Spell Setting.

This is more of a personal preference question. But how close do you pay attention to the traits you get from setting spells?

I mean sure theres the no brainers like Auto-refresh but how do you set that? Do you always take winds of promy or go with flash or take the +3 str +3 dex from plasma charge? Take double attack for a cheap 5 set points(heavy strike and empty thrash) or go gunghoe and take all 4 spells for Trip attack?

Then from there on in do you set for traits and deal with the spells you get or set the spells you want an deal with the traits you get? I often find myself setting too much for traits and getting annoyed when i can get all the spells i want in.

I realize like everything with BLU it all boils down to what works in the situation your in. But im just curious...What works for you?

Spells usefulness > Cheap cost > Stat Bonus

That's my priority.

Wind of Promy+Actinic for Auto Refresh (useful cheap, useful cheap)
Zephyr Mantle + Chaotic Eye for Conserve MP (cheap, cheap)
Heavy Strike + Acrid stream for DA (useful cheap, stat)
Sudden Lunge + Fantod for Store TP(useful, cheap)
Dream Flower + Sound Blast for MAB (useful, cheap)

So basically... I never aim for stat bonus. Because I use BLU for low-man group, and I need to be able to handle as many situations as I can.

I generally use this set:

Head Butt
Hysteric Barrage (1a)
Dissevement
Delta Thrust
Empty Thrash (2a)
Quadratic Continuum
Sub-zero Smash (3a)
Heavy Strike (2b)
Occultation (1b)
Auroral Drape (3b)
Animating Wail
Metallic Body
Cocoon
Magic Fruit
Actinic Burst (4a)
Winds of Promyvion (4b)
Dream Flower

1: Evasion Bonus
2: Double Attack
3: Fast Cast
4: Auto Refresh

This set is for /NIN. Obviously if I'm procing, I would have those spells set instead or at least in place of some of the above. This set isn't for everything, but it's the best for me in most things that I do.

The Job Traits you get from your spell sets are important. A set like mine is best for when your going to be tanking /NIN (Fast Cast and Evasion), as well as for DoT with Aftermath on Almace (Double Attack).

So in a nut shell, I always build around the Job Traits I want/need, and then sacrifice any of them for a specific spell if it's more important than said trait.

I would suggest scrapping metallic body and replacing Head Butt with Sudden Lunge.
It's just so delicious having like hour-long stuns
Also if you have 1 spare point you can set Fantod for Store TP to shave off a hit or 2 in your tp phase.

After WoP was introduced, I still stuck with plasma charge for a while due to the nice stat bonuses. However, it was used exclusively for the stats since I pretty much never cast the spell. If I wanted an erase type effect I would almost always use exuviation.

However, those stat bonuses are completely overshadowed by the fact that you can erase-ga slow or other detrimental effects off of your party when fighting NMs. WoP has just proved to be way too useful for me to ever go back to plasma charge.



Lately, I've been setting all 4 spells for triple attack. This probably depends a bit more on whether you have an almace or not though. If you do, you'll want to build to 100tp asap, and the triple attack procs really help boost your cdc damage.


I try to do a healthy mix of both. Since I've got an almace I don't put quite as much emphasis on physical damage spells as I used to. But, I still keep quad and delta thrust equipped at all times. I typically don't set goblin rush, but if there's something I know I'll be fighting that I want to cast a lot of physical spells on, it's usually the first thing rotated back in.

I'd always have Goblin Rush set with BT for skillchain bonus especially if I'm going to 2 hour. 8% more dmg! don't leave your Mog house without it! But I would rarely ever cast Goblin Rush just for damage.

pre-95 delta thrust was great for soloing mobs. when plague procs mobs would rarely TP or die as they are TP-ing. But Sudden lunge's uber long stun lets you kill without getting hit now-a-days.

I'm ticking 5 mp auto-refresh just from idle gear so the job trait is not the major priority it used to be for me.
Dual wield (if not /nin) than DA/TA and store TP are my next priorities the rest is situational.