Transpose

Transpose
(トランス, Toransu?, lit. Trance)
Icon(s)
Availability
Required	Thaumaturge 4 Black Mage 4
Classification
Type	Ability
Skillset	Class action
Effect	Swaps Astral Fire with a single Umbral Ice, or Umbral Ice with a single Astral Fire
Specifications
Cast time	Instant
Recast time	5 seconds (oGCD)
Range	Self
Duration	15 seconds

Transpose is a Thaumaturge and Black Mage ability from Final Fantasy XIV that swaps the user between the Astral Fire and Umbral Ice states.

Mechanics

Transpose Transpose Thaumaturge/Black Mage 4 Ability Class action Effects Removes all stacks of either Astral Fire or Umbral Ice and grants a single stack of the opposite state for 15 seconds, represented on the Elemental Gauge Can only be used while in Astral Fire or Umbral Ice Umbral Ice and Astral Fire effects Effect MP regen Ice spells Fire spells MP cost Potency Cast time MP cost Potency Cast time Umbral Ice x16 x0.75 — — x0.5 x0.9 — Umbral Ice II x23.5 x0.75 — — x0.25 x0.8 — Umbral Ice III x31 x0 — — x0.25 ( x0) x0.7 x0.5 Astral Fire x0 x0.5 x0.9 — x2 x1.4 — Astral Fire II x0 x0.25 x0.8 — x2 x1.6 — Astral Fire III x0 x0.25 ( x0) x0.7 x0.5 x2 x1.8 —

Use

Transpose swaps Astral Fire with a single Umbral Ice, or Umbral Ice with a single Astral Fire. At low levels it is a Black Mage's primary way of switching between the two states, as Blizzard and Fire both require two casts to accomplish the same. However, as it only grants a single stack of each state it will be superseded by Fire III, Blizzard III, and Freeze once they become available, as they grant three stacks of their respective states in a single cast.

Tranpose is necessary to switch to Umbral Ice after using Flare until the player gets the Aspect Mastery trait. Flare consumes all of the user's MP but leaves them in Astral Fire, which prevents the user from regenerating the MP necessary to use an Ice spell. Aspect Mastery resolves this and removes the need for Transpose by removing the MP cost of Ice spells during Astral Fire III.

Transpose has a short recast and can be used out of combat or during periods of downtime or movement heavy mechanics to prevent Astral Fire and Umbral Ice from falling off, ensuring the Black Mage reengages in one of the states. This only increases in importance once Enochian becomes available, as it can only be active while the Fire or Ice states are active, providing a significant damage increase. Once Enhanced Enochian becomes available Enochian will also begin generating Polyglot every 30 seconds it is active, allowing the Black Mage to use the powerful Foul and Xenoglossy. This use case is partially superseded by Umbral Soul once it is learned, but as Umbral Soul requires the user to be in Umbral Ice, Transpose may still be needed to enter that state.

Transpose is an instant cast off-global cooldown (oGCD) ability. This allows players to weave it between global cooldowns (GCD) after using instant cast spells such as Scathe.

Patch history

Version	Changes
A Realm Reborn	Added with a 12s recast. Removed the Astral Fire status and replaced it with one stack of the Umbral Ice status, or vice versa
Stormblood	Umbral Ice and Astral Fire are now part of the Elemental Gauge and are no longer represented by status effects. No longer available in PvP.
Patch 4.2	Recast time lowered to 8s.
Shadowbringers	Recast time lowered to 5s.