Red Mage

job · RDM

The Red Mage is the all-rounder: it weakens the monster with enfeebling magic, strengthens the party with Haste II and Refresh II, heals a little, nukes a little, and swings a sword when it wants to.

RDM · two-hour Chainspell · 6 job abilities · 26 trait ranks · 246 spells · 29 weapon skills

What the job does:
Red Mage does a bit of everything and does the support half of it better than anyone. It has the widest enfeebling list (Dia III, Slow II, Paralyze II, Blind II, Distract II, Frazzle II, Addle, Gravity II, Silence, Bind, Break, Dispelga), the strongest haste and refresh spells (Haste II and Flurry II at 96, Refresh II at 82), Phalanx and Gain-spells, enspells for its own sword, and small amounts of Cure and nuking on the side. Raise II arrives at level 95.

What it is good at: making the monster weaker and the party faster, using magic on itself for much longer than anyone else (Composure), and stepping into any seat for a few minutes: healer, nuker, melee.

What it is bad at: being the best at any one of them. Its nukes stop at tier IV, its cures at Cure IV, and it has no Curaga. A party that wants one big job-specific result will look elsewhere.

From the Red Mage's seat a fight is a loop of upkeep: Composure and your own buffs go up, Haste II and Refresh II go on the team, the enfeebles go on the monster in an order, and then you do whatever the party needs: a Cure, a burst, a sword swing.

Role in a party:
Support and enfeebler. A party expects Haste II on the melee, Refresh II on the casters, and a monster that is slowed, paralyzed and defence-down while it fights them. The rest is flexibility.

What the Red Mage brings that nothing else does:

- Haste II (level 96) and Flurry II: stronger than the White Mage's Haste.
- Refresh II (level 82): more MP per tick for a Black Mage or White Mage than any other source.
- Composure (level 50): three times the duration on the enhancing spells you cast on yourself.
- Chainspell (level 1): sixty seconds of spells with no cast or recast time.
- Saboteur (level 83): doubles the strength and the duration of your next enfeebles.
- Spontaneity (level 95): the target's next spell casts faster. Use it on a Black Mage before a burst.

The Red Mage Trusts, Koru-Moru, King of Hearts and Rainemard, cover the same ground: Dia, Slow, Distract and Dispel on the monster, Haste II and Refresh II from Koru-Moru and Rainemard, Phalanx II on the tank. Call one when you want to leave the enfeebling to someone else and play damage.

Subjobs:
Your support job's abilities work at half your level, so at 99 you have a level 49 subjob.

Subjob | When to use it | What it gives at 49 |
Scholar | Support. | Light Arts, Celerity and Penury, Sublimation, and Accession (level 40): your next Haste, Refresh or other white enhancing spell reaches the whole party. Recast is tripled as a subjob. |
Ninja | Melee. | Dual Wield and Utsusemi shadows for a sword in each hand |
Dancer | Melee with healing. | Waltzes to heal, Sambas, Haste Samba |
White Mage | Support healer. | Cure IV, Divine Seal, Curaga II, Haste, Raise |
Black Mage | Nuker. | Stun, Sleep II, Elemental Seal, Aspir |

Start with Scholar for support, Ninja for melee. With Scholar you have Accession and Haste II at 96: the whole party hasted in one cast. Note that Accession reaches the party but Composure only lengthens spells you cast on yourself, so you choose between them for any one spell.

How the abilities work together:
Know the durations. Base recasts are shown; job ability recasts on Vanadreams are 15% shorter.

Ability | Level | Lasts | Recast | What it does |
Chainspell | 1 | 60 s | 1 hour | Cast and recast times removed |
Convert | 40 | instant | 10 min | Swaps your HP and your MP |
Composure | 50 | 2 hours | 5 min | Accuracy up; enhancing spells you cast on yourself last 3 times as long |
Saboteur | 83 | 60 s | 5 min | Enfeebling spells have twice the effect and twice the duration (1.3 times the effect and 1.25 times the duration on notorious monsters) |
Spontaneity | 95 | 60 s | 10 min | The target's next spell is cast faster |
Stymie | 96 | 60 s | 1 hour | Greatly increases the accuracy of your next enfeebling spell |

The self-buff routine. Composure first. Then Haste II (or Haste at 48), Refresh II (or Refresh at 41), Phalanx II, Stoneskin, Blink, and a Gain-spell for the stat your build wants (Gain-VIT 81, Gain-MND 84, Gain-CHR 87, Gain-AGI 90, Gain-STR 93, Gain-INT 96, Gain-DEX 99). Add the enspell you want for melee: Enfire, Enblizzard, Enaero, Enstone, Enthunder, Enwater (levels 16 to 27), and the II versions (levels 50 to 60). Temper (level 95) makes your melee hit more often. Everything on this list lasts three times as long with Composure, so one routine lasts a whole run.

