Why take a Red Mage?

[Black Mage FF1]

I don't like the red mage because it never finishes the job. You gotta equip him with the Masmune, in most cases, to kill a freaking worm in one hit.
Ohterwise it's all a wait. Knight attacks Worm, 500 dmg. Worm dies. BB attacks Worm, 550 dmg. Worm Dies. RM attacks Worm, 346 dmg. Worm attacks BM, 140 DMG, BW (Who had lost Hps recently) dies!

Maybe that will teach you to not take a Bm.

I hate having to have another character finish the mess when one combatant doesn't kill a monster that it should have killed. Big problem with this with RM. Even the Ninja has a better chance of not needing assistance than the RM.

Nah, the Ninja with the Katana has just a good chance to kill a Worm as a RW with the Sun Sword. The Katana is only a little stronger then the Sun.

Also, the RM has dung for running skills. The fighter and blackbelt and even the WM seem to get more close calls. That, combined with the RMs incapacity to finish what he starts, gives me reason to click to the pure breed class of my preference.

Well running isnt a big problem. I rarely have a 4 person party that fails to run when I really need to. Besides the Rm has just a good chance to run as the Bm/Wm/Fi/BB.

Also, if you're a veteran player, you have no need for the overwhelming power that a Red Mage brings to the early game. You'
re looking for a challenge, not mush. I wouldn't use a red mage on the basis that it's practically cheating in the beginning and utterly annoying in the end.

That is wrong. There are many veterans (like myself) who use the Rm all the time. I dont really need a challenge anymore. After beating all the solos (including the Solo Thief No class change), there really isnt that much challenge left to the game.

But it can't do all that at once. And, ultimately, it's going to have to be all meelee because the spell power falls to pieces. It simply becomes inferior to the ninja because the ninja can cast Fast AND do more damage.
What's the RM going to do? Cast Ice3 against monsters w/o weak points?

Wrong.
1. The Rw has more magic then the Ninja. Making him more usefull.
2. The Rw has more spell choices then the Ninja.
3. The Rw doesnt need to do it all at once. No point in healing every damn turn, or casting spells every turn.
4. If the Monster happens to be a Gas Dragon then yes, the Rw SHOULD cast ICE3. That will be more helpful in that fight then a Ninja with the Katana.

Right. It's an absolute assist character. It can't do anything on it's own.
My experience is that the spell points run out too fast, and then the fighting skill is too mediocre.

Ok if you run out of spells with the Rm before you do with the Ninja then you dont know how to use the Rm.

Right. It's an absolute assist character

At the end of the game, yeah he sort of is. But so is the Ninja. At least the Rm is NOT an assist in the beginning. He is a great character. Unlike the thief who is worthless and CANNOT do anything usefull.


Heh, this is a long post.