[*Note: This guide was written during Patch 5.5]
In Final Fantasy XIV, your character can become any and all of the 18 classes in the game. You can become one of the four “Tank” classes and take all the party’s damage as your own. You can become one of the three “Healer” classes, keeping the Tank and the rest of your party alive with your magic. Or you can become one of the 10 normal damage dealing “DPS” classes, killing the enemies you encounter with ease. However, there is one class that exists outside of such paltry roles—a class that is Tank, Healer, and DPS in one: Blue Mage.
Introduction to Blue Magic.
Blue Mage is unlike any other class in the game on several levels. Firstly, it is the game’s only “Limited Job.” This means the class is restricted in ways that keep it separate from the player base at large. Not only are Blue Mages level capped at 70 currently (with the rest of the classes capped at 80), they can’t use the Duty Finder to be auto-matched into a group for roulettes, dungeons, trials. and raids. Rather, they must use the Party Finder and make a group manually. Moreover, Blue Mages are not allowed to do things like PVP, Deep Dungeons, or access special areas like Eureka. Blue Mages can’t even be used to progress the game’s main story.
All this isolation is done for one very specific reason: Blue Mages break the game. Having them be able to do content normally simply would not be fair to the other classes. Blue Magic is just that amazing.
Unlike the other classes in the game, Blue Mages can learn 104 different spells. These range from normal damage spells and damage over time spells to debuff spells and instant-death spells. There are also a helping of healing spells and tanking spells. While you can only have 24 equipped at any time, this is more than enough to allow you to perform any roll in the game. And while they do admittedly lag behind in healing and tanking, no class even comes close in raw damage-dealing potential.
So you want to be a Blue Mage. Where do you start?
First, you need to have any other class leveled up to level 50 and have completed the main scenario quest “The Ultimate Weapon” (i.e., the last main story quest in the base game.) Then you simply go to the Zealous Yellowjacket in Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks (X:9.9, Y:11.0) and pick up the quest “Out of the Blue.”
Side Note #1: I should note at this point, that while you can start doing Blue Mage content when you complete the base game, it’s best to wait until you have completed both the “Heavensward” and “Stormblood” expansions before you do. If not, you will be unable to collect many of the Blue Mage spells and do Blue Mage-centric content.
Okay, so you’re a Blue Mage. Now what?
Your first goal after becoming a Blue Mage is hitting the level cap. This may seem like a daunting task. However, it’s not. This is, again, because Blue Mages are different from other classes and level up much more quickly. All you need to hit level 70 is 2 to 3 hours and a friend with a level 80 character.
You’re going to be doing some old-fashioned power leveling. How this works is simple. Without being in a group, you as the Blue Mage will hit an enemy. Then your friend—who is, again, not in a party with you—will kill it. This will give you 100% of the exp. By doing this in an area with level 69 monsters will have you at level 70 before you know it.
Of course, a level 69 creature will have the ability to kill you in a single hit—and long before your friend will be able to get it off you. So what you need is a spell with a very long range that will let you hit an enemy without being hit in return—giving your friend time to attack it. Thus, before anything else you need to get Blue Magic spell #24: Flying Sardine. This is found by killing Apkallu in Eastern La Noscea (x27,y35). Basically, you just need to hit the Apkallu first, have your friend gain agro, wait for it to cast flying fish, and then have your friend kill it. After killing a few of them this way, you should get the spell Flying Sardine.
With Flying Sardine equipped, go to an area with level 69 monsters that respawn quickly (I suggest the caves in The Loch at x5.3, y25.2.) Then simply sardine an enemy and have your friend kill it before repeating the process. Eventually, you may be comfortable gathering groups and having your friend kill several at a time. Just go at a speed that works for you and in a few hours, you’ll be level 70.
Side Note #2: If you’re a strictly solo player, Blue Mage is probably not for you. Not only do you need a friend to level up but many of the Blue Mage spells cannot be gathered by a solo player as well. And that’s before adding the fact that much of the fun of playing Blue Mage comes from tackling difficult raids as an 8-man group.
So I have a max-level Blue Mage and all I can do is throw a damned fish.
The next part of being a Blue Mage is arguably the most fun: gathering spells. There are 104 spells to be gathered (as of patch 5.5). You do this by killing the monsters that use those spells—after you see them use it. Some of these monsters are normal creatures that roam the world map. Others are rare monsters or bosses in dungeons, trials, and raids. Here’s a list of every spell and all the places you can get them.
Your first plan of attack should be to collect all the spells from non-rare monsters in the open world. Once you have 10, you should be able to get the most powerful healing spell in the game, White Wind, from the Whalaqee White Wind Totem sold by Wayward Gaheel Ja in Ul’dah – Steps of Thal (X:12.5, Y:12.9).
