Playstyle for SCH/BLM?

[Celeal]

Just a random thought when I looking for info about SCH:

Level 40 SCH/BLM: Accession + Ice Spikes the party, to Paralyze the mob. At level 49 the SCH/BLM can cast Hailstorm (snowy weather) at the tank. With artificial snowy weather plus many exp. mobs are weak against Ice element, maybe the Paralyze effect from Ice Spikes is potent enough in exp. settings?
SCH/BLM has access to Elemental Seal and Sleep, or Escape. Accession + Warp (Warp-aga) maybe is handy in Outdoor Area when sh*t hits the fan. For example, in ToAU outdoor camp, downtime + exp. lost for multiple Raise(s) vs. Warp-aga + time for reaching to the camp again.Just my 2 gil~

[Malacite]

Accession + Warp

Doesn't work. It specifically says white magic. That rules out Ice Spikes too I'm afraid.

[Celeal]

Really o.o .... awwww { That is too bad. }

[Lmnop]

right, so what about Manifestation (http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Manifestation)?

Multiple targets could be multiple friendlies if the target=ally (or caster).

I believe this could become Shock Spikes @60, and that'd be pretty awesome. Since AoE Reraise doesn't work, I'm betting AoE Warp will not work. The Ice weather + Ice Spikes is a good idea -- at least worth trying out. Even if the ice spikes are had from another source, this is a good idea to keep tucked away.

[Tsrwedge]

Tested it a while ago with Manifestation, and AoE Warp is a bust. Sorry :(

[Sabaron]

right, so what about Manifestation (http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Manifestation)?

Multiple targets could be multiple friendlies if the target=ally (or caster).

I believe this could become Shock Spikes @60, and that'd be pretty awesome. Since AoE Reraise doesn't work, I'm betting AoE Warp will not work. The Ice weather + Ice Spikes is a good idea -- at least worth trying out. Even if the ice spikes are had from another source, this is a good idea to keep tucked away.

Manifestation specifically states it only works with Black Enfeebling magic, making it's application quite limited. You cannot use it on helix or Elemental DoT spells either.

[Coinspinner]

You can't AoE Spike spells with either Stratagem. Accession only applies to White Magic Healing and Enhancing spells, Manifestation only applies to Black Magic Dark and Enfeebling spells. And not all of those either.

So no: Silence-ga, Slow-ga, Paralyze-ga, Raise-ga, Reraise-ga, Spikes-ga, or Warp-ga.

However, if a spell can normally target people outside your party Accession can cause it to hit every member of their party. You can Cure IV a huge cluster of allied NPC in Campaign, or a party that you are powerleveling, or other parties in your alliance.

You play SCH/BLM the way you play BLM/WHM. Nuke as much as possible, and efficiently, within the bounds of your MP recovery and the tank's Enmity generation. Magic Burst whenever possible. This, while keeping an eye out for situations where you should heal. (Somebody's HP suddenly dropping, healer getting hit too much, nasty AoE, healer stops healing, etc.)

You should probably drop /BLM at level 40, unless you really don't need to be doing anything but nuking for that party...

[Celeal]

If this is the case, SCH only has SCH/WHM and SCH/RDM left? If the party needs a nuker, invite a BLM instead of SCH?

I am not trying to flame. I have partied with SCH/WHM as main healer, and they are very efficient. In the future I expect WHM/SCH or SCH/WHM as a "standard" combo for healer role.

Since SCH is so MP efficient, can it solve the endurance issue of BLM in ToAU parties (non-manaburn)? As BLM/SCH or SCH/BLM?

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

If there's no need for status cures, then /RDM and /BLM should be your first choices without question.

Why?

Because you still have the option to AoE Protect, Shell and Cure and gain Magic Attack Bonus to enhance the power of your nukes.

/RDM is quite honestly the perfect in-between choice at higher levels. Its true you lose your Seal options from WHM and BLM, but you get most of the protective magic of /WHM and lose very little in the way of Elemental and Dark Magic, not to mention you gain Fast Cast traits.

Where status cures are absolutely needed, /WHM will always take priority, otherwise you have the freedom to go with /RDM or /BLM. /WHM is by no means the defacto sub for all situations, but for main healing, there's little question of its value.

Though, truth be told, I'm anxious to hear any feedback on /DRK at this time as well. I think it could be quite handy for BCNMs.

[Coinspinner]

SCH/DRK?

