Black or white?

[Tistan]

Should I level a black mage or white? I really love healing but I also love melting faces. Oh the choices.

[Warren Castille]

Should I level a black mage or white? I really love healing but I also love melting faces. Oh the choices.

 

Why not both?

[Kestrael]

Should I level a black mage or white? I really love healing but I also love melting faces. Oh the choices.

 

Why not both?

 

(Gandalf) the Grey

 

((I'm sorry, I really have no other input than healers get all my hearts))

[Phayte]

I'm partial to SCH if you wanna DPS and heal. With a fairy pet, you can let it do the bulk of the healing while you toss DoTs/DPS. When the damage gets heavy, you can focus on healing again.

 

It's possible to do it with WHM too, i just haven't had too much experience. That being said, group composition it's better to have 2 WHM as opposed to 2 SCH usually (because succor/adlo doesn't stack so it's wasted). Obviously ideal composition is 1 SCH and 1WHM. But I digress.

 

With either healer class, you can do a fair amount of DPS with cleric stance. With a BLM, you have no option but to DPS (you can heal a little, but it's abysmal since you don't have a anti-cleric stance.)

[Kage]

My honest suggestion? Go healer on your character first. You will level faster, see the game faster etc. Some tips that are useful? As WHM, be careful about when you cast Regen. Don't spam Cure II. Do your level 45 Job Quests before a certain Primal trial if you don't regularly have the best and up to date gear.

 

And then you will get the +50% exp and your own personal experience while you level THM/BLM. Also, you will thoroughly miss your healer queues ;p

 

Don't feel pressured to do one or the other. Do both! On the same character!

 

Keep in mind that if you choose SCH over WHM for your healing, SCH's base class Arcanist (ACN) is considered DPS until level 30 when you actually get SCH. CNJ (WHM's base) is considered healer the whole time

[Gegenji]

You'll want to do both eventually anyway, since you need one at 15 to get to the Job class of the other. Plus, THM gets you Swiftcast - which is the bees knees for casters of any color - and CNJ gets you the ever-handy Protect and Stoneskin.

 

And if you're just starting out, you really CAN level both! Level THM through the storyline quests (minus the dungeons), and use CNJ to queue for aforementioned dungeons and the basic roulettes you'll unlock. I did something similar with NIN and PLD and was able to get them both to 50 through the course of the Main Story Quest. It might be even easier for you since you'll be sharing gear between the two basically up until 50 as well.

 

Personally? I like Arcanist for SCH/SMN. Arcanima/Mathemagica/MAFFMAJIK all the way!

[Tistan]

Is it too late to change my beginning class? Or do I need to wait till another maintenance to get another alt on balmung?

[Faye]

It don't matter if you're black or white.

 

I'msorryIhadto

[Desu Nee]

You can transfeeeer

[Desu Nee]

It don't matter if you're black or white.

 

I'msorryIhadto

We have to give everything, even if that means our lives. We will stop at..... Garrus Vakarian[edit]. Just like old times, ... It's so much easier to see the world in black and white. Gray? I don't know what to do with gray

 

 

- Vakarian, Garrus

[Gegenji]

Is it too late to change my beginning class? Or do I need to wait till another maintenance to get another alt on balmung?

 

Don't worry about making a new character! Just stick with the one you picked until you open up travel between the cities. Then, go talk to the quest-giver person for the OTHER class and BAM! You have both. Heck, my main character on Zalera has EVERYTHING unlocked (and decently leveled to boot), and I know tons of other people do that too.

 

Which one you're using at the start really won't matter until around level 15 anyway, when you unlock your first dungeon. Until then, it's mashing the basic attack button on critters and doing quests regardless of what class you picked.

[Aris]

Is it too late to change my beginning class? Or do I need to wait till another maintenance to get another alt on balmung?

 

Nope, you can level up all the classes once you hit level 10! Just talk to the appropriate Guild receptionist (Conjurer in Gridania, THM in Ul'Dah) to begin the quest. You'll be able to travel between City States at level 15.

 

You can swap between classes by changing your weapon. Each class starts at 0 and they have to be leveled up individually.

[Tistan]

Oh ok. Thanks for the help!

[Nebbs]

First do you like to tank, heal or dps?

 

Tank - Marauder feels like a DPS tank or Gladiator feels like a tanky tank

 

Heals - go conjurer, they get to heal from the start

 

DPS - go Arcanist and then you can double up Summoner/Scholar to DPS/Heal

 

DPS only - go back and pick another, unless you want to queue lots

[Phayte]

First do you like to tank, heal or dps?

 

Tank - Marauder feels like a DPS tank or Gladiator feels like a tanky tank

 

Heals - go conjurer, they get to heal from the start

 

DPS - go Arcanist and then you can double up Summoner/Scholar to DPS/Heal

 

DPS only - go back and pick another, unless you want to queue lots

 

Oh that's a good point about arcanist. When you level up to 30 and go SCH or SMN, you essentially level the other for free (since level is based on arcanist, somewhat hard to explain). But as other have said, you don't need to create a new character if you've already created one. The only thing is you need to reach level 10 on your first class before you can pick up other ones. Good luck in game!

[Kage]

DPS only - go back and pick another, unless you want to queue lots

Generally, no matter what times you will see Tank/Healer queue times to less than 5 minutes. Usually instant or less than 30 minutes.

