Learning How To Be A Ninja

[JinnRemona]

So I'm looking for some information on how to better perform as a Ninja. I previously played as a Bard on a different character, but it seems like the Ninja has more going on at once that needs to be paid attention to in order to keep his flow up. Like is it okay to stop my combo slightly mid combo to throw out a Ninjutsu, or should it always be done before or after I start a combo?

Things like my rotation. I'm presently at level 45, and my rotation was as follows:

Start battle with Hide>Sneak Attack>Mutilate into Spinning Edge>Gust Slash>Dancing Edge then move into position and start Spinning Edge>Gust Slash>Aeolian Edge.

I throw in Jugulate and Mutilate either when their cooldown is finished or the dot drops to reset it.

I also throw in my Ninjutsu during those combos whenever the cooldown resets, either doing Katon on groups, or Raiton on single targets, with Fuma Shuriken whenever I am away from my target dodging AOEs and think I'm out of range for Raiton.

[JinnRemona]

Now that I've hit 45 though, and unlocked the final Mudra "Jin", I've unlocked alot more Ninjutsu to work with, so I need some advice on how this will change my current battle rotation. I also have yet to unlock Shadow Fang and Trick Attack, so feel free to include those so I'm ready for when I unlock them.

Also, for anyone interested, I'm gonna include my Crossbar, incase anyone has some suggestions on how to improve on it. I haven't had any trouble with it so far though.

[Eloah]

I can try an help, though I wont say I'm the best I feel I'm fairly good, though others might have some better advice. HERE GOES NOTHING, LOL

First I will start with the mudras, now that you have all 3. The easiest way to remember the ninjutsu is to remember the ending mudra and whether the ninjutsu calls for 1, 2, or 3, mudras.

Fuma is always 1 mudra
Katon is 2 mudras ending in Ten
Raiton is 2 mudras ending in Chi
Hyoton is 2 mudras ending in Jin
Huton is 3 mudras ending in Ten
Doton is 3 mudras ending in Chi
Suiton is 3 mudras ending in Jin

I would recommend ordering them with Ten on top Jin in the center and Chi on the bottom, since Ten is heaven and Chi Earth. Right now you have Jin on top Chi in the Center and Ten on the bottom. Once you are comfortable using the mudras performing the ninjustu you want will become second nature whenever it is up. A few things about the ninjutsus though:

Huton is your personal buff that you'll want to keep up at all times, at level 54 you get a skill to help with that.
Hyoton is rarely used outside of PvP since the potency is low and it has a bind effect
Raiton or Fuma are your primary single target attacks, though if the enemy has better magic defense Fuma does more damage but Raiton is the go to most of the time.
Suiton is also single target but its primary use is to use Trick Attack and Sneak Attack without using Hide; outside of the story Hide is next to useless.
Finally Katon and Doton are your AoE moves, with Doton being a ground DoT similar to Shadowflare and Flaming Arrow. If there are 3 or more enemies its safe to use either AoE skill. However, while Katon isn't as bad, never use Doton on a single enemy, it is a waste.
In addition, at level 50 you will get the skill Kassatsu, that resets you mudras and makes the next ninjutsu crit.

Okay now that mudras are semi explained, lets try the rotation. To my understanding the rotation doesn't change much from 50 to 60 there are just a few extra skills to weave in. At 50 my basic rotation was/still is: Spinning Edge(SE), Gust Slash(GS), Dancing Edge(DE), Mutilate(Mu), SE, Shadow Fang(SF), SE, GS, Aeolian Edge(AE). With thks rotation you want to try and keep the 2 DoTs up as much as possible as well as the Slashing Resistence Down debuff. All the while weaving in ninjutsus and any other OGCD moves at your disposal.

Adding more in stages

I did write more but my tablet decided to crap out on me without saving, T.T so I will post more tomorrow,

[Darkstride]

Here are some basics...

1. Keep Huton active at all times. Once you have Armor Crush, you no longer need to refresh it consistently with Ninjutsu

2. Keep your Slashing Debuff active at all times. Warrior is your friend here, as they can do this for you so that you can use Aeolian Edge for higher potency.

