One of the most intriguing possibilities for the upcoming 6.5 patch is the Green Mage. While the development team has been tight-lipped about the specifics, there is compelling evidence to suggest that the Green Mage could become a reality in the world of Eorzea. Today, we'll delve into the potential details of the Green Mage job, drawing on various clues and hints from the game's developers and lore.

• Evidence for the Green Mage Job
• Green Mage's Expected Role
• Damage Over Time Effects
• The Importance of Fester

↖ Evidence for the Green Mage Job

Yoshi-P's Green Turtles: 

It all begins with Yoshi-P's fashion choices. The director and producer of FFXIV, Naoki Yoshida, often wears distinctive shirts that contain hints about upcoming content. In this case, Yoshi-P was spotted wearing a shirt with green turtles with shells, a clear reference to the iconic Shell spell associated with Green Mages in past Final Fantasy games. Additionally, the Green Mage icon was subtly shown in a final cutscene before October's FanFest, suggesting that something related to the job was in the works.

Developer Responsiveness:

The development team behind Final Fantasy XIV has a track record of listening to player feedback and adjusting the game accordingly. The player base has been vocal about missing damage over time (DoT) effects, and the developers have acknowledged this feedback. They even mentioned that they didn't plan to reintroduce DoTs to Scholar, a healer class. This indicates that the team is open to incorporating DoTs into a new job, such as the Green Mage.

Hammer Mania with Gaia: 

Gaia, a character introduced in the Shadowbringers expansion, wielded a hammer, sparking widespread enthusiasm among players for this weapon type. The popularity of hammers may align perfectly with the development of the Green Mage job, considering the time needed for job development cycles.

Krys Role and Utility: 

Krys, a character, has been closely associated with Aether sensitivity and healing roles throughout various expansions. This suggests that the new Green Mage job may focus on utility and assisting allies, aligning with Kry's character traits.

↖ Green Mage's Expected Role

The Green Mage is expected to be a hammer-wielding support-based caster, filling a unique niche in the game. It will be distinct from other casters like Black Mage and share similarities with Bard and Dancer in the physical range category. Here's what you can expect from the Green Mage:

• Support Utility: The Green Mage will sacrifice personal damage output to provide significant buffs to allies and debuffs to enemies. This utility is similar to Bard's role in enhancing party damage.
• Party Mitigation: Green Mage will offer various forms of party mitigation, such as a "Shell" ability akin to Red Mage's Magic Barrier, which provides protection against magic damage. It may also possess healing abilities, like Dancer's Curing Waltz or Summoner's Phoenix's AE heal.
• Affliction Warlock Fantasy: To fulfill the Affliction Warlock fantasy, the Green Mage will specialize in damage over time (DoT) effects, akin to Summoner's Shadowbringers implementation. Freed from the constraints of pets, it will focus on stacking and maintaining DoTs for maximum damage.
• Unique Status Effects: The Green Mage's kit will include unique status effects layered onto its DoTs, adding a fresh dynamic to the game. These status effects will contribute to party damage or debuffing enemies.

↖ Damage Over Time Effects

While DoTs have been reworked in Final Fantasy XIV, they are still prevalent in the game. Many jobs, including healers and physical DPS classes, have abilities that apply DoTs or similar effects. These effects are often used to enhance the job's damage output or support utility.

↖ The Importance of Fester

The ability Fester from the Summoner job will likely play a crucial role in the Green Mage's toolkit. It may be repackaged and renamed, but its mechanics, which scale damage based on the number of DoTs present, align with the Green Mage's expected focus on DoTs.

Conclusion:

While the Green Mage job in Final Fantasy XIV 6.5 remains shrouded in mystery, there is substantial evidence to suggest its existence. The role, utility, and mechanics of the Green Mage align with player expectations and developer responsiveness to player feedback. Whether you're a fan of damage over time effects, support utility, or simply excited about the prospect of a new job, the Green Mage is poised to make a significant impact in Eorzea. Keep an eye on official announcements for more details about this exciting addition to the game.