Relaxed mage with artist gimmick – The Pictomancer
What is the Pictomancer? While with the Viper, the abilities fly around you, the Pictomancer plays a bit more relaxed. Armed with an artist kit, you turn color and brush strokes into in-game reality and let your artworks fight for you. Here are the facts:
- Starting level 80
- Starting quest location: Gridania
- Job type: Magical Attacker / Magical Damage Dealer and Ranged
- Shares armor sets with Thaumaturge, Black Mage, Red Mage, Summoner, and Hermeticist
- Weapons: One (magical) brush
Overly decorated and with a bow attached, but still not as cool as it could be
Basically, the Pictomancer feels like the other magical attackers: you mostly keep your distance and cast spells as much as you can. You have a single-target rotation as well as several area attacks available.
Similar to the Viper, you also have a rotation on the global cooldown and one that is decoupled with its own countdown. Additionally, there are special attacks based on the current colors of your palette. You generate these colors by using your standard attacks.
There are also “spells” with which you fill your three canvases: The first lets you draw three parts of a creature. This unlocks a Moogle that temporarily supports you with really strong attacks.
The second canvas fills with a hilariously large hammer in Dawntrail. You can use it for two melee attacks. The animation here is also very entertaining: your character hits the opponent right on the head with the tool.
Canvas number 3 is enchanted with beautiful landscape images. In the test, we were able to “put on paper” a starry sky. When you trigger this effect, you stand just like Black Mages with their Ley Lines in a positive area effect for you.
In the Dawntrail trailer, you see the character Krile as a Pictomancer. Unfortunately, the players’ abilities are not as permantent
as theirs:
For whom is the job? Anyone who enjoys playing the mage classes of Final Fantasy XIV will feel very comfortable with the Pictomancer. You can expect a traditional mage here. Casting with the brush and the “brought to life” paintings seem at first glance like a fun gimmick. Whether that is enough to distinguish the Pictomancer as a standalone class from the other mages, you will have to decide for yourself.
On page 1, you can find our experiences with the Viper. On page 3, we have our conclusion and insights into the changes to older classes.