3. Shadow Fang and Mutilate should be maintained. Shadow Fang takes priority.

4. Hit your positionals. If an ability has a positional requirement, you need to hit it or you lose a large chunk of damage. Aeolian Edge needs to hit the back of an enemy, while Armor Crush needs to hit the flank. If you are unable to hit either of these positionals, then use Dancing Edge as it has the highest basic combo potency.

5. Weave Mug and Jugulate in between your weapon skills as often as they are available for the added DPS. There are very few instances where you'll need to save Jugulate for a Silence or Stun.

6. Use Shukuchi. For some reason people don't like to use it, but it's an incredible mobility asset. Since you're using a controller, you can macro it to R3 for quick and easy aiming. You can also macro it with a <t> if you want to dash to a specific target.

7. AoE. We have it, use it. Use Katon for short duration fights. Use Doton if the mobs will remain in the circle for its entire duration. Kassatsu will make all ticks of Doton crit, which can be very powerful under some circumstances. Death Blossom can be useful. If you have more than 3 mobs, buff yourself and spam Death Blossom, but keep Invigorate handy and watch your TP.

8. Goad. There's no excuse not to use it, especially now that we can see the team's TP bars. If someone is getting low or you know a situation will be using a lot of AoE, Goad someone to keep things moving.

9. Trick Attack. Generally, keep thus on cooldown, but be smart about it. Make sure the target won't be disappearing or becoming immune. Also try to coordinate your buffs so that you can get the most damage out of it, and take into consideration whether your party can make the most of it. Don't always use it as your first attack on a boss, allow a short amount of time for players to get their rotation started and buffs active for maximum effectiveness. If you're unable to be behind the mob (solo or whatever other reason), you can use Sneak Attack from the front. This shouldn't be happening often, if ever, but Sneak Attack hits like a truck from the front, so it does have potential uses. Generally, though, you don't want your group to miss out on the debuff that Trick Attack provides so always prioritize that and plan for proper positioning.

As for your cross hotbar setup, I would suggest taking movement into condiseration. You'll want to be able to cast Mudra/Ninjutsu while moving, which can be difficult if you have them assigned to a D-Pad. You'll want to be able to move with Death Blossom as well, since you'll be at Point Blank range and might be subjected to an array of AoE to dodge. I think the DPad is better suited for buffs and utility.

[Malicewolf]

next level you'll get shadow fang. When you do, use that as your main DoT. Mutilate is also good to have on, but shadow fang is better. I will opt out of mutilate unless it's a boss or an enemy with lots of hp (then I'll put both on). Remember, a DoT that doesn't finish before your enemy dies usually means you'd of been better off using a combo move for more attack potency. Mutiliate lasts for a while, but low dmg. Most mobs won't last long enough to benefit from it fully (hopefully).

Doton is your friend when you have large mobs. Katon is also. Doton is better for prolonged killing, katon is better if you know the trash will die quickly. Kassatsu will be your best friend for large mobs later on. Launch katon, then a doton after for the crits. Or the other way around if you'd rather the crits on the katon. Preference really and still dependent on how long you think the mob will last.

Hyoton is awesome for PVP. I use it all the time to stop running enemies and bind them. But in PvE, much less use. I did use it in my job quest for NIN in the lvl 60 one though. You get chased by a fairly strong enemy. I had to run around in circles and let my DoTs do some work... it was sad, but worked :P

Suiton - this is your new best friend. No need to hide anymore. Although, it is best to save your ninjitsu and use hide if you plan to use sneak attack or trick attack on mob enemies. Bosses will see you and your hide will disappear though, so suiton becomes amazing for these. Use Trick attack when you get it over sneak. The potency is less, but the vulnerability you get on the target for 10 seconds will greatly exceed the extra potency majority of the time. Just get the positional correct. Nothing worse than missing the positional with trick attack =(

Huton - Should be kept up at all times if possible. MUCH easier when you get armor crush at level 54. Usually it will stay up through a mob fight without needing a refresh until after.

