The Beast Within

Since the title of this blog is called An Empty Vessel, it's weird not to talk about blue mage. So I'll talk a bit about Blue mage here.














Red v.s Blue!!!







To be honest, Blue mage is one of my least favorite job in FF series.

In the past FF games I've played, any blue mage character is usually the character I don't feel like using(unless the game force me to, of course), and their lv is usually the lowest in my pt when I beat the game.

The reason is obvious, learning blue magic is shit, and they're pretty useless without blue magic learned. And blue magic are a bunch of weird magic compare with white/black magic.

Blue mage first appeared in FFV, and I just set a Learning ability on one of my character to learn them, but hardly ever use them(Hardly learned anything in fact). I hate to use all of the blue mage characters such as Quistis Trepe (I think I only learned 1~2 spells when I beat FF8), Kimahri Ronso (I ruined this guy, I almost can't beat FF10 when the game forced me to use him in a fight.), Quina Quen (Another lowest lv character in the pt when I beat FF9). I never use the Enemy skill Materia in FF7. The only exception is Strago Magus in FF6, he can use magic without learning anything, by equipping magicite, therefore I use him more than other blue mage characters in other FF games.

So, how'd I end up lving Blue mage as first job 75?

When I started playing this game, I wanted to lv a versatile "Magic warrior" job. Therefore I picked Red mage. But other ppl told me Red mage is a mage job in this game, not a magic warrior. Therefore my only other choices are Ninja, Dark knight and Blue mage. Most ppl suggested me to lv BLU if I want to be a magic warrior(I guess NIN and DRK isn't magic warrior to many ppl :/), so I just be like a nice kid and unlocked BLU, that's how my nightmare started.

BLU in FFXI is one of the more "Hardcore" job. Learning blue magic in FFXI is also slightly harder compare with previous FF installments. As a new player, seeing everyone else lving other jobs faster than me is shit, and I already skipped a lot of magic to learn. Not having sea access is shit, my blue mage is gimp gimp without it.Sometimes I regret lving this job as first job 75. However, as I finished more AF quests and saw the darker side of the Immortals. I realized that this IS my path.

BLU is a job that's capable of doing everything by themselves. BLU can self-heal, self-haste, stun, DD, nuke, even tank. It's a lonely job that's less dependant on others, and live by themselves.

When I'm on COR, if I'm not in a pt in any events, I feel I lost my purpose of existence. COR is a job that rely on others, to make full use of it. Everyone else loves a COR too, because they're getting buffs. It's a job full of happiness, a job that is always helpful to it's companions. And the ability to gamble represents hope for a brighter future.

BLU, on the other hand, is the antithesis of COR, like shadow and light.BLU can do things just fine even if there are no one else in the pt. Due to BLUs ability to self-heal and self-cure, I often found mages in the pt haste and cure me less than other DD jobs. It's less dependant on others, that also means there is a distance between a blue mage and it's companions. BLU has no hope and no future, only the fate of turning into soulflayers.

I have to admit though, in many situations when I'm on COR, I miss my BLU and wish I was on BLU instead. When I see a mob casting big -ga spells, I wish I'm on BLU to stun it. When I'm on COR spamming cards and bullets, I wish I'm on BLU which is capable of doing more dmg or sleep the mob without using a single gil. Whatever I'm doing on COR that's not buffing, I feel I can do better on BLU. However, when I'm on BLU I rarely miss my COR, and just wanted to stay on BLU forever.

COR represents the brighter part of myself, willing to help the companions, and that is all a facade. Deep in my mind, there is a beast within, a self-centered beast, who wants to play hero instead of giving everyone else in the pt 2MP/tick refresh.

I use COR when in events, when the leader says "Come COR, our BLM needs refresh." I'm happy, feel needed, acted like a nice team player, got my job done. After event's over I change my job and use BLU for whatever else I'm doing. Let it be Campaign, adventuring in new areas, zeni grind or story/assault missions. This job is just damn useful.




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As mentioned earlier, BLU is one of the more hardcore job in this game(at least it's much more hardcore than COR), it's full of potentials to get different jobs done, due to it's versatile ability. But it also requires a lot of different gears to unlock it's full potential. Therefore, we can see god-like DDs(SAM WAR DRK) and god-like PLD in this game easily, but don't usually see god-like BLUs in this game very often.

I'm still trying to build my nuke setup and +HP breath build. I've been interesting in building BLU tanking gears with dmg-/enmity+/eva+/magic def set. God my Cannonball build still need a alky bracelet/enki legs and a STR earring to complete.
Err, don't forget about +MND set for cures toooo :/

My friends often don't recognize myself as a BLU main, due to it's meritless, my broken BLU gear set ,and incomplete spell list. I have some gears for nuking and breath spells, some gears for TP, some gears for physical spells, some STR build, some gears for cannonball. But none of them is really pimp or completed. I have a side-sword in my MH forever,I keep telling myself "Go make an Antea, go make a soulsabre" over and over again, and leech kill count still 0. Right now my BLU is only like 45% of it's full potential, and it really needs to catch up. Time to work on it a little bit more.

*Blue magic skill* merit, *Yes, please*


Anyone interested in BLU80/COR40 self-refresh btw? :D