Final Fantasy14 How to Get Ley Lines for Black Mage

The Black Mage remains one of the most iconic classes in Square Enix's landmark Final Fantasy franchise. And thanks to Final Fantasy 14 , fans of this spellcasting class can bring the Black Mage to an MMO environment. Staying true to its original appearances, the Black Mage brings in Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder Magic to the party. Additionally, coming from the Thaumaturge Class, the Black Mage Job serves as a powerful crowd control combatant with its arsenal of destructive single-target and AOE spells.

Thankfully, the Black Mage of FF14 contains a straightforward kit almost any spellcaster-oriented player can use. However, it does take time to get used to the Black Mage's intricate set of cooldowns and timing. Just how should players use this class efficiently?

Updated October 2021 by Rhenn Taguiam: The Black Mage is one of the most iconic classes in the Final Fantasy franchise, and it remains the staple Job in Final Fantasy 14 when it comes to blasting opponents with powerful spells. And true to the fast-paced nature of FF14, the Black Mage takes a step away from tradition as the Job now boasts a more mobile toolkit. However, given the fragile nature of Spellcasters in the game, playing a Black Mage can get tricky for newcomers. Thankfully, its straightforward kit can have new players getting the groove of this Job's destructive potential in no time.

14 Consider Strength In The Rotation

When using a Black Mage, a player should always remember that this Job has perhaps one of the simplest core rotations in the game. It offers decent DPS regardless of the party composition. Thanks to their low number of global CDs, Black Mages have very low chances of double weaving and rendering their attacks useless.

Depending on the party's needs, the Black Mage can rely on utility skills to adapt their rotation to various situations — useful for leveling up in different areas. For instance, Xenoglossy and Triplecast allow Black Mages to unleash burst attacks while moving away from damage at the same time. Meanwhile, Manaward is a great way to train in new raids due to its added survivability.

13 Consider Weakness In Resource Limitations

Despite what the Job offers in sheer firepower, the Black Mage still needs teammates to compensate for defensive and survivability woes. For instance, the Black Mage is the only spellcasting class without a resurrection mechanic. This can make deaths in raids quite inconvenient, and at the same time demands a lot of mobility considerations for the player.

LIkewise, the Black Mage having to stand while casting spells puts quite a strain on their weak constitution. Without the proper setup, a Black Mage can become a sitting duck as they have to wait for their GCDs, leaving them vulnerable and not optimizing their damage potential. In these situations, a White Mage or another potent healing Job can ensure their survival.

12 Take Advantage Of Party Potential

At first glance, one might think that the Black Mage's retention of decent DPS regardless of party composition makes them great soloists. However, it's precisely because of their stable combat performance that makes Black Mages perfect for any party setup.

Their damage consistency even without buffs allows them to work with both coordinated and messy parties, a great solution to the chaotic compositions often found in the game's dungeon finder. Likewise, a caster with a resurrection spell can ensure that the Black Mage can dish out its heavy damage attacks without fear of heavy retaliation from enemies.

11 Always Remember The Elemental Gauge

Like all Jobs, the Black Mage also has a unique gimmick that determines the efficiency of their spells. They come with an Elemental Gauge that frequently switches between Umbral Ice and Astral Fire depending on the element of the spell cast. Umbral Ice can recover MP at the cost of damage, while Astral Fire increases damage potency at the cost of AP.

In turn, Black Mages need to form rotations in such a way that switching gauges becomes efficient for them. Ideally, they need to cast their damage dealers under Astral Fire to maximize their damage potential. Afterwards, switch to Umbral Ice to get back MP while the spells undergo CD. Remembering this core mechanic while switching spells can maximize resource usage for the Black Mage.

10 Always Cast Spells

Black Mages should remember that their strength lies in their sheer firepower. Unlike other DPS classes, Black Mages don't need to do a lot in order to deal massive damage. However, they do need the time to both cast their spells and wait for their damage-dealers to cool down.

Black Mages should take note of their abilities that can boost both their casting speed and their cooldowns. Triplecast and Swiftcast can add much-needed acceleration for Black Mages to cast their powerful attacks. When Black Mages find a few seconds where they don't do anything, they're likely doing something wrong with their rotation.

9 Patience Is Key

A lot of players consider the Black Mage one of the most powerful DPS-oriented Jobs out there. Unfortunately, not a lot of players use Black Mages due to their mobility limitations. Unlike other classes with more versatile equipment options, Black Mages benefit mostly from their staves. Thanks to their skill set, a Black Mage could theoretically deal the most damage out of other DPS classes. Of course, this factor becomes possible provided the Black Mage can stand for prolonged periods of time.

Unfortunately, other players don't like the Black Mage for this caveat. After all, the Black Mage can only dish out its more powerful spells while standing. Meanwhile, it's possible to dodge AOEs by moving, but it does hurt the usefulness of the Black Mage in the party. As such, pro players should do their best juggling the Black Mage's rotations and manage their cooldowns.

