PLD highest DPS tank single target

[FallenWings]

...It has a shorter DoT that requires 3 GCDs; which means you're using GB combo 30% of the time...

Other points are reasonably valid, but I don't get why you or anyone would throw flak on Goring Blade of all skills.

(Healers/SMN correct me if I'm wrong since I don't play those classes) Outside of a Thundercloud Thunder 3, it's the strongest potency skill before buffs at a whopping 640 total pot for only 50TP.

Why does it even matter how it's applied? It's ultimately a damaging skill that has the potential to be really strong when allowed it's full duration.

By contrast, Fracture is a 80 TP skill that does a total of 300(traited) over 30 seconds. It takes longer to mature, delays stack buildup, and is such a minimal gain under ideal circumstances it largely doesn't even matter that much.

Scourge is op but supposedly has the downfall of not benefiting from slash down(?). As well as how it works in the overall context of the class where DRK only has Darkside for damage up.

If you wanted a non combo related DoT then look to Circle of Scorn for comparison. 250 Total Pot over 25 seconds with no cost and is off the GCD. Already it is more desirable over most other DoT equivalents.

Goring blade is just a better Demolish/Chaos Thrust/Shadow Fang. And people love those skills!

[Destous]

snip

It's a deeper issue than it would appear on the surface. Yeah, 640 potency for 50 TP sounds great, but spending 30% of your time doing a DoT combo isn't ideal. Take a look at Scourge; 500 total potency for one GCD, and it lasts longer which means less time devoted to applying a DoT and more time managing 3 other combos. The same is true of Fracture. It's also worth noting that the extra GCDs matter.

Goring Blade = 3 GCDs and 1020 total potency for 3 GCDs. 3 GCDs worth of Scourge is 1500 potency; and even Fracture isn't far behind with 3 GCDs worth of itself coming in at 900. Taking 3x as long to apply the DoT matters.

Additionally, the combo leading up to Goring Blade offers mediocre benefits; you get some extra MP that you didn't need. Compared that to Demolish, where the combo leading up to it provides a blunt resistance/int debuff on the boss, a personal 5% damage boost, and a 10% damage/attack speed buff. The combo leading into Chaos Thrust provides a piercing resistance debuff. Spinning Edge only requires 2 GCDs, so it's not strictly comparable. The point being that for Demolish and Chaos Thrust, the GCDs leading up to the DoT provide benefits that the player would be picking up regardless of the DoT or not, and so the DoT acts as a nice bonus at the end of the GCD investment. Whereas with Goring Blade, the sole purpose is to apply the DoT, and the combo leading into it provides nothing worthwhile.