What is rdm role in end-game?

[blazeofglory]

I was curious for some input from some of the lvl 74-75 rdms out there on this one. I've been doing a little research and it seems like most rdms get stuck in endgame just using refresh/haste and basically being a gimp whm.

apparently our enfeebles are broken and do not proc very well if at all. now i really like my rdm (71 4k till 72) and i love to enfeeble the mob, its why i first went rdm. but if our job is basically a gimp whm @ endgame then there is no hope for meh. any input/experiences would be helpful. Thanks

[sevenpointflaw]

Well, thats the impression I get... but who knows... maybe there will be some new tier2 enfeeb spells.

[BurningPanther]

Our role endgame varies so many ways it's not even funny. Essentially, our role is and will always be enfeebling, and we will remain fill-in healer or nuker with /WHM or /BLM. When subbing DRK, we become a threat against HNMs with the Chainspell/Stun combo, and there's always RDM/NIN endgame, which becomes a soloing nightmare. Bune, Ungur, Genbu, Shadow Lord, Fenrir... all these have fallen prey to the solo RDM/NIN. With intelligence and the proper preparations, you can do it too.

It's true that our enfeebling skill, A+ as is, even when capped, and augmented with the best gear, is still rather hit or miss. Broken? Perhaps it is, but think of the nightmare we'd become if it were "fixed"...

I can't wait to see what new spells we get, and am wondering what's taking S-E so bloody long to give them to us. Though truly, I'd like to see us get improved sword ability and weaponskill access. I'm still sore that BLU became the melee mage that we were meant to be.

But that's another story...

[Kirsteena]

... and there's always RDM/NIN endgame, which becomes a soloing nightmare. Bune, Ungur, Genbu, Shadow Lord, Fenrir... all these have fallen prey to the solo RDM/NIN.

O.o did I miss the memo about Fenrir, cause damn... :cool:

What you do endgame dictates your role. In dynamis (regular, not DL) you are sleeper/silencer/kiter/nuker/refresher/leader in your linkshells death stakes depending on what you do.

Gods - well each linkshell is different. Its true Gods are really random to land enfeebles on, even with capped skills, but dispel is vital, gravity often lands - its just landing silence that is a bitch. The yells over vent when you land it... Otherwise you can probably expect to Chainspell Stun at some point in your career in sky.

Other HNM - well its pretty much your normal role.

The key to endgame is flexibility - if you are serious about endgame, have all your subs levelled, and be ready to fill whatever role you are needed in.

[swingfly]

What you get to do in the end-game very much depends on what you are fighting. Gods + Kirin in Tu'Lia is not that much fun as Rdm, basically you're either /Whm and curing and -na or you come as /Drk and stun spells and when a tank is in trouble. Enfeebles here are more of a lottery than dependant on player skill and gear. You can try to silence or gravity Kirin and keep getting resisted only to see the Mnk/Whm land silence.

When fighting ground HNMs and CoP wyrms your enfeebles work really well though so here there's more to do. Keeping for example Fafnir slowed and paralyzed is not that hard, landing nukes for decent damage is also doable (my best is a Thunder III for 1044 damage on a maintanance-Fafnir :P).

Basically, your role in any end-game activity with a group does not differ that much from general leveling on the way to 75. The main revolution is Stun from /Drk and Utsusemi:Ni from /Nin.

[capitalistnihilist]

RDM/NIN can also be a very effective tank for HNM if geared/supported properly.

[Gobo]

Most linkshells arent open to this, but RDMs make pretty good pullers in Dynamis and Limbus. We've won the first 5 Zilart dynamis and killed the 15 Xarcabard NMs with a RDM puller. I pull Limbus as RDM. Gravity for the fast stuff, like Buffalo and Behemoths, and stun for everything else (NW is the only zone I have to use Gravity in).

People already touched on the other stuff.

[capitalistnihilist]

To elaborate on my RDM/NIN tanking post: The BEST O-hat run I have ever been on was with 2x RDM/NIN tanks with NIN/WAR backup tanks.

[Dayala]

RDM role End Game wise: Chainspell Stun is your icing on the cake. Anything else is pretty much standard exp stuff. Except when the bard manages to silence Kirin -_- *twitch* Why in god's name do we have 310+ Enfeebling magic only to get glitched by a brd with 200 enfeebling on Kirin? I hate this game sometimes D:

Your role is still damage control and will always be damage control.

[Icemage]

RDM duties at endgame:

Typical:
Normal XP duties (Refresh, Enfeebling, backup cures, etc.)

Unusual:
RDM/DRK - Chainspell - Stun, or just general stunner with lots of Fast Cast
RDM/NIN - hyperfast blinktank with benefits against fast attackers in small groups
RDM/BLM - for kiting battles where Elemental Seal + Gravity is useful. Also important against sleepable enemies where sticking Sleep II is vital, such as Tiamat and Jormungand.
RDM/Anything - commit suicide when you see the SMN/WHM manage to Silence Tiamat when it's been laughing at your Silences for 30 minutes.


Icemage

[Dayala]

No kidding~! Makes me want to quit RDM when that happens ; ;

[TheGrandMom]

Well lvl up Drk for endgame, because as mentioned, Chainspell + Stun is godly. But I still do enfeebles, refresh, haste, cure, and the occasional mb when needed in endgame. So actually the role of rdm doesn't change greatly.

