my first impressions of new NIN

[ICountFrom0]

Only a few skills removed. Crutch, I've only even noticed I could use it once, and by the time I thought to use it, it was too late. Others where TP restoration, and the loss of a silence skill.

Okay, my roles, true north is expected, I'm glad I still have that to lean on. I'm starting to wonder why there are no role skills in the last 30 levels, is it so the classes can spend those 30 levels diverging and making class identity instead of role identity?

The traits make me curious about what the upgrades are going to be like as I get there, but at least starting out I still have the fall reduction and the base speed increase, it's not nothing.

1. Looks like I'm taking up the 2 bars, main combo-side combo setup I use on warrior, but I feel like I'll need to trim it for room eventually.
2. Will armor crush completely replace aeolian edge? It's less damage, but I'm going to want to extend the huton more then I'm going to want to do almost anything else, I suspect... or will I do 1, 2, fang, 1, 2, crush, 1, 2, fang, 1, 2, edge, 1, 2, fang, 1, 2, crush ...
3. how do I get a target "assassinate ready"?

[Darkstride]

Dream Within a Dream grants "Assassinate Ready".

You really don't need to use Armor Crush any more than you did prior to the NIN changes. It's just to refresh Huton or Shadow Fang, otherwise it's Aeolian just as it was before. Shadow Fang combos off of Spinning Edge now so it's a shorter combo to get it up.

The changes to NIN mostly just shift the focus toward heavier usage of Ninjitsu and Ninki abilities.

I'd suggest reading through the job guide that outlines the changes and updates if you haven't already:
https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/jobguide/ninja/