You already seem to know about Raiton and Fuma and using them appropriately.

You should be weaving your ninjitsu's in between your combos if possible. I have them memorized now, so I can get them through fairly quickly without messing up my rotation. When you get very good, getting your ninjitsu in between combo's will usually only slow your combo down by maybe a second.

Try to make sure you take advantage of all your perks! Many don't. Use wasp when your jugulate is available (unless you WANT to silence). Use viper when mug is available. By no means is the hp back from mug going to be life saving, but it's still helpful. Also, I tend to stay out of wasp when fighting boss's. But that is because I main tank and nothing is more annoying than going to stun a boss from using a cast to find he's now resistant and I don't have enough time to get out. It's situational, but do be cognizant if you are stunning without the need to as it builds resistance. I notice most NIN's don't stance dance much, but you can if you truly want to maximize. Otherwise, just stay in one or the other based on need/preference. I will also say, with trick attack available, I usually save both jugulate and mug until after I hit my target and get the vulnerability debuff up. Maximize the damage in that time and they are both OGCD's that can be weaved in easily. Also good to make sure slashing debuff from dancing edge is up prior to getting your trick attack off. And lastly, try to make it so your first attack will be aeolian edge once trick attack goes off. If all timing is right, you'll hit with your strongest combo (aeolian) 2 times. 10 seconds goes by VERY quickly. Maximize the damage in this time frame!

When you reach 60, you will have a LOT of moves at your disposal. But at the moment, your combo that you are using is appropriate for your level. Keep the debuff on using dancing edge, otherwise upkeep your dots and use positional's with aeolian edge. It's not a big change by any means, but you may want to do dancing edge combo first, then use mutilate. only because you'll get a slightly stronger hit with the initial mutilate hit. But hardly a big deal.

[DarkerOrange]

And lastly, try to make it so your first attack will be aeolian edge once trick attack goes off. If all timing is right, you'll hit with your strongest combo (aeolian) 2 times. 10 seconds goes by VERY quickly. Maximize the damage in this time frame!

There is alot wrong with your post, but this needs to be flagged up ASAP. Your first skill after TA should NOT be Aeolian Edge. 90% of the time it will be Shadow Fang, usually followed by Mutilate, unless it has just been applied.

Also, Mutilate only needs to tick 4 times to be better than Spinning Edge, 5 times to be better than Gust Slash, and 9 times or more will make it your strongest skill outside of Trick Attack. Unless the enemy will die within 15 secs, Mutilate should be up.

General rotation should be, Spinning>Gust>Dancing>Spinning>Shadow>Mutilate>Spinning>Gust>Aeolian/Armor Crush as needed, and repeat.

[Eloah]

yay thats my rotation, im doing something right, yayeth.

[JinnRemona]

So what about Ninjutsu? What's the best situations to be using the different jutsu? Cause I know I should start with Huton, for the attack speed boost, but should I always prioritize keeping that up, or keeping Doton on the ground for groups, or using Katon or Raiton to attack? There's so many different options, it gets kinda confusing in the heat of the moment on which is more important to do.

[Darkstride]

So what about Ninjutsu? What's the best situations to be using the different jutsu?

Always have Huton up. Until you get Armor Crush, you'll need to use Ninjutsu to refresh it. If your Huton buff timer has less than 20 secs, it's time to refresh.

Huton always takes priority.

For the rest:

Single target: Raiton

AoE: Katon for short fights, Doton for longer fights (if the mobs will stay in the circle and it will last it's entire duration). The best option for big mob groups is to use Katon > Kassatsu > Doton, if it's available.

Suiton: You'll be using Suiton to give yourself access to Trick Attack without needing to Hide. If Huton is active and TA is not on cooldown, then Suiton is your next priority.

You don't really need to worry too much about the rest, these are your core Ninjutsu.

As for the Mudra combos, it seems like a lot to remember but they will eventually become second nature and muscle memory will do the work for you. For ease of use, I personally have them set up on my Hotbar in the order Ten > Chi > Jin.

