Stereotypes exist for a reason. Show your dead dragoons!

[whoopeeragon]

I think the problem is SE's dumb game design this is the only Final Fantasy ever where Dragoons and Monks have around the same amount of VIT as Black Mages and White Mages, melee classes need more HP than ranged classes for obvious reasons.

DRGs and MNKs have much higher VIT than the mage classes, however, people have told me that the higher ilvl gear for melee actually drops their MAGIC defence, which is the one attribute the mage class' gears have in abundance. So if anything, they can eat physical attacks with more ease than before, but let a single flame touch their hair....

[zemogFC]

Turn 7 blues.

[Ultimatecalibur]

DRGs and MNKs have much higher VIT than the mage classes, however, people have told me that the higher ilvl gear for melee actually drops their MAGIC defence, which is the one attribute the mage class' gears have in abundance. So if anything, they can eat physical attacks with more ease than before, but let a single flame touch their hair....

Dragoon gear and caster gear has mirrored def/mdef for its ilevel. Daystar Robe, Evenstar Coat are 67 Def/115 mDef while Astrum Mail is 115 Def/67 mdef. Monk and Bard gear has averaged Def/mDef. Gloam Tabard and Auroral Tabard are 91 Def/91 mDef. Tank armor has 40% more Def and mDef than the high stat for Dragoon and Caster gear of the same ilevel. Noct Lorica is 162 Def/162 mDef.

This results in a best able to take a hit patterns of:

Physical:
Tank > Dragoon > nonDragoon DoW > Caster

Magical:
Tank > Caster > nonDragoon DoW > Dragoon

Considering that most endgame Trail damage is Magical, this results in Dragoons, even though they have the greatest non-tank hp, dying in fewer hits than any other class.

If most of the endgame damage was Physical Loldragoon would likely be Lol(caster).

[NyneAlexander]

If most of the endgame damage was Physical Loldragoon would likely be Lol(caster).

you mean lolsmn, cause manawall ftw

[silentwindfr]

yeah the difference in magic defense can lead to some pretty impressive difference between you and a monk. i do have both and when i have try some fight, the difference have shocked me. i still don't understand why the dragoon that are mainly relying on the parry for defend itself, have this low magical defense is not logical.
and with all the mechanic of the end game going mostly for the magical type, dragoon futur is not great. i did stop to play mine, because of this, most of the high end fight don't allows to the dragoon any error even blood for blood is really dangerous... on some fight it's simply impossible to use it without simply kill you.

[Metatronn]

Well, i consider myself a great Drg =P, i dont believe i die any more than other ppl. The most reasons i die is that in some minor battle, when im not paying attention i tend to use jump without thinking and that lead to some AoE damage. Other than that im pretty much good.

[mero-ix]

I can only take so much Titan HM light farming... #elusivejump

[Snat]

I have always joked to a friend of mine that plays as a Dragoon he will die and today when he really wanted to live (S Rank) he walks off a cliff xD

[ariaandkia]

...most of the high end fight don't allows to the dragoon any error even blood for blood is really dangerous... on some fight it's simply impossible to use it without simply kill you.

What I've done to get around that is:

Take damage, B4B + supercharge attacks, Cancel B4B, take damage. B4B doesn't last as long, sometimes only enough time for one attack, but in exchange, I don't take the extra damage. And if I'm doing my full stack attack, it is quite a bit of damage that I'm gaining.

[BristolRuss]

I have always joked to a friend of mine that plays as a Dragoon he will die and today when he really wanted to live (S Rank) he walks off a cliff xD

I think I was there for that. I know someone was shouting how they fell down a cliffe after Safat.