[IfritnoItazura]

A bit late, but might as well address this since I'm updating:

Some points, both related to the above and to other aspects of the early parts of the guide:

• SCH gains heals and most Protect/Shell spells at the same rate as PLD. As such, it's typically not the best choice as a healer early on. At 40, however, it becomes the best status healer in the game, as well as the best crowd controller and a competitive buffer depending on the sub chosen.

I'm not entirely sure if "the best crowd controller" is a warranted label, since it won't be able to mach RDM in sleep resist, and its AoE Sleep II has longer cast time than BLM's Sleepga II, plus using it Manifestation would increase the recast time.

It certainly is the most "versatile" crowd controller, though, with the ability to AoE Sleep, Bind, and Gravity.

Very tempted to promote SCH's healer rating to the same level as WHM at the moment, given that RDM is more than good enough to be main healer for exp parties, and SCH is better than RDM.

• SCH is a good nuker, particularly at 20+ with a BLM subjob (or 40+ with a RDM subjob). While BLM is best at dealing damage in a short time, SCH is better at dealing damage over the long run.

Agree on this. However, there are surprising number of places where faster damage is useful, and where BLM's higher elemental skill is essential. I'd word it morel like "SCH is competitive with BLM's damage output over time."

• For SCH, I recommend /BLM as a "minimal" sub, /RDM as an additional party sub, and /WHM as a special-purpose sub (since all SCH really gets from /WHM now is the ability to cast status heals regardless of Art).

Well, /WHM also provide Stratagem free Curaga, and earlier access to Stoneskin. A SCH/WHM can switch between healer and nuker/enfeebler mode much easier than with /BLM or /RDM, making better use of the job's inherent flexibility.

It's true that /BLM would do better damage in Lv.20's, but I would say the minimum should be either WHM (better flexibility) or RDM (better enfeebling repertoire), after leveling through Lv.20's using both /WHM, /RDM, and /BLM.

• For SCH, there are two trial levels to consider. By level 20, you have Regen, Cure II, and can get Magic Attack Bonus I from /BLM; thus, you can be effective as both a healer and a nuker, and can see if you'll like the climb to 40. 40 is another good level at which to make a judgement call, as that's when SCH gets its job-defining strategems Accession and Manifestation.

• DNC is a very handy solo subjob for most melee-oriented jobs. As for party usage, it could be useful to SAM (to apply their extra TP to healing the party when good healers are scarce), WAR (when tanking, to self-heal), PLD (at 40+ as a WAR alternative), and NIN (at 40+, even better than for PLD). It's also become the preferred solo sub for BST and PUP. (I've heard of PUP/DNC working well in parties too, but don't know the details.)
• SCH is a good sub for WHM, BLM, RDM, and SMN. It's additionally an alternative to /WHM for BLU. It would probably work nicely for DRG in the sorts of situations where it uses other mage subs, as well.

I agree, for the most part.

Due to the lack of Stoneskin, however, I don't think /SCH is a good match for BLM--unless there's a SCH in party buffing AoE Stoneskin, and the BLM is sticking close to the SCH enough to be a second shadow.

• Why is BLM/RDM considered "specialty"? On Midgard these days even a BLM in a full party, traditional or manaburn, is completely expected to sub RDM over WHM. If you sub WHM instead, people assume that you "must love healing" (to my healing-averse BLM friend's great chagrin, since he lacks /RDM).

Was written with traditional partying in mind; never came across the "you must love healing" upon seeing BLM/WHM mentality, to be honest.

Given how dreary the party scene is for BLMs, however, probably should drop labels like "specialty". It's still silly to use /RDM over /WHM in a traditional exp party, never the less.

As an overworked RDM, I have to say I hated it when I had BLM/RDM in exp parties party as the only other mage, especially when fightings Imps. I can always use the help with Silena with Imps; heck, even a SCH may want help with Silena at times. Good thing BLMs on Ifrit seem to have the common sense to use /WHM in traditional parties for the most part.

• Subjob options notable for their absence aside from the WotG ones: THF/RNG (accuracy, Wide Scan for pulling); RDM/PLD (specialty, a nice solo sub); RDM/BLU (specialty, also primarily another take on soloing, works because physical spells rely a lot on main weapon skill), COR/BRD (specialty, makes a good buffing specialist, particularly for mages in endgame).

Camps which need Widescan are rare and decidedly unpopular. Accuracy is nice, but how often do you see combinations like DRG/RNG or even SAM/RNG in the Lv.20's where /RNG really stands out? That said, if THF main job players tell me /RNG is a strong support job which every career THF should have and list some concrete examples, I guess I can change my mind.

As for RDM/PLD, RDM/BLU, I tried both. They are just too narrow in usage, even for specialty; vast majority of the time where they are good, another support job would do fine as well. (Can't be that special if generally anything else would be OK, right?)

I rather like RDM/SCH for nuke-kite fights--for that, no other support job comes close.