How are you finding BLU?

[Mycraell]

I am actually a warrior, but this job is particularly interesting to me. I was just wondering how you find it in relation to the other mage classes? Is it a pain to learn the spells? How do the spells stack against those of a BLA or RDM in terms of offensive and defensive capabilities?

Any information would be appreciated, and can hopefully shed further light on the pros and cons of the job for me.

[Zempten]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

In terms of RDM, we can both dispel, but I think BLU's dispel is weaker compared to RDMs as we can get resists and the recast time is longer. We have no means of a spell like Refresh, but we can get Auto-Refresh. As far as enfeebles go, it's really strange but I think when subbing a mage job my enfeebles land better. However, again I think RDM's enfeebles are better in terms of recast time and MP cost, but BLUs have enfeebles other jobs don't such as Accuracy Down and Defense Down.

In terms of BLM, we are defeintly weaker in the nuking department as far as I've seen. The highest MB I've gotten at my lvl is a 280 MB Radiant Breath, where as BLMs can do alot more for about the same MP cost.

I think BLUs are generally the most flexible class as they can play tank up to a certain lvl, DD, and main healer.

That's my experience so far. I'm generally playing as a /THF now, but I go /WHM when the PT needs extra curing. Magic Fruit is helpful as it cures for 389 for only 72 MP and healing breeze cures for 152 for me right now, which in terms of MP I think is better then Curaga 2's 180 HP cure for 120 MP

[Visper]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

Personally...I love it. It is so versitile, you can tank easily at lower levels (40 or below as I am only lvl 38 atm) DD, enfeeble, self-WS, just so much. Some of the spells are a bit of a pain, but solo'n for XP while learning them does help. Your gonna wanna make sure your BLU skill is capped also - against T mobs solo'n its not as important but against IT to IT++ your gonna get resisted a ton but having ur magic skill capped is a plus there.

[samarium]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

My LS static party involves a blue mage (51 atm), and she's pimped herself out with +Acc and +STR gear and spams self-skillchains and other moves all the time, doing piles of damage on a consistent basis, reliably pulling hate away from whatever tank we happen to be using.

Frequently hits for over 100 damage, sometimes 200, and she can both do it on command and have Utsu + Cocoon up to protect herself when she takes hate.

-sam

[Araius]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

I am actually a warrior, but this job is particularly interesting to me. I was just wondering how you find it in relation to the other mage classes? Is it a pain to learn the spells? How do the spells stack against those of a BLA or RDM in terms of offensive and defensive capabilities?

Any information would be appreciated, and can hopefully shed further light on the pros and cons of the job for me.

Guess I'll take those step by step.

Compared to other mage classes, BLU is much more melee-oriented. It's every melee RDM's dream - Sword skill and other reasons that actually justify meleeing in an xp party, or any party for that matter. I doubt you'll see any BLU using Elemental staves other than Dark Staff for resting and possibly Light Staff if they're main healing...but I can't think of many instances you'd see that really.

It's a pain to learn some of the spells, but IMO it's better than having to spend gil you'll never see again on an expensive scroll. I'd much rather have to learn spells from mobs than be expected to pay a million gil for Utsusemi: Ni, or 500k for Erase, whatever ungodly amount Sleepga II is at, etc. The only spells I've spent more than a couple hours learning on so far are Battle Dance and Blitzstrahl I believe, which for having learned 47/94 spells so far (level 43) isn't all that bad, especially considering I do get semi-decent XP while learning most spells. At low levels, some of the best XP you can get is solo anyways, so that's not much of a pain at all really.

Offensive spells compared to a BLM are "weaker" in most cases, but also generally cost less MP, and we're much more capable of dealing with hate we take than a BLM is, so in a way BLU is more effective offensively. You aren't going to see any insanely huge numbers like a BLM gets on AM MB's in the 50's, but we're probably more consistent for the MP that we spend, and again our survivability is much better than a BLM's if we take hate. The thing BLM does have over us is the amount of TP our spells give. Physical spells have been shown to give 10% TP to a mob PER HIT, which can add up very quickly, whereas BLM doesn't have that problem. Compared to a RDM offensively there's no contest, a BLU beats a RDM damage-wise any day unless they're Chainspelling :p

