best and worst jobs in the new pvp mode?

[Cidel]

SS Tier Jobs: Ninja, Samurai
S Tier Jobs: Warrior, Dragoon, White Mage
A Tier Jobs: Astrologian, Red Mage, Machinist, Dark Knight, Summoner
B Tier Jobs: Sage, Reaper, Bard, Scholar
C Tier Jobs: Monk, Dancer, Gunbreaker
D Tier Jobs: Paladin, Black Mage

Having played PvP more since I last commented on it, and played around with other jobs and observed others, I find this to be the most accurate take on where jobs are in terms of strength. Though I'd swap Gunbreaker and maybe Dancer with Paladin. Potentially swap Ninja with Warrior, or just bump Ninja down a tier.

I just don't find much redeeming about Dancer outside of being a dance partner and a situational AoE LB stun that has such a tight window to capitalize on; Whitemage's LB is almost superior in every way outside of differing AoE ranges. Because of it's nerfed attack range (why?), using DNC in Frontlines is almost a death sentence if they want to ever try to contribute with more than half of their skills (though job balance in Frontlines is a different beast for the most part, any job with a powerful AoE LB jumps to top tier). Maybe someone can explain to me why Dancer would be perceived to being a tier above Blackmage.

Paladin isn't strong, but feels like it executes its purpose as a classic tank/disrupter better than Gunbreaker (though Dark knight does it better). If Intervention actually had a stun though...

I think all healers are viable, with White mage and Astrologian having an edge. Sage doesn't have any reliable healing; it needs to be played somewhat aggressively and while being attentive to focused targets (or creating them) with Toxicon's debuff. Between that and their slightly larger (AoE) DPS kit, Sages can be solid provided targets are being focused down together with teammates. The shields and Kardia heals are mostly perks to staying on the offensive (though their LB is a godsend for pushing past the checkpoint/giving your team a breather... if they notice it). Scholar is interesting, in that you can regularly damage buff (and shield your entire team), or damage debuff (and DoT) grouped-up enemies, and increase the damage of the DoT or shield strength with an ability every half a minute that gives an AoE defense bonus. Their LB is also pretty good at keeping your team alive, and I'd argue this makes them the best at "healing," but only in that window of having Seraph. However, they have the worst direct-damage capacity (Mummification's range is pretty pitiful), so Scholars are basically left hoping the rest of their team can capitalize on their buffs.

While Whitemage has some solid abilities, it seems like it's carried entirely by their LB; I will be surprised if it survives a PvP balance patch unscathed. Being able to follow-up the LB with their instant AoEs usually means something is going to die with even a little bit of help from attentive teammates and the imp debuff being versatile enough as a defensive or offensive maneuver. I still stand by Astrologian being the most well-rounded healer, with a potential of up to 4 (instant) heals with HoTs or shields, AoE abilities that can inflict heavy and bind and Macrocosmos that's essentially a nuke to the enemy team and a (delayed) heal to your own. And if you have competent teammates, their balance and spire cards and limit break can quickly turn a fight in your favor.

[Tobias_Azuryon]

I still stand by Astrologian being the most well-rounded healer, with a potential of up to 4 (instant) heals with HoTs or shields, AoE abilities that can inflict heavy and bind and Macrocosmos that's essentially a nuke to the enemy team and a (delayed) heal to your own. And if you have competent teammates, their balance and spire cards and limit break can quickly turn a fight in your favor.

I had a big elaborate reply written and the forum ate it apparently.

The Tl;dr was:
1. I wish more healers were based around AST.
2. There's no reason why every class shouldn't have at least one CC skill (GNB and SGE having none is hilarious to me as those are my two faves)
3. SCH and SGE could be made better with SCH getting something like tether/cc/etc and SGE getting something like sorteria/krasis/some new pvp skill since they're one of the few classes that didn't get any pvp unique skill.
4. Create systems where you goad/punish not where spamming zerg rush is the best tactic depending on what classes you were lucky enough to get that run.

[Qeilos]

Maybe someone can explain to me why Dancer would be perceived to being a tier above Blackmage.

From my personal perspective? DNC can atleast keep itself alive, it has decent self peel and survival mechanisms. If someone puts a <1> above a BLM it dies. Full stop.

