Rough Draft For a New Monk Opener

[FoodAspectedPrimal]

So a lot of people are underestimating the fact the RoW gives a GL stack. This on top of the Perfect Balance changes have resulted in monks having the ability to execute tornado kicks with relative frequency. If used properly, you would only lose your GL stacks for a short time (1GCD without any GL and 2 GCDs at GL2) It's a tradeoff of somewhere between 70 and 100 potency to allow a high potency off-global to be executed at GL3 (note that because of GL3 buff, Tornado Kick's TRUE potency is 429).

Taking this into account, it is a DPS increase to execute Tornado Kick after a raptor form ability (in the cooldown just before a coeurl form skill), however only if shoulder tackle is off cooldown. If perfect Balance if off cooldown, Tornado Kick can be used pretty much Whenever (but is technically still optimal after a raptor form skill)

My friend and I spent the better part of yesterday theorycrafting an opener for monk, taking all of this into account. It allows for the use of 2 Tornado Kicks within a single Riddle of Fire window without sacrificing significant DPS.

Note that this opener requires that skill speed be a dump stat.

http://ffxivrotations.com/1cnj

The locations of Howling Fist, Elixir Field, and Steel Peak can be adjusted on the fly for if Forbidden Chakra becomes available from Brotherhood procs.

[Mahrze]

http://ffxivrotations.com/1cmj

The locations of Howling Fist, Elixir Field, and Steel Peak can be adjusted on the fly for if Forbidden Chakra becomes available from Brotherhood procs.

The second line, you have Twin Snakes (RoF and BH) True strike, which is outside of your PB window...

I am having more questions than answers.

[FoodAspectedPrimal]

ah, thank you. That was an error leftover from a previous iteration where Perfect Balance was early in the opener (as the old version of the opener would have). Thank you for spotting that, I have made adjustments and edited the OP with the fixed skillpath.

[wereotter]

Something I was doing yesterday that might help here, shoulder tackle is ogcd. So I would wind tackle > demolish > riddle of wind > dragon kick > fists of fire > twin snakes > inner release > snap punch > riddle of fire > forbidden chakra > bootshine > brotherhood.

This may not be as effective as yours, but maybe would help refine what you’ve put together.

[FoodAspectedPrimal]

Your version is perfectly acceptable, I would think, if you are not using a Strength Potion. Without the potion, delaying the riddle of wind until after the demolish is feasible as you wouldn't risk clipping dragon kick.
The other reason for the double tackle prior to the demolish at the start, however, is to grant the demolish the 10% damage boost from the first GL stack.

I did modify the second set of tackles with your advice, however.

[wereotter]

Yeah, I thought that might have been why you might have placed Demolish after Riddle of Wind.

Also thanks for posting

[Singularity]

Not that I have any real experience with MNK, but could you not drop Fists of Fire from the opener considering Riddle of Fire will activate it for you anyway? Could avoid the double-weave-with-potion clipping that way perhaps, which I would guess is more lost potency than 5% of a Dragon Kick.

[SoulSkyheart]

As someone who has been on trying to maximize MNK’s new changes since 4.2 dropped, this is what I have come up with and has roughly a 200 DPS larger parse compared to pre 4.2 MNK.

Think of Monk as 4.1 Warrior where Warrior had 2 burst windows: Inner Release Berserk which is full burst window, and only berserk window.

Monk has shifted to having one huge burst window, which takes advantage of the opener and then 3 min into a fight where CDs line up together again (RoF, IR, Broth.). And priority maximization.

Ill make two more posts to greatly detail how these two phases of Monk work.

[SoulSkyheart]

Opener: Courel Form—>WT—>Demolish—> RoW—>DK—>FistoF—>TwinS—>STR potion/Diversion—>SnapP—>RoF&I—>Bootshine—>Broth. TFC—>TrueS—>Howling Fist&SteelP—>Demolish—>ElixerF-->Courel Form (before RoF ends)—>TornadoK—>SnapP—>PerfectB= 3 stacks.

Never use your OGCDs before using all your buffs, including Brotherhood. You will lose out 5% extra damage. Do not forget to turn on FistofFire.

Reason why i use 1 TK in this opener is because building up GL stacks mid RoF upsets the the bonus damage from GL on your OGCDs, not to mention, losing GL stacks mid RoF resets our attack speed buff, making us get 3 GL stacks harder which is a overall potency loss to all of your weaponskills.

Next post is the smaller burst windows with a priority system.

[SoulSkyheart]

The priority system consists of:
GL>Demolish>TwinS>DK>Tackle>TK.

The purpose of this priority system is to lose as little damage as possible when executing a TK so that you do not have to reapply a Demolish or DK or TwinS with 1-2 GL stacks, but with 3.

Once all these priorities are met:
Opo Opo-->FistoW-->Raptor-->WT->Courel->TK-->RoW->Opo Opo—>FistoW.

Reason why FistoW is used on Opo Form is because we want that 20% damage once GL 2 is attained in order to use Snap Punch or refresh Demolish.

Things to look out for: NEVER use PB outside of Buff window.
NEVER use TK unless you’re close to Courel Form.
Always remember to turn on FistoF after using RoW.
Opener is complex so make sure not to tunnel in fight or else all that damage is gone.

If I’m not busy, I’ll make a Monk Rotation video for 4.2 to help other catch up to speed. This isn’t the most optimal rotation and it can be polished, however, until proven otherwise, this is the best way to maximize Monk.