A couple DPS class questions

Hey guys, I am trying to figure out which DPS job to level for doing solo content/leves.

I main a tank for dungeons so won't be DPSing much in those.

Is the Archer/Bard the only mobile ranged DPS class that can cast their abilities while moving?

With as much movement requirements as there are from mobs, how bad is the DPS hit on the classes that have to stand still to cast?

I want to switch to a job that kills quicker than my paladin does as I grind through leves.

From the sounds of it you want an Arcanist/Summoner for solo content.

Arcanists and Summoners have a tank pet that can hold aggro for you while you can stand in one spot and dps. You would have to manage their aoe threat by making them attack different targets so you dont pull aggro.

Conversely SCH (healer) is op for solo content imo, you'll have aggro but you can shield yourself with adlo, dps and have your pet healing you while you take damage effectively making you invincible (so long as you're not getting oneshot by anything which shouldn't be the case afaik). Cleric stance makes their dots more than powerful enough to clear solo content. If you get debuffed you can cleanse yourself (e.g. morbol alexandrite map > leeches the bind > get out of the way).

SCH is what I use for solo content now.

Arcanist is nice solo once you get Topaz Carbuncle, because you can have it tank for you while you kill stuffs.

Edited: Beat to the punch :(

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Originally Posted by siverstorm

SCH is what I use for solo content now.

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I just want to second this. When I'm doing Alexandrite Maps, I break out my SCH if I need to solo them. It's slow but completely risk free.

You can solo stuff with a Bard fairly easily by kiting, but if something has ranged attacks or you get mobbed, you can go down easily. I agree with the above suggestions though. Solo Bard is possible, but you'll have an easier time with an Arcanist/Summoner.

If we compare level 50 jobs, then White Mage all the way. Tag all your targets and move to where they congregate, then spam Holy, an area of effect spell that also stuns enemies. But Holy is a level 45 skill, and before getting Holy, White Mage solo is just spamming the same Stone/Stone 2 single target spell, making it faster than your Paladin but extremely boring.

For beast tribe dailies, for running FATEs, for farming mob drops, the level 50 White Mage is really great.

I have dumb question...I thought the solo stuff stopped after level 50...is that not true?

Only "solo" content I do where having a well rounded class is maps. Pestieskins I'll typically try to bring a tank along or tank it and bring a healer along. Most are easily solo'd at this point of the game but I figure better to be safe than sorry.

Other maps like alexandrites I would prefer being a sch, unhiddens are stupid easy and could probably just be solo'd by fresh 50s.

whm / sch is good but a geared blm can pull a lot of stuff bunch them up couple fire 2s, 3 flares everything is dead and your still standing.. but physick helps a lot for blm and survivability.

the only thing I have trouble with solo blm is pieteskin maps and that is only a certain mob spawn, best to have a healer along for those also theres a few key fates that are tough solo for a\ny class but you don't really have need to do those .

however if you want mobility and heals sch is the better choice in my opinion.

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Originally Posted by AzraelX

I have dumb question...I thought the solo stuff stopped after level 50...is that not true?

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Let's see...Atma grind, Animus books, Alexandrite grind, treasure maps, beast tribe dailies, farming mob drops, mob hunts, leve/grand company achievements. There must be more I missed.

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Originally Posted by AzraelX

I have dumb question...I thought the solo stuff stopped after level 50...is that not true?

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Originally Posted by Zfz

Let's see...Atma grind, Animus books, Alexandrite grind, treasure maps, beast tribe dailies, farming mob drops, mob hunts, leve/grand company achievements. There must be more I missed.

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I often farm FATES to get company seals, and I usually end up soloing now that the Atma rush is fading a little.

There is plenty of stuff you can do solo, and that's usually what I do while I wait 45+ minutes in dungeon cues T_T

Of the classes I've leveled, BLM is the easiest to solo almost everything. Outside of dungeons, Sleep is one of the most broken skills in the game, and their damage is very high. That said, I use SCH for Alex maps, because of the chance of running into the Morbol. The combo of Vine Probe (bind) + Bad Breath caused me to waste 3 maps on BLM. The flipside is that playing on SCH makes a couple of the maps much trickier, though still doable (the puk adds to the cyclops make things very exciting, and the bomb adds to the golem have killed me more than once if I was slow in switching targets and burning them down).

You mention BLM's sleep, then talk about running into the Morbol's Bad Breath.... which is easily answered with sleep

Thank you all for the input.

I am going to give black mage and scholar a go and see which I like better.

Thanks again for the advice.

Are the DPS classes pretty balanced or are some shining more over others?

We had a Ninja with us last night that was doing really nice damage in stone vigil.