Black Mage Actions

Main article: Black Mage

Rotations

Single Target

Thunder II -> Fire III -> Fire (until under 1000 MP) -> Blizzard III

• Thundercloud procs should be cast immediately and should always be Thunder III.

• Firestarter proc should be cast immediately, unless you're entering Umbra phase, in which case you should use your normal filler spell (usually Thunder II) until full MP, then use your Firestarter proc.

Tips and Tricks

• Always be casting. While there are some times when interrupting your casting is necessary, some players cancel a casting in order to cast a proc'd ability. Cancelling spells already in progress is always DPS loss and should be avoided unless you need to move and avoid damage.

• The normal Black Mage rotation consist of 4 castings of Fire before you drop below the amount of MP needed to cast both Blizzard III and Thunder II. Any further casting of Fire after the fourth will result in an insufficient amount of MP to get through an Umbral phase uninterrupted.

• In presence of Scholar or by using Food or Materia, it is possible to raise your Piety to 251 or higher. It gives you enough MP to cast 5 Fire spells and continue your rotation without pause. It results in a 2.5% increase in DPS.

• During portions of fights where movement is required, default to Scathe until you've arrived at your new destination or use Swiftcast to keep up your current rotation.

• If due to a Thundercloud proc you have plenty of time left on your Thunder DoT, use Blizzard as filler during Umbra phase. Also use Blizzard or Scathe on mobs that won't live long enough to justify Thunder.

• Many Black Mage guides say use Swiftcast on cooldown. This will grant a magical dps increase in total but remove the chance to use Swiftcast for utility or in emergencies. Use at your discretion but if you choose to use it try to use it when hardcasting spells, especially tier 3 spells.

• When sitting on a Firestarter proc in Umbra phase, use Transpose before casting Fire III to give yourself a nice damage boost. You'll do more and still be at full MP.

• Use Raging Strikes on whenever its on cooldown unless you're planning to use it for bigger fights within 2 minutes. Maximize the phase time during Raging Strikes.

Skills and Abilities

Action	Icon	Level	MP Cost	Cast Time	Cooldown	Range	Radius	Description
Convert		30	0	Instant	180s	0y	0y	Sacrifices 20% of maximum HP to restore 30% of MP. Cannot be executed when current HP is lower than 20%.
Freeze		35	532	3.5s	2.5s	25y	5y	Covers a designated area in ice, dealing ice damage with a potency of 20 and binding enemies that enter for 15s. Additional Effect: Grants Umbral Ice for 10s or removes Astral Fire.
Apocatastasis		40	0	Instant	120s	30y	0y	Increases a party member's fire, ice and lightning resistances by 30% for 12s. Cannot be reused on an individual for 60s from when the effect wears off. Cannot be cast on self.
Manawall		45	0	Instant	120s	0y	0y	Creates a barrier that nullifies two physical attacks for 60s.
Flare		50	100% MP	4s	2.5s	25y	9y	Deals fire damage with a potency of 260 to a target and enemies near it. Additional Effect: Grants Astral Fire III for 10s or removes Umbral Ice.