Blu/Brd?

[Alfa]

Good? bad?

[Murphie]

Re: Blu/Brd?

Ebb, maybe it would be better if you just created one thread with your unusual job combo ideas and asked there.^^

Since most BLU go for a DD role, I doubt /BRD would appeal to most of them. As for how it would actually work for someone looking to fill a support role? I don't feel qualified to talk about BLU enough to say.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Blu/Brd?

BLU/BRD is nice for Paeon (BLU10/BRD5+). Maybe Sword Madrigal later. Keep in mind a BLU/BRD's enhancing songs will never be as strong as a real BRD's, not to mention you can only sustain one song effect at a time. So, the higher you go, the less appealing the combination.

BLU/BRD is decent for Valkrum Dunes (and maybe Qufim Island) levels. With lack of tanks these days, however, it'd be easier to form a party with a low level BLU/WAR tank than a BLU/BRD.

Bard is pretty limited support job for Blue Mage, in general.

[Icemage]

Re: Blu/Brd?

BLU/BRD? Not so good.

Level 1-9: Paeon is good for reducing down time.

Level 10+: Warrior subjob with Provoke, plus defense of Cocoon makes BLU a solid tank.

Level 24+: Ninja subjob with Utsusemi: Ichi provides better defensive options than /WAR even with Cocoon since you're more likely than not going to pull hate with some of your Blue Magic. Theoretically you could use /BRD at this level for Sword Madrigal (BRD 12), but the 8 second casting time on a front-line job is a buzzkill (though it does improve your physical spell accuracy... assuming you survive the results).

Level 44+: BLU/THF for Sneak Attack + physical spell produces huge damage spikes. Combine with Chain Affinity and Burst Affinity for a self-skillchain + magic burst option.

Level 50+: BLU/BRD gets Mage's Ballad at this point. Could be a nice perk if there's no Bard in the party to go with Auto-Refresh and whatever else you may have around (RDM for Refresh or Corsair for Evoker's Roll), but again... /THF is probably better.

At all levels above 12, /WHM is a viable option too for things like Poisona.


Icemage

[Skoal]

Re: Blu/Brd?

Brd/blu though is awesome for merit parties.

[Omni]

Re: Blu/Brd?

is it odd job combo question day today?

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Blu/Brd?

Level 1-9: Paeon is good for reducing down time.

Paeon is Lv.5; you can't have it until BLU10+ with /BRD. It's still good for reducing down time, of course.

Level 44+: BLU/THF for Sneak Attack + physical spell produces huge damage spikes. Combine with Chain Affinity and Burst Affinity for a self-skillchain + magic burst option.

BLU/THF is good, starting at Lv.30.

Level 50+: BLU/BRD gets Mage's Ballad at this point. Could be a nice perk if there's no Bard in the party to go with Auto-Refresh and whatever else you may have around (RDM for Refresh or Corsair for Evoker's Roll), but again... /THF is probably better.

Not sure why I'm unimpressed with this idea, since I do advocate RDMs have /BRD ready for Ballad. Maybe it's running around then using an 8 second cast time song on a DD (or main healer) job that's bothering me.

Lv.30+, there probably is not any support job which can surpass the DD potential of /THF, as long as there's a main tank.

At all levels above 12, /WHM is a viable option too for things like Poisona.

Access to Cure II at BLU22/WHM11. From that point on, I consider BLU/WHM a viable main healer.

[Icemage]

Re: Blu/Brd?

Paeon is Lv.5; you can't have it until BLU10+ with /BRD. It's still good for reducing down time, of course.

Oh, right. I completely forgot it's not Paeon you get at level 1. It's Minne (ew).

BLU/THF is good, starting at Lv.30.

That would be true if BLU had any decent single-hit physical spells at 30. That's not the case though; the first good 1-hit spell you get is Mandibular Bite at 44.

Not sure why I'm unimpressed with this idea, since I do advocate RDMs have /BRD ready for Ballad. Maybe it's running around then using an 8 second cast time song on a DD (or main healer) job that's bothering me.

No, I'm unimpressed with it too. And this coming from someone who has used /BRD as a subjob for TWO separate jobs.

Lv.30+, there probably is not any support job which can surpass the DD potential of /THF, as long as there's a main tank.

Meh. BLU/THF, as mentioned above, kinda sucks until you get Mandibular Bite at 44. Since Sneak Attack only applies to the first hit, you really don't get much mileage out of it until then, and are better off with another subjob up until that point.

Access to Cure II at BLU22/WHM11. From that point on, I consider BLU/WHM a viable main healer.

True enough. Basically like SMN, only with a lot more damage potential and a lot more durable.


Icemage

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Blu/Brd?

Meh. BLU/THF, as mentioned above, kinda sucks until you get Mandibular Bite at 44. Since Sneak Attack only applies to the first hit, you really don't get much mileage out of it until then, and are better off with another subjob up until that point.

Partied with a BLU/THF ages ago, and s/he used Claw Cyclone with Sneak Attack. It seemed pretty decent. Even though Claw Cyclone is two hits instead of one, it has better damage multiplier (does that apply outside of CA? *shrug*) than Screwdriver, with the same D cap.

Where BLU impresses is at the dmg/MP ratio, and it can keep that high on any support job when geared appropriately. Anytime after Lv.30, /THF can only improve that ratio, at some cost of Sword DoT compared to, say, /NIN, or average damage per swing of /WAR using Berserk.