 

if you queue as a DPS (Arcanist (ACN), Lancer (LNC), Pugilist (PGL), Rogue (ROG), or Archer (ARC)) you will upwards of 25+ minutes for dungeon queues.

 

Once you can travel between all three cities and reach level 10 (and did your class quest), you can be any class you want? You just need to talk to the guild of the class you want. You will have to level each class from lvl 1.

 

Pre-50 you put attributes in these sections (generally)

Gladiator (GLA) / Paladin (PLD) -> Vitality

Marauder (MRD) / Warrior (WAR) -> Vitality

Pugilist (PGL) / Monk (MNK) -> Strength

Lancer (LNC) / Dragoon (DRG) -> Strength

Rogue (ROG) / Ninja (NIN) -> Dexterity

Archer (ARC) / Bard (BRD) -> Dexterity

Conjurer (CNJ) / White Mage (WHM) -> Mind

Arcanist (ACN) / Scholar (SCH) / Summoner (SMN) -> Intelligence

Thaumaturge (THM) / Black Mage -> Intelligence

 

All classes' attributes are separate (and your points into the jobs will go towards the base class). The only issue is with ACN however Pre-50 and not end-game raiding, is that Summoner is at a larger detriment if it has lost points in intelligence than Scholar's heals do from losing points in Mind.

[Sounsyy]

Pre-50 you put attributes in these sections (generally)

Gladiator (GLA) / Paladin (PLD) -> Vitality

Marauder (MRD) / Warrior (WAR) -> Vitality

 

I'm sorry! >< But have to counterpoint and say Strength > Vitality even at lower levels, perhaps even especially at lower levels. Even if he said he's mainly interested in BLM/WHM. Don't hate me Kage! ; ;

[Kage]

Pre-50 you put attributes in these sections (generally)

Gladiator (GLA) / Paladin (PLD) -> Vitality

Marauder (MRD) / Warrior (WAR) -> Vitality

 

I'm sorry! >< But have to counterpoint and say Strength > Vitality even at lower levels, perhaps even especially at lower levels. Even if he said he's mainly interested in BLM/WHM. Don't hate me Kage! ; ;

 

I don't mind, I'm just of the viewpoint that in lower levels the only reason that would matter is if... well someone is a bad tank and they need the extra to help them. Reason? I've seen PLD with 300HP less than what they could have running Qarn normal drop like a worm because of hard hitting cleaves etc. For me, it's all about survivability of the tank in low level, not what they can contribute damage wise.

[Sounsyy]

Pre-50 you put attributes in these sections (generally)

Gladiator (GLA) / Paladin (PLD) -> Vitality

Marauder (MRD) / Warrior (WAR) -> Vitality

 

I'm sorry! >< But have to counterpoint and say Strength > Vitality even at lower levels, perhaps even especially at lower levels. Even if he said he's mainly interested in BLM/WHM. Don't hate me Kage! ; ;

 

I don't mind, I'm just of the viewpoint that in lower levels the only reason that would matter is if... well someone is a bad tank and they need the extra to help them. Reason? I've seen PLD with 300HP less than what they could have running Qarn normal drop like a worm because of hard hitting cleaves etc. For me, it's all about survivability of the tank in low level, not what they can contribute damage wise.

 

Understandable, but the amount of HP Vitality gives you increases as you level - up to 14.5:1 HP:VIT at Lv50. At Lv30, it only gives 7.5~8 HP per 1 VIT. And at Lv30 you have how many Point Allocations? Like 10-15? So at most, if you're stacking all VIT allocations, you're only getting 80-120 HP total. Whereas 10-15 STR may help in holding hate against capped characters in dungeons. A tank with a 300 HP deficit in Qarn is because of poor/improper gearing, not point allocations. A tank who is struggling to hold hate at early levels, may find some relief by pumping more STR.

 

That's my stance on it. ^^

[Nebbs]

Pre-50 you put attributes in these sections (generally)

Gladiator (GLA) / Paladin (PLD) -> Vitality

Marauder (MRD) / Warrior (WAR) -> Vitality

 

I'm sorry! >< But have to counterpoint and say Strength > Vitality even at lower levels, perhaps even especially at lower levels. Even if he said he's mainly interested in BLM/WHM. Don't hate me Kage! ; ;

 

I don't mind, I'm just of the viewpoint that in lower levels the only reason that would matter is if... well someone is a bad tank and they need the extra to help them. Reason? I've seen PLD with 300HP less than what they could have running Qarn normal drop like a worm because of hard hitting cleaves etc. For me, it's all about survivability of the tank in low level, not what they can contribute damage wise.

 

If you have problems as low level tank, go Marauder, spam your thang and yell at the ninja or bard to gief more TP.

[Kage]

I don't wanna derail it further because I only posted it in case OP wanted to level more classes than the two asked about. But I did put generally!

 

And also it's my opinion that you can flash long enough and riot blade for mp long enough to keep agro as low level tanks (or overpower) if you know what you are doing and dps do not blow up as soon as a shield or axe goes off.

 

 

But I've derailed still.

 

Do both op but I think the method of doing both works.

Use THM for story quests. Run dungeons as CNJ/healer. Personally I would level the CNJ first but it's up to you.