How to Dragoon per Second: A DPS Paradigm

[JackFross]

I'll chime in that the PLD there can be +100 over what he is, as well. As the MT, you get 9 GCDs before Concussion. With a NIN in the party, you should be getting Shadewalker, which means the pull should be:
Sheltron>FoF>FB>Swipe+CoS>RB>Spirits>GB>FB>SB>RA>FB>RB>GB>Concussion.

Your first GB should (regrettably) hit exactly as the boss' hitbox changes size. If you're even 1s slow on this, you'll fail to get the second GB.

That'll put you up over 550, assuming you don't have dps jump the gun. You need to face-pull to get that Shield Swipe proc before he gets big.
Even if you miss the GB (as I did here, since I stupidly threw a Shield Lob) - you should still be up over 600 with that opener. Which is a significant jump up from the 430 the PLD pulls in that opener. Just also be sure to not be me! Rampart+Awareness on the pull makes those initial punches hit like pillows.

That said, I will make the comment I always make in these situations - any DPS with a 230 weapon should be pulling 1300+ on that opener. If you're not, you need to re-evaluate what you're doing and improve it. BRD and MCH should be the highest there, by the way, not least because they can start their dots off before he gets big and then re-up them fully buffed at the end of the opener.

Those two have the biggest burst in the game, so in any situation where a 30s parse sees any other Job with a lead of 200-400 over the BRD/MCH, that ranged dps needs to look over what it's doing, imho.

There are Bards out there who can still push nearly 2000 DPS on the A5S opener while the boss is big, so yeah.

To compare bards:
Aiurily does (1987 dps)
RS+B4B+HE+Barrage pre-pull
[EA]>BL>WB>[IR]>VB>SS>[Pot]>Feint>[FA+SW]>HS>IJ>[BL>EA>BL]>HS>SS>[RA+BA]>HS>HS>HS

Mana does (1354 dps)
RS+HE+B4B+IE pre-pull
[EA]>SS>[BL]>VB>[BA]>WB>HS>[SW>Bar>EA]>HS>[BL]>IJ>HS>SS

This is both in the first 28s of the fight.
Aiurily is getting 12 GCDs in the same time Mana is getting 8, is the bottom line.