Blue Mage [BLU] - Short Info Compilation
Blue Mage is FFXIVs first Limited Job. This means it focuses on a different form of gameplay than the typical Disciple of Magic; collecting spells from monsters across Eorzea and Beyond, and using them against foes in an exclusive gladiatorial arena!
To unlock Blue Mage, you must…
Have at least one Disciple of War or Magic at Level 50.
Have completed the 2.0 Main Scenario Quest.
You do NOT need to have pre-purchased Shadowbringers to unlock Blue Mage, nor do you need any other expansion. The core game is sufficient.
However, you will likely need to have the expansions active on your account to access higher level Blue Mage content.
Blue Mage starts at level 1, but has no associated class; you simply equip the Job Stone and go. It shares gear and role actions with other DPS casting classes (THM, ARC, BLM, SMN, RDM).
At their release in 4.5, Blue Mages will have a level cap of 50. This will increase throughout 5.0.
The Blue Mage Gameplay Experience
Blue Mages don’t work like normal Disciples of Magic; they do not learn spells through leveling up, and are restricted in what sort of content they can access.
Blue Mages cannot access the following:
Matchmaking Services (Such as the Duty Finder)
Duty Roulettes of any kind.
Deep Dungeons (such as Palace of the Dead)
Other Duties determined by the FFXIV Team.
They likely will also not be able to access any current endgame content (in the event they catch up to the current level cap), nor will they be likely to access Map-related duties such as Aquapolis and Uznair. Massive Group instances such as Diadem and Eureka are still up in the air at this point; however, as these are above the level 50 cap instituted at launch, there was no explicit confirmation.
Blue Mages can form teams in Party Finder or with friends to enter dungeons and raids, provided they meet the level and ilevel requirements. This is, in fact, required for Blue Mages to complete their spell books.
Leveling a Blue Mage and Learning Blue Magic.
A Blue Mage receives far more experience for fighting monsters in the world than any other job, to compensate for their inability to access the leveling bonuses from Roulettes or Deep Dungeons. They receive a normal amount of experience while doing group content with a pre-made party, and can still benefit from quests and FATEs.
However, a Blue Mage does not naturally learn spells through leveling up; instead, they must collect their spells by venturing out into the world.
In 4.5, there will be 49 different Blue Magic spells you can learn; all of which are obtainable from A Realm Reborn content. (Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers content will be introduced in future updates).
While some spells are given to you as part of your job quests, the rest must be collected by facing down Eorzea’s most formidable foes.
To learn a Blue Magic spell, you must…
Engage the enemy in combat.
Observe the enemy using a spell that can be learned as Blue Magic. The enemy must actually use the spell in question, or it will have no chance of dropping! No going around one-shotting Cactuar in the hopes of learning Thousand Needles!
Blue Magic works like an automatic loot drop; there’s not a 100% guarantee you’ll learn the spell, even if the enemy uses it against you. Though, it was implied during the Live Letter than more difficult versions of enemies have a higher chance of granting their spells. Ifrit (Extreme) is more likely to drop a skill than Ifrit (Story), for instance.
Your Spellbook will give you hints on where to locate potential spells, but the actual names and natures of such abilities are hidden until you learn them.
Blue Magic is more potent than other Job abilities. It is possible to use the powers of Primals, or even encounter breaking abilities like Level 5 Death. However, there are also limitations.
A Blue Mage may only have 24 abilities equipped at any given time.
All Blue Magic abilities cost MP; the more potent the ability, the more MP it will cost. A spell like Level 5 Death may instantly end an encounter, but it will also cost the bulk of your MP and have an uncomfortably long cooldown. Pick your loadout carefully!
The Blue Magic Endgame - The Masked Carnivale
Once you hit level 50 as a BLU, you unlock a special Solo Duty known as the Masked Carnivale. Based in Ul’dah, this fighting ring will pit you in battles against powerful monsters, and put your Blue Magic to the ultimate test!
In the Masked Carnivale, both enemies and skills have elemental affinities. Some spells will be more or less effective depending on the nature of your foe. A Black Mage can Fire IV literal fire elementals all day, but when a Blue Mage breathes fire it’ll barely even scratch them. Go figure.
You must tailor your selection of spells to overcome the challenges you face! Staring down a powerful Cloudkin for instance? Equip spells that deal Lightning damage! Need to resist a deadly environmental hazard? Equip defensive skills! If you don’t have the perfect spell for the situation, you’ll need to improvise with what you have… or go and hunt down the edge you need.
4.5 will have 25 Stages of the Masked Carnivale, each with 3 rounds of challenges. That’s a total of 75 unique battles for a Blue Mage to face down, with even more to come in Shadowbringers!
Completing the Masked Carnivale will likely come with its own rewards (including the BLU artifact armor, among other things) but nothing has been confirmed at this time.
Blue Mage will be unlocked with Patch 4.5 - A Requiem for Heroes, in early January 2019. Please Look Forward To It!
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