The enfeeble routine. Use Saboteur first, then land the ones that matter in this order:

- Dia III (level 75): damage over time and lowered defence.
- Slow II and Paralyze II (level 75): the monster hits less often and less hard.
- Distract II (85) lowers the monster's evasion and Frazzle II (92) lowers its magic evasion, which makes every later enfeeble and nuke, yours and the other casters', more likely to land.
- Blind II (75), Addle (83) and Gravity II (98) when it is a physical or magical hitter.
- Silence (18) on a caster; Bind (11) on a runner; Break (87) on something you must stop; Dispel (32) and Dispelga (99) to strip its buffs.

Saboteur lasts 60 seconds and its recast is 5 minutes, so spend it on the long, hard enfeebles and not on Blind.

Magic accuracy. Enfeebles can miss. Four things raise your chance: Saboteur, Stymie (next spell only), the Magic Accuracy merits and job points, and gear such as Stikini Ring +1 and Duelist's Torque. Land Frazzle II early. Enfeebles wear off, so keep an eye on the monster's status list.

Chainspell and Saboteur as a pair. Both last 60 seconds. A good opener for a boss: Saboteur and Chainspell together, then Dia III, Slow II, Paralyze II, [cut off]

Working with other jobs:
Melee. Haste II and Flurry II (for ranged jobs) at 96, Phalanx II on the tank, Stoneskin and Blink for anyone going to take a hit. Haste and Haste II share a slot, so one caster should handle the melee. If a White Mage is casting Haste, agree who does it; the Trusts do the same: Sylvie leaves Haste to Koru-Moru so his Haste II is not blocked.

Casters. Refresh II for the Black Mage and the White Mage. Spontaneity before a burst makes your Black Mage's next spell faster. Dispelga clears buffs a monster puts up on itself.

Tanks. Phalanx II, Refresh II if the tank is a Paladin, Dia III on the monster so the tank's hits land harder, and Slow II and Paralyze II to make the monster weaker. A tank with Dia, Slow and Paralyze on the monster takes much less damage.

Magic bursts. Your tier IV nukes burst the same chains as the Black Mage's; see Skillchains and magic bursts. Light and Darkness chains let you burst with any of three or four elements. Nuke with Chainspell on a Light chain: Thunder IV, Aero IV, Fire IV.

Chains you can ask for or make yourself. Real examples with a sword:

- Distortion: Savage Blade then Chant du Cygne (Almace), or Savage Blade then Death Blossom (Murgleis).
- Darkness: Chant du Cygne then Requiescat (Sequence).
- Fragmentation: Requiescat then Savage Blade.
- Detonation: Savage Blade then Aeolian Edge.
- Light: Savage Blade then a Samurai's Tachi: Kasha.
- Fusion: Chant du Cygne then Tachi: Kasha.

Wait at least 3 seconds after the opener and close inside 10 seconds.

With Bards and Corsairs. Their haste and attack buffs stack with Haste II. Qultada keeps rolls going; Ulmia and Joachim each keep two songs, so two bards give four.

What it needs. A tank, mostly. A Red Mage that draws hate with Dia III and a nuke is a Red Mage that goes down. Slow down: let the tank get hate first.

Who hates a Red Mage. Anyone relying on Sleep. Check the monster before you hit it with damage.

Levelling it:
Level | What you get |
1 | Chainspell, Dia |
3 | Cure |
7 | Protect |
10 | Bio |
15 | Fast Cast, Diaga |
21 | Regen, Gravity |
25 | Sleep |
33 | Phalanx |
35 | Fast Cast II, Distract |
40 | Convert |
41 | Refresh |
48 | Haste, Flurry, Cure IV |
50 | Composure, Enthunder II |
55 | Fast Cast III |
60 | Damage Limit+ |
75 | Dia III, Slow II, Paralyze II, Blind II, Phalanx II, Thunder III |
76 | Fast Cast IV, Regen II |
82 | Refresh II |
83 | Saboteur, Addle |
85 | Mag. Burst Bonus |
87 | Break, Shield Mastery |
90 | Fast Cast V |
95 | Spontaneity, Temper, Raise II, Mag. Burst Bonus II |
96 | Stymie, Haste II, Flurry II |
98 | Gravity II |
99 | Dispelga |

