Dragoon, under the shadow of Ninja

[Zophar]

So, I felt this deserved it's own thread. I've been sitting here, looking at numbers, and comparing abilities between ninja and dragoon, and what I'm seeing, is a slaughter. Nin overpowers drg in nearly every aspect. now, before anyone gets defensive, I'm not asking for a nerf to nin, I'm asking for a buff to drg, that was much needed even before nin was released. The general consensus is that, there is no longer any reason to bring drg along for anything that matters anymore, and, honestly, the numbers back it up. I'm gonna give some comparisons here, and I'll let the community chime in and judge for themselves. Here we go.

[Zophar]

Combos: Ninja has 3 combos.
Aeolean edge combo: 670 potency straight dps combo
Dancing Edge combo: 610 potency combo with a 10% slashing debuff & 20% healing debuff attached to it, which, despite the english description, has no positional requirement
Shadow Fang combo: 350 damage 2 step combo with an 18 second 40 potency dot.

Dragoon has 2 combos(No I don't count the RoT combo)
Full Thrust combo: 680 straight dps combo
Chaos Thrust combo: 600 potency combo, with a 10% piercing debuff and a 30 second 30 potency dot attached. Combo MUST be started from the rear in order to continue the combo.

[Zophar]

Dots:

Ninja:
Mutilate: 60 potency attack with 30 second 30 potency dot
Shadow Fang: 18 second 40 potency dot at the end of 350 potency 2 step combo.

Dragoon:
Phlebotomize: 170 potency attack with 18 second 25 potency dot.
Chaos Thrust: 30 second 30 potency dot at the end of 600 potency 3 step, positional combo.

[Ruri]

All depends on how good the player is, i've done 100 more dps than a nin the same ilvl as me as drg. and sometime they tie, and sometimes they win by a little bit. But yes I agree drg could use a little boost.

[Zophar]

Off gcd attacks:

Ninja:
Trick Attack: 400 potency attack with 10 second 10% full damage debuff with rear requirement
OR
Sneak Attack: 500 potency attack with frontal requirement. SA and TA share 60 second recast.
Jugulate: 80 potency attack with Silence OR Stun depending on venom. 30 seconds
Assassinate: 200 potency attack usable when target's HP is 20% or lower. 40 seconds.
Ninjitsu: 20 second recast with your choice of the following attacks:
Raiton: 360 potency
Suiton: 180 potency, gives buff that allows you to use SA or TA.
Katon: 180 potency AoE
Hyoton: 140 potency with 15 second bind
Doton: 24 second 30 potency ground circle AoE dot
Huton: 15% haste for 70 seconds

Dragoon:
Leg Sweep: 130 potency attack + stun 20 second recast. May be restricted when stun resist is an issue.
Jump: 200 potency attack. 40 seconds.
Spineshatter Dive: 170 potency attack with stun. 60 second recast. May be restricted when stun resist is an issue.
Dragonfire Dive: 250 potency AoE. 120 seconds.

[Zophar]

Native offensive support:

Ninja:
Wasp/Viper. 20% damage. No drawback. Effect ends on reuse.
Huton: 15% haste. 20 seconds.
Kassatsu: Ninjitsu timer reset + guaranteed crit on next ninjitsu. 2 mins.
Dancing Edge: 20 second slashing debuff

Dragoon:
Heavy Thrust: 15% damage buff 20 seconds. Must be applied from the flank.
Life Surge: Critical damage on next hit + 10% max hp restored. 90 seconds.
Blood for Blood: +30% damage dealt, +25% damage received. 20 seconds. 80 second recast.
Power Surge: +50% damage on next Jump or SpineShatter Dive. 120 seconds.

[Zophar]

Utility:

Ninja:
Goad: 30 second, 20tp per tick restore on one party member
Jugulate: Silence or Stun every 30 seconds.
Dancing Edge: 10% Slashing resist debuff + 20% healing received debuff. Will always benefit tank.
Trick Attack: 10 second 10% damage taken up. Benefits entire party or raid.

Dragoon:
Feint: 20% Slow for 20 seconds with diminishing returns. GCD ability, costs dps to use.
Leg Sweep: Stun. 20 second recast.
Spineshatter: Stun. 60 second recast
Disembowel: 10% piercing resist debuff

[Zophar]

Cross Class Skills:

Both classes draw from monk, so I will only focus on their second class

Ninja:
Feint
Keen Flurry
Impulse Drive
Invigorate
Blood for Blood

Dragoon:
Forsight
Skull Sunder
Fracture
Blood Bath
Mercy Stroke

[Zophar]

All depends on how good the player is, i've done 100 more dps than a nin the same ilvl as me as drg. and sometime they tie, and sometimes they win by a little bit. But yes I agree drg could use a little boost.

You are of course correct. This statement will always be correct. But of course, the point here is, you take a NIN and a DRG, with equal gear and equal skill at their job, and the winner will always be NIN.

[Ruri]

You are of course correct. This statement will always be correct. But of course, the point here is, you take a NIN and a DRG, with equal gear and equal skill at their job, and the winner will always be NIN.

Yes that is currently true. Guess good NIN's are rare though atm. Same with drg however.