Playing BLU/THF

[Raitox]

What am I/how much am I supposed to be casting when not SAing a spell? I don't know what's too much or too little. 4-5 spells cast per mob not including SA or what?

[LilithAngel]

Re: Playing BLU/THF

It really depends on what kind of pace your party is setting. If the monsters are dying quickly, you may not wanna cast too much for fear of blowing all your MP and being unable to help support the chain. If the monsters are dying too slowly, then wasting the MP on it won't really help either, as the party is probably not set up properly to take them anyways.

How often to cast per fight really is something one needs to figure out on their own, as the situation changes constantly. One fight your CASATA'd spell, plus your own self-buffs, may be all that's needed to make a fight run smoothly, and the next fight could be for your life, throwing every spell you have to kill the thing quickly because it's eating your tank. You really have to just learn to gauge your usage, because there's no "set way" that'll be golden for all fights.

The main thing that should be telling you how to pace yourself is your MP and your recovery of such. Your goal should be to keep as much MP as possible, but still contribute with damage and healing if possible. Blue Mage is rather intensive with MP usage, but it has its tricks to help even it out. Don't care about what the other party members are saying about your casting; your MP and your gut feelings are really the only guides you need as to how much to cast. It just comes with experience, and whatever your particular play style is.

(As far as what to cast, I'd recommend Refueling at all times, and Head Butt should always be equipped. Always. And. Forever. Make sure you can equip the cheapest Auto-Refresh you can afford as far as spells; you need it. Conserve MP is handy, too.)

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Playing BLU/THF

Don't care about what the other party members are saying about your casting; your MP and your gut feelings are really the only guides you need as to how much to cast.

On the other hand, if your gut feeling says "Saving MP for big damage spells!" while the tank is dying and healer is out of MP, ignore that gut feeling. >_>p

Headbutt. Wild Carrot/Magic Fruit. Help out the tank and healer if you're asked to--or sooner.

[LilithAngel]

Re: Playing BLU/THF

While I do advocate the usage of Wild Carrot/Magic Fruit (they're right up there with Head Butt), if the situation is like that to begin with, more than likely there's already a number of things wrong that a BLU (or any job, actually) won't be able to fix on their own. It'd be possible the BLU is just as down on MP (although I have seen the occasional retard not bother to help out the party by just spamming DD spells).

That, however, goes with the whole "the monster is eating your tank; what do you do?" thing I mentioned earlier. Only through experience can one really learn to figure out what to do.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Playing BLU/THF

While I do advocate the usage of Wild Carrot/Magic Fruit (they're right up there with Head Butt), if the situation is like that to begin with, more than likely there's already a number of things wrong that a BLU (or any job, actually) won't be able to fix on their own. It'd be possible the BLU is just as down on MP (although I have seen the occasional retard not bother to help out the party by just spamming DD spells).

Plenty of BLU just spam DD spells by default. I've had more than few who would sheepishly stop casting anything for a battle or so after I asked for cure spells. >_> (Obviously they didn't have them set.)

Heck, just two weeks ago, had a Lv.70-ish BLU in party who refused to set Headbutt even after I asked for it repeatedly, preferring to save his spell slot for other things--and so we ate -ga II spells from Imps again and again. -_-#

[LilithAngel]

Re: Playing BLU/THF

LOL what a mook. I have a hard time kicking people from parties, but someone like that I'd drop like a bad habit.

[Raitox]

Re: Playing BLU/THF

Mainly, I just don't want to be a bad BLU, which I hear there are a lot of. Sounds like I should have Stun and healing spells equipped always.

I'm also confused with TP... When I get death scissors, and I CASA when am I WSing, or do BLU's not WS much. Since damage usually varies w/ TP, I want to know -- am I self SCing most of the time or CASA, or whatever does more damage?

[LilithAngel]

Re: Playing BLU/THF

It's a matter of preference, I've seen. While in the end, self SC can edge out on total damage, sometimes you'll just have to CASA your spell. /THF tends to play up the CASA part a bit more than other subs would, so if you're going /THF, I'd stick to CASA for the most part. It's what you're set up to do anyways. Self SC tends to be mostly for the /NIN and other /JOB players.

[Raitox]

Re: Playing BLU/THF

Cool, thanks. Sounds like I should just have spells for every situation, and how many spells I cast all vary on the mob type..