My blue Mage focuses on equipment that is broken up into three groups for dynamis.
Yes, I have spellcast, so I can afford to swap out a lot of gear, if you don't then simply swap
out as much as you can.
This strategy is based on the blue mage's primary role: NOT doing damage in dynamis. This seems
weird, I know!! You have fantastic spells for doing damage, but other jobs do damage more
reliably, and they use less resources. Focus on what YOU have that nobody else has as a blue
mage: AOE non-dot debuffs with very low resist rates and (fairly) low recast times.
I really only try to cast a few physical spells, and I tailor them to specific instances.
*Cannonball* - load up on defense, cocoon up, eat a fishkabob, and SA this baby onto a
time-burned statue. What's that? With chain affinity you only did 500 damage? Well, that's
how much most blm nukes do to statues.
*Headbutt* - Yeah, everyone uses it. I'll use it if I'm waiting on timers or everything is
already defense down'd, but not regularly unless I'm trying to catch a mob with hundred fists up
or something.
*Vertical Cleave* - Use on nms for great damage with SA and about 100 tp, especially those
demon nms in xarc that are tough as nails.
*The 'Big Three'* - A lot of people like to use these spells, but they are unreliable most
of the time, even with 120 str. and fully merited blu skill (that's my taru's stats). Just
say no to the temptation, and know that you can do better with your mp invested elsewhere.
Here is the bread and butter of where you should be as a Blue Mage. Don't even bother with
most elemental blue magic, it just isn't worth it. I have cried and tried with HQ staves,
130 int, merited blu magic skill, EVERYTHING and it just doesn't work well. They resist way too
much. Instead, focus on those non-dot AOE debuffs I was telling you about. I'll start with
my favorites, and work my way down.
*Frightening Roar* - This should be on every mob, all the time, no exceptions. Recast timer is
so low its practically nonexistant, and it *very rarely* gets resisted. It lowers their
defense by 10%, and does NOT dot them. Can you claim that a measly 500 point damage physical
spell is worth more than 10% of EVERYONE's damage? I think not! Combine with with my next
favorite spell and you'll be every melee's best friend.
*Stinking Gas* - Yes, it has a high recast timer (60 seconds), but you can see the effects
immediately when combined with a frightening roar. I try to cast frightening roar on the first
mob to get there on a pull, then get in the middle of all the slept mobs and use stinking gas,
followed by another roar to catch the stragglers. It lasts a good long time, as does roar,
so you don't have to worry about it wearing off before the recast is up again (usually lasts
about 2 minutes or a little more for me).
*Sound Blast* - Become every black mage's or red mage's best friend. This lowers a mob's int
significantly, on everything from elemental resist rates to length of sleep resists. Don't
ever try to cast this on the first statue being pulled, as it will usually die on its way into
camp. Rather, focus on the second statue coming in, and you'll likely catch the rest of the
incoming mobs with it as well because statues are the slowest. Make sure to have shadows up
once you do cast, though, because statues will hate you for it.
*Memento Mori* - I'd use this with diffusion on the black mage party when they do timed
burns in dynamis xarc. Every 10 minutes, which means its on elemental seal timer, and it
lasts for 30 seconds, but its +20 MAB. Think about that the next time the blms wipe from
mobs having 2% hp left on the zarc eyeball burn, and how much time you'll save them from the
inevitable raises. This is extremely dependant on xarc zone, but it'll save a buttload of
time if used correctly.
*Geist Wall* - Just use it. All the time, every time, as much as you can with its 30
second recast. When incoming mobs are slept, focus on getting def down on them, then vit down,
then dispelling any buffs they (definately) have. Do yourself a favor, use defense food,
and have cocoon up for every pull, because this spell pulls hate bad.
*Sheep Song* - Very useful for light-based sleep that overwrites a bard's sleep, especially
for hecteyes and slime pets. Is overwritten by sleep 2, and will not overwrite sleepga, so
you don't fall victim to any other mobs hit by this spell. Long recast, use wisely.
*Jettatura and Temporal Shift* - Have them, use them, especially on mobs with nasty
hundred-fist two hours. These spells work VERY well, have long recast timers, but together
they can eat up to 5 seconds of hundred fist time (duration based on resist rates, int equips
for both and dark staff for jettatura and lightning staff for temporal shift). Jettatura is
a gaze attack, so make sure you are facing the mob's front.
*Actinic burst* - A pretty reliable spell for interrupting hundred fists for a few seconds,
and I always seem to have it equipped for the job ability it gives.
*Flying Hip Press* is useful, I promise!! It deals Wind Damage, but it *cannot* be
affected by magic defense bonuses, only resistances (which, with gear, proper stave, and max
blue magic skill, can be easily avoided). Use it on that annoying orc pld that 2 hours at
5%, or even if he does it at 20%!
*Heat Breath* is the other spell I reccomend for use like this. Straight 50% of your hp as
damage, even my taru can hit 1500 hp with proper swaps, food, and spells. Again, for use with
pld 2 hour, boss fights, and nm fights with minimal resists.