Top DPS Openers by class for FFXIV

[Trufflepig]

Alrighty folks,
After yet another night of dummy parsing, I realized that I have a stack of bookmarks for openers for different classes, and each is formatted differently. It's made it kind of a pain when I go back to a class I haven't touched in a while so I decided to do a consolidated post here for both quick reference and community involvement.

This post is completely open for questions, suggestions, criticisms, and links. If you know of or use a different one than the listed, I'm happy to add it to the list.

Listed stat priorities thanks to Dervy and his WordPress Pages on Stat Weights & Theorycrafting

-------------- Tanks (An * indicates an off-GCD weave-in) --------------

Warrior (Weapon Damage > Strength > Accuracy to cap > Skill Speed to at least 480 > Critical Hit Rate > Determination)

Warrior Generic DPS Opener #1 - Truff's typical. Used when DPSing as OT and sacrifices a bit of potency in order to guarantee 100% up time on both debuffs as well as mitigate threat levels. A Butcher's Block combo can be exchanged instead of Storm's Path for better DPS and more Threat as the situation allows.
Ref: "3.0 WAR Opener Discussion"


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1yg
Heavy Swing > *Brutal Swing > Maim > Storm's Eye > Heavy Swing > Maim > *Internal Release > Storm's Path > Strength Pot
Heavy Swing > *Berserk > Fell Cleave > *Infuriate > Fell Cleave > *Brutal Swing > Skill Sunder > *Vengeance > Butcher's Block >
*Raw Intuition > Heavy Swing > Maim > Fell Cleave > Storm's Eye > Fracture > ((Pacified from losing Berserk)) *Brutal Swing


A3S/4S Burst Opener - Used to get your defensive CDs available again early in a fight or to push as much damage as possible before a jump/ invulnerable/ etc. -Thanks Kitty!


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1yj
*Vengeance & *Raw Intuition > Heavy Swing > *Internal Release > Maim > *Berserk & *Brutal Swing > Storm's Eye > *STR Pot >
Fell Cleave > *Infuriate > Fell Cleave > etc


Kitty's Pure-Burst-For-Solo-Gold-Hunts opener. Also usable in Defiance with the appropriate skills


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1yj
*Vengeance & *Raw Intuition > Heavy Swing > *Brutal Swing & *Internal Release > Main > *Berserk > Storm's Eye > *STR Potion >
Fell Cleave > *Infuriate > Fell Cleave > Fracture > Heavy Swing > Skill Sunder > Butcher's Block > *Brutal Swing > Heavy Swing >
Maim



Paladin (WD > STR > Acc to cap > Crit > Det > SS)

Paladin Opener #1



Dark Knight (Coming Soon?)

Dark Knight Opener #1



-------------- Caster DPS (An * indicates an off-GCD weave-in) --------------

Summoner (WD > Int > Acc to cap > Crit > Det > SS)
Ref: "The 3.0 Summoner: An Extensive Guide"

Summoner Opener #1 "Sleigh's Opener" - I use this one as my primary opener. The DPS is great but the timings are really tight, especially with the constant double off-GCD ability use between Ruin IIs. It took me some serious practice time on the dummy to get it right and as soon as I stepped away from SMN for a few weeks, I couldn't consistently pull it off anymore.
**You can precast Shadow Flare when possible** Start your Bio II cast at 3 seconds before the pull


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1yk
Bio II > Miasma > Bio I > *Swiftcast & *Fester > *Shadow Flare > *Rouse & *Spur >
Ruin II > *Int Potion > Ruin II > *Raging Strikes & *Painflare > Ruin II > *Fester & *Dreadwyrm Trance >
Ruin II > *Aetherflow & *Enkindle > Ruin II > Tri-Disaster > Ruin III (& Contagion w/ Garuda)
Ruin II > *Fester > Ruin III > Ruin II > *Deathflare > Ruin > Ruin > Shadow Flare

Refresh DoTs with < 3 seconds left ticking, Ruin II into *Fester & *Rouse on cool down until Aetherflow is up again


Ruin II > *Aetherflow & *Dreadwyrm > Ruin III > *Fester > Ruin III > Ruin III > *Swiftcast > Ruin III >
*Tri-Disaster (Contagion) > Ruin II > *Fester & *Deathflare


Summoner Opener #2 - Ecastle's Custom (TM) - Has more ramp up and less early burst than Sleigh's, but stacks more buffs onto the mid-opener heavy hitters.


