mp.
But, this information is practicly hidden.

You find it by the skill: "Freeze" and "Blizzard 4". The second half of the text: "nullifies astral fires mp cost increase for fire spells and reduce mp cost for flare by one-third."

Despair takes all your mp and isnt mentioned in the Text. That makes the difference.

[Nero-Voidstails]

well also flare cost 1/3 of mp as long as you have one umbral heart so it is often then best to use it in aoe so you can use it twice

[cauliflower]

Thank you both!! I would have never though to look under Freeze and Blizzard 4, but now that I think about it I guess it makes sense... by why not say that in the Job Gauge description, or the Umbral Heart trait haha. I learnt through gameplay that it uses all the Umbral Hearts regardless if you have 3 or 1, but I was shocked to find that that is not mentioned anywhere, considering it works different then it normally does. Thanks for letting me know, I hope they make it more clear in the future.

[Keichi]

Good question.
I doesnt noticed it to for a long time, until i saw a clip with blm rotation.
Maybe the thought process is, that freeze and b4 are the skills, that gives umbral hearth. Instead of searching deep into the menu, would it be faster and easier, to write the information and the flare part in short form by the skills, who gives the Status (its mentioning to, the mp reducing of normal fire spells). Despair isnt probably included, because the skill is allready strong and work perfectly as a Finisher (you are ending up with 1200 mp, high enough to use despair/flare, but to low to use anything else without wasting it).

A small tipp: at least with lvl 100, is the aoe rotation faster, if you use freeze to get umbral heart, use transpose to fire mode and use than 2 times flare and flare star. This methode is faster, as using high fire (they maked it way to weak). And, because of the mp cost of flare, isnt it needed to collect full mp for aoe rotation.
I only dont know, if it is as effective in the lvl 70er-90er area.

[Valence]

Thank you both!! I would have never though to look under Freeze and Blizzard 4, but now that I think about it I guess it makes sense... by why not say that in the Job Gauge description, or the Umbral Heart trait haha. I learnt through gameplay that it uses all the Umbral Hearts regardless if you have 3 or 1, but I was shocked to find that that is not mentioned anywhere, considering it works different then it normally does. Thanks for letting me know, I hope they make it more clear in the future.

Actions & Traits and the tooltips are extremely lackluster and don't explain anything well. If you want a true headache just check out the ones for SMN or VPR especially. This menu is absolutely archaic when it comes to properly represent all the jobs those days.

Just for BLM since ARR, it's never been even able to give you the actual numbers for Astral Fire (+20%, +40%, +60%), that can't be found ingame whatsoever.

[Keichi]

Actions & Traits and the tooltips are extremely lackluster and don't explain anything well. If you want a true headache just check out the ones for SMN or VPR especially. This menu is absolutely archaic when it comes to properly represent all the jobs those days.

Just for BLM since ARR, it's never been even able to give you the actual numbers for Astral Fire (+20%, +40%, +60%), that can't be found ingame whatsoever.

False.
Ok, i dont remember if it was allready written to shb times, but, you can find the information ingame now.

Blm traits, Element mastery: It teils you, that fire is increased by 80% with element mastery rank 3 (at least on german).

[Nero-Voidstails]

Thank you both!! I would have never though to look under Freeze and Blizzard 4, but now that I think about it I guess it makes sense... by why not say that in the Job Gauge description, or the Umbral Heart trait haha. I learnt through gameplay that it uses all the Umbral Hearts regardless if you have 3 or 1, but I was shocked to find that that is not mentioned anywhere, considering it works different then it normally does. Thanks for letting me know, I hope they make it more clear in the future.

I think the reason why is when you learn the trait for them they aren't exactly showing you that they updated some skills right away but just change the skill tooltips. so my advice everytime you see a trait unlock just well go see it then see the skill it change then read the skill tips. or fight a dummy and slap it with all your might

[Nero-Voidstails]

False.
Ok, i dont remember if it was allready written to shb times, but, you can find the information ingame now.

Blm traits, Element mastery: It teils you, that fire is increased by 80% with element mastery rank 3 (at least on german).

this wasn't in shb but was softly added in endwalker but really changed in dawntrail

[Valence]

False.
Ok, i dont remember if it was allready written to shb times, but, you can find the information ingame now.

Blm traits, Element mastery: It teils you, that fire is increased by 80% with element mastery rank 3 (at least on german).

Yes sorry I don't know why I wrote 20/40/60. It's always been 40/60/80. Hands not following what brain says.

I'm glad they finally added it in the traits.