Tier list!

[Cynric]

Bored at school so made a quick mock up tier list for the moment.

PVP Tier list! Currently Pre-season One (Updated as of 3/29/2016 patch: 3.25)

These are not based on full team compositions and are only based on singular job performance.

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S-Tier
Monk , White Mage, Black Mage, Paladin

A-tier
Warrior, Dragoon, Astrologian, Summoner

B-Tier
Ninja, Bard, Machinist

C-Tier
Scholar

D- Tier
Dark Knight

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This is 100% opinionated based on the matches I've played and the current patch notes.

If you have any questions or want an explanation of why I chose a particular job for a particular tier feel free.

S - Tier jobs lack many(if any) counters, and are exceptionally powerful in multiple aspects or hard counter many other jobs.

A- Tier jobs have multiple counters but if played well can be extremely hard to deal with and are very powerful in multiple aspects(such as burst).

B- Tier jobs have hard counters that can shut down their play but their counters can be overcome by exceptional play. They however lack aspects such as powerful burst, Crowd Control, or utility, to make them extremely competitive with A and S tier jobs.

C- Tier jobs have hard counters that can make the class be unplayable in certain situations.

D-Tier jobs have many hard counters or are not able to function properly in the current meta.

[Koltik]

SMN is definitely still T1, idk why you have them on T2.

[Cynric]

SMN is definitely still T1, idk why you have them on T2.

I'm actually a little unsure for Summoner, as they can be hard countered by One Ilm Punch, and with the recent changes to somersault I feel this makes them a bit under the highest tier. They're still very strong, but they have the potential to be completely shut down before they can even start their burst game. They can also be shut down late into the match and with free casting their burst isn't anywhere near as scary as it was before.

Most times I've been bursted by a Summoner after the patch they just weren't able to secure the kill before I was healed or healed myself through it (being a monk), I feel if a class has hard counters or can be shut down that easily they can't really be the highest tier job.

Summoner burst can also be shut down by Purify(which every job has access to), something the other classes in S- Tier lack. Purifying wont help against MNK,WHM, or BLM, as they either have enough CC and differing Diminishing returns to make it moot or useless. Or their burst isn't defined by dots and debuffs. Paladin can also Stun on a GCD so timing purify to shut them down is much harder than it is to time against a Warrior , Holmgang Vs Shield Bash.

[RiceisNice]

SMN is definitely still T1, idk why you have them on T2.

If we're trying to consider everything, a SMN gets counterplayed hard by a monk (much more so with their recent buff to somersault CD). Compared to BLM, they're also less influential with the flow of combat, and BLMs have gotten even more of an indirect buff with the changes to the arena walls, allowing them to free cast much more easily. At the very least, I wouldn't put them on the same level as BLM (where in the hands of a very capable of team, is quite ridiculous)

[Isala]

Kinda giggle where you put WHMs, when as a BRD, I can pincushion them in a few seconds. Unless they're in their circle or attuned, my burst window instantly ends them. My setup is enough to get off that measly Stoneskin, allowing me to unload every single bit of spike into their squishy caster body. And we bards are hardly C. Just as much burst, if not more, than any other class, and able to instantly remove sleeps off the healer using Warden, as well as one of only two classes that give mana back.

[RiceisNice]

Kinda giggle where you put WHMs, when as a BRD, I can pincushion them in a few seconds. Unless they're in their circle or attuned, my burst window instantly ends them. My setup is enough to get off that measly Stoneskin, allowing me to unload every single bit of spike into their squishy caster body. And we bards are hardly C. Just as much burst, if not more, than any other class, and able to instantly remove sleeps off the healer using Warden, as well as one of only two classes that give mana back.

You can say that with just about any other job that can burst. That sort of set up can be counter played with more damage shields/mitigation through the form of divine veil, testudo or defense buff, nor do you want it necessarily ignore the WHM even if he has defense buff because then they'll be able to throw out CCs on you.