It would be awesome if Absorb-INT was subbable. Absorb-MND isn't as useful as it could be since SCH has no native Paralyze, but I suppose it could pump up Stoneskin-Ga while leaving a vulnerablity opening for a RDM or WHM to exploit. Shorter recast on Stun, or manifest Stun, Sleep, and Bind... I wonder what happens when you absorb VIT and AGI with Manifestation. Probably drops stats for all enemies but grants only the increase from one enemy. But somebody please test that immediately! It would be too awesome to have maxed out VIT and AGI on a mage.

[IfritnoItazura]

SCH/DRK?

It would be awesome if Absorb-INT was subbable.
I'd rather have MAB from /BLM than more Absorb-INT, unless this is in a manaburn party--in which case, INT down on the target would benefit all. (Probably not enough to make much of a difference, but at least it's something.)

Absorb-MND isn't as useful as it could be since SCH has no native Paralyze, but I suppose it could pump up Stoneskin-Ga while leaving a vulnerablity opening for a RDM or WHM to exploit.
No Stoneskin on SCH/DRK.

Shorter recast on Stun, or manifest Stun, Sleep, and Bind...
I can see an application for Stun, and maybe Sleep/ga, but for Bind I think you'd still want RDM for the job.

[Malacite]

/DRK is for stun...

[Lmnop]

Not that it's entirely interesting (unless I'm missing something). 10% faster always, 50% faster sometimes with 50% recast timer? Sure, but Chainspell's still better.

AoE Stun? Interesting. Don't see too much use in it, though.

A longer duration Stun? Cool, but hardly gonna be noticeable.

Half MP cost? Swell. Nothing more.

Just one more spell for a Scholar's repertoire. A good spell, but not worth everything the conventional subs have to offer.

If DRK had Abs-MAB, or if Souleater affected magic, we'd talk. As is, /blm will be strictly better (and if you're ready for it, do the half cast time Sleep for a ghetto Stun).

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EDIT: Incidentally, the text on Wiki reads as: "Extends the effect of your next enfeebling or dark black magic spell to targets within range."

Dread Spikes is Dark Magic. >.> Why haven't I seen testing, yet?

[Coinspinner]

I'd rather have MAB from /BLM than more Absorb-INT, unless this is in a manaburn party--in which case, INT down on the target would benefit all. (Probably not enough to make much of a difference, but at least it's something.)

As I recall Helix is more strongly based on Int than MAB, which is all I had in mind actually. Would be interesting in Manaburn too if SCH is allowed in those.


No Stoneskin on SCH/DRK.

And that was in the same sentence as "no native paralyze"! I think I'm starting to loathe SCH's innate spell list...


EDIT: Incidentally, the text on Wiki reads as: "Extends the effect of your next enfeebling or dark black magic spell to targets within range."
Dread Spikes is Dark Magic. >.> Why haven't I seen testing, yet?

Because SCH/DRK can't cast it, and DRK/SCH can't use Manifestation.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

. As is, /blm will be strictly better (and if you're ready for it, do the half cast time Sleep for a ghetto Stun)

I don't see how /BLM is better considering it offers absolutely no party support options whatsoever. /RDM, however, retains MAB and Blink/Stoneskill, which can be of use to a PT elsewhere.

Accession is better overall than Manifestation, but /RDM makes the best overall use of both, not /BLM. For Healing, Nuking, Enfeeble and protective magic, I'll gladly take a loss of 5 MAB to sub RDM over BLM.

/RDM simply gives SCH the best of everything. I don't think SE designs the main jobs without glaringly obvious arrows pointing to certain subjobs. People spend far too much time looking at what a main job doesn't have and not what subjobs can do for it.

/DRK, again, I really only am looking at for BCNM/KSNM use, not really for anything else. Probably one of the few situations where Manifestation would be really useful anyway.

[Yellow Mage]

Warp's Dark Magic, too, last time I checked.

EDIT:

And that was in the same sentence as "no native paralyze"! I think I'm starting to loathe SCH's innate spell list...

Join the club. I bet if S-E gave SCH native Haste and Refresh, though, nobody'd complain about the spell list.

[IfritnoItazura]

I bet if S-E gave SCH native Haste and Refresh, though, nobody'd complain about the spell list.
I would be complaining very loudly if SCH gets Refresh and Haste natively. Other RDMs and possibly WHMs may feel the same.

[Yellow Mage]

Well, there's that, yes, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make.

I meant that nobody would look at Scholar's spell list as "remedial at best" if they only had two more spells. It's a perspective sort of thing.

[Coinspinner]

Warp's Dark Magic, too, last time I checked.

Enhancing actually. Got a skillup from it just yesterday.