BLM/RDM a new angle..... a new look. Veterans asked to add their opinions

[Seance]

Please hear me out. My question is about hate control and how I think /RDM will help deal with it for a LVL60+ BLM.

First I will make a few assumptions:

- This regards the long run game (lvl66+).
- Assume I have the JSE BLM cloak with refresh equipped


If I cast Phalanx, then start blasting away at a mob, wouldn't this be an awesome combination for a BLM/RDM for the long run game?

- I can nuke the crap out of a mob.
- If I get hate, I'll have super physical and magic def from Phalanx. Won't have to worry as much about death.
- And ideally if we have a bard, the refresh from the cloak + ballad/ballad2's will greatly reduce my healing mp time.
- high INT



I'm a newbie in this game, but I do spend hours till end trying to find answers on these forums (about 5 hours today, 4 yesterday) cause I love reading about these things. Please redirect me if this has already been mentioned, because I have not found this topic discussed. And if also if I may add, Please, ONLY answers from high level players (lvl 50+ players). I'm hoping that Icemage, Jei, Peacemaker, Kirara can add to this discussion

[Secrenja]

Well, I don't think it's a good idea to nuke the living shit out of it and gather the hate, 2 main reasons.
1-if the monster attacks you, your spells will get interrupted. Since spells take longer to cast at later levels, it will be hard to cast inbetween hits.
2-if you waste all your MP on one monster, it sets up a crappy way for a chain. You have to sit down for a seriously long time(even with the help of refresh and ballad) after battles.
And heres my other theory/question.
Would Phalanx be kind of useless at much later levels? I mean at lvl 50, you don't see a WHM cast Protectra on the party, at higher levels wouldn't it become vastly inneffective?
And a flat-out question.
-If a RDM casts refresh on a SMN or BLM with auto refresh, does it stack?

[Seance]

thanks Secrenja

I'm thinking that by the time the monster hits me once, the paladins and drk knights etc will easily be able to pull hate back on them? or no?

And I'm thinking Phalanx should be very good for a long time (well at least for a rdm-main, maybe not a rdm-sub) because it's like 250,000 gil isn't it? hehe they better make it better than 50gil protectra.


- I guess I'm just afraid to see that my blm will be somewhat useless at later levels. I was thinking of switching my sub and main and going for a redmage.


- Keep the replies coming guys =)

[Secrenja]

I really have no idea, I got to lvl 45 as RDM in beta, and never got phalanx. Plus, the price varies in each server. I think it was like 40k in fenrir when my brother was playing.

Now someone really needs to correct me if I am wrong right here, but I think Hate stacks. BLMs can attract a lot of hate, and it's not always enough for a warriors provoke to pull it off. So this is just my guess on what would typically happen...
BLM casts a kickass spell
BLM casts a kickass spell
Monster aggros BLM
Warrior provokes
BLM casts a kickass spell
Monster hits BLM
*15 seconds til next provoke!*
BLM waits for the hate to die down
Monster attacks.
WHM spams the cures.
Monster aggroes between WHM and BLM(Not a good idea)
Warrior provokes.
everyones dying and WHM is low on MP.
Barely make it out alive.
Everyone is forced to sit, Melees lose TP
get back up, too late for a chain.

Thats just how I would see it if you were to go all-out nuke and only stop when the monster hits you. It's not saying RDM is a bad sub, it's one of the best(next to WHM, which isn't a gauranteed #1 sub). The only class with more INT than RDM are BLM and SMN, SMN isn't subbed because it has little to offer other than MP and refresh. Then the only job with comparible INT is THF, and that has diddly squat to offer a BLM. With RDM, you get more INT than WHM, A decent boost of MP, The main cure spells, at about the same level as others. I just think subbing it For the pure Phalanx would be a mistake, and that parties would be wondering what the **** you're doing. It would be great for solo play as well.

[Seance]

hehe thanks for clarifying, it was just an idea =)


If anyone would like to add, please do.

[Sirhc]

Originally posted by Secrenja
And a flat-out question.
-If a RDM casts refresh on a SMN or BLM with auto refresh, does it stack?

first, hello my fellow Beta RDM!

to answer, yes, auto refresh stacks with refresh. as does auto regen and regen.

so you could have

Auto refresh+refresh+ballad+ballad II= kick ass mp refresh

and i think you can also drink juice along with that. all together you would be regaining something like 15mp per second!!

in turn you could have:

auto regen+regenII+regenIII+two paedon songs= something like 35 hp per second!

please correct me if i'm wrong. i havn't done my math in this.

[Jei]

phalanx won't safe your life in a levelling party. I'm a 70 redmage. And the monsters at level 70 can hit me easily for 200+ damage. cast phalanx and the damage decrease only a tiny bit. When ever my group get a linking monsters the magics that keep me alive being the main sleeper, are blink, stoneskin and aquabeil.

blm has even poorer defense with very little HP. Having a monster to attack you in group is the last thing you want to do
- you ruin your party formation in case you have THF or BRD.
- you take hit for tons more damage than fighters.
- and white mages will have to heal you with huge cure. giving WHMs tons of hate
- and the monster will turn to the WHM, wasting even more MP to cure them

monster that hit PLD for 30 damage, will hit you for 200+. It is THAT difference.

phalanx works better soloing weak monsters. for monsters doing 30-40 a hit, will become 0 with phalanx casted

edit: Juice will cancel RDM's refresh spell. other than juice refresh will stack

[Seance]

yay

My question's been answered fully and completely by all of you here. Thank you.