Defensive spells compared to RDM's or WHM's aren't as effective at my level, though at higher levels you get things like Diamondhide which is pretty effective. RDM's defensive spells are typically used for solo play and for the most part BLU is no different (Diamondhide being I think the only exception). Cocoon is a seriously impressive +50% Defense boost which in many occasions surpasses the effectiveness of a RDM's Phalanx, but not all. Metallic Body isn't even remotely as effective as a RDM or WHM's Stoneskin, and from what I hear Feather Barrier doesn't last long enough to be worth a damn. RDM's defensive spells are probably more practical for solo play than BLU's are but since BLU has higher HP (I think?) and evasion than RDM it evens out a little bit. Neither job's buffs are very practical for XP purposes (again, other than Diamondhide), though at lower levels and in some other instances BLU can make an effective tank, moreso than RDM.

[Atma]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

Blues are dieties that walk the earth from levels 18-30, to be sure. Bludgeon is so amazingly powerful at that level range, it's like being able to use the weapon skill combo every 10 seconds for 12mp. After that it tends to tone down.. they parse pretty averagely at 57.

[Zempten]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

Just hit 60.

Subbed THF like Icemage has suggested. I parse at least 1k of DMG per fight.

[LadyPeorth]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

Waiting for a PT is kinda boring...but besides that...I enjoy the job. I wish the magic was a little stronger, but I guess that's what we get for the good damage on physical Blue Magic.

[Suichi]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

Pain does not describe how annoying it is to learn spells.

[Spinnthrift]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

Pain does not describe how annoying it is to learn spells.

QFT.

I was recently told by a Black Mage that they hated the fact all my spells were free and I just got to learn them while partying and my life was so easy.

When I explained that getting Metallic Body - just one spell - took me 6 hours of solid crab killing before I finally learned it, then told him how much I'd earn if I spent 6 hours farming solidly with my level 55 Thf... he said and I quote:

"Oh, and I thought my spells were expensive. And you're only missing 1 spell from your list so far?"

Yup...

"Damn... and you don't even use Metallic Body?"

Nope...

"Was that the only spell you had trouble with?"

Took over 100 Dhalmels to learn Healing Breeze.*

"I thought I envied you. I don't - keep up the good work."

Every so often - you'll get a spell without trying for it - but so far, I've had to work for the majority of my spells, the really painful ones that spring to mind were: Metallic Body - 6hrs, Blastbomb - 4 hrs and Sprout Smack - 3hrs. The rest so far have come fairly easily - within an hour to two hours each and I hope to keep the bad ones down to a minimum - touch wood. However - even at a rate of 1 spell an hour learning (which is usually outside of exp) - farming as another job will net upwards of 100k an hour... so spell wise.. the job doesn't come cheap (while being totally free).

Plus - you're not actually always just plain exp'ing on the mobs, often disengaging and allowing the mobs to work you like a over nuking Black Mage - which isn't always the most sensible of options.

However - it's still a cool job. Very very cool indeed.

*I don't count the time I spent as I was farming them at lvls 12 - 14 solo, and literally chain head-butted/featherstormed my way through them hoping for hide/femurs to synth. Still lots of mobs to get a spell.

[Suichi]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

Foot Kick took 2 hours. I got lucky with Metallic Body and Cocoon, 1/1 on both.

[Spinnthrift]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

Featherstorm and Queasyshroom were by chance ones.. I forgot about those - thought I'd randomly Blood Warp off a Fungus in Ronfaure and it cast it immediately on me. A footkick and Fast Blade later and I'd gotten it learned. I then Blood Warped off a nearby rabbit instead.

Featherstorm was gained while trying to get Metallic Body. The swine decided he wanted a piece of my Taru butt while I was bent over for a crab. Suffice to say that I wasn't best impressed and took a sword to it's face. God bless those cheeky Yagudo's. ^^

- Saeriel.

[Caimus]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

metallic body is a bitch to get. i am still trying to get it, i an going on 5h's. foot kick took about 2h to get. hopefully the pace quickens up and oh yeah does a higher blue skill affect the learning speed? can i use a dagger with my blu.^^ 9Blue/4Whm

[Dryhus]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

BLUs have enfeebles other jobs don't such as Accuracy Down and Defense Down.

Blind and Dia.

[Taskmage]

Re: How are you finding BLU?

Blind and Blind don't stack. Blind and Accuracy Down do. Same with Dia and Defense Down. Those two are not the same any more than Drown and Bio are.