[Icemage]

Re: Blu/Brd?

Partied with a BLU/THF ages ago, and s/he used Claw Cyclone with Sneak Attack. It seemed pretty decent. Even though Claw Cyclone is two hits instead of one, it has better damage multiplier (does that apply outside of CA? *shrug*) than Screwdriver, with the same D cap.

Claw Cyclone is "ok" with Sneak Attack, but nothing particularly noteworthy. The SA critical hit does good things to your damage multiplier, but since the magnification is only on the first hit, the overall improvement is noticeable but not big enough to merit using /THF over any other available subjob at that level.

Where BLU impresses is at the dmg/MP ratio, and it can keep that high on any support job when geared appropriately. Anytime after Lv.30, /THF can only improve that ratio, at some cost of Sword DoT compared to, say, /NIN, or average damage per swing of /WAR using Berserk.

Without /THF, BLU's damage-to-MP ratio starts dropping off as you gain levels beyond 50 or so. Blue Magic spell costs go up dramatically, while the potential damage doesn't keep up with the cost at the same rate. Sword hit damage is fair, but due to the general DPS suckiness of 1 handed swords as you rise in level, relative importance of sword hits aside from TP-building and WS/skillchaining becomes less of a factor.


Icemage

[Alfa]

Re: Blu/Brd?

is it odd job combo question day today?

yes. i work over nights so i think of wired job combos and post them to hear others ideas. its very boring at 2am-4am at a home depot. lol

[Mirajin]

Re: Blu/Brd?

If you had an Auditory torque you could activate the latent effect(STR+4, VIT+4) with your own song. But seeing as the torques main purpose is to boost Cannonball damage, without Sneak attack from /thf its not as good.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Blu/Brd?

Claw Cyclone is "ok" with Sneak Attack, but nothing particularly noteworthy. The SA critical hit does good things to your damage multiplier, but since the magnification is only on the first hit, the overall improvement is noticeable but not big enough to merit using /THF over any other available subjob at that level.

Since you think that Blue Magic spells already do enough damage to make Utusemi useful Lv.24+ (thus recommending /NIN), wouldn't /THF only add to that damage capability, and make /THF the best DD support job for BLU even at Lv.30? Or is the DoT and additional hit on WS from Dual Wield that impressive compared to what /THF can do?

I guess I'll just have to find a way to try BLU/THF myself (currently at Lv.30)--got to convince the other two static members to go full party for a change, and get a normal tank for once.

[Icemage]

Re: Blu/Brd?

Since you think that Blue Magic spells already do enough damage to make Utusemi useful Lv.24+ (thus recommending /NIN), wouldn't /THF only add to that damage capability, and make /THF the best DD support job for BLU even at Lv.30? Or is the DoT and additional hit on WS from Dual Wield that impressive compared to what /THF can do?

The reason I like /NIN at 24+ is that, by and large, parties up through level 36 bounce hate around quite a bit. Provoke is somewhat unreliable up until then, Paladins don't have Flash yet, Ninjas don't have Utsusemi: Ni yet, so it's pretty hard for anyone to consistently hold hate, especially against a BLU who just cast Healing Breeze and/or chaincasting damage spells.

Healing Breeze in particular is of especial use in the Elshimo Jungles, since goblins tend to like to Bomb Toss, and also like to beat on whoever casts the AoE healing spell to keep everyone else alive - while Coccoon does good things to keep you alive, Utsusemi is just better in that situation, and costs 0 MP. Once you hit 31 or and move somewhere else like Altepa, it's somewhat less of an issue, but Bludgeon and Feather Storm are still powerful and draw a lot of enmity all on their own.

Trading off the safety line of Utsusemi in return for slightly improved damage in situations where hate is bouncing all over the place is not a good exchange in my opinion. Only when you get a seriously good 1-hit spell (Mandibular Bite, eventually followed by Death Scissors) does using /THF make more sense.

I guess I'll just have to find a way to try BLU/THF myself (currently at Lv.30)--got to convince the other two static members to go full party for a change, and get a normal tank for once.

It's not bad, don't get me wrong. There IS a notable increase in damage. But from an overall party dynamic perspective it's just not as good as /NIN in the 24-43 level range IMO.


Icemage

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Blu/Brd?

The reason I like /NIN at 24+ is that, by and large, parties up through level 36 bounce hate around quite a bit. Provoke is somewhat unreliable up until then, Paladins don't have Flash yet, Ninjas don't have Utsusemi: Ni yet, so it's pretty hard for anyone to consistently hold hate, especially against a BLU who just cast Healing Breeze and/or chaincasting damage spells.

I guess I've been spoiled by my LS; we like it old-style before merit levels, with a solid tank, and that usually means Paladin. Seems like everyone who leveled PLD loves it, and people love to have PLDs in static parties. And, yes, our PLDs can keep critters from bouncing around (within reason), even before Flash.

I'm going to hate the LFG tanks on BLU, aren't I? *sigh*

* * *

Edit:

Before Lv.30, THF is in the same predicament as BLU(under 60)/THF, except its damage is even spikier. If the under Lv.30 tanking is consistent enough for a THF with SA, then under Lv.59 tanking should be good enough for BLU/THF with SA, I hope.