(Halp) PVE Advice?

[Perth]

Hello, there! I'm going to use this thread for any questions I have as I go along leveling various classes.

 

(I've decided to hunker down and get all of my classes to 50 before looking to leveling alts due to the fact that A'toli will be my main and my sort of... feet-wetting character.) I'm afraid that I'm going to be having many questions to ask, so eh, may as well dump 'em all here as they pop up and hope for replies!

 

On to the question...

 

Right now I'm leveling a black mage (or well, soon to be, it's level 24 and I plan to level it to 50 next if I don't find myself too busy on white mage) and I wanted to know, when are you supposed to be using Transpose? I've always used it when I was out of mana during Astral Fire stage as a quick fix onto Umbral Ice, but should I be using this every time I switch between the two?

[Maril]

I only use it to get from fire into ice. From ice to fire, I just use Fire III (probably fire I for low level, don't remember when its unlocked) When casting Blizzard III, I also always cast Thunder I before getting back into fire. Something for when you get to that  Thunder III I only use when there's a thunderproc.

[Edda]

It's really up to preference if you want to use it switch back into Astral Fire. It will save a bit of MP and make your first Fire I much more powerful. At later levels however, transpose will only become useful after a double flare! So don't worry about it too much!

[Kage]

I believe the case is that you want to be in Umbral phase as little as possible and at lower levels your MP will run out/refill before Transpose is up. So in this case (without Blizzard III or Fire III) your rotation looks like Fire I until out of MP and then Transpose. Thunder I and then Blizz I, mana should have tticked back so Restart Fire I. Rinse and Repeat.

 

It changes slightly as you progress but you want to use it really to get into Umbral asap and Fire I wll get you out fast.

[Shayrei]

As it's been stated use transpose before you have access to three stacks of either and blizz/fire three. 

 

Once you have those you'll really only use it if you aren't paying attention to your rotation (tooootally guilty of it) and in your spam flare moments later down the line.

[Dasair]

I'm basically just restating, but here's a bit more detail on what the other's have already said.  :>

 

For lower levels, if you can stay on top of it, using Transpose like that might help you either regain MP quicker, or do more fire damage.  In higher levels, though, you'll get moves that give you a full stack of 3 Astral Fire or Umbral Ice regardless of what state you were in prior to the move, so it is like a built in (badass) Transpose.  With those in mind, you won't necessarily need to use Transpose to swap over during a fight.  

 

It depends on the time it takes for you to deplete your MP, and the recast time on Transpose.  Since you wouldn't want to be stuck without it when your MP is gone, as that would result in a lot more time lost DPS wise, just gauge if using it multiple times works out for you.

 

I'd say try it out, and see how it goes.  At lower levels, it's likely not as important, but also a good time for testing.  Ultimately, I figure it depends on the situation, especially since the full stacks you'll get from a single spell (as opposed to just 1 of either given by transpose) result in faster cast time of the opposing element, so once you hit that level in BLM you'll switch up the rotation.  At that point down the line you'll be using Blizard III when your MP is shot from all the fire spam to replenish, instead of transpose, most likely.

[Kage]

Honestly it's been a year since I played low level THM/BLM but from what I remember I didn't have a chance to use Transpose twice in a single rotation.

 

Also, I prefer the fact that when I cast Fire I from whatever Umbral state it was that I rather do it there than hardcast it in Astral I (takes longer, more MP).

 

And you most probably, almost always, would probably find better results that you hardcast FIRE III when in umbral. Don't use Transpose from Umbral to Astral if you have Fire III. Use transpose when you have Blizz III if you messed up your rotation ;

[Perth]

Thank you everyone for your answers!  I should have looked into the spell book at future spells prior to making this, I'm certain it would have saved me from having to ask, ahah. I hadn't realised Blizzard III and the like had immediately set stacks, that makes it so very easy. The way I was thinking about it all was, "Well I got this nifty spell, but should I get reliant on it or wean off of it, as it may be seen as a bad habit at end game?" Relieving to know that it doesn't matter, I'll definitely keep all of this in mind, and thanks again so much for the helpful responses!