Is bard dps the weakest?

[Kroktar]

i know DMG parser its still weak but usually BRD are in the TOP of dmg list unless someone LB.

[Powercow]

i know DMG parser its still weak but usually BRD are in the TOP of dmg list unless someone LB.

"I know this tool to measure something isn't accurate like, at all, but according to that this is good!"

Yeah the parser sucks. It records DPS all over the place.

[savant07]

See, I can't seem to see them doing high damage compared to summoners, black mages or monks. Black mages and summoners have about way more weapon damage which translate to their potency being twice as better which then results them in doing 500 hits or DoTs ticking for 200-300. It's insane. So I'm wondering, how can bards compete if they hit for 200 on heavy shots and blood letters and those take 2.5 sec GCD (other than blood letter of course) but 200 for every 2.5 sec isn't really...strong. It's half of a black mages hit and equal to one DoT tick.

[DannyPhantom]

See, I can't seem to see them doing high damage compared to summoners, black mages or monks. Black mages and summoners have about way more weapon damage which translate to their potency being twice as better which then results them in doing 500 hits or DoTs ticking for 200-300. It's insane. So I'm wondering, how can bards compete if they hit for 200 on heavy shots and blood letters and those take 2.5 sec GCD (other than blood letter of course) but 200 for every 2.5 sec isn't really...strong. It's half of a black mages hit and equal to one DoT tick.

Bards have many skills that aren't attached to the GCD not just Bloodletter

[Kroktar]

"I know this tool to measure something isn't accurate like, at all, but according to that this is good!"

Yeah the parser sucks. It records DPS all over the place.

Well...only if you used an early version of it maybe...but you can reset the DPS log before starting the boss.

[Dixa]

I've seen quite a bit of posts about monks, dragoons and summoners being the strongest DPS (a lot of posts about summoners now) but rarely anything about bards. Are they the weakest DPS class (though granted they are kind of support-ish but they were changed to be pure DPS)?

Do they not compete equally with other DPS classes or are they the subpar DPS class no one wants other than for MP regen?

why do you not actually read the forum to which you post a new thread?

[Viridiana]

So, for BRD, I get the following numbers over a 60 second fight where we mysteriously never use Misery's End, never get River of Blood procs, and only ever proc Straighter Shot just as we're about to renew Straight Shot anyway, and never, ever crit, because I'm too lazy to figure out my crit % and try to simulate River of Blood. And, of course, no buffs, to include Barrage (even though Barrage would totally push the total damage in the BRD's favor without changing anything else)

So, Windbiter and Venomous Bite both get cast 4 times, with the final casts being just before the end of the fight, so no dots for the final casts, just initial damage.

Windbiter + Venous Bite damage = 2,634 damage

Straighter Shot will proc at least twice throughout the fight, and the fight is long enough to cast Straight Shot a total of 4 times. Two times will be forced critical from Straighter Shot, the other two normal.

Straight Shot damage = 887 damage

Lazy Bloodletter with no River of Blood procs will fire off 4 times.

Bloodletter damage = 760 damage

Blunt Arrow will fire twice, and Flaming Arrow will fire once.

Blunt Arrow + Flaming Arrow damage = 1457 damage

Heavy Shot, being our filler, will fire off the most times, at 13 (even though some of those would actually be Straighter Shots, increasing those numbers and dropping these numbers)

Heavy Shot damage = 2,470 damage

And last but not least, Auto-Attack damage

Auto-Attack damage = 2,534 damage

Total damage in this way under-powered scenario = 10,740 damage.

This assumes no buffs of any sort, while running circles around the target taunting him with his inability to hit the BRD with any AOE attacks. And again, that's a 0% crit rate (not counting Straighter Shot forced crits), no River of Blood procs (because 0% crit, right?), the worst possible timing on Straighter Shot procs, and an enemy that somehow lasts through a one-minute fight but mysteriously drops from 21% hp to 0% hp so we can never Misery's End. . .

[savant07]

Why is the summoner's fester ability only cast 3 times? Isn't it on a 10 sec CD for 6 casts in a minute?

[Viridiana]

Why is the summoner's fester ability only cast 3 times? Isn't it on a 10 sec CD for 6 casts in a minute?

Those are actually the numbers you took from poster tn2389. I'm assuming, though, that it's because it requires you to be under the effect of Aetherflow, which only stacks to 3, and has a 1 minute recast.

Edit: Which kinda brings up a second point. If the SMN is pre-casting three Aetherflow casts, it seems like the BRD should get some sort of buff just to make things. . .well, not even, because they're honestly already even if I factor in my critical %. Maybe I should leave BRD unbuffed to give the illusion of equality.

Edit to the edit: Just looked at the actual Aetherflow skill. Guess at 40+ it gives 3 stacks of Aetherflow in one cast, so nevermind the whole thing about pre-casting.

[savant07]

Does your bard math include trait damage bonus?