[Eskuire]

Why all the hate for Paladin? lol. I mean, it doesn't do what Warrior does, but I have around 200 Ranked games as Paladin. It has damn near infinite healing almost without using Recoup with its kit, and it's LB is insanely useful and is capable of 1-2-3 popping people behind walls and running away while you're in Phalanx. All you do is just pop Guardian on a team mate then Phalanx and you make 2 people completely impervious to jank crap like Sam LBs.

[Rhyneth]

If they make it so Intervene stuns, Paladin is gonna be pretty decent.

[HyperiusUltima]

If I had to say anything, the best comp is this: WAR, SAM, MCH, NIN, AST.

DRK feels bad to use in a good amount of scenarios because even if you're undead and get your health back, guess what? You're up a creek because you don't have as much CC outside of a draw-in and a stun.
PLD needs a fix to Intervention.
GNB can be good in the right hands, but it's a lot of work for one job - and determining who to draw from in the right moments is adding a heavier layer of complexity than there needs to be.

SGE is garbage. 0/10 No chance of survival.
WHM is great but has issues with being focused(because Healer).
SCH is ACTUALLY really good and up there with AST with its kit; movement speed and damage reduction is nice and having potential AoE on enemies or self is good too. Lots of options.

MNK is Garbage. Please fix.
DRG is up there. Just not broken as NIN and SAM are.

BRD is okayish, but MCH has more diversity in its gameplan than BRD does, despite BRD just having a Silence and a Melee range bind with great risk.
DNC needs to not rely on En Avant as a crutch. Gets you killed more often than not. Underwhelming.

BLM needs instant or faster casts. Damage underwhelming and has a Melee Burst for 12,000. Why?
RDM has built-in abilities and is dual purpose. Doesn't match what these five can do though.
SMN needs an LB rework. Too much of a crutch on LB and lacks damage burst for a DPS(plus you WASTE LB if you die).

[Kissker]

If I had to say anything, the best comp is this: WAR, SAM, MCH, NIN, AST.
..
BLM needs instant or faster casts. Damage underwhelming and has a Melee Burst for 12,000. Why?

Man, 12K damage? WHM can only dish out like 4k every 1.5 seconds of casting. The only instant damage is the AoE which does maybe 2k damage/each. The LB does 18,000 damage. Damage wise, WHM can't hurt much of anything - which is why assists frequently seen in the 30-50 range while kills are in the under 10 range commonly.

What makes it even worse is... PVP Skill Recuperate essentially negates all WHM damage. You can walk away from a WHM without fear (as long as they don't call for help) because there is nothing to actually slow/stop you. Sure, a 2 second stun, but that isn't anything to worry about. WHM needs some full minute of casting and hitting you for you to notice their damage, and then 1 recuperate essentially eliminates the damage you took.

[ThorneDynasty]

Man, 12K damage? WHM can only dish out like 4k every 1.5 seconds of casting. The only instant damage is the AoE which does maybe 2k damage/each. The LB does 18,000 damage. Damage wise, WHM can't hurt much of anything - which is why assists frequently seen in the 30-50 range while kills are in the under 10 range commonly.

What makes it even worse is... PVP Skill Recuperate essentially negates all WHM damage. You can walk away from a WHM without fear (as long as they don't call for help) because there is nothing to actually slow/stop you. Sure, a 2 second stun, but that isn't anything to worry about. WHM needs some full minute of casting and hitting you for you to notice their damage, and then 1 recuperate essentially eliminates the damage you took.

WHM is a top tier job for PVP though, almost like it's has support actions to make up for the DPS or something.

[ThorneDynasty]

I've seen a gold Black Mage out-DPS my Dragoon ass in the top 2 with the rest significantly behind (in the volcano map with all the cover from ranged damage, no less), so it does seem doable if high skill ceiling. And probably falls apart if the rest of the team is crumbling.

[Raistlin]

I've seen a gold Black Mage out-DPS my Dragoon ass in the top 2 with the rest significantly behind (in the volcano map with all the cover from ranged damage, no less), so it does seem doable if high skill ceiling. And probably falls apart if the rest of the team is crumbling.

Play it before talking, BLM is all AoE, I always get top 3 in damage, still lose because all the damage I do is pointless AoE, I cast 3 spells to damage and then is healed instantly.