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When talking about Main Healing in Merit Parties, it's hard to ignore Red Mage. A whole slew of Healing Spells, native Healing Skill, three native levels of Fast Cast (plus tons of gear focused on improving casting, in speed and otherwise), Haste, Refresh, and Convert. The later two have earned Red Mages reputations as energizer bunnies: if skilled and geared right, they can just keep going and going, without having to stop to rest. This is their main advantage over the White Mage, the supposed to be De Facto Healer.
Red Mages, however, are shunned if they ever dare bring out their Swords in public (/innuendo). Their skill levels are a barely-par B at highest, and they don't even have access to very many Weapon Skills, especially without the right subjob. At higher levels, they have hardly any gear to assist in meleeing, and more than a flood of gear which reminds them of the "Mage" in "Red Mage." Maybe there's this thing, but I dunno; it not exactly exclusive to them. Enspells don't exactly help much either, solely excluding assisting their DoT on certain NMs with a Ceremonial Dagger. Also, Elemental Staves. /shiver
White Mages, on the other hand, are still okay in the Healing department, assuming time for rest. With plenty of exclusive gear in reducing casting times of Cure spells, as well as curing potency, it's pretty clear they were built to heal. Just one problem: their MP pools don't last forever (though, maybe with /SCH, they could last longer), and forever, I hear, is the standard.
White Mage melee isn't exactly unheard of: it's only looked at as an option if White Mages feel they have nothing better to do, or want to put their B+ Club skill and exclusive access to the most powerful Clubs (Hammers) in the game to use. Square has even acknowledged the "White Mage Option" with this thing. And, of course, no discussion of White Mage melee is complete without mentioning Hexa Strike. White Mages even have a Staff Skill, so that if they're stuck with a Light Staff (I don't think they'll be covering the other elements that much, as Red Mages already have the Enfeebling covered), they can still even bop stuff around with that, and with the 2-Hander update, it's a very viable "melee option." Also, not that it matters much, but they have a D in Shield, as opposed to Red Mage's F, and in defensive spells, Red Mage is only up by one Phalanx.
Maybe I'm just some misinformed noob who totally overlooked something, just plain doesn't know what he's talking about, or whatever. But, am I the only one who noticed this community-imposed role-reversal of party healer and spellcaster with the option to melee?
Red Mages, however, are shunned if they ever dare bring out their Swords in public (/innuendo). Their skill levels are a barely-par B at highest, and they don't even have access to very many Weapon Skills, especially without the right subjob. At higher levels, they have hardly any gear to assist in meleeing, and more than a flood of gear which reminds them of the "Mage" in "Red Mage." Maybe there's this thing, but I dunno; it not exactly exclusive to them. Enspells don't exactly help much either, solely excluding assisting their DoT on certain NMs with a Ceremonial Dagger. Also, Elemental Staves. /shiver
White Mages, on the other hand, are still okay in the Healing department, assuming time for rest. With plenty of exclusive gear in reducing casting times of Cure spells, as well as curing potency, it's pretty clear they were built to heal. Just one problem: their MP pools don't last forever (though, maybe with /SCH, they could last longer), and forever, I hear, is the standard.
White Mage melee isn't exactly unheard of: it's only looked at as an option if White Mages feel they have nothing better to do, or want to put their B+ Club skill and exclusive access to the most powerful Clubs (Hammers) in the game to use. Square has even acknowledged the "White Mage Option" with this thing. And, of course, no discussion of White Mage melee is complete without mentioning Hexa Strike. White Mages even have a Staff Skill, so that if they're stuck with a Light Staff (I don't think they'll be covering the other elements that much, as Red Mages already have the Enfeebling covered), they can still even bop stuff around with that, and with the 2-Hander update, it's a very viable "melee option." Also, not that it matters much, but they have a D in Shield, as opposed to Red Mage's F, and in defensive spells, Red Mage is only up by one Phalanx.
Maybe I'm just some misinformed noob who totally overlooked something, just plain doesn't know what he's talking about, or whatever. But, am I the only one who noticed this community-imposed role-reversal of party healer and spellcaster with the option to melee?
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