A thing that I'm not to fond of is sleep duty. Rdm's are put on that a lot in Dynamis. In Limbus I'm more of a whm with a touch of sleeper for any adds.

I think rdms have it great in endgame. We are so versatile that we can fit in anywhere. Poor tanks have it rough because sometimes the mob is Pld tanked or sometimes Nin tanked and the other always has to sit out. Melee's have it rough because they are just ws whores a lot. Rdm's can do so many things that they fit in anywhere are can keep quite busy.

[Aeni]

When an LS can't get enough people at an HNM camp as ToD approaches, you general would want at least one RDM/NIN there. They can kite effectively and buy the LS time to get their **** together and go all out. I know of an LS that used to do that with 3 RDM/NIN in rotation over every 24 hour period and eventually get KB all the time and have it kited for about 30 min while waiting for peeps to show up. Of course, this tends to keep pushing the window later and later into JP time, but that's also considered a double bonus by any HNM LS >.>

[arkaine23]

I think complainers about haste/cure/refresh botting are really just focusing on one part of end-game: sky gods and other highly magic-resistent HNM's.

You'll pretty much find 2 types of merit point parties:

1) Standard setups vs the relatively few IT-to-level-75 mobs in which case your role is the same as always.
2) Burns, often where you are the main healer, and in the case of manaburns a refresher and maybe light enfeebler (grav & maybe silence).

During a lot of alliance events however, you might find yourself nuking more than before. I have at least, and with a merit & gear modified 270ish elemental magic skill, +10-15% acc/dmg from staves, and maybe some +magic acc from your JSE... you'll hit consistent 550-650 free nukes, and chainspell nukes will put up similar number to a blm going all out at least vs a single target. You're useful in just about about every BCNM, KSNM, and Assault.

Red Mage will always have the most broad role in this game. We heal, enfeeble, nuke, sleep, kite, tank, solo, haste, melee, and refresh. Some of those things we may not do well under common circumstances, but nevertheless we can gear and eat, and merit, and sub ??? job to get about anything done. Don't sweat it if a God resists your nukes and enfeebles and the best thing for you to do is haste and heal and keep trying on those enfeebles. That's really only a small part of the whole.

[Dayala]

If a couple of rdm/nins were kiting KB to buy time while their LS showed up I'd be pissed >.> if your LS can't be bothered to come to ToD, imho they have no right to claim over the other LSs that are there XD Titan has an agreement in between "most" (meaning the bigger and more active HNMLS) of the end game LSs that if you don't have enough to kill, you can't reasonably claim and hold the mob until reinforcements show up, that's ridiculous. With Rage Mode now anyways, you only have 30 minutes to kill a king before it goes psycho on your butt XD

[blazeofglory]

Wow thank you everyone for all of your input. I just hit 72 and put on my errant gear and cant wait to lvl rdm to 75 then bring up drk to 37, chainspell stun seems like itll be very fun.

[Jei]

For reference, in a normal situation I think my priority goes like this. From top to buttom.
- top priority is to silence the mage mobs.
- sleep links
- refresh all mp users.
- dispel buffs
- debuff
- backup cure
- nuke

Some other roles are kiter and main tank.

[TheGrandMom]

If a couple of rdm/nins were kiting KB to buy time while their LS showed up I'd be pissed >.> if your LS can't be bothered to come to ToD, imho they have no right to claim over the other LSs that are there XD

Especially with Behemoth/KB! I mean seriously that pop is so damn regular. Ya sitting for 3 hours camping isn't that great but you only have to actually be at your computer/360/PS2 for a few minutes each hour! You also don't need that many people either. Behemoth is the usual pop and you can kill that with a party! And a party can easily kite and start out the fight with KB until reinforcements get there. Also with this new screwy claim system, I wouldn't trust having one or two people there to claim and hold.

[Aeni]

If a couple of rdm/nins were kiting KB to buy time while their LS showed up I'd be pissed >.> if your LS can't be bothered to come to ToD, imho they have no right to claim over the other LSs that are there XD Titan has an agreement in between "most" (meaning the bigger and more active HNMLS) of the end game LSs that if you don't have enough to kill, you can't reasonably claim and hold the mob until reinforcements show up, that's ridiculous. With Rage Mode now anyways, you only have 30 minutes to kill a king before it goes psycho on your butt XD

It was done all the time back in the days before Sea got really popular. It's still being done by gil seller groups, when members are camping multiple points. That's why they need to claim until reinforcements.

Your server is lucky to have that kind of arranagement. Most other servers do not, for the sheer reason of competition (especially when it involves gil seller groups)

[Jei]

claim and keep HNM is fine by me. It's competition, people will do anything.
What I hate is claim steal HNM mid fight... or call for help when the claimer think they're losing. Not so much of a case anymore I guess since the claiming patch.

[Aeni]

claim and keep HNM is fine by me. It's competition, people will do anything.
What I hate is claim steal HNM mid fight... or call for help when the claimer think they're losing. Not so much of a case anymore I guess since the claiming patch.

Yah, I hate that too :( We got LoO stolen from us (in my previous LS) by a certain competing MPK'ing HNMLS on Hades before. We had the TH3 as well and this was after server restart.

That stupid thing dropped the KClub for them, their 12th overall from reports and I was just pissed at how greedy an LS can get to the point they think that stealing a claimed HNM from another group is a form of legitmate playing skill.