BLM Sortie Do's/donts

I often forget that closing SC with helix grants a longer SC window.

Depends on what nukes your doing. Start the Tier VI before the SCH is done making so that it lands right as the window opens, roll into the -Ja and you could squeeze a III or maybe a IV before the window closes. On SCH and GEO I could triple burst by doing IV -> V -> IV.

Thank you!

Using this now, and makes it SO much easier

i dont see the command for AM II though?

anyone see that?

https://github.com/Windower/Lua/blob/live/addons/EasyNuke/readme.md?plain=1

If your scholar's are putting their casts in party macro like most do (and should), then that makes it really easy to time your nukes. I always prefer to go off the chat log for nuke timing. I've seen and tried the skillchain and nuke addons but honestly when you've done it enough it's easy to just feel out the window. And yes, with the helix window extension it's possible to fit three magic bursts into a single window.



The timing requires you to begin your first cast before the closing skillchain. Usually if you start casting right around the moment you see the book animation finish and they start the cast to close the skillchain you'll hit the very opening of the skillchain window. As long as you time your casts right it should be pretty easy to go Tier 6 --> Tier 5 --> tier 3. It can be hard to fit a longer cast for the third nuke if you're getting lag or if you don't time it just right, but with perfect timing it's possible to fit in even the longer casts. In the screenshot above I landed a triple burst Aja --> Tier 6 --> tier 5. So it can be done. Just work on the timing and learn to feel it out using the guidelines saevel and I just provided. When you know how to feel it out it's just like making skillchains. It's really not that hard to do with some practice.

Im not a blm but I've been working on getting my sch setup better for nuking situations instead of just healing.
With that said how exactly do you guys deal with quick cast procs when precasting before the skillchain? Do you just not use any quickcast gear on blm? Or just take the occasional hit when it procs and you cast too early to magic burst?

I don’t use quick magic in my precast for that reason. It’s not that important a stat to have for blm. It could be useful for enfeebles, but if you’re casting sleepga or breakga on a bunch of mobs you’ll probably get resisted on a few of them since the cast goes off in your precast gear instead of your enfeeble set, so you’d probably just have to recast it again anyway. Quick magic is more useful for curing and buffing than it is for offensive casting. I find it easier to just run with capped fast cast and be done with it.

Different SCH's have different timings for Opening SC -> Closing SC, you just gotta get used to that particular SCH's style. What I've found best is that you start casting when you see their hands go up on the closing portion. That is them using Immanence and most will start casting the helix 1s after using it.

this doesn't happen with gearswap, the precast and midcast are sent in the same packet.

I also wanted to mention that if your skillchain window is open, and your DD executed a weaponskill to continue the chain, they can close the skillchain window prematurely if they do it too quickly. It's best to wait 3 seconds, though skillchain windows can last 3-10 seconds and diminish with each successive skillchain.



+1. This used to be a long standing bug in Gearswap many years ago, but allegedly has been fixed. With Ashita's LegacyAC and LuaAshitacast, QuickMagic is not an issue.

Isn't the skillchain window immediately open after closing a chain? If that's how it works wouldn't it be ideal to setup a chain where the element cast can burst every step of the chain, for instance liquefaction->fusion->light->double light with fire burst?

How many -ja spells are black mage using in that 110 second window? Are they casting it even if there is no skillchain window? Are they trying to reach 25% cap with every window?

I usually can fit in at least 2 -ja a fight (1 non-MB, 1 MB) if it dies within 1 SC. My rotation usually goes non-MB ja on pull, precast T6 > -ja > T5 > T3 that way I can fit 4 MBs if it's a helix closer. T6 is timed to it lands just split seconds after the MB window open so it basically counts as an instant cast.

T3 at the end just to make it fit the MB window, tried 6>-ja>5>4 and was never able to make it. If you play with the same SCH overtime you can just get a feel for it. As someone already stated before, I don't use quick magic for these as it would disrupt the timing.

Cast Burn... it will land on almost everything.

Yes, that's how it works. I was just commmenting to make DDs aware that they can continue the SC, but if done too quickly, they can unknowingly make the current MB window shorter.

