#NerfBRD

[Valence]

BRD is so strong because the developers continue to balance it (and MCH) without a DRG in mind (for piercing), in addition to Crit scaling being far higher than any other substat this tier - just as its been the last two expansions. From what I understand, no job is balanced with any sort of party or buff synergy in mind, which just adds to the problem.

To be honest, ranged physical without a dragoon are utter trash though. Even bard's rDPS right now isn't that high considering how much they lose due to piercing. It's good though, very good, no denying that.

[HyoMinPark]

To be honest, ranged physical without a dragoon are utter trash though. Even bard's rDPS right now isn't that high considering how much they lose due to piercing. It's good though, very good, no denying that.

I never said that they weren’t awful without a DRG—there’s a reason why most BRDs and MCHs who care about their damage won’t run in groups without a DRG. I ran the entirety of Deltascape without one, and most of Sigmascape without one. You don’t need to tell me how awful it feels to be without a DRG. I only said that they are not balanced with piercing in mind, which, in addition to the power creep of critical hit scaling as an expansion progresses, is why they have ended up stronger than they were probably intended. Yoshida has gone on record saying that both BRD and MCH are balanced as just BRD and just MCH, not BRD+DRG or MCH+DRG. We can’t have our own way to apply Piercing because, according to him, it would make us “too OP”.


Speaking in terms of their rDPS, though, BRD does have extremely high rDPS contributions with its entire kit. Proper BV usage and 100% uptime for the critical up buff individually are almost equivalent to what piercing gives a single physical ranged. The top speedkill for the Final Omega has a comp of PLD/WAR/SCH/AST/DRG/BRD/SMN/BLM. BRD contributed 280.7 rDPS from Foe’s, 264.0 rDPS from BV, and 364.5 rDPS from Critical Up. That’s a total of 909.2 rDPS contribution.

Not a small number.

For comparison:
—DRG brought 85.9 (Dragon Sight) + 482.5 (Litany) + 310.6 (Piercing) = 879.0 rDPS
—SCH brought 536.5 (Chain) + 336.8 (Fey Wind) = 873.3 rDPS
—AST brought 553.6 (Balance) + 104.8 (Spear) + 52.0 (Arrow) = 710.4 rDPS
—SMN brought 29.4 + 116.6 (Devotion) + 475.0 (Contagion) = 621 rDPS

So BRD had the highest rDPS contribution in that speed kill.

For the second highest speed kill (Final Omega again), with a comp of PLD/WAR/SCH/AST/NIN/DRG/BRD/SMN:

—BRD: 359.6 (Foe’s) + 372.1 (Critical Up) + 263.7 (BV) = 995.4 rDPS
—DRG: 104.4 (Dragon Sight) + 475.3 (Litany) + 354.7 (Piercing) = 934.4 rDPS
—NIN: 63.2 (Slashing) + 837.3 (TA) = 900.5 rDPS
—AST: 666.1 (Balance) + 100.4 (Spear) = 766.5 rDPS
—SCH: 667.8 rDPS (Chain)
—SMN: 49.1 (Contagion) + 171.3 (Devotion) + 114.7 = 335.1 rDPS


So you’re correct in saying BRD (and MCH) feel like trash to play without a DRG. But you’re wrong to say that BRD’s rDPS contribution “isn’t that great” compared to what they lose with piercing. Piercing is a godsend—that’s coming from a BRD main—but, executed properly, a BRD’s rDPS contribution is almost 3 times the amount of piercing. These calculations do not reflect any benefit that BRD receives (which their benefit from Foe’s is minuscule, and they do not benefit from any other buff in their kit), and would be unchanged if piercing was taken from the equation.