- Levels 1 to 20. Fight with Trusts; Red Mage is slow to level alone because Dia and Stone are weak. Hold back, cast Dia and Stone, and let the Trusts do the work.
- Levels 20 to 48. Paralyze (6), Blind (8), Bind (11), Slow (13) and Sleep (25) do most of your work. At 48, Haste.
- Level 50. Composure and the Enspell II spells. By now a Red Mage with a sword is an excellent frontline soloer.
- To 99. Your level cap starts at 70. To open 99, finish Shattering Stars with Maat in Ru'Lude Gardens at level 66 or higher. You level on standard experience rates with Records of Eminence and Trusts; capacity points are 10x. Classic mode holds you at 75, then 90, until you finish its lists. In Moogle Mode you learn every spell a vendor sells as you reach its level.

Good Trusts for a levelling Red Mage: Curilla or Invincible Shield (UC) to tank, Ygnas to heal, Shantotto to nuke. Use !trustengage to choose how they join the fight.

At 99 and endgame:
Merits. Two groups.

- Group 1: Convert recast (20 seconds shorter a level), and a magic accuracy merit for each element (+3 accuracy for spells of that element).
- Group 2: Enfeebling magic duration (+6 seconds a level), Magic accuracy (+5), Enhancing magic duration (+6 seconds), Immunobreak chance (+3%), Enspell damage (+3), Accuracy (+5).

Job points. Master the job at 2,100 job points. Gifts worth reaching first:

- 5: Magic Defense +4. 10: Magic Attack +4. 30: Magic Accuracy +10.
- 60 and 80: Enfeebling and Enhancing Magic Skill +5. 125: Enhanced Weapon Enchantment Damage +5.
- 150, 500, 1,125 and 2,000: Fast Cast Effect.
- 280, 780, 1,530: more Magic Accuracy (+15, +20, +25).
- 1,050 and 1,900: Enspell Damage (+6, +7).
- 2,100: all hourly abilities come back 15 minutes sooner.

Spend category points on Saboteur Effect (+2 enfeebling magic accuracy a rank while it is up), Enfeebling Magic Duration (+1 second a rank), Magic Accuracy Bonus, Magic Attack Bonus and Composure Effect.

Master levels. Maat or the Nomad Moogle in Ru'Lude Gardens hands out Job Breaker at 99 and Master Breaker on a mastered level 99 job. Mastering the job opens Superior Level gear for it.

Where it shines. Anywhere a monster hits hard and has something worth debuffing: Omen, Odyssey, Ambuscade, Vagary, Dynamis - Divergence, Limbus and Walk of Echoes. Trusts are allowed in most of them, so you can run a Red Mage as the fourth caster behind a Trust tank. Sortie, Nyzul Isle, Einherjar, Salvage and Assault do not allow Trusts, so bring players there; a Red Mage's Haste II, Refresh II and enfeebles are wanted in every one of them.

Gear to aim for:
Band | Weapons | Armor and accessories |
1 to 50 | a sword from your nation's weapon shops | Warlock's Shield (30), Warlock's Torque (30), Warlock's Mantle (30) |
51 to 69 | a sword from your nation's weapon shops | Warlock's Chapeau, Warlock's Tabard, Warlock's Gloves, Warlock's Tights, Warlock's Boots |
70 to 79 | a shop or dungeon sword | Duelist's Chapeau, Duelist's Tabard, Duelist's Gloves, Duelist's Tights, Duelist's Boots, Duelist's Belt |
80 to 98 | a shop or dungeon sword | Estoqueur's Sayon, Estoqueur's Cape, Duelist's set |
99 | Murgleis, Almace, Crocea Mors, Naegling, Tauret, Daybreak, Egeking, Sequence, Aeneas | Atrophy Chapeau +3, Atrophy Tabard +3, Atrophy Gloves +3, Atrophy Tights +3, Atrophy Boots +1 |

- Artifact: the Warlock's set, which becomes the Atrophy set above.
- Relic: the Duelist's set, which becomes Vitiation Chapeau, Vitiation Tabard, Vitiation Gloves, Vitiation Tights and Vitiation Boots +3.
- Empyrean: the Estoqueur's set (Estoqueur's Sayon and so on), which becomes Lethargy Chappel and Lethargy Sayon +3.
- Accessories: Duelist's Torque (enfeebling magic effect), Stikini Ring +1, Regal Earring, Malignance Earring. Shields: Ammurapi Shield for magic, Genmei Shield for defence.
- Weapons: Murgleis (mythic sword, "Death Blossom"), Almace (empyrean sword, "Chant du Cygne"), Sequence (Aeonic sword, "Requiescat"), Aeneas (Aeonic dagger, "Exenterator"), Egeking (made by Oboro in Port Jeuno), Daybreak (club) for magic accuracy.
- Set help: vanagear builds enfeebling, enhancing, nuke and melee sets for you.