Been running some BLM lately, and really evertyhing you are trying to maximize your efficiency on inside Sortie is going to be pulled with Gambit, by the time the SC is landing Rayke is on.

So now I have been doing what is said above, burn/impact applicable NMs then while the pull/skillchain is starting, open with -ja to get the cumulitive effect on (non-MB). Then pre-nuke 6 so it lands right as the skillchain opens, then demote 5>4>3 etc

Anyone have a reason not to dress the NM with -ja pre skillchain?

No objections whatsoever. This is the right way to do it, in my opinion, as well.

I have a friend who occasionally points out that "I nuke outside of the Skillchain window" as if to say, I'm missing the window, but it's nice to another person agreeing.

As long as it's after the impact and burn then there's no reason not to, as mentioned.

MP providing, of course

Maybe a good idea just to lock af body into -ja

That way your big boy body piece is hitting on your MB spells

Well. You want your pre burst ja in the AF body, but the first burst nuke should also be ja, that's a second stack and you don't want it there.

So you gotta toggle it on, then off. Kinda sucks but min maxing

Why would you want your first burst to be another ja? Vs a tier6?

I thought the 5% stacks were just the same element didn’t have to be -ja

The ja effect stacks

Unless the VI does more damage than adding another 5% into the window adds. Or the mob will die before the additional 5% bonus is useful.

Ok I see other spells get the bonus but the -ja increases it

As long as you're not walling the bursts so they do <99k for sure keep casting -jas. Any elemental magic within 5 sec of each other will cause nuke wall.

Generally will always be casting jas in and outside burst window, haste super important here.

Those stacks add up and help with Run's Lunge as well.

Ja -> start casting 6 -> SC window opens -> 6 finishes -> 5 -> 4 likely out of SC -> pause for first SC spell -> ja -> new SC window -> ja will land in SC window -> repeat.

Well that’s why I mention in this use case g/r will be on so nuke wall not as much as a factor, during sortie we extend every skill chain. I can’t think of any that are just sch only

Fire super long sch 2 step exenator dimi
Ice water sch leaden wildfire
Earth sch ruinator wildfire
Thunder/wind sch frag > decimation

I don't "pre-charge" JA on B/F just because anectdotally I feel like it changes elements way more often if I do.

Personally, I include -JAs in all my burst windows when it's off recast. As long as it's only hitting one target it's about as strong as a T5 nuke. This means that generally, G is an exception there as it will hit the weird fetters it puts out.

On a 4 step SC where the WS guys are going at the latest possible time, I can usually get a T6 => JA => T5 => T4 => AMII => T6 or JA in a burst window.

Edit: -JA stacks up to 5 times for a 25% bonus on the element.

So I've invested a ton into BLM, including the SU5 staff (yeah I know, but I also don't need to upgrade empy feet!) but I won't be making mythic staff or unlocking vido. My reasoning is that I'm working on prime staff and am pretty sure I won't need mythic. I've seen BLMs in sortie use bunzi rod with decent results but I never played my BLM in anything outside Dyna and omen.


For those that play BLM and have the ability to look at things objectively, can a BLM operate at a high level with just prime staff and assuming all of the other gear is the best there is? Curious if I should make my stage 4 staff now or hold and use my mesos to upgrade horn?

wait, why wouldn't you unlock vido?

Blm/dnc, maxentius/bunzi would probably be a cheaper option, assuming you could get at least a v15 mboze kill. I still run this, as it’s better than laev and even my prime staff so far. I think level 5 primes gunna win though.

You wasted a ton of gil on a useless staff, but you draw the line at even unlocking a fairly decent WS? You don't make sense.

I basically use Prime Staff full time on BLM. That's perfectly acceptable, however, you should go unlock Vido. It has excellent skillchain properties. Cor can close darkness off of it.

Edit: For the record I made both Mythic Staff and Empyrean Staff and ended up never using either one of them because prime staff is that strong.

A major task that Black Mages have is to cast Warp II on teammates if the Boss gets dangerous. This is to protect them from death and the resulting loss of MLs.