Rate that Class! Week 10

[Sur Realis]

Assailant has not posted so I decided I would finish it up, with the final class... Blue Mage!

Rate out of 10 in:

Solo Ability
Partying
Fun Factor

Solo Ability The Blue Mages are easily the most versatile and powerful class. While they lack the raw damage that Black Mages have with Nuke, they are right behind in terms of damage with Pearl. They have an element, and Poison, which if combined right means they have a weapon against any enemy. Furthermore, their spell list containing every important debuff and Cure, combined with acceptable Willpower and MP, give them the perfect versatility for any challenge. 10/10

Partying Their spell list that gives them the perfect solo ability also is definitely amazing for parties. Aside from totally incapacitating enemies, they also have two important buffs: Boost 3, and Barrier 3. The only thing they lack is Healstorm, which would make them perfect. 9/10

Fun Factor I like them. 8/10

Overall - 9/10

[Takahashi]

-= Solo Ability =-

Blue Mages are probably the best class in the game currently. Access to the full list of Barrier spells means that a BLM can eventually negate anywhere between a small part to more than half of almost every type of damage, and Resist Ailments covers one of the types that Barrier can't touch (disease). That leaves gore damage and gradual poison damage as the only types a BLM can't take 15-60% of the sting out of, which does a lot to render trivial a BLM's supposed fraility. If that wasn't enough, Blue Mages gain full access to two types of debuff magic that work to render a vast majority of physical striking enemies near impotent (Weak and Slow); a BLM can leave a monster with 60% of its normal attack speed and 75% of its normal attack power as early as level 8, and it gets better (for BLMs) and worse (for monsters) as the BLM continues to learn magic.

In short, by the tail end of their career as a BLM they can in the span of three rounds:

- Reduce the amount of damage a monster can do by roughly 60% regardless of the type of damage.
- Reduce the accuracy of a monster to one-fifth its normal level.
- Reduce the power of that same monster to one-half its normal level.

With that kind of defensive prowess it doesn't much matter that a BLM only gains 7 HP and 2 vitality per level. Hell, Barrier 3 and Weak 1 combined will usually be enough to remove most of the danger from TotE-level beatsticks like Titans and either type of dragon.

9.5/10, if only because Cure 2 is no Drain 2 when it comes to 'oh shit I need healing' potential.

-= Partying =-

...are you kidding? If not for Cure 2 being their best healing spell, they'd be a better magic defense jack of all trades than a Red Mage or even a White Mage (Barrier 2/3 makes them come damn close). Their spell list is almost perfect for parties, with an AoE heal being the only thing a BLM lacks.

9.5/10.

-= Fun Factor =-

They're almost better Red Mages than Red Mages themselves; again, a lack of AoE healing is the only shortcoming they have. A BLM can go on the offensive either for themselves (Pearl, single-target Darkfire in some cases, their tier 3 element in most areas) or for others (Boost 3 and Slow 3 to make it easier for the melees to do their thing). They can disable multiple targets with Weak 2 or Slow 2 and reliably take single targets out of the fight for a long time (Confuse and Mute to lesser degree). They can take a beating if needed (Barrier 3 on its own artifically bloats their HP by ~250%) or make sure that someone else can take that beating for them (i.e., slap Barrier 3 on a Blocking Fighter and have a friend for life).

There are so many effective ways to play a Blue Mage and so many effective builds for a Blue Mage that the only way I can someone NOT liking Blue Mage is if they hate playing as a magic user.

9.75/10.

[Assailant]

Oh, I didn't think anyone cared any more.

Soloing: They possess the ability to avoid/reduce damage, heal themselves, and dish out damage. Well, isn't that what one needs to succeed in soloing? I can't see any weakness whatsoever in the current blue mage soloing. 10/10

Partying: Again, they heal, they damage, and this time, they support rather well. Blue mages make knights, blackbelts, dragoons, and thieves better. They can help keep white mages alive. They don't have any fault here as far as I can see. 10/10

Fun Factor: I consider it to be the best class in the game, but not quite the most fun. 8/10

Total: 9.33/10

[lordphoenix]

Perfect 10's for me.

Solo- So I can cripple the enemy with every status spell in the book, prop myself up with the omghax barrier and forcefield, and then for giggles just boost 3 and beat them to death with a stick? Awww yeah girl.

10/10

Party- Oh look at that group of annoying casters. Sleep 2!

Oh crap those damned tigers are so fast and hard for the melees to hit. Slow 2!

Nice sword, but your hits are kind of depressing me. Boost 3!

Crap, you die easy. Barrier 3!

Aww yeah gurl, I got this

10/10

Fun factor- I got bored really quick on my first knight, I played a Black belt before that way back when but it was for like, one day so I dont count him.

He lacked the panache to get the job done on his own, so I multikeyed myself up a blue mage and fell in love instantly. They're still my most toyed with class, ranger is creeping up to 2nd place but they will never remove my complete love for the blue.

10/10