Common mistakes:
- Skipping Composure. It triples the duration of every self buff. Use it before you cast anything else.
- Wasting Saboteur on a light enfeeble. Use it on the long, hard ones: Dia III, Slow II, Paralyze II.
- Two casters on Haste. Haste and Haste II share a slot. Decide who hastes the melee.
- Convert while being hit. It swaps your HP and MP, so a low-MP Convert leaves you with very little HP. Use it between fights.
- Enfeebling something that is immune. Check before you spend a Saboteur.
- Nuking before the tank has hate. A Red Mage has little HP and no escape.
- Forgetting Spontaneity. It is free, short and makes your Black Mage's burst faster.

Job abilities: Chainspell (SP, recast 1h): Allows rapid spellcasting. | Convert (Lv 40, recast 10 min): Swaps current HP with MP. | Composure (Lv 50, recast 5 min): Increases accuracy and lengthens recast time. Enhancement effects gained through white and black magic you cast on yourself last longer. Also increases the damage of enchanted weapons. | Saboteur (Lv 83, recast 5 min): Increases magic accuracy, as well as the effect and duration of enfeebling magic. Also increases the chance of Immunobreak occurring. | Spontaneity (Lv 95, recast 10 min): Reduces casting time for the next magic spell the target casts. | Stymie (Lv 96, recast 1h): Greatly increases the accuracy of the next enfeebling magic spell.

Traits: Resist Petrify (Lv 10), Fast Cast (Lv 15), Magic Atk. Bonus (Lv 20), Magic Def. Bonus (Lv 25), Tranquil Heart (Lv 26), Resist Petrify II (Lv 30), Clear Mind (Lv 31), Fast Cast II (Lv 35), Magic Atk. Bonus II (Lv 40), Magic Def. Bonus II (Lv 45), Resist Petrify III (Lv 50), Clear Mind II (Lv 53), Fast Cast III (Lv 55), Damage Limit+ (Lv 60), Resist Petrify IV (Lv 70), Clear Mind III (Lv 75), Fast Cast IV (Lv 76), Resist Petrify V (Lv 81), Mag. Burst Bonus (Lv 85), Magic Atk. Bonus III (Lv 86), Shield Mastery (Lv 87), Fast Cast V (Lv 90), Clear Mind IV (Lv 91), Mag. Burst Bonus II (Lv 95), Magic Def. Bonus III (Lv 96), Shield Mastery II (Lv 97)

