FF14 Red Mage Rotation Guide

Updated: 14 Oct 2021 7:30 pm

White and Black Become Red!

BY: Lynn Aerith

A waltz between Black and White, born the Red!

The Sixth Umbral Calamity, treacherous floodwater, brought an end to the War of the Magi, a war between the Black and the White, the Magi of Mhach and the Magi of Amdapor. The flood was caused by the land's ambient aether due to the white and black magi leaving an overabundance of water-aspected aether. The survivors gathered from near and far, and amongst them were refugees of the sorcerous cities of Mhach and Amdapor. The sworn enemies make peace with their past to preserve their future, and together they created a massive ziggurat and found the art of red magic to preserve their respective arts without the need of ruining the environment. With rapiers in their hand, the Red Mages stepped forward to fight against the rising tides of destruction. From a tragedy comes born an art. That is the brief history of Red Mage, a magic DPS class. To add the fun, the Red Mage scenario quests are the only quests with all the main NPCs you interact with has a dress colour code, which is you guessed it, red. From your teacher to his disciples, they are all fond of the colour red. If you have already taken the Red Mage, I bid you welcome to the Red Club, and don’t forget to wear those red! And if want to get better at it, you’ve come to the right place! If you haven’t but want to know more, this is still the place! But I will still insist on you wearing the red! Now let us take a look at the rotation.

Single Target Rotation

Although this is considered as magic ranged DPS, does not mean you are always fighting from the distance, you have 2 stances, a range stance and a close combat stance. These are your skill during the range stance, these skills are used to fill up your gauge and enter the close combat stance, where you spent the gauge:

Jolt II: Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 290. Increases both Black Mana and White Mana by 3. This is the upgrade version of Jolt which dealt damage with a potency of 180. Cast time 2s.
Verthunder: Deals lightning damage with a potency of 370. Increases Black Mana by 11 and grants 50% chance of becoming Verfire Ready for 30s. Cast time 5s.
Veraero: Deals wind damage with a potency of 370. Increases White Mana by 11 and grants 50% chance of becoming Verstone Ready for 30s. Cast time 5s.
Verfire: Deals fire damage with a potency of 310. Increases Black Mana by 9. Can only be executed while Verfire Ready is active. Cast time 2s.
Verstone: Deals earth damage with a potency of 310. Increases White Mana by 9. Can only be executed while Verstone Ready is active. Cast time 2s.

Can you see the difference in the casting time for the spells? It is because Red Mage has a trait called Dualcast, allowing you to use your next spell without casting time. As your teacher say “Cast the one with shorter casting time, to unleash the longer one.” Do remember that Dualcast will disappear when you use Sprint, so don’t be surprised if it should be there for the next 10 seconds, but disappear a second later after you use Sprint. The combinations are either Jolt, continued with Verthunder, or continued with Veraero depends on which mana you want to fill. Also, use Verfire and Verstone when they are available. Then, when you have filled up those white and black mana, these are your close combat skill:

Corps-a-corps: Rushes to target and delivers an attack with a potency of 130. Recast in 40s.
Riposte: Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 220. Cost 30 Black and White Mana.
Zwerchhau: Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 100. When execute after Riposte, potency increased to 290. Cost 25 Black and White Mana.
Redoublement: Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 100. When execute after Zwerchhau, potency increased to 470. Cost 25 Black and White Mana.
Reprise: Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 300. Cost 5 Black and White Mana.
Displacement: Delivers an attack with a potency of 200. Also grants 15-yalm backstep. Share a recast timer with Engagement. Recast in 35s.
Engagement: Delivers an attack with a potency of 150. Share a recast timer with Displacement. Recast in 35s.

Close combat rotation.

Another simple combination, you start with Corps-a-corpse to draw yourself to the enemy, then continue with Riposte, then Zwercchau, Redoublement, and Displacement to put some distance again between you and the enemy, if not possible Engagement. All the descriptions I wrote here are the enchanted ones, the skills will change to enchanted when you have enough white and black mana.

AoE Rotation

Just like the single target, the AoE also has a range and a close combat stance. Let’s start with range one, which is more effective when facing 3 enemies or more:

Impact: Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 220 to target and all enemies nearby it. Increases both Black Mana and White Mana by 3. This is the upgraded version of Scatter. Cast time 5s.
Verthunder II: Deals lightning damage with a potency of 120 to target and all enemies nearby it. Increases Black Mana by 7. Cast time 2s.
Veraero II: Deals wind damage with a potency of 120 to target and all enemies nearby it. Increases White Mana by 7. Cast time 2s.

Yes, it is the opposite of the single target rotation. You use the aspected one first, then followed by the unaspected. If you have those Mana filled up you can use Corpse-a-corpse continued by Moulinet until the mana is spent:

Moulinet: Deals unaspected Damage with a potency of 200 to all enemies in a cone before you. Cost 20 Black and White Mana (this is the enchanted one).

You would not want an imbalance gauge.

Then back again with Displacement to disengage or Engagement. It is simple, right? Then we move to Gauge.

Gauge

It is called a Balance Gauge for a reason.

Red Mage has a gauge called Balance Gauge. Just like its’ name you are meant to balance out between the white and black (or blue) mana because one brings shadow, one brings the light. Anyhow, the bar is filled when using the spells, and spent, when you enter the close combat. To have them both at relatively the same number is the goal to deal more damage during the close combat stage.

