How to Dragoon per Second: A DPS Paradigm

[JackFross]

I see, thanks. Do you apply the Chaos Thrust combo on the add as well? Or are you just using HT -> double TTT combo on it?
We have a Ninja by the way, we just take turns on who will do the second melee cage since it's a pretty big DPS loss for both of us.

Ah, that's fair.

With no positionals since all frontal, the two combos you're looking at are:

HT>IDC4>P>TTT[pop]
100+180+220+(200+200+170+150+200+360)x1.1 = 1908
And:
HT>TTT4>P>TTT[pop]
100+150+200+360+200+170+150+200+360 = 1890

It averages out to be about the same, but the Disembowel also buffs up your PS+Jump, Leg Sweep, and Mercy Stroke (and geirskogul) and CT will tick about 3 times for an additional 105 potency, so I tend to use the CT one, but either is really just fine. One just gives you a bit of an extra edge over the other. I ignored HT and DoTs since that's identical between both.

(You use Phlebotomize because the 4th hit will be 200 potency and Phleb is 170+ticks - 1 tick bumps it over 200)

[Garver]

I see, thanks. Do you apply the Chaos Thrust combo on the add as well? Or are you just using HT -> double TTT combo on it?
We have a Ninja by the way, we just take turns on who will do the second melee cage since it's a pretty big DPS loss for both of us.

If you have a Ninja, you should never be doing the Purple jail in set number 2. You might have to do Purple jail in sets number 1 and 3, depending on where the bomb falls. If you trust your MCH, they can do it, but ranged dps usually gets 100% uptime in A7. Your WAR can also do the purple jail in set 1 if it falls in the second pair of jails since his Berserk will line up with that timing.

As per cooldowns, you shouldn't need to particularly pocket anything; you always get to start the jail with Leg Sweep, Power Surge + Jump, Mercy Stroke, Internal Release, and a fresh Blood activation. You also have Spineshatter to get back on the boss. Sometimes you have Dragonfire, but you really don't need it.

[JackFross]

If you have a Ninja, you should never be doing the Purple jail in set number 2.

I poked through a bit of their fflogs, Damey-chan. Their NIN is super good and it's the only Alarum jail they see in the fight, now, if they get tank/healer first, so it's totally fair to swap from pull to pull or week to week so they can both get a good parse.

[Kezy_Kaatapoh]

With no positionals since all frontal, the two combos you're looking at are:

Just wanted to make a note on this, you *can* actually hit positionals on it. What you do is stand in the center of the add, then *right* as you're about to hit the ability that has a positional, you juke over to that side and then stay there (so as not to miss any autoattacks). Every now and then it won't register due to going a tad early, but I have a pretty high success rate with it. I know there's a video from a DRG PoV somewhere out there that shows it, so I'll try and dig for it.

I usually don't bother for the initial Heavy Thrust, since I'm attempting to start attacking immediately, but I admit that it may not be optimal to do that.

It can be a helpful technique for anyone just missing it though

[Garver]

I poked through a bit of their fflogs, Damey-chan. Their NIN is super good and it's the only Alarum jail they see in the fight, now, if they get tank/healer first, so it's totally fair to swap from pull to pull or week to week so they can both get a good parse.

I assumed that he was asking questions for a clear, not for PRs on FFLogs. In the latter case, DRG taking the jail duty for the NIN to have 100% boss uptime is perfectly reasonable. Everything still lines up the same way.

[MiniTyra]

Xero, could you check your JXero reddit acc pls m8 ty ily

[Judge_Xero]

Xero, could you check your JXero reddit acc pls m8 ty ily

tyvm for the update. Cheers. ^^

- Edited: 20k Hits is pretty accurate for testing. My testing was not far off but it could be better. ty Sunny.

Please look forward to it.

[JackFross]

Can I just say that I love this raid tier? It makes me actually think about my opener and rework it slightly based on the fight in order to work all the skills in and still have them back and ready for when I want the skills again.

Like the Swindler CT>CT opener so that you don't end up with a gimped CT on the boss before the adds spawn, or shifting Jumps around in the A8S opener (I have Jump just after CT to get it in before Seeds, SSD in the normal spot, and DFD after Full Thrust to safely handle mechanics because of my groups inconsistent seed placements). It's fun and makes me actually think about things rather than just doing the same shit every encounter.

It's also the first raid tier where holding buffs can have actually significant gains. It's just really fun that DPS is a dynamic thing, rather than the static, rote, kinda droll role that it's been since forever. Like - fights have always felt like they were timed perfectly with my optimal DRG opener. Midas is the first time that mechanics have started to actively undermine it and force me to adjust.

[CookieMonsta]

Can I just say that I love this raid tier? It makes me actually think about my opener and rework it slightly based on the fight in order to work all the skills in and still have them back and ready for when I want the skills again.

yup feels almost contrived even, like YoshiP hand tuned the fights to mess with the DRG opener to serve as a skill check. I will forever hate A7S because that stupid Corporal Punishment timing is waay too conveniently annoying, its like they know thats the exact time the potion/jump is coming out.

[JackFross]

yup feels almost contrived even, like YoshiP hand tuned the fights to mess with the DRG opener to serve as a skill check. I will forever hate A7S because that stupid Corporal Punishment timing is waay too conveniently annoying, its like they know thats the exact time the potion/jump is coming out.

Right!? Same with the Seeds in A8S! And then the Execution cast comes out right after an Impulse Drive, but takes long enough that I end up delaying my Disembowel until I'm hitting the Regulator.

I don't use potions because I hate how rigid they make my opener, so I'm unsure how exactly awful they make everything, but I can only imagine.