Talk:Azure Lore: Kyte's Guide to Blue Mage

Ninja Support Job

Thank you. THANK you for not saying Ninja is like the only thing you can sub. Seriously. If you've read my guide on Blue Mage, you'd know just how against BLU/NIN I am.
--Stammer 18:54, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

Dragoon Support Job

I've found blu/drg to be amazing for things where you need to fast-claim in zergstyle situations. The Ashu Talif series of quests and some assaults in particular. Accuracy bonus and jumps before you get merits can be pretty valuable at 75 if it's your first job. Probably not the greatest support job but I think it's undervalued. Nice that you touched on it, but maybe add that it's got uses in missions? --Kyt 05:03, 22 June 2008 (UTC)

Anyone have some questions that they would like to see in the FAQ section?--KyteStrike 03:47, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

Blue Mage: Physical Potency

I really like your side page and hope i can help add to your thoughts. "There doesn't seem to be much gained in Meriting Physical Potency", or is there? Physical Potency has added to the enfeebling effects of my Physical Spells. For example: Disseverments Poison effect lasts longer. Pinecone bomb sleep duration is longer. ect., I'm sure you get the general idea here, as Blu has alot of Physical Enfeebs. Physical spells coupled with enfeeble effects have something to gain from Potency merits. I'm sry i don't have any numbers to be crunched. This is just general observation of my own activities, as Potency was the first thing i merited in full believing i would generate more damage. The use of Pinecone bomb during Campaign: results were the sleep lasted longer each time i merited Potency. As the Quads got stronger, i had to also incress the modefiers for the spell to land. Damage seems also to effect the outcome of the enfeebles duration, modified by Potency if you have it Merited. Maybe the number crunchers can come up with something from this :) This idea stands to be tested and hope you find it useful. Thank you for the wonderful write up!

--Gravideo 00:58, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

I've heard that they might increase the proc rates or duration of the added effects. I just really wish I could find a test of someone seeing if it was definitely true. If I don't find out for sure after I cap out my other merits, then I suppose I'll do the test myself. Sadly I am currently forced to take a break, since my university internets are abysmal.

On that note, I've also heard that they might just increase the attack power, making the damage more consistent on harder enemies- decent, but not terrific, as with full merits it would only be +10 attack. --KyteStrike 00:29, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

That's pretty simple to test... Since your physical potency is unmerited but your blue magic skill is fully merited, OP to dunes, put on some average gear and equip all your usual spells + pinecone bomb. Tell me what your stats are so I can match them by playing with spells (unless you're a hume with no merits in attributes section, in which case get nekkid and equip just pinecone bomb and magic fruit, that way I can perfectly match your stats by doing the same). Use pinecone bomb on sheep (weak to pinecone bomb), flies (strong to pinecone bomb) and leeches (no relation to pinecone bomb). Use it a few times on each, record damage and how long they sleep for.

I have capped physical potency merits, I'll take your results and do the same... simple --Blazza 13:45, 24 September 2008 (UTC)

I would love to do my own tests, but sadly I don't have FFXI access atm (waiting on school bandwidth to be upgraded). As for what should be tested, there are two possibilities: 1) Duration, 2) Proc rate, or both. --KyteStrike 23:02, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Rings

Ulthalam's Ring Please add it.

If you chose Ulthalam's Ring for your other melee jobs, then by all means use it to tp (and spells in assault/salvage) in. If blu is your main, then go with Balrahn's Ring. 4 macc is great for all enfeebles, but 1 extra refresh in nyzul/assault/salvage is godly. --Blazza 13:32, 24 September 2008 (UTC)

Indeed- I really wish they let you change ToAU rings, as I would be interested in having an extra 1 MP/tic for assault/salvage; but when I'm not doing those, it's not super great, particularly considering MNK is my other job. --KyteStrike 05:52, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

Unless you're using mnk in salvage/nyzul a lot, then balrahn's still wins imo. Sure the +acc/atk is nice, but it's by no means an OMGMUSTHAVE ring. The +4 STR DEX (and AGI?) in salvage/assault makes it damn tasty, but then, the majority of mobs in those zones are squishier, and so it's still not a must have item. Any acc ring for tp and flame ring for ws is fine. But meh, I'm blu onry. --Blazza 03:44, 26 September 2008 (UTC)