Spells by level: Dia 1, Shantotto 1, Naji 1, Kupipi 1, Excenmille 1, Ayame 1, Nanaa Mihgo 1, Curilla 1, Volker 1, Ajido-Marujido 1, Trion 1, Zeid 1, Lion 1, Tenzen 1, Mihli Aliapoh 1, Valaineral 1, Joachim 1, Naja Salaheem 1, Prishe 1, Ulmia 1, Shikaree Z 1, Cherukiki 1, Iron Eater 1, Gessho 1, Gadalar 1, Rainemard 1, Ingrid 1, Lehko Habhoka 1, Nashmeira 1, Zazarg 1, Ovjang 1, Mnejing 1, Sakura 1, Luzaf 1, Najelith 1, Aldo 1, Moogle 1, Fablinix 1, Maat 1, D. Shantotto 1, Star Sibyl 1, Karaha-Baruha 1, Cid 1, Gilgamesh 1, Areuhat 1, Semih Lafihna 1, Elivira 1, Noillurie 1, Lhu Mhakaracca 1, Ferreous Coffin 1, Lilisette 1, Mumor 1, Uka Totlihn 1, Klara 1, Romaa Mihgo 1, Kuyin Hathdenna 1, Rahal 1, Koru-Moru 1, Pieuje (UC) 1, I. Shield (UC) 1, Apururu (UC) 1, Jakoh (UC) 1, Flaviria (UC) 1, Babban 1, Abenzio 1, Rughadjeen 1, Kukki-Chebukki 1, Margret 1, Chacharoon 1, Lhe Lhangavo 1, Arciela 1, Mayakov 1, Qultada 1, Adelheid 1, Amchuchu 1, Brygid 1, Mildaurion 1, Halver 1, Rongelouts 1, Leonoyne 1, Maximilian 1, Kayeel-Payeel 1, Robel-Akbel 1, Kupofried 1, Selh'teus 1, Yoran-Oran (UC) 1, Sylvie (UC) 1, Abquhbah 1, Balamor 1, August 1, Rosulatia 1, Teodor 1, Ullegore 1, Makki-Chebukki 1, King of Hearts 1, Morimar 1, Darrcuiln 1, AAHM 1, AAEV 1, AAMR 1, AATT 1, AAGK 1, Iroha 1, Ygnas 1, Monberaux 1, Cornelia 1, Matsui-P 1, Excenmille [S] 1, Ayame (UC) 1, Maat (UC) 1, Aldo (UC) 1, Naja (UC) 1, Lion II 1, Zeid II 1, Prishe II 1, Nashmeira II 1, Lilisette II 1, Tenzen II 1, Mumor II 1, Ingrid II 1, Arciela II 1, Iroha II 1, Shantotto II 1, Cure 3, Stone 4, Barstone 5, Poison 5, Paralyze 6, Protect 7, Barsleep 7, Blind 8, Barwater 9, Water 9, Barpoison 10, Bio 10, Bind 11, Aquaveil 12, Barparalyze 12, Slow 13, Baraero 13, Cure II 14, Aero 14, Diaga 15, Diaga II 15, Deodorize 15, Enthunder 16, Shell 17, Barfire 17, Silence 18, Barblind 18, Enstone 18, Fire 19, Enaero 20, Sneak 20, Blaze Spikes 20, Barblizzard 21, Regen 21, Gravity 21, Enblizzard 22, Blink 23, Barsilence 23, Enfire 24, Blizzard 24, Barthunder 25, Invisible 25, Sleep 25, Cure III 26, Protect II 27, Enwater 27, Thunder 29, Dia II 31, Dispel 32, Phalanx 33, Stoneskin 34, Stone II 35, Distract 35, Bio II 36, Shell II 37, Raise 38, Barvirus 39, Water II 40, Ice Spikes 40, Refresh 41, Frazzle 42, Barpetrify 43, Aero II 45, Poison II 46, Sleep II 46, Protect III 47, Cure IV 48, Haste 48, Flurry 48, Fire II 50, Enthunder II 50, Enstone II 52, Enaero II 54, Blizzard II 55, Enblizzard II 56, Shell III 57, Enfire II 58, Thunder II 60, Shock Spikes 60, Enwater II 60, Protect IV 63, Stone III 65, Water III 67, Shell IV 68, Aero III 69, Fire III 71, Blizzard III 73, Dia III 75, Slow II 75, Paralyze II 75, Phalanx II 75, Thunder III 75, Bio III 75, Blind II 75, Regen II 76, Protect V 77, Stone IV 77, Baramnesia 78, Water IV 80, Gain-VIT 81, Refresh II 82, Aero IV 83, Addle 83, Gain-MND 84, Distract II 85, Fire IV 86, Shell V 87, Break 87, Gain-CHR 87, Blizzard IV 89, Gain-AGI 90, Impact 90, Thunder IV 92, Frazzle II 92, Gain-STR 93, Raise II 95, Temper 95, Gain-INT 96, Haste II 96, Flurry II 96, Gravity II 98, Dispelga 99, Gain-DEX 99

Weapon skills: Wasp Sting (Dagger 5; Scission), Viper Bite (Dagger 100; Scission), Shadowstitch (Dagger 70; Reverberation), Gust Slash (Dagger 40; Detonation), Cyclone (Dagger 125; Detonation/Impaction), Energy Steal (Dagger 150; ), Energy Drain (Dagger 175; ), Evisceration (Dagger 230; Gravitation/Transfixion), Aeolian Edge (Dagger 290; Scission/Detonation/Impaction), Fast Blade (Sword 5; Scission), Burning Blade (Sword 30; Liquefaction), Red Lotus Blade (Sword 50; Liquefaction/Detonation), Flat Blade (Sword 75; Impaction), Shining Blade (Sword 100; Scission), Seraph Blade (Sword 125; Scission), Circle Blade (Sword 150; Reverberation/Impaction), Spirits Within (Sword 175; ), Vorpal Blade (Sword 200; Scission/Impaction), Savage Blade (Sword 240; Fragmentation/Scission), Death Blossom (Sword; Fragmentation/Distortion), Sanguine Blade (Sword 300; ), Shining Strike (Club 5; Impaction), Brainshaker (Club 70; Reverberation), Starlight (Club 100; ), Skullbreaker (Club 150; Induration/Reverberation), True Strike (Club 175; Impaction/Detonation), Exenterator (Dagger 357; Fragmentation/Scission), Chant du Cygne (Sword; Light/Distortion), Requiescat (Sword 357; Gravitation/Scission)