8 Fire First, Then Ice

In classic Final Fantasy games, Black Mages are recognized for their mastery of Fire and Blizzard. In FF 14, much remains the same for the Black Mage. Despite their unique set of abilities, Black Mages often follow a simple rotation: open with Fire, finish with Blizzard.

However, this suggestion isn't solely out of damage output but out of practicality. Fire-based spells tend to deal more damage at the cost of more MP. Ice-based spells make up for this with combos that steadily regenerate MP. As such, players should spend MP on Fire, replenish it with Blizzard, and repeat the cycle.

7 Integrate Umbral Heart

Some players might notice how the Black Mage seems to have some abilities and spells that work together really well. This factor gets vastly improved with Umbral Heart, which negates the MP cost increase of Astral Fire whenever Fire spells are cast. Since Black Mages get an Umbral Heart stack after Blizzard IV, this factor encourages element-switching whenever Black Mages go on rotation.

With this in mind, a great Black Mage opener would be Blizzard 3, followed by Enochian, Blizzard 4, and Thunder 3. That way, Blizzard 3 starts MP regeneration, while Enochian opens the door for Blizzard 4. With Blizzard 4, players gather Umbral Hearts while Thunder 3 starts their damage-over-time.

6 Ice Gives Back

Thanks to Umbral Ice, Black Mages who cast Ice-based spells not only get to deal damage, but also restore their MP. It's best for Black Mages to maximize Umbral Ice as soon as they switch to their Ice Rotation. As such, Black Mages should cast Blizzard 3 (preferably with Swiftcast). If they possess Polyglot stacks, they should cast Thunder 3 in Umbral Ice mode in order to benefit from both the damage-over-time and MP regeneration benefits.

In the process, players should also cast Blizzard 4 to earn Umbral Hearts. If they complete this part of the rotation, they'll likely have dealt decent damage and regenerated their MP, all powered up for Fire-based spells. This rotation will most likely look like Blizzard 3 going to Blizzard 4, and then Thunder 3. Afterward, Black Mages should start casting their main Fire-based spells to gain Astral Fire stacks.

Black Mages who begin with an Ice rotation will likely get their MP back while getting decent Astral Fire stacks. As such, it's a good time to use up those stacks to power up powerful Fire spells, such as Fire 4. This part of the Ice-Fire rotation is much easier to understand, as Astral Fire simply powers up Fire spells for added MP cost.

Ideally, the spell rotation will most likely look like a set of Fire 4, Fire 1 to regain momentum, and then Fire 4 followed by Despair. After Despair, Black Mages should switch back to their Ice rotation.

4 Short, Effective AOE

Black Mages who want to make use of their spells early on to deal massive damage in AOE can thankfully rely on quite a short rotation. They should use Freeze, followed by Thunder 4 and Fire 3, ending with Flare. This short but straightforward rotation deals damage-over-time with Thunder, casting Flares quickly and more efficiently (preferably with Polyglot).

With this combo, Black Mages can easily pick off pesky mobs in AOE and still have room to spice up their combo rotations.

3 Practice Slide Casting

Despite the sheer firepower of Black Mages, they do tend to lack a bit of mobility. Most Black Mages find themselves vulnerable to AOE attacks while casting spells. Unfortunately, it doesn't help that their weaker armor and smaller HP leaves them susceptible for quick KO's during crucial fights. However, more seasoned players might notice there's a technical workaround for this caveat.

Players commonly call this trick "slide casting," where spellcasters actually have a window to move just before they finish casting a spell. Normally, spellcasters who move in the middle of casting will interrupt their spell. However, moving just before the spell is cast will move the character but still trigger the animation, therefore unleashing the spell. Mastering this mechanic will enable Black Mages to cast spells without sacrificing mobility.

2 Leave Openings For Mobility Spells

In addition to from slide casting, Black Mages have spells that boost their mobility options. As such, it's extremely ideal for Black Mages to get a hang of their rotation and maximize their movement as much as possible.

Black Mages should use their extra time to cast Ley Lines to boost their spell cast and recast times. Moreover, Between the Lines enables Black Mages to zig-zag within their Ley Lines for the much-needed movement boost. Lastly, Aetherial Manipulation lets Black Mages rush to the aid of their allies– or perhaps rush to allies that can protect them.

1 Never Forget Research

Players serious in leveling up their Black Mage game should take note of how raids go before they even join one. Thanks to the internet, researching popular raids should be easy — and Black Mages shouldn't skip out on this.

While Tanks focus on finding the best position to attack bosses and mobs, Black Mages should focus on finding the safest positions to cast spells. They should also be mindful of how certain mobs and bosses behave, as AOE attacks can interrupt combos and ruin a Black Mage's rotation. Moreover, their squishy nature makes Black Mages extremely vulnerable, so they should pay close attention to their HP in flashy boss fights.

Final Fantasy 14 was released on August 27, 2013 and is playable on WIndows, PS4 and PS5, and OS X.

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