The other big spell to get early on is The Ram’s Voice. It’s gained most easily from the trial A Relic Reborn: The Chimera. This spell allows you to freeze all the enemies around you for several seconds—leaving them unable to attack. And better still you can use this over and over at will (though the freeze time becomes less with each hit).
To collect many of these spells, you’re going to need a party. If you can find 3 or 7 other new Blue Mages who want to do this with you, all the better. If not, you can always use the Party Finder. Just make a group, put in the number of the spell you’re trying to get, and people will come and help you out.
It’s also important to note that some spells come from doing the Blue Mage story and from the single player Blue Mage coliseum known as the “Masked Carnival.”
But regardless of the order in which you choose to gather the spells, you’re in for a fun journey taking you all across the game to places you may have never been before.
Side Note #3: To gather spells you only need to witness the monster’s attack. You don’t need to be hit by it. Moreover, when getting spells from raids, trials, or dungeons, going in synced and having a full group (they don’t need to be Blue Mages) gives you a 100% chance of getting the spell after you see it. Going in unscynced lowers the odds substantially—especially on raids and trials.
So I’ve got all the spells. Now what?
Well, now that you are a fully-realized Blue Mage, there a couple places that having a Blue Mage comes in very handy. The most obvious is Fates. Any time you need to do a level 70 or below Fate—like for special events and relic/rebellion weapons—Blue Mage will crush it easily.
Another use for Blue Mage is the reoccurring Moogle Tomestone events. These require you to do dungeons or PVP to get mounts, music, and glamour items. And while PVP is obviously a no go, a group of four Blue Mages can run a 20 minute dungeon in 5 minutes (thanks to their instant death spells that work on most monsters and bosses). There’s simply no faster way to get Tomestones.
There are also Blue Mage-related special titles to get. There’s basically one to be gained for completing each and every extreme trial and savage raid up to level 70—which brings us to the true end game for Blue Mages: the Morbol mount.
So you’re ready for Blue Mage endgame.
To get the Morbol mount—the proof that you are the swaggiest of Blue Mages—you need to complete Bahamut raids Turn 5, Turn 9, and Turn 13 on savage difficulty (level-synced and with no echo). Then, you need to also complete Alexander raids 4, 8, and 12 on savage difficulty, also level-synced and with no echo.
To say this is a challenge is a vast understatement. These fights are quite different from how they would be if a normal party were trying to tackle them—and a fair bit harder. This is because of the Blue Mage toolkit.
On the plus side, Blue Mage damage is so far over-the-top that you can easily skip over mechanics—and occasionally even boss phases. You also all have Diamondback—the single most powerful defensive spell in the game that basically makes you invincible for 10 seconds—which allows you to ignore other mechanics entirely. This means each attempt takes less time and you don’t need to learn as many things overall to win.
However, on the minus side of things is the fact that while Blue Mages are amazing when it comes to damage, they’re easily the weakest Tanks and Healers. With a low total HP and defense and a limited number of Tanking/Healing spells, it’s a struggle of trial and error to keep everyone alive.
Thus, you need every edge when Blue Mage raiding. This means getting the best possible level 50 and 60 gear for your role in the party. This also means bringing along intelligence potions and high-level food. But even with all that, this won’t be easy. However, it will be doable. And when you’re one of the 3.7% of players in the world to be riding around on your Morbol, it’ll feel worth it.
*Side Note #4: Raiding as a Blue Mage is still a rather rare thing done by only the hardest of the hardcore. Thus, guides on the topic are few and far between—and worse still, those that are out there are either incomplete or outdated. That said, here are the resources I have personally used.
Blue Academy – For the easiest to follow guides.
Mr. Happy – For the complete Morbol mount run with commentary.
MTQCapture – For explanations of the mechanics of the fights in general.
In Closing.
Final Fantasy XIV is a game filled with things to do. However, play long enough and those months between major content patches can feel like a meaningless slog. However, ever since I’ve started the quest to master Blue Mage, it’s become my focus in the game. Three times a week, myself and seven others spend an hour slowly figuring out these fights—learning what needs to be learned and making our own strats as needed. When we finally defeat a boss, there is no need for farming or endless reclears. We just move on to the next boss, knowing our final goal is closer at hand. And while it has taken months at this pace, it remains fun.
All in all, Blue Mage is a strange piece of content in Final Fantasy XIV—it often seems like you’re playing a different game entirely as most players can’t even relate to what you’re doing. However, if you have a few friends willing to join you, you may find an unexpected world of joy with the unrivaled power of Blue Magic at your fingertips.
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