Leveling Rotations and Tips for Black Mage — Dawntrail 7.05
This page covers the rotation and action usage when leveling Black Mage to Level 100. This page can also be used to help when doing roulettes with level scaling by using the slider to adjust the information to your desired level.
Gear Options
When leveling up, you should always choose the piece of gear with the highest item level. You can exchange Allagan Tomestone of Poetics for gear in Mor Dhona at level 50, in Idyllshire at level 60, in Rhalgr's Reach at level 70, Eulmore at level 80 and Radz-at-Han for level 90.
Rotation Overview While Leveling Black Mage
Move the slider below to make the guide update to your level!
Base Single Target Spell Rotation
- Blizzard.
- Fire until you are low on MP, then use Blizzard until you are back to full MP.
- Fire until you are low on MP, then use Blizzard until you are back to full MP.
- Use Blizzard III followed by Blizzard IV. Then Fire III followed by Fire until you are low on MP.
- Use Blizzard III followed by Blizzard IV. Then use Fire III followed by Fire IV three times, refresh your Astral Fire timer with Fire then cast another three Fire IV.
- Use Blizzard III followed by Blizzard IV. Then use Fire III followed by Fire IV three times, refresh your Astral Fire timer with Fire followed by another three Fire IV. Foul can be used whenever and should not be overwritten.
- Use Blizzard III followed by Blizzard IV. Then use Fire III followed by Fire IV three times, refresh your Astral Fire timer with Fire followed by another three Fire IV. Use Despair to finish your Astral Fire phase. Foul can be used whenever and should not be overwritten.
- Use Blizzard III followed by Blizzard IV. Then use Fire III followed by Fire IV three times, refresh your Astral Fire timer with Fire followed by another three Fire IV. Use Despair to finish your Astral Fire phase. Xenoglossy should be used whenever and should not be overwritten.
- Use Blizzard III followed by Blizzard IV. Then use Fire III followed by Fire IV three times, refresh your Astral Fire timer with Paradox followed by another three Fire IV. Use Despair to finish your Astral Fire phase. Xenoglossy should be used whenever and should not be overwritten. Use Paradox in Umbral Ice as well.
- Transpose should be used to switch between Astral Fire and Umbral Ice.
- Fire III should be used to enter Astral Fire and Blizzard III when switching into Umbral Ice.
- Thunder should be refreshed whenever the damage over time drops off.
- Thunder III should be refreshed whenever the damage over time drops off.
- High Thunder should be refreshed whenever the damage over time drops off.
- Firestarter procs should be used when available without cancelling your current cast.
- Firestarter procs should be used in Astral Fire.
Multi-Target Rotation
Two-Target Priority
- Alternate Thunder on both targets as you get the Thunderhead buff, otherwise follow above single-target rotation.
- Use Thunder II on both targets, otherwise follow above single-target rotation.
- Alternate Thunder III on both targets as you get the Thunderhead buff, otherwise follow above single-target rotation.
- Use Thunder IV on both targets, otherwise follow above single-target rotation.
- Alternate High Thunder on both targets as you get the Thunderhead buff, otherwise follow above single-target rotation.
Three-Target Priority
- Identical to the single-target rotation.
- Blizzard II
- Blizzard II until you are at full MP. Transpose then Fire II until low on MP. Transpose back to Umbral Ice and repeat.
- Blizzard II until you are at full MP. Transpose then Fire II until low on MP. Transpose back to Umbral Ice and repeat. Refresh Thunder II whenever the damage over time falls off.
- Blizzard II → Freeze. Fire II x4 then repeat. Refresh Thunder II whenever the damage over time falls off.
- Blizzard II → Freeze. Fire II x4 and finish with a Flare before repeating. Refresh Thunder II whenever the damage over time falls off.
- Blizzard II → Freeze. Use Fire II x3 → Flare x2 before repeating. Refresh Thunder II whenever the damage over time falls off.
- Blizzard II → Freeze. Use Fire II x3 → Flare x2 before repeating. Refresh Thunder IV whenever the damage over time falls off.
- High Blizzard II → Freeze. Use High Fire II x3 → Flare x2 before repeating. Refresh Thunder IV whenever the damage over time falls off.
- High Blizzard II → Freeze. Use High Fire II x3 → Flare x2 before repeating. Refresh High Thunder II whenever the damage over time falls off.
- Use Foul when available. Make sure not to let it overwrite.
- Use Foul for damage, weaving, and/or movement as needed. Make sure not to let it overwrite.
Off-Global Cooldown Ability Usage
- Utilize Transpose when ending uptime in Astral Fire to swap to Umbral Ice, then use Umbral Soul to build up to and maintain Umbral Ice III.
- Utilize Transpose when ending uptime in Astral Fire to swap to Umbral Ice, then use Umbral Soul to build up to Umbral Ice III and maintain Enochian.
- Utilize Transpose when ending uptime in Astral Fire to swap to Umbral Ice, then use Umbral Soul to build up to Umbral Ice III with three Umbral Hearts, and maintain Enochian.
- Manaward can help mitigate incoming damage to yourself.
- Use Manafont at the end of Astral Fire phases to cut out an Umbral Ice phase.
- Aetherial Manipulation can be used to quickly move to a party member, which can be useful for larger movement requirements where someone is already in the position you need to be at for the mechanic.
- Placing down Ley Lines and standing in them grants a buff which reduces both cast and recast time of all of your spells. Use when available unless you know that you can get more uptime in them with a small delay.
- Placing down Ley Lines and standing in them grants a buff which reduces both cast and recast time of all of your spells. Retrace can be used to reposition your Ley Lines once per Ley Lines use. Use when available unless you know that you can get more uptime in them with a small delay.
- If you need to move out of your Ley Lines for a mechanic, you can use Between the Lines to move back to them.
- Triplecast can be used to make longer spells instant for a DPS gain ( Fire IV, Despair, and Flare for example). It can also be used to help keep uptime when you need to move for a mechanic.
- Amplifier grants a Polyglot stack upon use for an additional Foul for AoE, or Xenoglossy for single target. Use when available, but make sure to not overcap on Polyglot stacks.
Changelog
- 21 Aug. 2024: Updated for Patch 7.05.
- 29 Jul. 2024: Updated for Patch 7.01.
- 15 Jul. 2024: Updated for Patch 7.0.
- 19 Jan. 2024: Updated for Patch 6.55.
- 10 Oct. 2023: Updated for Patch 6.5
- 27 May 2023: Updated for Patch 6.4.
- 11 Jan. 2023: Updated for Patch 6.3.
- 28 Aug. 2022: Updated for Patch 6.2.
- 31 Mar. 2022: Guide added.
Guides from Other Classes
Rika Vanih is a long-time FFXIV player, starting back mid A Realm Reborn, then maining Black Mage since mid-Heavensward. She has cleared all savage fights on the job since then, often within the first week or two for each raid tier, as well as all three ultimate fights. With a passion for helping others learn and improve, she is an active Black Mage mentor on the Balance Discord, more than willing to assist players new to the job, seasoned veterans looking to min-max, and everywhere in between. You can most easily find her there, on various other FFXIV-related discord servers, or directly via Discord DM at Rika Vanih#1340.
Tsutsumi Tsumi is a Black Mage main that has been raiding since Heavensward. He primarily enjoys progression and has consistently been clearing Savage week 1 since mid-Stormblood. He can be contacted for any questions regarding Black Mage through his dms on Discord by messaging The Scarlet Devil#2637.
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