How bad are the “non-optimal” squadron classes?

Hello, it’s me again: the “NPC dungeon party” obsessed recently returned player.

So I love my squadron, and I’ve taken a lot of really good advice as to party composition for command mission dungeons. My team for a DPS job is gladiator, arcanist for threat and emergency heals respectively, and my team for a healer is marauder and two rogues which is crazy damage. The thing is I’m likely going to be running tanks through soon, but it got me thinking that I have an archer and one extra squadron member that could use some leveling, and I was contemplating some variety. Yes I could change some classes around on my established folks but also… free levels while I level my own job!

So that brings me to my question: Every class I’ve mentioned above came recommended or had proved favorable by my own preferences. How bad are the remaining, unrepresented classes? Is the divide truly that pronounced or are lancer, pugilist and thaumaturge “ok enough” that it’s a mostly lateral move between them?

It's a big difference. Thaumaturge and Pugilist simple aren't working properly and have about half the dps that Rogue has. No idea about Lancer, I've never tested one. Remember you can change Squadron members classes, so switch your bad classes to something good, level with them and then you can switch them back later if you want. If you want variety and don't mind going slower, you're probably fine with any class.

Playing optimally as tank with Squadrons is strange, because your Squad, even with Offence 5 mastery, are about as tanky as you are. A lot of the time I simply didn't bother getting emnity on every mob and let the squad handle one or two. After 53 when you start HW dungeons, the Squad are so much more tanky than you that I turned off tank stance entirely most of the time and left them to it.

I thought that was the only reason people used squads to level in the first place. Even if they're DPS you can just send them to fight the group and AFK while you earn exp.

But yeah THM and PUG are bad. They have a lot of pauses and are straight up busted in terms of skill use.

AFK works better with a Trust, Squads take a little micro managing setting them on targets or getting them to chain pull for speed. Personally I use squads because they're as fast or faster than normal groups, even if you kill every mob for more exp (for example Aurum Vale first room and letting seedlings hatch), and they're instant queue + all loot, with no chance of drama.