Welcome to Gaia! ::

Rdm hands down. Drk would never hit it sad Rdm/nin unhitable by the slow drk.

im a blm that can outhit darks, the red mage would beat the darks a** without weapons even >.<

I only said what i said because ive seen it happen so many times. Rdm wins most 1 on 1 fights. Its based on the skill of the player, and the spells, but most rdm know that their armor is nothing but just for show when fighting a drk. I seen drk beat down rdm then rdm come back a fury so divin. Drk's are power house yes but rdm's are well known for their soloing power.

very true i would know i have seen as well i have seen from lvl30 to like lvl 70 ballistas and when rdm and drk clash its just rdm killing drk and drk gettin the rdm but still the rdm seems to if he is fully healed get more kills on the drk then the drk fully healed would get on the rdm

I think it depends on which ballista, if lvl 30 DRK if no lvl cap then RDM, but at early lvls RDM doesn't really have the power to back it up

My two favorite jobs are DRK and RDM.

Sorry to say, if both jobs were of equal ability, the outcomes would vary.

Here is a full list of outcomes that I would think would happen if both characters played smart.

Level 30 CAP

The redmage would prepare with buffs and an EN spell. He would pre-cast Utsusemi and other buffs. At this level, enhancing will be particularly weak. Their only hope is to have high damage weapons.

They would open the fight with Enfeebling magic (preset macro for no downtime) and reset utsu before another DRK attack. The redmage would then hit melee for 2 USTU Worth and then get ready to recast. (Slow against DRK is a must.) for every cast of UTSU, the redmage could get in 1 double attack, and 1 healing spell. This is assuming that you may get hit once or reset a spell for another UTSU.

Unfortunatly, I have not much experience with other weapons besides GS and SYTHE, but if the DRK played accordingly, he would not use.

DRK would start by using last resort, he would engage the enemy with a macro ready for swordbash to interrupt the next utsu. Then he would quickly change to a fast weapon (dagger... does Beestinger work with DRKs?) and interrupt enfeeble attempts. When the RDM tries to recast utsu, make sure you interrupt that as well. Once all the spells are interrupted, be sure to cast DRAIN to regain some HP and take out a 2 handed weapon. Bash away at the RDM until about 2 attacks. Switch back to a quicker weapon and interrupt the casts again.

If the RDM does cast, however, just take out a daggar to take off the shadows quickly. (Does -Ga spells take out all shadows? If sure, one might consider subbing blm for a simple -ga spell). If the DRK switches weapons at appropriate times, he will not even give the RDM the chance to switch weapons.

The same strat goes with DRK throughout all of ballista, adding in some absorb spells. However, the RDM gameplay changes drastically.

40 ballista

RDMs can use Full RSE which greatly help their abilities. Fights should include a pre-cast stoneskin and phalanx up. Notice the damage on the DRK. Make sure to bio/slow/blind/para him and watch the stoneskin. If stoneskin lasts 4+ hits, you may want to consider using this instead, casting right before the final hit. Good timing will make you nearly invincinble. If the stoneskin does not work, use Utsu instead. However, you will have around 6-10 hits world of eating up before you will take damage at this level.

The great thing about Phalanx is that it stacks. Phalanx and protect will reduce damage before the stoneskin takes the rest. This can reduce damage (without stoneskin) by up to 50%. Remember to use the Holy Sword and Buzzard Tuck in this fight. If you time all the spells correctly, you will take minimum damage while reducing the DRK to very little.

50 Ballista:

DRKs use Souleater more here to take care of mages. They often get careless in their lust for ultimate damage, so take advantage of the high delay. Be sure to use a higher damage sword than your AF1. Same tactics as 50, but look out for the DRK's damage if they hit you. If they do, expect a lot more damage to be done, into the 100s. Cures are a must, and stoneskin effects mean less. Rely on the shadows! You will also be doing less damage, but not a LOT less at this point. You may want to consider +attack armor to conpensate for this.

Also, at this level you will have another option tactic.
Assuming that your opponent doesn't have a poison potion on them, you could use my special sleep tactic (which has given be to use RDM as an assasin instead of enfeebler xd ). You must sub BLM though, and have high INT

1) Phalanx, Stoneskin, Protect, Blink
2) Elemental Seal + Bind
3) Enfeeb Macro Slow/Gravity/Blind
NO BIO II! THIS WILL WAKE UP THE ENEMY! Also, the DRK trait resist paralysis will make paralyze worthless at this level.
4) Sleep and run back.
5) Cast elemental spells, running in between, letting gravity affect them greatly.
6) once gravity runs out, use Bind + sleepII
7) Convert and heal if needed
cool Re-cast gravity and continue to Nuke.
9) continue and make sure to drag this fight out a lot. Make sure that you conserve your MP. Also, once the DRK has less than 100ish HP (estimate) Cast BioII, poison, and Rasp. This will take off around 5HP/tick, thus rendering him helpless for 20 ticks.
10) Run away, your job is done. He will die a horrible death.

This method will only work if that first Bind works, and if you have enough MP to carry this out. Make sure that SleepII sticks if you can. If you don't have uber high INT, your enfeebs will not stick. For the most part, most melee aren't prepared for this sort of attack tactic, so I have killed many warrior type jobs like this. It works.

60 Ballista

Same tactics as before. Depending on your stratagy and equiptment, it may be more/less effective. DRK damage at this level is killer. Make sure you have full AF and a fast cast so you can time everything better!
I would suggest with NIN to have 2 Wise Wizard Analaces. +12 attack each. Then add a swordbelt, tiger scarf, and some other things, you can get +50 attack easily. Haste is a must.

75 Ballista

I have seen many tactics work. The same combat one works, but use a joyuse and another fast sword. I have also seen RDM/DRK use a hornneedle and haste to lower the delay to below 100! This is around 5 attacks per 1 attack from a DRK's scythe. With an EN spell and high attack, this can bring damage to around 30 per hit. This is 100-150 Damage (with good accuracy) per every hit on DRK. Mix this with Enfeebs and Buffs and you are killer.

Unfortunately, the damage on DRKs are insane here. One attack will rip up stoneskin. Phalanx will knock off 20 damage, and ProtectIV will knock off another 20 maybe. Bio spells will help limit another 10-20... but they can still hit for 150+ per smack. The trick to RDM dueling in ballista is being PREPARED and using GOOD TIMING!

DRKs can easily defeat a RDM with being prepared as well, and using weapons wisely. I have seen battles go both ways in 75 ballista.

Hope this helps people's arguments!

Great points, but in reality, just the opposite happens.

RDMs at 30 are weak. Period. With the lack of good buffs/debuffs, a good weapon, good armour, and good healing, the DRK would win unless the DRK didn't know how to play.

Once you hit 40 Cap, things change a bit more. Phalanx + Stoneskin is not a bad combo, as DRK weapons don't hit as often or as hard as in later levels. Debuffing sticks better now.

50 things even out. See my tactics post.

Once you hit 60 ballista, everyone is in full AF. The DMG on RDM is not too bad with dual Wise Wiz's, but the defence on a DRK greatly defeats that of a RDM by now. The weapons used eat away at stoneskin, and your only hope is having the MP to outlast the DRK.

Once at 75, DRKs can take out stoneskin in one hit, the Weaponskills do massive damage, and RDMs usually can't keep up. Only hopes here are to Bio/blind/slow/para/rasp