Simplified version of Balance Gauge.

Verflare or Verholy and Scroch

Verflare and Verholy are triggered by Enchanted Redoublement. You can only choose between one of them and they are to be used immediately before casting another spell, or you will lose it. When active, they will replace your Verthunder and Veraero button. While Scorch is triggered by the use of Verflare or Verholy and will replace the Jolt II button. The same rule applies to Scorch just like Verflare and Verholy, to be used immediately:

Verflare: Deals fire damage with a potency of 600. Increases Black Mana by 21. Add 20% chance of becoming Verfire Ready, chance increases to 100% if White Mana is higher than Black Mana at time of execution.
Verholy: Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 600. Increases White Mana by 21. Add 20% chance of becoming Verstone Ready, chance increases to 100% if White Mana is higher than Black Mana at time of execution.
Scorch: Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 700. Increases Black and White Mana by 7.

Now, that these skills are clear we move to the other skills.

Other Skills

You have very useful other skills, from instant attack to healing and resurrection here goes the list:

Fleche: Delivers an attack with a potency of 440. Recast in 25s.
Contre Sixte: Delivers an attack with a potency of 400 to target and all enemies nearby it. Recast in 35s.
Vercure: Restores target’s HP. Cure potency 350. Cast time: 2s.
Verraise: Resurrects target to a weakened state. Cast time 10s.
Acceleration: Ensures the next three casts of Verthunder/Verflare or Veraero/Verholy will, for their first hits, trigger Verfire Ready or Verstone Ready respectively for 20s. Recast in 55s.
Embolden: Increases own magic damage dealt by 10% and physical damage dealt by nearby party members by 10%. Both effects are reduced by 20% every 4s for 20s. Recast in 120s.
Manafication: Double current Black and White Mana levels. Also resets Corps-a-corps, Displacement, and Engagement recast timers. Grants 5% magic damage up buff for 10s. All combos are cancelled upon the execution of Manafication.

You can use Dualcast to raise instantly, how awesome is that? Ver for Versatile, right? Next, we have the Role Actions of Magic Ranged DPS.

Role Actions

Every Magical DPS has this role action:

Addle: Lowers target’s intelligence and mind by 10%. Recast in 90s.
Swiftcast: Next spell is cast immediately. Recast in 60s.
Lucid Dreaming: Gradually restores own MP. Recast in 60s.
Surecast: Spells can be cast without interruption and nullifies most knockback and draw-in effects for 6s. Recast in 120s.

As a Red Mage, you’re hardly going to use Lucid Dreaming or Swiftcast, unless in a really urgent situation when you need a lot of MP to use Verraise or when you just died and are in need of MP.

Bring Out the Red

Now we put everything we know, everything we have learned so far to practice!

On single target use Jolt II continued with Veraero or Verthunder. When Verfire/Verstone is available use them before using another spell that will trigger them to optimize damage output. You can also weave Acceleration, Fleche, and Embolden for extra damage.
When the Balance Gauge is full, use Corps-a-corps, followed by Riposte, Zwerchhau, and Redoublement. Before you cast another spell or using Reprise, make sure you’ve used the Verholy or Verflare and Scorch. You may disengage before or after Verholy/Verflare and Scorch it is up to you.
Then balance out your mana to around 50, and use Manafication to enter close combat one more time before you resume the normal rotation.
On multiple targets, a minimum of 3 is advised, use Verthunder II or Veraero II, followed by Scatter/Impact. You can also use Contre Sixte for extra damage.
If the Balance Gauge is full, proceed with Moulinet.
When the bar is around 40 you can use Manafication to give more Moulinet, or you can raise it to 50 before using Manafication, then resuming to use Moulinet. You may use Displacement or Engagement depends on the situation allows. After that, you can return to the normal rotation.

That is how you master the art of the Red! I shall give you more tips and tricks in general on Red Mage!

Tips & Tricks:

Avoid AoE. I always say this, and never get bored of it. Just because you can heal yourself doesn’t mean you can stay inside the AoE’s range! Remember, each time you heal yourself, that means you are losing the chance of DPS-ing. After all, you ARE a DPS, staying alive while doing damage must be your top priority.

Slide cast when required, not all the time. I know it is fun stuff and all, but do you know that slide cast make you deliver your attack a tad longer than when you don’t? Although it’s not much, this means on a long battle it can cause an overall damage reduction and if you don’t want that, slide cast when necessary. Not to mention all the times it actually cancels your casting.

Turn the table around. You have the power of white magick too, you can help out when your healer died with Vercure or Verraise to help the fallen comrades/healer. Should this tragedy befall you, remember to have a tank fit enough to tank before you raise the healers or the other tank. Help raise and heal your party member until the healer(s) get a hold of the healing again, then you go back on DPS. An almost wipe party can become a victory from your versatility!

Between the casters Black Mage and Summoner, Red Mage are the least complex and doesn’t hit as hard as the two. However, although Summoner can also heal, it is not as potent as Red Mage’s healing ability and Summoner’s heal probably are better removed from the Hotbar. On the other hand, you can actually use the dual cast trait to raise instantly without Swiftcast! So, are you giving the Red a try? Maybe you want to pronounce the skill Zwercchau? Whatever your reason is, Red Mage sure has its own traits!

Image Gallery

Meeting Your Red Teacher

He would ask you to dress in red.

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