This way, all single target Ninjutsu moves from left to right:
Fuma - Ten
Raiton - Ten Chi
Hyoton - Ten Jin
Suiton - Ten Chi Jin

Raiton is your basic single target attack, while Katon is your basic AoE. Their cast order is opposite one another:
Raiton - Ten Chi (left to right)
Katon - Chi Ten (right to left)

Doton just needs to end in Ten, the middle mudra, otherwise the order doesn't matter.

Your buffs, Suiton and Huton are also opposite one another. Suiton goes left to right - Ten Chi Jin
Huton goes right to left - Jin Chi Ten

[Malicewolf]

There is alot wrong with your post, but this needs to be flagged up ASAP. Your first skill after TA should NOT be Aeolian Edge. 90% of the time it will be Shadow Fang, usually followed by Mutilate, unless it has just been applied.

Also, Mutilate only needs to tick 4 times to be better than Spinning Edge, 5 times to be better than Gust Slash, and 9 times or more will make it your strongest skill outside of Trick Attack. Unless the enemy will die within 15 secs, Mutilate should be up.

General rotation should be, Spinning>Gust>Dancing>Spinning>Shadow>Mutilate>Spinning>Gust>Aeolian/Armor Crush as needed, and repeat.

Mutilate is useful when the enemies health is high enough to for the entire duration, otherwise, yes, the potency may be good enough, but you could just as quickly burn without it and fit in other useful combinations. Sure, 5 ticks will equal a gust slash... but in that 5 ticks, you could of gotten a spinning edge AND a gust slash through and you're close to getting an Aeolian edge off too. Low hp trash mobs could easily be taken out before you get any real use form that mutilate. Not to say it isn't useful, but not on low hp trash. Kinda like fracture for WAR. It's usually worth it to get something else in if the fight's not gonna prolong. Shadow fang should be prioritized though.

As for your statement, no, shadow fang should NOT be the first thing applied after TA. It should already be applied if it's a boss along with DE's debuff prior to TA being used. If you set off TA without those already applied, you are already losing out on DPS opportunity (unless you have a WAR that applied storms edge debuff).

I will say, my above rotation that I actually wrote out was specifically for higher hp trash, so my mistake saying it could be used on bosses. That should not be looking over it again. I made the statement without thinking through completely on that one. Boss rotation for me would be:
pro huton prior > poison on > mutilate (only because it has longest duration) > SE > GS > DE > SE > SF > SE > Suiton > GS > TA >Duality with AE > DwD > Jug > Mug > SE > GS > AE (TA should ending about now).
If a WAR is my Tank, then I can speed things up and skip the DE combo. By no means am I saying this is the end all only way to do this. I find i'm comfortable with this rotation and it works well for me.

So what about Ninjutsu? What's the best situations to be using the different jutsu? Cause I know I should start with Huton, for the attack speed boost, but should I always prioritize keeping that up, or keeping Doton on the ground for groups, or using Katon or Raiton to attack? There's so many different options, it gets kinda confusing in the heat of the moment on which is more important to do.

yes, prioritize keeping huton up. Me personally, I wouldn't redo my NIN at 30 seconds left though... that seems a bit wasteful to me as you could literally get another ninjitsu in 20 seconds (which gives you an additional 10 seconds room as well for fitting other things in before needing to redo it). With armor crush, then yes, I will use it around 30 sec, but not ninjitsu.

If you know the mob is going to take a while to burn down, then use Doton. If it's going to be a quick mob clean up (like if your tank only pulls 1 mob at a time) katon is more likely your go to. When you get kassatsu, use both. Suiton should be used after applying your DOTS and debuffs onto a boss to use it in the middle of a fight. You can use it on trash as well, it'll burn through an individual trash enemy extremely quickly if you all focus on the enemy appropriately. Just make sure to have TA available again for a boss. Hyoton... only if you need something to stop moving. For PvE, this is usually only an issue in terms of stopping an enemy from chasing you so you can get some extra time in. Raiton should be used often on single targets. Bosses if your TA is on cooldown.