Part 111: Rock
Part 1 - Rock
The Blue Mage. First introduced in FFV, this Job is iconic due to the fact that it doesn't actually use magic, opting to copy monster skills instead.
This particular ability is incredibly useful for fun setups and enemy exploitation, and has shown up several times in later entries in the series.
Requiring just 350ABP to master, the Blue Mage has 4 abilities: !Check, Learning, !Blue and !Scan.
As you can guess from the list of abilities, this is an Omni-Blue Mage solo run. The only stipulation here is that all Blue Magic must be learned from enemies like a normal game - no cheating them in just to utterly destroy a roadblock.
The scripted goblin fight at the game isn't too amazingly noteworthy for most normal runs. Of course, as this isn't a normal run, Goblins are actually a welcome sight when you're a Blue Mage.
Unfortunately, since this is a scripted fight, these guys won't do anything but throw weak attacks that hit for 4 HP instead of one of the more clever !Blue abilities.
!Check is a limited Libra that can be used at no MP cost. It shows the target's HP. That's it. Don't expect any meaningful use out of this one.
C'mon, dude, you just met her!
No more than 3 steps into the starting cave does Rock get swarmed by Steel Bats. This is where he can pick up his first !Blue "spell."
Vampire is Drain in all but name. It costs a paltry 2 MP, can heal for more than a potion, and deal damage!
In comparison, Drain is a Level 4 !Black spell that costs 13 MP and can't be bought until the second world. Needless to say, this is a vital source of damage/healing in the early solo game.
Following in the footsteps of Zerky!, Rock opts for Tule instead of rushing to the Wind Shrine.
While the pirates are off drinking the pub dry, Rock heads off to the Greenhorn Club for loot and Learning.
Even if you've played through the game before, it's not a bad place to stop in. This old dude in purple discusses some of the finer points of Azul Magicking - such as equipping Learning to learn things.
On my first playthrough of the game I honestly thought I had to have it even when using Blue Mages, despite it being innate to the job.
Outside of that, he namedrops the 3 enemies that Rock can get his first !Blue skills from, such as the Steel Bat from before.
Fun Fact: this guy's text isn't tied to whether the chest is opened or not. Just speak to him twice and see how full of himself he really is!
Rock still opens it.
And it's a Go- Galuf stop reading ahead in the script.
Goblins use Goblin Punch. Go figure.
This is Rock's second !Blue skill - an attack that gets a large power boost if the target's level matches his. Otherwise it deals pitiful damage.
It won't be used this update.
This is !Scan, which is the same as !Check, only it's a fully fledged Libra at no MP cost. For Blue Mages, it's biggest feature is that it shows a target's level.
See where this is going?
With a Leather Cap from the cave and some Leather Shoes from the chest Goblin, all Rock needs to complete his ensemble is a Leather Shield from the armorer.
I think Faris has one when she joins the party, but for some odd reason the game won't let you unequip gear from KO'd party members.
The Wind Shrine itself isn't too notable until you get to the 3rd floor, when you start seeing this formation. For Rock and many other budding Blue Mages like him, this is good.
Moldwynds will occasionally cast Aero - the third (and final skill) for this update. It's a Wind elemental spell in the same vein as Fire, Blizzard, etc, and does decent damage at this point in the game.
If you missed out on chest Goblin or didn't bother running around the Tycoon meteor (because you're sane), Black Goblins also use Goblin Punch.
However, one thing I'd also like to point out is that the White Serpent hanging out in the back is fully capable of chaining Entangle - leading to an early Solo death if you're unlucky
Okay, time to face the thing that gave early game Berserkers,
Psych! Rock randomly encounters a group consisting of a Black Goblin (I think), a Moldwynd and a Mani Wizard right before bumping into Wing Raptor. Magic Stick would hit for single digits if Rock didn't have a shield.
Not much to say about this fight. Breath Wing does 33 damage to Rock, which he heals back and more thanks to Vampire.
Rocky see, Rocky
Rock swings for 45 with his sword. Due to how Vampire works, it's actually better to Fight instead if your HP is full, as the damage caps out at whatever it takes to heal you back to max.
And since Rock has enough HP to take at least 2 Breath Wings...
The fight goes off without a hitch. No having to level grind, deaths, worrying about counters or healing here.
'Sup.
And with that, Rock sails on to Torna Canal.
Next Time: Rock's really [Feeler] it.
FINAL LEVEL: 7
BOSS DEATHS: 0