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1xh
Shadow Flare > Bio II > Miasma > Bio > *Fester > Ruin > Ruin > Ruin II > *Rouse &
*Spur > Ruin II > *Fester > Ruin > Ruin II > *Raging Strikes & *Painflare & *Aetherflow > Ruin II >
*Dreadwyrm > *INT Potion & *Tri-Disaster > Ruin II > *Enkindle & *Fester > Ruin II > *Swiftcast & *Contagion >
Shadow Flare > Ruin III > Ruin II > *Fester & *Deathflare



Black Mage (WD > Int > Acc to cap > SS > Crit >=< Det) [Need a good reference for BLM weights. Finding conflicting info even though all agree on SS]

Black Mage Opener #1 Absolutely beastly single target opener with rock solid burst. After comparing multiple openers we found this one to be superior. - Thanks Loxain!
Ref: "FFXIV Heavensward: Black Mage Opener/ Rotation "Guide" (3.07)"


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1yl
Time -9: *Sharpcast
Time -3: *Quelling Strikes > Fire > *Enochian > Fire III > *Ley Lines & *Raging Strikes > Fire IV > Int Pot >
Fire > Fire IV > Fire IV > Fire IV >


(With Firestarter Proc) Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1ym
Fire III > *Convert & *Swiftcast > Fire IV > Fire IV > Blizzard III > Thunder > Blizzard


(Without Firestarter Proc) Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1yn
*Swiftcast > Flare > *Convert > Fire IV > Blizzard III > Thunder II > Blizzard IV

Black Mage Standard AoE Rotation


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/2b0
*Ley Lines > Fire III > *Quelling Strikes & *Raging Strikes > Fire II > Fire II > Fire II > Flare > *Convert &
*Swiftcast > Flare > *Transpose > Thunder II > Fire III > Rinse and repeat



-------------- Ranged DPS (An * indicates an off-GCD weave-in) --------------

Bard (WD > Dex > Acc to cap > Crit > Det > SS)

Bard Opener #1 Potentially Better Bard Opener?



Machinist (Coming Soon?)

Machinist Opener #1



-------------- Melee DPS (An * indicates an off-GCD weave-in) --------------

Dragoon (WD > STR > Acc to cap > Crit > Det > SS to at least 590)
Ref: "How to Dragoon per Second: A DPS Paradigm"

Dragoon Opener #1
Ref: "FFXIV: HW - 3.0 Advanced Dragoon Rotation Guide & Tips" - Thanks Athoen!


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1y5
Heavy Thrust > *Battle Litany & *Blood for Blood > Impulse Drive > *Internal Release & *Blood of the Dragon > Disembowel > *STR Pot > Chaos Thrust >
*Power Surge & *Leg Sweep > Wheeling Thrust > *Jump > Phlebotomize > *Dragonfire Dive > True Thrust > *Spineshatter Dive > Vorpal Thrust >
*Life Surge & *Geirskogul > Full Thrust > Fang And Claw



Monk (WD > STR > Acc to cap > Crit > Det > SS)
Refs: Unnamed Spreadsheet, "Monk 3.0 CHAKRA UNLEASHED" -Thanks Bigcedric

Monk Opener #1 - The Morbid Coffee Custom (TM)


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1sm
Demolish > *Perfect Balance > Snap Punch > Snap Punch > *Blood For Blood > Dragon Kick > *Internal Release > Twin Snakes > *STR Pot > Snap Punch >
*Elixir Field > Touch of Death > *Steel Peak > Bootshine > *Howling Fist > True Strike > *Forbidden Chakra > Demolish > Dragon Kick > Twin Snakes > Fracture

Patch 3.07 openers

Ossom's
Snap > PB > Snap > Demo > Dragon Kick > Twin > B4B > Snap > IR > ToD > XPOT > Boot > Elixer > True > Howling > Snap > Steel Peak > Dragon > Shoulder Tackle > Twin > Forbidden > Demo > Bootshine.