Head Butt

Add some type of a Head Butt gear setup. --Inuyashaa 02:09, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

Thing is with Head Butt, the optimum setup for it really depends on the situation. It's also not completely confirmed whether or not magical accuracy affects the additional effect proc. I'm very hesitant to suggest gear for it.--KyteStrike 05:17, 12 July 2009 (UTC)

FAQ at guide end consider--KyteStrike 05:25, 12 July 2009 (UTC)ing TP affecting blue magic

I quote your guide here: "Q: My spells say that TP affects their damage. Does that mean I should stay at 300% TP all the time? A: TP ONLY affects spells when using them in conjunction with Chain Affinity. How drastic the effect is depends on the spell's fTP mod. "

Quoting Dhyzuma, Blue Mage of Bismark Server: "My Frenetic Rip did with 100%TP 200damage, 200%TP 400damage and 300%TP 500+ (rarely 600) on decent challanges".

Either that sentence awkwardly phrased or plain wrong, please edit that. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Waseph (talk • contribs).

Did Dhyzuma say if he/she was using Chain Affinity?
When Chain Affinity is NOT active, the amount of TP you have has no effect on your Physical Blue Magic spells... or anything else aside from equipment with Latent Effects that are active based on how much TP you have. When Chain Affinity is active, your next ONE(1) Physical Blue Magic spell will act as a Weapon Skill, expending your TP on the spell with the TP modifying the describes spell attribute (damage, crit rate, accuracy, effect duration, etc.) as well as having the ability to open or close a Skill Chain with it. So, if Dhyzuma said he/she was NOT using Chain Affinity and got that damage, then he/she was making associations where there are none.

Just for the record, I've had my Frenetic Rips do 200-600 damage without Chain Affinity active as well. It's not due to TP, it's due to it being a multi-hit attack and thus having the possibility of ranging from one crit to three hits to three crits, etc., as well as possibly missing completely. However, when I use Chain Affinity with it, it's more likely to hit for 500+ due to the ability and TP modifiers that apply to Chain Affinity'd Physical Blue Magic. --Volkai 21:56, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

Frenetic Rip can't critical without SA, but other than that, you pretty much have the right idea. My wording is correct; I'm not changing it. --KyteStrike 05:25, 12 July 2009 (UTC)

Spells

This is an excellent guide; it goes in-depth and explores what BLU is capable of in a way many guides don't. That's exactly why this sentence is so jarring to me:

"Let's face it- the vast majority of our spells are typically useless, or are only good in very specialized situations."

Sure, Bludgeon and Sickle Slash are great spells, and that's something new BLUs should know, but not at the expense of the "vast majority" of their spell lists. I can't tell you how often I find some unique contribution to a fight that no other job can duplicate. If every situation in which we can and should utilize more than one aspect of our job is "very specialized," then I guess my activities are highly atypical.

I'd like to suggest an approach that better encourages new BLUs to explore every aspect of the job, the way the rest of your guide does so well. --Janeth 12:27, 25 July 2009 (UTC)

Well, I worded that way to help prevent BLUs from using inappropriate spells in an exp setup. Very often I see BLUs being inefficient in parties and using stuff like Blitzstrahl. I wouldn't say your activities are atypical- there are certainly instances where our typically ineffective spells are incredibly useful, such as Grand Slam and Body Slam in certain assaults and missions where BLU AoE is very powerful. However, I will go ahead and reword it, as I'm afraid it might cause some BLUs to skip out on obtaining the other, less used spells. --KyteStrike 12:39, 26 July 2009 (UTC)

Gear choices

Kyte, the guide looks good but it doesn't do us Elvaan any justice. The Magna Armor Set is damned useful to make up DEX/AGI/MP which we lack in all 4 pieces but particularly the Hands and Feet.

You also skipped over, and this may be a personal choice, Republic Subligar which is a nice piece for any melee and a significant improvement for damage over time over both Baron's Slops and Garrison Hose although the latter may have some use for their stats when casting.