What's more beneficial for a black mage?

[FF2488]

Let's say my main job is a black mage.
Which combo would benefit me more:
Black/White or Black/Summoner?

[Calianeri]

It depends on how you want to play, and what level you're talking about. Both subjobs will give you helpful increased stats, but there are pros and cons.

WHM is very nice, because you get MP and HP boosts and really useful cure and anti-status effect spells. You can help out as a backup healer and put all your BLM mps to use if the party gets in trouble. But you may also find yourself asked to be a main healer, which in my experience is usually not good for you or the party. SMN gives a bigger MP boost, but because of the half-main-level limit, your SMN abilities and summons may never be high enough to be effective. If you just want the MPs, then maybe that's OK. (Full disclosure: I have never played as a SMN, but I know many folks who have.)

Also, you can't sub SMN until you get level 30 and do the quest. So between levels 18 and 30, you will almost certainly want to sub WHM anyway. Even if you never cast a single Cure (unlikely!), it's a free stat boost to BLM.

[LoneWolfy]

dont sub smn pt will always ask you to change sub and if you dont have it the probably wont take you.

[tomfin10]

Originally posted by LoneWolfy
dont sub smn pt will always ask you to change sub and if you dont have it the probably wont take you.

SMN makes a good sub, maybe not for BLM, but its good for WHM. A WHM/SMN will have more MP than the WHM/BLM because of the SMN's huge MP boost. So SMN can make a good sub, and if the PT doesn't want you, find another one.

[Jei]

as a blm, using smn will slow down the whole party a bit. normally when fighting tough enemies WHM are the one that would normally run out of MP. and when you rest after battle, being blm/smn means you can't help healing at all and WHM have to spend an extra time getting everyone back up to health which will only increase your resting time.

having as little down time as possible is best for everyone.

[Roboyto]

Yes, I've subbed both, whm > smn, the mp differnce isnt that big, Havent experienced refresh ablity, but whm is truely the better sub IMO.

[Kirara]

of course there is chance subbing smn has it's advantage in a certain party arrangement
lets say ranger ninja thief redmage summoner blackmage
the ninja as a tanker, he won't be needing heals most of the time, the redmage is enough, the summoner can do actual summon supporting other than healing and you as the blackmage, this is a great chance to sub smn, for mp boost and refresh(50+)
i have been in a party with such configuration, too bad my summoner is not a up to date sub... the only thing i did in that party was acient mb and occationally some othe rmagics, there was totally no need for me to heal.
and we fought no stop

[FFXITsukasa]

Wouldn't sub classing summoner be useful for soloing though? And Summons could be used as good support and attackers in party combat right?

[DrMrLordX]

I don't know if a SMN sub would be useful to a BLM while soloing. I would suspect not, or at least, not very.

In a party, you'll likely be fighting monsters 2-4 or more levels higher than the toughest person in the party, and your summons will operate at a level equal to your subjob. Your summons will be far too low in level to do any useful damage to your opponents. Once you hit level 50 with your BLM main, and your SMN sub is 25, you will be able to use Garuda's party-wide blink, which can be very useful. That ability alone may negate so much damage that the healing powers you would lack as compared to a BLM/WHM might not be missed. But, in order for you to have Garuda, you need to defeat Garuda, and you probably can't do that until you reach level 60. The other good party-support powers Summoners get, such as party-wide Stoneskin and party-wide Haste, would not be available to anyone using SMN as a sub(they're too high in level).

I have personally witnessed a WHM/SMN in a group before(my group in fact), and all she had was Carbunkle. She summoned at level 11(23 WHM/11 SMN), and Carbunkle only did 2 damage to opponents, and did very little with the Poison Nail attack. Specifically, this was against Greater Pugils and those stupid crabs(uh, Clippers?) in Qufim, pulled to a position just outside the tower. Yes, she had more MP than I, but it didn't make a big difference. We were the same race(Elvaan), and I had BLM subbed(22/8, later 23/8 at level up).

From this, I can only assume that a BLM/SMN would have equally weak summons(differences in stats of the summoner don't seem to affect the power of summons). Maybe having Leviathan around would be slightly better, but who really wants to sic a level 11 Leviathan on a level 25-27+ monster?

[FFXITsukasa]

Well summons could still be used as good tanks and have good support. But If I am correct Carbunkle isnt an attack summon but more along the lines of support. Maybe with a summon like Titan. Thats the only attacking summon I know of in FFXI. But I thing being a summoner would be cool and quite useful. But i am curious.... what sub job would you suggest. Ok and I know this sounds dumb but can you make an advanced job your main job? Cause that would be sweet! If not im confused because you cant use the weapons of you sub job. If thats true than how would a ninja, archer, samurai, or dragoon be able to use their weapons. You know lances and bows, etc. Sorry if its a dumb question.

[DrMrLordX]

Any job can be used as your main job. They all have their own characteristics in terms of which weapons and armor they can use, what skills they have, etc.

As for using your summon from your subjob as a tank, I wouldn't advise it. Your summon will die very quickly this way. It will also have a hard time drawing hate from enemies. As far as support goes . . . the only support ability you can get from a SMN sub that's really useful is Garuda's party-wide Blink. Most of Carbunkle's support stuff isn't that useful(the party-wide Shell/Protect is interesting, but you won't need it if you have a WHM in the party, or even someone subbing WHM at level 34/17+).

[FFXITsukasa]

Interesting. Anyway have you heard they are releasing FFXI for PC this october. I cant wait! Maybe I will meet one of you guys.

[Kezix]

I'm wondering if maybe the Black Mage / Red Mage combo would be better. Doesn't that combo give you a higher intelligence? Doesn't that make a difference? I would think this combo is the best for doing a lot of damage with the black mage, or am I wrong?