How to Dragoon per Second: A DPS Paradigm

[Thendiel]

THIS GUIDE WAS WRITTEN BY DERVY YAKIMI. I (Thendiel) have merely copied and pasted it here with his permission, since he is now banned from the forums. I will keep the information up-to-date as needed, which is the main purpose of my re-posting the thread.

May we cherish our old shrines forever.
R.I.P 02/09/13 – 19/08/15
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...otation-Reborn
R.I.P. 07/06/2015 – 12/09/2015
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...A-DPS-Paradigm

Contents

• Introduction
• What is the Dragoon?
• The Abilities
  - Global Cooldown Skills
  - Off-Cooldown Skills
  - Buffs
  - Cross-Class Skills
• The Rotation
  - Understanding the GCDs
  - Rotation with no BotD
  - Area of Effect Rotations
• Cooldowns
  - Cooldown Management
  - Geirskogul
  - Blood for Blood
  - Life Surge Usage
  - Basic Opener for Dragoons
  - Blood of the Dragon Cooldown Usage
• Advanced Dragoon Off-Cooldown usage and tips
  - Advanced Opener
  - Geirskogul Usage
  - Blood for Blood and Geirskogul Relationship
  - Dropping abilities in favour of Blood of the Dragon up time
• Number Crunching Mess Hall
  

Introduction

This thread is your number one resource for the Dragoon. Originally written by Ayvar Bjornstad as a basic guide for the Dragoon, the thread has evolved into something much more since the release of this game. It’s not just a guide on how to play the Dragoon, nor is it just a Q&A Session for new players to ask questions, but a place where all Dragoons can discuss and be free to talk. Whether it be rants about loot, miscellaneous chatter, or in depth theorycrafting, all discussion is welcome here. Think of this place as your second home, rather than just a thread on a forum. We’re a community; you may even call us a family.

This rather lengthy post is the best summary of all information collected within the past year of discussion about the Dragoon and will continuously be updated for many years to come as we progress through more patches and expansion Packs.

What is the Dragoon?

The Dragoon is a melee DPS job which focuses on a lengthy priority system and combo bonuses, to deal heavy amounts of damage to our foes. It consists of maintaining juggling around two combos and weaving in powerful off-cooldown skills, 3 of which are Jumps, a completely unique mechanic for our Job. However, as you improve as a player and gain experience with certain raid bosses and mechanics, the priority system of the Dragoon becomes extremely fluid and will inevitably allow you to follow a predictable rotation.

Us Dragoons also have the highest HP pool and defences of any DPS job in the game – That’s what separates us from the rest, being rather defensive and also dealing incredible amounts of burst damage.

The Abilities


Global Cooldown Skills

• Heavy Thrust – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 100. 170 when executed from a Target’s Flank. Additional Effect: Increases Damage Dealt by 15% – Duration: 24s
• Phlebotomize – Delivers an Attack with a Potency of 170 – Additional Effect: Damage over Time – Potency: 30 – Duration: 24s

• True Thrust – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 150
• Vorpal Thrust – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 100. Combo Action: True Thrust – Combo Potency: 200
• Full Thrust – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 100. Combo Action: Vorpal Thrust – Combo Potency: 360 Combo Bonus: Grants either Fang & Claw or Wheeling Thrust

• Impulse Drive – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 180.
• Disembowel – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 100. Combo Action: Impulse Drive – Combo Potency: 220 – Combo Bonus: Reduces target’s piercing resistance by 10% – Duration: 30s
• Chaos Thrust – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 100. 150 when executed from behind the target Combo Action: Disembowel – Combo Potency: 220 – Rear Combo Potency: 250 – Combo Bonus: Damge over Time - Potency: 35 - Duration: 30s Combo Bonus: Grants either Fang & Claw or Wheeling Thrust

• Wheeling Thrust – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 200. 290 when executed from Targets Rear. Can only be executed under the effect of Blood of the Dragon & Enhanced Wheeling Thrust - Combo Bonus: Extends Duration of Blood of the Dragon by 15s, up to a maximum of 30s
• Fang and Claw – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 200. 290 when executed from from Targets Flank. Can only be executed under the effect of Blood of the Dragon & Sharper Fang and Claw. - Combo Bonus: Extends Duration of Blood of the Dragon by 15s, up to a maximum of 30s

• Ring of Thorns – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 100 to all nearby enemies. Combo Action: Heavy Thrust – Combo Potency: 150
• Doomspike – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 160 to all nearby enemies in a straight line before you.

Off-Cooldown Skills

• Jump – Delivers a jumping attack with a potency of 200. Returns you to your original position after the attack is made. Cannot be executed while bound - Recast time: 30s
• Spineshatter Dive – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 170 - Additional Effect: Stun – Duration: 2s Recast Time: 60s - Cannot be executed while bound
• Dragonfire Dive – Delivers a jumping Fire-Based attack with a potency of 250 to all nearby enemies - Recast Time: 120s - Cannot be executed while bound.
• Leg Sweep – Delivers an attack with a Potency of 130 - Additional Effect: Stun – Duration: 3s Recast Time: 20s
• Geirskogul – Delivers a Straight Line AOE attack for 200 Potency. Can only be executed under the effect of Blood of the Dragon. Reducdes duration of Blood of the Dragon by 10s Recast time: 10s
  

Buffs

• Blood of the Dragon – Increases damage dealt by Jump and Spineshatter dive by 30%. Grants Sharper Fang & Claw, and Enchanced Wheeling Thrust when completing a combo of Full Thrust or Chaos Thrust. Can be extended through "Fang and Claw" and "Wheeling Thrust". Duration: 15s Recast time: 60s
• Battle Litany – Increases Critical Hit Rating for you and all nearby allies by 15%. Duration: 20s Recast time: 180s
• Blood for Blood – Increases Damage Dealt by 30% and damage suffered by 15% – Duration: 20s Recast time: 80s
• Life Surge – Ensures critical damage for first non-magic action used whilst Life Surge is active. Damage dealt will be absorbed as HP, up to 10% of Maximum HP.Duration: 10s - Recast time: 50s
• Invigorate – Instantly restores 500 TP - Recast time: 120s
• Keen Flurry –Increases parry rate by 80% – Duration: 20s - Recast time: 90s
• Power Surge – Increases the damage dealt by a single Jump or Spineshatter Dive by 50% – Duration: 10s - Recast time: 60s
• Elusive Jumps – Executes a jump to a location 15 yalms behind you, while removing any Heavy or Bind effects – Additional Effect: Halves enmity – Duration: 20s - Recast time: 90s

Recommended Cross-Class Skills

• Internal Release – Increases critical hit rate by 10% – Duration: 15s Recast time: 60s *** MANDATORY
• Second Wind – Instantly restores own HP.Cure Potency: 450. Cure potency varies with current attack power - Recast time: 120s
• Foresight – Increases defence by 20% – Duration: 20s - Recast time: 120s
• Bloodbath – Converts 25% of physical damage dealt into HP – Duration: 15s - Recast time: 120s
• Mercy Stroke – Delivers an attack with a potency of 200. Can only be executed when targets is HP below 20% – Recast time: 90s

Abbreviations

• H = Heavy Thrust
• P = Phlebotomize
• IDC = Chaos Thrust Combo
• TTT= Full Thrust Combo
• IDC4 = Chaos Thrust Combo + 4th Tier Ability
• TTT4 = Full Thrust Combo + 4th Tier Ability
• 4th/ 4th Tier Ability = Either Fang & Claw, or Wheeling Thrust
• BotD = Blood of the Dragon