And as a side thing, the tiers should be taken relative to each other jobs in their respective roles, due to the format forcing you to have those roles anyway. Really can't do direct comparisons to WHM:BRD (I can kill the WHM easily as a BRD), compared to WHM:SCH (my BRD can kill a WHM much more easily than I can kill a SCH),

[Isala]

And as a side thing, the tiers should be taken relative to each other jobs in their respective roles, due to the format forcing you to have those roles anyway. Really can't do direct comparisons to WHM:BRD (I can kill the WHM easily as a BRD), compared to WHM:SCH (my BRD can kill a WHM much more easily than I can kill a SCH),

In that case, I'm even more confused with your placement of BLM... Considering just how easy they are to shut down. Any class with a stun, silence or knockback can ruin their day, especially with those massive cast timers on their burst spells. Sure, they have sleep spam, but again... Bard. Warden's is OP for getting rid of sleep on healers, and the recast timer pops up long before the DR goes away. And MCH would actually be over them even further than I am, with Stun/Silence and Knockback.

[RiceisNice]

In that case, I'm even more confused with your placement of BLM... Considering just how easy they are to shut down. Any class with a stun, silence or knockback can ruin their day, especially with those massive cast timers on their burst spells. Sure, they have sleep spam, but again... Bard. Warden's is OP for getting rid of sleep on healers, and the recast timer pops up long before the DR goes away. And MCH would actually be over them even further than I am, with Stun/Silence and Knockback.

You'd need at least one melee and one other dps on the BLM (or any caster for that matter) to be able to effectively shut them down with the interrupt changes; there isn't enough silence or knockbacks (and stun, but that's not exclusive to interrupting just BLMs) to put them out for long in relation to what they can do over a period of time. And help you if you're running against a WHM/BLM combo, because there's no way you can realistically shut them both down beyond your stun DRs (which only a paladin can do reliably) or split burst damage (which gets downplayed by mitigation).

BRD and MCH, their dps outside of burst is pitifully low compared to a BLM, and they honestly won't make anything happen unless you're against an astro healer (in which case BLM still does that area better anyway). Their CC abilities are relatively lacking compared to a SMN and BLM.

[Renault]

There's a few problems with your tier list.

Problem 1: You don't specify which game mode. You say "individual performance" but honestly if this is a Solo Queue tier, it's far off. If this is a premade tier, it is again, very far off. Different tiers of difficulty would also have different tier lists, as some classes are super good at stomping nubs while others are more effective against organized teams.

Problem 2: You offer little explanation for your choices, which makes it unclear why you believe them to be strong. By looking at your list, I'd say you chose the classes to be "S" tier just because of their CC and ability to shut down other classes. Also saying "counters" doesn't really apply for some of your tiers, especially DRK. It's not that DRK doesn't have counters, it's just that the class lacks in both damage and utility.

Problem 3: Another way it seems that you're measuring this is by a classes potential, not so much their effectiveness. For example: In a perfect condition, sleep is probably the most powerful spell in PVP. This is why I'm assuming you placed WHM/BLM in S-tier. Realistically, sleeps will be purified (or broken, if we are speaking Solo Queue), so their effectiveness is reduced, especially on WHM where every GCD counts during heavy burst.

Problem 4: MCH is easily the most broken class in the game right now for PVP, and you have it at...Tier B? It shows inexperience on your part. I'd say instead of making a tier list, a discussion should be had around making said tier list.

[Cynric]

snip

Bard is open to heavy counter play through CC and cleanses, has low CC itself, is reliant on buff timers, can only buff ninja /healer damage with foes due to forced comps, is rooted by cast times for highest burst, has a ranged penalty on damage, only one self heal, and can be shut down easily against capable players.

As matches get shorter the ability to regen mana will also become less useful. While regening mana you also incur a further damage penalty. Yes your burst is decent, but that's all you really have. Capable healers, DPS, and tanks can heal through, cleanse or shut down bard burst using CC.

Stone skin isn't the only thing white mage has. White mage has multiple forms of CC on differing diminishing returns, strong heals made better through the interruption change in patch 3.22, multiple forms of regen to help handle split damage, and great mp sustainability without a BRD/MCH.

Any DPS can burst a healer down through stoneskin, depending on the relative skill levels of both the healer and the DPS. However how often can said DPS do that? How much utility do they bring? How much CC? How badly are they countered through normal means like purify?

Bards burst availability, level of CC, and actually usable utility just isn't that great.

I'd also like to note that Wardens fades upon anything detrimental including DoTs. One DoT and a healer could be slept again, You could remove a Dragon Kick or a Storms eye/Dancing Edge, they could be slept and binded and you could just remove the bind.

While wardens has good potential its general variation among the debuffs weakens it, most debuffs and CC can also be re used very quickly. You'd have to babysit your healer to get real use out of it honestly.