Lilyth's
(PB) Demo --> Snap --> Snap (B4B) --> DK (IR) --> TwS (Pot) --> ToD (Elixir Field) --> Boot (Steel Peak) --> True (Howling Fist) --> Snap --> (Forbidden C) --> DK --> TWS --> Demo (Pot falls off).

Ninja (WD > Dex > Acc to cap > Crit > Det > SS)
Ref: "Shasta's Ninja Guide" -Thanks Nemu!

Ninja Opener #1 - Shasta's (From the Guild Death And Taxes) "With Potion" opener. Best used in longer-duration fights as it sacrifices some early burst for a higher overall throughput.


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/1mk
Huton > (wait 20s) > Suiton > Spinning Edge > Kassatsu & Internal Release > Gust Slash > DEX Potion > Dancing Edge > Blood for Blood >
Spinning Edge > Trick Attack > Shadow Fang > Raiton > Mutilate > Dream within a Dream > Spinning Edge > Mug > Gust Slash >
Duality > Aeolian Edge > Jugulate



-------------- Healers (An * indicates an off-GCD weave-in) --------------

Astrologian (Coming Soon?)

Astrologian Opener #1



Scholar (Coming Soon?)

Scholar Opener #1
Ref: McNutty
Pre Cast Shadowflare - Hit the boss before the tank - Ignore tank getting mad that you pulled without warning - Bio 2 - Miasma - Bio - Energy Drain x 3 - Ignore white mage getting angry they have to solo heal - Kill Fairy after the next 3 Energy drains for a total of 9 - Broil like your life depended on it - pat self on back for climbing up on the DPS charts while everyone else is dead.



White Mage (Coming Soon?)

White Mage Opener #1 - Myz's DPS Opener (Tank deaths are the fairy's fault)


Link: http://ffxivrotations.com/2b2
Presence of Mind > INT Potion > Aero III > Aero > Fluid Aura > Aero II > 3-4x Stone III
Save panicking tank with Divine Seal > Tetragrammaton > Regen


- - - Updated - - -

[Trufflepig]

More to come. Decided to post it in progress.

The rabbit hole was much, much deeper than I expected!

[NemuNeko]

http://dtguilds.com/forum/m/6563292/...as-ninja-guide


This is a pretty good reference for the Ninja side of things I found today. Tried using this opener with great success. The guide has a ton of other great info too for NIN.

[Trufflepig]

http://dtguilds.com/forum/m/6563292/...as-ninja-guide


This is a pretty good reference for the Ninja side of things I found today. Tried using this opener with great success. The guide has a ton of other great info too for NIN.

Thanks Nemu! I've incorporated the link under the Ninja section for now and will get it all typed into the main post soon.

[McNutty]

The Scholar one could be classified as:

Pre Cast Shadowflare - Hit the boss before the tank - Ignore tank getting mad that you pulled without warning - Bio 2 - Miasma - Bio - Energy Drain x 3 - Ignore white mage getting angry they have to solo heal - Kill Fairy after the next 3 Energy drains for a total of 9 - Broil like your life depended on it - pat self on back for climbing up on the DPS charts while everyone else is dead.

[Trufflepig]

The Scholar one could be classified as:

Pre Cast Shadowflare - Hit the boss before the tank - Ignore tank getting mad that you pulled without warning - Bio 2 - Miasma - Bio - Energy Drain x 3 - Ignore white mage getting angry they have to solo heal - Kill Fairy after the next 3 Energy drains for a total of 9 - Broil like your life depended on it - pat self on back for climbing up on the DPS charts while everyone else is dead.

I honestly never, even once, thought of saccing the fairy to get in 3 more EDs. That's brilliant. I'm going to tell Nemu (Our SCH) and Eilri (Our WHM) is going to hate you McNutty. Great job!

[Neko]

Are we talking about raid dps or target dummy dps? In raid extra modifiers include party buff timing (battle litany, foes ect) and mechanic duties that can clip into a rotation. Target dummy is unhindered but the parses online often include potions and a full party of buff timing tailored to the player's liking (which is why none of us can usually match them).

