How to Dragoon per Second: A DPS Paradigm

[Sentinillia]

Looking for BotD uptime tips for Inception and Communion. During the downtime my timer runs out.

Your BotD SHOULD run out during the Inceptions, or at least be very close to running out, close enough to pop a Geirskogul and refresh it on your first Chaos Thrust after Inceptions resolve. Are you holding onto BotD at any point in the fight which might misalign the timer?

As for Communion, depending on the strat your only option might be to skip a Geirskogul prior to it unless your team is willing to adapt to melee uptime needs and tanks the boss in the middle rather than the edge, aiming the Sacrament in a X pattern across the arena rather than a cross. Clicky for MS-Paint reference image. The latter method allows for slightly higher uptime and possibly saves your BotD.

[The-Pope]

How come I cannot get down the 21 second BOTD? I've been trying since 3.2 and I do plenty of damage, but for some reason it always drops right when I'm using the animation, so I have to wait until 22 seconds pop up. I find myself having to skip Phlebotomize just to get down the 21 second BOTD method.

If it matters I have 690 SS.

[Wegente]

Not sure what you mean, I guess you're saying that your BOTD falls off when you use Geirskogul at 21 seconds left on the timer? Keep in mind that you can do that when you are going to start your 4-hit combo straight after; if you have to reapply Phlebotomize (and/or Heavy Thrust) first you might be tight on time, forcing you to wait until the next 4-hit combo before being able to use Geirskogul. Having more skill speed definitely helps with that though, but I'm not sure it's the optimal way of dealing with the problem.

[Daweism]

http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/W207

This is the bis btw if people didn't get it (like me lol)

Need like 1695 scripts to get belt/legs/feet -_-

Would swapping Alexandrian Belt not be better? SS Seems a tad high.

What's minimum SS, like 590?

[SunnyHirose]

How come I cannot get down the 21 second BOTD? I've been trying since 3.2 and I do plenty of damage, but for some reason it always drops right when I'm using the animation, so I have to wait until 22 seconds pop up. I find myself having to skip Phlebotomize just to get down the 21 second BOTD method.

If it matters I have 690 SS.

I'm honestly not sure how the number 21 was ever arrived at; under the assumption of a 2.4s GCD, you need the 10s to pay for Geirskogul plus 5 full GCDs (5·2.4=12, 12+10 = 22). Many people have also felt 22 is cutting it too close and I'm inclined to agree.

[Xanthe]

Would swapping Alexandrian Belt not be better? SS Seems a tad high.

Augmented Shire belt is actually about 0.321 stat weight higher than Alexandrian because crit is the primary secondary.

I'm honestly not sure how the number 21 was ever arrived at; under the assumption of a 2.4s GCD, you need the 10s to pay for Geirskogul plus 5 full GCDs (5·2.4=12, 12+10 = 22). Many people have also felt 22 is cutting it too close and I'm inclined to agree.

I tend to give myself a buffer of 23 seconds especially when there are a lot of breakaway mechanics.

[CookieMonsta]

Augmented Shire belt is actually about 0.321 stat weight higher than Alexandrian because crit is the primary secondary.



I tend to give myself a buffer of 23 seconds especially when there are a lot of breakaway mechanics.

Unless the stat-weights changed, the Alex belt comes out 0.78 str higher when you factor in the requisite Grade 5 Materia.

[Daweism]

Augmented Shire belt is actually about 0.321 stat weight higher than Alexandrian because crit is the primary secondary.



I tend to give myself a buffer of 23 seconds especially when there are a lot of breakaway mechanics.

The whole game is now break away mechanics. I miss Final Coils.

What's the minimum skill speed required? Like 590?

[SunnyHirose]

Unless the stat-weights changed, the Alex belt comes out 0.78 str higher when you factor in the requisite Grade 5 Materia.

The stat weight on skill speed lowers drastically when GCD is <2.4s compared to >=2.4s, so it's actually more like the "634 SS set" is .745 DPS better than the "592 SS set" when you consider the entire set using weight methods (at i270, 1 STR is worth approximately 1.57~1.58 DPS).

But in light of frame-locked tiering, the stat weight on skill speed is misleading when we are looking at such a fine-grained difference, so the real improvement is more like 1.18 DPS.

Mind you, that's out of ~2600 DPS theoretically (assuming the formulas are not due for another readjustment), so that kind of difference is well within the margin of error.

What's the minimum skill speed required? Like 590?

Normally I'd say there isn't a real one (theoretically, low to mid 400s maybe... 490+ with 100% Selene uptime has been comfortable for me), but in practical terms, this raid tier kind of begs for high SS just to keep it easy.

[Xanthe]

The whole game is now break away mechanics.

Well Refurbisher and Lamebrix are punching bag fights. I have pretty much 100% uptime. Just dance as close to your partner as possible. Cruise Chaser and Alexander Prime on the other hand...

What's the minimum skill speed required? Like 590?

Normally I'd say there isn't a real one (theoretically, low to mid 400s maybe... 490+ with 100% Selene uptime has been comfortable for me), but in practical terms, this raid tier kind of begs for high SS just to keep it easy.

I like to shoot for around 625 (2.39s) when possible for comfort, but it's not realistically possible without an Alexandrian Spear and the 634 SS set. With an Augmented Shire Halberd and all other stats the same you're left with 535 SS (2.43s) which I find to be less than comfortable. It's possible to bump up a tier to 2.42s with a single Quickarm 5 meld (replace one Savage Might V on weapon), but I'm not sure if that maths out to better DPS. Sunny has the right of it though. In the end lower SS is survivable with judicious use of your Geirskoguls, minimizing your time away from targets, and the boon of Selene and the occasional Arrow when Balance is being stingy.