Is This A Problem?

I really do like playing BLM. And some of the content has been a real struggle solo, but so far it hasn't put me off. For now, I think I'll just keep grinding it out with my BLM until I finish ToAU. I'll try to pair some trusts that offer better opportunities and gear up some more as well. (And practice skillchain/MB)

For subjob, does SCH make the most sense or RDM, or SMN, or something else entirely?

The starter (NQ) ambuscade gear will really make most of that content very easy.

Can get those by doing a couple ambu runs on V2 Very Easy/Easy.

Sch covers the most ground, but Rdm is a solid backup and you'd have access to that now, vs Sch being in WOTG.

Smn isn't very useful for a Blm, basically just offering a slightly larger MP pool and Auto-refresh 1. Pets are half level.

Sch will give you access to Sublimation, a roughly 50% MP restore every 5-10 mins of charging (which also doubles as a way to remove sleep while its charging since its a Dot on you) Dark Arts is a flat 10% Cost and cast time improvement, Plus stratagems; abilities you can use to reduce a spells cost or cast time. Access to Light arts and Addendum white gives you access to Poisona, Paralyna etc as well as the same 10% Cost and cast time reduction when casting light spells (but incurs a 20% penalty when casting Black magic)Plus you get Cures 1-3, Raise, Reraise, Barspells, Pro/Shell, Para, Slow, Silence, Dia 1, 2. (Was thinking as a whm for a second there)

Where Red mage will offer Cure 1-4, Raise, Pro/shell Individual Barspells, Enspells and all the same enfeebles as Whm, but the Big draw is refresh and Convert. Rdm doesn't have the conditionals of the light/dark arts. And RDM does offer the fastcast trait.

There's lot of other spells, some more significant than others, but you can rely on trusts for most of the pertinent ones.

You ideally will want both Sch and Rdm leveled to Sub level.

Also you could try subbing a dual wield job, then using a multi attack club like the wildeskeeper reives one.

Using a multi attack weapon would allow you to earn TP faster. Then you can dictate when skillchain.

For example Zeid is excellent for closing a skillchain with ground strike. You just need to figure a good WS, use it, then prepare the nuke while Zeid closes the skillchain.

Zeid is strong DD and his stun are really good for a trust

SCH actually doesn't get those natively, along with other useful things like Gravity.



/SCH or /RDM the vast majority of the time.

/SCH usually for optimizing nuking/damage. In addition to the benefits of Dark Arts mentioned, you can boost your damage by ensuring you have relevant weather effects via Storm spells. A SCH main in the party with Storm II spells is better, but /SCH gives you the next best thing.
(if you haven't delved into it yet, this also involves guaranteeing the day/weather bonuses via gear https://www.bg-wiki.com/ffxi/Category:Elemental_Obi )

Makes it a great sub for group situations where you've likely got other people handling non-nuking things.

/RDM nets you a wider range of support spells - the light magic enfeebles, additional ones in Distract, Frazzle, Gravity, etc. Phalanx and Haste. Lotta stuff that may be very useful to have available if you don't have someone else there to apply it and/or can't reliably get trust AI to apply it.

Anything else is for niche use or utility (IE, you might opt to /WHM for missions if teleports are convenient).

If you like the BLM style though, honestly, just level all three of those jobs up and mix/match. SCH can skillchain with spells from the backline, and has massive DoT spells to burst. Great for soloing Escha NMs earlier on. RDM is...a lot to fully gear/etc, but it's *the* do everything job. If it can be soloed, RDM likely can do it.
They share a lot of gear/skills/spells too. BLM would still excel for wiping out hordes of trash with -ga spells and AF body.

All very good adds ^^
Blu Comically is the King of AOE nukes however. Other AOE nukes have a damage penalty based on the number of mobs. Where Blu nukes do not. Making them exceptional at cleaving.

I love subduction

Imagine being a blu on shitty 75 cap servers and not having that goated spell.

I'll hit SCH and RDM then. I know SCH isn't until WotG, but because of the Summer Trust thingie, I went to the (S) lands to earn APs and scooped up nearly every HP and Survival guide while I was tooling around. I keep getting sidetracked by stuff in this game and I've been to a lot of places I probably wasn't ready to go, but eh..

Rdm is your "easy mode" Sub. You just cast normally and nothing really changes with your playstyle.
Sch isn't difficult by any means, but you need to manage your Sublimation charge and Keep up Stoneskin so you can rest as needed (which Blm/Sch won't get until 88) Once its charged, you are fine.
You'll likely stay in Dark Arts, But if you need to cure yourself, just remember that cures will case Slower and Cost more MP in dark arts. As will storm spells, Assuming you use those to boost your damage.

I know Gear hasn't really been Discussed, But if you don't have an Iridal staff at Least, Pick one of those up. Chatoyant Staff is the HQ version, and if you can get that, Aim for that. That will ride you to 99, and is basically the best mage staff for Most jobs from 51-99.

They get mysterious light, cloooose enough

Just wanted to thank everyone on this thread for all the advice back in August!

When I originally asked for help, I was stuck in ToAU. After reading all the advice here, I switched to Ninja, with a Warrior sub.
After that, I was easily able to finish ToAU, then get through WotG, SoA and finally RoV.

Today, I killed the CoD with a party of trusts and a handful of Ambuscade gear I nabbed from chits this week. Haha.

It is such a fantastic, old game. Thank you all for setting my feet on a path that allowed me to see the story through to the end!

Congrats on finishing RoV! Finishing the whole RoV story arc of FFXI is something that very few FF fans can claim.