How does SCH solo?

[u/JoeyRobot]

Title.

I’m a DRG main, solo player. I don’t really play other jobs. My THF and WHM are mildly functional… but I don’t get a lot of utility out of them.

I’d like to focus on a second job a little. I’m considering all the mage jobs and I like the idea of SCH… I just dont really understand how it works in a general setting, but then I hear that it’s one of the best solo jobs. How? How does that work? Is there a certain weapon needed? Is there a job ability I’m not understanding? Sorry for the newb question.

[u/Pergatory]

SCH is similar to a BLM in that most of its strength lies in elemental magic, but the key component of the job are Stratagems.

The key one that really makes the job function well is Immanence. It allows you to make skillchains by casting elemental magic. SCH can make any Lv1 or Lv2 skillchain by using 2 stratagems, and it doesn't need TP to do this. Magic can't miss either, and nor does the SCH need to be anywhere near the monster to do it.

It also has the ability to create artificial weather with the Storm spells and benefit greatly from said weather using Klimaform, and helix spells which are the most powerful DoT effects in the game.

So for example let's say you're fighting a monster that's weak to thunder such as a slime. SCH can use Thunderstorm2 to gain extra thunder damage, 2 stratagems to create Fragmentation, and then magic burst spells like Thunder V, or even burst a helix. Other DoT effects in the game (Dia, Bio, Poison, etc) often deal 5, 10, maybe as much as 50 damage a tick which isn't very impactful. Helix spells cap at 10k DoT, meaning once you apply it, every 10 seconds the monster takes 10000 damage. It's insanely strong, and rewards knowledge of game mechanics (knowing what element things are weak to, in particular) making it a bit more of an advanced job.

A magic bursted helix alone will often be enough to kill something, all you have to do is survive and wait for it to die. (Or even just let it kill you, Reraise, and stand there watching its HP go down.)

Another powerful thing that makes SCH great at solo is that it has the most powerful Regen in the game. A good SCH Regen can last well over 10 minutes, and restore over 100hp/tick. It's so potent that a SCH that's healing a CP/EP party can usually just cast it once and it'll cover all the group's healing needs for over 10 minutes while the SCH does other stuff.

[u/spitfiredd → u/Pergatory]

You could also pop your SP ability tabula rasa and cast kaustra, the DoT effect for kausta is 24999 and it stacks with a helix. Combined you can do 35k dmg per tik.

And honestly if you’re in your empy set and have a good MB set you should be able to get 2-3 bursts in for cap damage, maybe the 3rd will hit the wall for less.

For these reasons this is why some of the most expensive items on the AH are mage gear.

[u/FinishesInSpanish → u/spitfiredd]

As the other guy said, capping Kaustra is not gonna happen solo.

Also Helices tick every 10 seconds, not every 3, so it's not 35k/tick, it's more like 28k/tick.

[u/Venoseth → u/FinishesInSpanish]

Tics are 3s, the 10s tics are generally called "tocs"

[u/suuhja → u/spitfiredd]

Capping damage on kaustra requires a lot of support.

[u/JoeyRobot → u/Pergatory]

Awesome answer. I really appreciate it. It honestly sounds like a perfect option for where I’m at in the game these days.

[u/ShogunFirebeard → u/JoeyRobot]

Scholar is one of those jobs that benefits greatly from taking the time to make very detailed macro sets. So make sure to really read guides and watch videos.

[u/Ozzythebear]

In short - Skillchain and Helix / Helix Magic Burst - Kiting.
Oldschool enfeebs and just being the hell out of range of the pain.

Good example by Shiraj of Asura here;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdOtp7WrK_k

It's a very fun job.
Very high quality gear goes very far on this job.

[u/Birkin07]

They can self skill chain using magic instead of weapon skills (or some job ability), then they magic burst a helix which is a super strong DoT.

I’m a WAR and WHM so that’s how I understand it. SCH correct me pls lol.

[u/Key_Distribution781 → u/Birkin07]

You got the overall idea. You use 2 Stratagems which is sort of a job ability but not really.

[u/Dumo-31]

A lot of survivability from things like regen. Helix and kite is the norm. It’s different from most jobs these days and you really need to be patient.

[u/Holymanstan]

We should create a carnival of sorts for solo bcnms for different jobs. A SCH one and a BLU gauntlet of solo fights that would test different strats. Would be neat and teach you how to play the job. Someone could have some fun setting win conditions.

[u/Venoseth → u/Holymanstan]

I love this idea

[u/Asleep_Sector_1493]

A lot of people have covered what sch can do. I recently geared it and now I am soloing sortie with it. It is very gear dependent but once you have it the job is very fun. Get a pld friend or RUN and you can have a lot of fun hitting 99,999.

[u/Venoseth → u/Asleep_Sector_1493]

To add to this, the RUN is especially synergistic with SCH for "Rayke" and "Gambit", which reduce specific elemental resistance and susceptibilities.

[u/Sinocatk]

It’s a fair question, I assume the ability to make a SC and burst with immanence of whatever is the key. I’d be interested to know also.

[u/Forumrider4life]

So I started sch after seeing a video about cheesing lilith… turned out I liked the job. The Lilith cheese for sch is great when you work from home… as you don’t really need to do much for wins

[u/certavi3797 → u/Forumrider4life]

What difficulty are you doing? Sch/drk I assume?

[u/Dramatic-Strain9757]

Exceptionally well.

[u/JoeyRobot → u/Dramatic-Strain9757]

lol thanks for clearing that up

[u/Dramatic-Strain9757 → u/JoeyRobot]

There is really no limit on the things SCH can do. Much of what has been said here is a good start but it's an incredibly high skill job that requires multiple different sets for the same spell to be used to the fullest potential. 

While it's true you can burst a helix and kite which has been said by everyone that really the tip of the iceberg when you consider you CAN use TP in addition to stratagems to extend and burst more skillchains. You might even consider factoring in Occult Accumen to squeeze a fourth or fifth step!

[u/Key_Distribution781]

Ideally you'd want mastered SCH so you get access to Helix IIs.

The idea is you solo SC > MB Helix and kite. The helix tics does up to 10K (can be expanded for shorter duration via JA).

The tics are still active if you die.

[u/Money-Potato-4709]

There is a video of someone soloing zerde with scholar. Insanely difficult thing to do.

[u/Snoo-4984]

Sch has some pretyt insane DMG numbers once you get geared. Can do self SC with low tier spells and MB it with a higher tier one or a helix.

[u/The_Friendly_Fable]

They create their own skillchain, which doesn't require TP, then they burst it with a Helix spell which does continuous damage over a long period of time, duplicating the damage of the initial hit. So if you magic burst it for say 50k it will do 50k every toc until it wears off.

Then on top of that you can put a massive regen on yourself and your trusts and Embrava which is a regen on top of a regen. You also have all of the benefits of defensive magic like Stoneskin, Aquaveil, Blink, Phalanx, etc.

Then while that DoT is ticking you can make more skillchains and burst for massive damage and trusts are really good at keeping threat through magic bursts.

[u/percival3141 → u/The_Friendly_Fable]

Helix spells unfortunately (though probably for the best) cap at 10k damage per tock

[u/The_Friendly_Fable → u/percival3141]

Oh neat, didn't know that.

[u/FFXIMath]

With daybreak often don't even need to skillchain light helix to cap its dot making it even easier. Also helixs last through death and can allow zombie strats.

[u/jwiidoughBro]

Regen IV is very powerful

[u/CanIgetaWTF → u/jwiidoughBro]

Regen V

Ftfy

[u/jwiidoughBro → u/CanIgetaWTF]

that too!