the 2016 Frontline tier list

[CeveArthu]

DRKs are basically monks with more health, their burst isnt bad mind you but you cant really compare it to a WAR or DRG

also popping living dead before you engage is kinda retarded because you are assuming they will burst you down in the buff time, instead of just waiting to react with it

[Praesul]

People Purify heavy? Nobody does that.

Darkside: +15% damage
Carve: 450 potency

Maim: +20% damage
Deliverance: +5% damage
Deliverance 5 stack: +10% Crit
Internal Release: +10% Crit
Berserk: +50% attack power
Fell Cleave: 500 Potency

OK. DRK does as much damage. I don't know what I'm talking about.

Lol, what an objective and factual comparison, thank you for your input. Let's just look at damage buffs and not include the offensive off GCDs that DRK can weave into it's opening burst. Because reasons.

Darkside up, Blood weapon and Dark arts prepped beforehand, Unmend 150 (ranged, cast before plunge to get the GCD rolling, GCD will be up by the time plunge + low blow finishes) plunge 220 potency + low blow 100 potency, hard slash 150, C&S 450, syphon strike 220, dark passenger 250. 1770 potency within 3 GCDs when taking into account Darkside.

WAR will have heavy swing 150, Maim 190, brutal swing 100, fell cleave 500 (not neccessarily in that order) + Berserk and IR buffing their damage.

That's 1530 potency within 3 GCDs with a higher crit chance. (this is taking into account Berserk being up for all the attacks, but maim not being up for heavy swing and maim since you need to prep it WITH those GCDs). Both tanks have access to Full Swing which should be traited so i'm not including that into the calculation.

So that's extremely similar levels of burst, and yet you think DRK does no damage? Yeah, right.


And again, my point wasn't that DRK is the best, or that WAR is shit, because I think all 3 tanks are very good. People just have no idea how much damage DRK can output when played correctly.

[Praesul]

DRKs are basically monks with more health, their burst isnt bad mind you but you cant really compare it to a WAR or DRG

also popping living dead before you engage is kinda retarded because you are assuming they will burst you down in the buff time, instead of just waiting to react with it

When you have an entire alliance of trigger happy people, they do NOT check buff bars. If you plunge into an entire group like that, they will blow absolutely everything to kill you. I also rarely do this, it's really risky and funny, but when it works it gives your alliance time to shit all over the enemy or run away.

[xxczx]

I think like 1 out of 10 people play DRK to the maximum, it just isn't a class "to be scared of"

[CeveArthu]

I think like 1 out of 10 people play DRK to the maximum, it just isn't a class "to be scared of"

to be fair that goes for all classes

[xxczx]

to be fair that goes for all classes

Yeah I agree but some classes are easier to play than other classes. SMN is your basic 1-2-3, WAR is Fell Cleave and hope for the best, etc.

[Kyani]

And again, my point wasn't that DRK is the best, or that WAR is shit, because I think all 3 tanks are very good. People just have no idea how much damage DRK can output when played correctly.

DRK brings damage, but it's really in a two-horse race - I would never replace the first few Paladins with a Warrior or Dark Knight, and Warrior's defensive utility is fantastic, especially for self-preservation. You more or less have to be an exceptional DRK to meet the offensive potential of a decent WAR, but you're still missing a huge part of what makes Warrior amazing and not bringing a whole lot in exchange.

[Cidel]

Personally, I think one of those visual grid tier charts (the ones where the y axis is "Top" to "Low" tier and the x axis is "Has Faults" to "Well-Rounded," with some variations) would be a little bit more interesting to make since there are jobs with varying degrees of strengths and benefits (a SMN may be strong, but it is in no way "well-rounded").

but-

snip

I think that's an accurate break-down of the healers in a 72-man setting.

[Kyani]

Assumes I was referencing the post-screen overheal nonsense. :^)

I'm not really sure what else you'd be referencing? White Mage's "real" throughput isn't much higher than Scholar or Diurnal in a group fight, especially when you factor in how much better absorbs are than overhealing. Scholar's best healing doesn't even show up in the combat log - a crit Adlo shield is going to do way more for a focused target than all of the surrounding Benefic IIs and Cure IIs, but it counts for way less.

[Vaeria]

Agree 99% with Ulric's list. Only thing I'd swap would be sch for pld (I see 3 sch on team, i'm like yeaaah....I see 3 plds and I wanna punch a baby lala.) As for the DRK vs WAR debate..lets put it in colorful terms, k? Drk = Knitting a sweater. War = Butt Secks. How do these stack up? Knitting a sweater improves hand eye coordination, enhances hand/finger muscle strength, lowers blood pressure, improves pattern recognition, stimulates artistic ability, allows one to bring joy to a homeless person, improves the economy of the local community via the yarn store, gives farmers the will to get out of bed in the morning to shave the shee... *sigh* Just say it with me Praesul: WAR > DRK.