LogFAQs > #973791549

Black mages are really powerful in FFT, as long as you have a high faith unit, and ideally a female for better MA multiplier. I believe that class has the highest MA in the game, aside from maybe special classes. Level 1/2 spells can do a lot of damage. It's true that level 3's and 4's aren't as good, but if you're checking the CT to time things, it's perfectly serviceable to use a level 3. And once you learn one level 3 and find out it isn't that great, you'll just go back to lower level spells and save JP for Flare. (this is something like what I did my first playthrough, not knowing at all what I was doing)

I think it is a flaw that the more powerful, slower spells and abilities just aren't that good later in the game, when you finally can learn them, due to the fact that the charge time doesn't scale with the user's speed, and everyone's speed value gets higher as you progress. Though, the lower level spells still get enough of a damage boost to be okay. Maybe not the best for taking down those late game bosses, but you have Orlandu and others for that.

Granted, I could see someone not understanding how the system works, and the game doesn't always help with this. Like, understanding faith, and when buying equipment, not using "best fit" all the time, since, for armor, this only takes into account HP and not the often times more important stat boosts you can get (PA, MA, MP, speed).