For WAR OT:

A1S - No mechanics until split, can do any opening. Xeno's 3 fell cleave opener is reddit's favourite, but pre-pop is also used (see A3s).

A2S - Initial target will live maybe 4 gcds, then it's packs of mobs so 3 fell cleave opener is discarded and we overpower spam for days.

A3S - Many groups use battle litany ect immediately here, so putting off berserk means one can lose half the party buffs. Alternate opener seen has the bard play paeon, which lasts the warrior 3ish gcds before it falls off. WAR loads the vengeance and raw int stacks before pull, then it's heavy swing-internal release-maim-berserk-eye-pot and 2 fell cleaves (brutal pushed in first 3 gcds, where convenient), but no pacify so we merrily keep swinging away. Here's a kill video of one. Vengence & raw int come up much sooner in the fight this way and can be used for another free 2 stacks.

A4S - I've seen it done several ways with similar dps results, but often the WAR takes 1st leg. The opener will again change whether you have a ninja to direct threat or not, and if path (lower dps) is used because the ninja has eye up, or WAR says screw it omgdps and overwrites it cause it hits harder. WAR instead as OT has to pre-pop vengeance 8 seconds before pull if they want it up 1-2 sec before combined carnage and hydro missile so they can avoid stance dancing and just go balls out deliverance... so the pre-pop opener from A3S here is slightly less than 3 fell cleave opener but makes up during 2nd leg. Who gets sucked into quarantine with the tank will also utterly randomize some things that get popped (BLM pulled at shitty time in their rotation might mean an extra stack so equilib can't be used to cover sprinting back to manipulator ect).

As final note, skill speed stacking depends on latency. Upwards beyond 500 is needed for 3 fell cleave opener if you're looking at 80+ ms, and no buttons can be macroed to mercy stroke ect because it eliminates ability queuing. If you have any packet loss the pre-pop method is favoured for being nearly the same dps in most situations without the risk of latency, enabling skill speed to be replaced with crit on gear and flexibility on having vengence & raw int come up sooner for emergencies. But yes on paper 3-fell cleave opener is technically highest dps.

[Gwen]

The Scholar one could be classified as:

Pre Cast Shadowflare - Hit the boss before the tank - Ignore tank getting mad that you pulled without warning - Bio 2 - Miasma - Bio - Energy Drain x 3 - Ignore white mage getting angry they have to solo heal - Kill Fairy after the next 3 Energy drains for a total of 9 - Broil like your life depended on it - pat self on back for climbing up on the DPS charts while everyone else is dead.

You need to factor in the 10% chance that you forgot to summon your fairy before the pull.

[Trufflepig]

Thanks Kitty! The notes for A3S and A4S will come in handy for me soon I hope.

I considered putting an entry with the openers listing where they are best used, but decided instead for outliers like A2S to leave it to the judement of the player. By the 2nd or 3rd time you pull A2S it should be pretty obvious that the goblins die long before being worth wasting Zerk and combo points. I usually build to 5 and Decimate into the crowd for the first couple of waves and save Berserk, Unchained, and double-Decimate on wave 3.

As for Skill Speed stacking I listed the "At least 480" since that matches up with my reference material, but I personally split away from what the net considers optimal and stack SS over pretty much anything else. I'm sitting at 678 right now, well above the soft cap, but I find that I really like the flexibility it gives me for tight timers that a lot of fights use. A great example is Thordan Ex: I can squeeze in an extra Fell Cleave just as he walks away at the end of first phase. When I ran the suggested amount I was never able to get that last hit in without jumping ahead of the pull timer. An extra 500 potency attack makes up for more crit or det than my feeble math skills can figure out, but I'm sure I come out ahead.

I absolutely LOVE theory craft and improving my play. If you ever want to crunch numbers or run some comparison parses, I'm always around and willing.

[McNutty]

I honestly never, even once, thought of saccing the fairy to get in 3 more EDs. That's brilliant. I'm going to tell Nemu (Our SCH) and Eilri (Our WHM) is going to hate you McNutty. Great job!

I've done many terrible things in my life. Killing Selene in the first 5 minutes of a fight in order to get a few thousand more extra damage is just one of them.