TACTICS of a DRG/RDM

[tazirai]

HEy guys
I wanna post this not as a comparison , but for those who may or will play this class, heres some tips and tricks ive learned.
Use them as you see fit and comment as neccessary btu keep it informative and no flaming , this thread is information , not to be used to blast a job or combo .


thank you very much fellow travelers.



Also please wait till im finished posting before making suggestions and comments, thank youvery much youwillknwo when i am done , Ill say so ^^

[tazirai]

Most of you know me
I play primarily a rdm , but drg is the other class I am leveling, so I want to share someof my experince as a drg/rdm.
I am also leveling war to try to see which combofits my play style and personality better.

so please enjoy this info and use it if you play this combo.


First things First

1) When I play as RDM I can usually get a PT within 10-15 minutes even if not in jueno at the time.

2)As DRG or any type of war (I have two characters) It can take considerably longer , Even with war as sub. Since this is the case and my japanese is good I usually make the PT myself, since I hate waiting .

3)With DRG we are usually the leaders in renkei , so its wise to pick your team based on your skill, and the type of monster you will fight.

4) IF you are NOT the leader of the PT make sure to work out all possible renkei combos.

[tazirai]

FACTs:

1)At level 30 the drg/rdm has the following unbuffed stats in comparison to a drg/war same level

DRG/RDM
lvl hp mp str dex vit agi int mnd chr
30 498 52 33 29 31 29 26 28 31

DRG/WAR
lvl hp mp str dex vit agi int mnd chr
30 514 0 36 30 31 30 24 26 31

2) Both a rdm and drg are both have avg and above avg evasion and parry.

3)You will need items to enhance your weak points wether yuo chose war or rdm for the sub.

4) the modest mp gain is enough tto be an effective shock trooper.

5)str gain items are a must and so are dex items even though you have 1 point less dex .



ITEMS to take along as a DRG/RDM

Mithra kabobs.
STR+5 DEX+2 VIT-1 INT-1 Attck+22% Dur30min

Juice

Orange juice
MP refreshment /3 second MP+1/ effective time: Approximately 1 minute / total 20 recovery

Apple juice
MP refreshment /3 second MP+1/ effective time: Approximately 2 minute 15 seconds / total 45 recovery

For the DRG/RDM
these two above items are needed for the drg/rdm

also make sure that about level 14 you start getting those +2 str and dex items to increase your damage and hitting, also look for attack up items .


@@NOTE@@@
keep your gear ,unless you are just dead broke, DRG can use the same things that a rdm can so hold onto them.

[tazirai]

The DRG/RDM falls into two man roles in a PT

As an advanced job the dragoon is essentially not very good to be subbed.
However it is designed to be a very good shock trooper.
the guide that rent a hamster posted is very good in establing this fact.
SOme jobs are very much designed to for certain things.

Also the way square designed the drg it very much liek the rdm of ffxi when it was first released. Many didnt know how to playthem to utmost effectiveness. and needed some help for certain roles.
The drg with any sub is a shock and awe trooper using its incredible jumping skills and companion wyvern to dizzy the enemy , with a flurry of thrusting and peircing attacks.

Also the job was designed to solo and PT effectively with a variety of combos.
YES the war is good to sub with at lower levels to take aggro off the pt and even good at higher levels, but realise this the dragoon is in the same defense class as the rdm, its hardest armor is its AF,

So eventually the subs go from sam to thf to war to rdm , based on the situation you are in atthe time.

WE ARE NOT TANKS!!
we cant take hits very well,. BUT dam we dish it out.

NOW when I play drg/rdm Im two primary roles in the PT and ill explain it below along some strategies for using them effectively.

[tazirai]

The shock trooper drg/rdm has two roles in the .
1)role one is that of backup and link taker for the puller.
2)The second is to weaken and hurt the enemy before it gets back to the PT anc does damage.

@@@NOTE@@@
I highly reccomend macros for this role Ill show an example atthe end .
The basic setup is forming of 3 battle lines for the PT to be effective in this role.
It requires two taunters to be 100% effective.

SETup phase
1) The "grunt" puller/taunter goes into the feild to get the foe , hes line 1
2)The DRG/RDM follows and secures line of retreat , keeps eye on adds and is second line of defense.
3)The remaining 3rd line defender/taunter stays near PT and is emergency aide to second line defender. hes there to pull aggro off first and second liner.

Notice these guys are there to watch each others back and secure a line to the PT.
where the supporters are.
check out the graphic below

[tazirai]

ENgage phase
1) the puller grabs a foe using taunt, then beelines back to the PT past the second liner, his job is get home not look for adds as much , its the second liners job. Druing this time taunt is refeshing on the puller , So the potential for the foes to drop aggro is high if it takes to long to return to the PT .

2) Since taunt is a non damaging attack the monster may just give up and go about its business. This is where the second line comes in at , The drg/rdm is now the taunter and needs to get moving.
cast dia as the monster closes in on you , then jump to piss it off royally. as the 3rd liner taunts then you cast bio to weaken it further, then wade into combat phase.

3) After seeign you do your thing the 3rd liner taunts it off you and the first liner has engaged it already .
use this tiem to replenish your mp for the next monster by using juice .
after you jump attacked it and engage it your dragon is now still attackign if no matter where you are, so dont think you are stopping to use juice , when you should be fighting.

[tazirai]

Combat phase

1) once battle is engaged you can fight as normal then you can rinse wash and repeat.

2) Only drink juice when you engage a tote tote(incredibly tough) this way you wont go thru so many in a battle. That way you ont go thru many during your time in the field. I usually take abotu 5 in the field and a stack of oranges and water crystals to make as needed.

3) juice willhelp you save on TP and als if needed use rent a hamsters rest trick to heal your dragon

4) most people seem to forget that no matter your sub job if your dragon is hurt, you willneed to keneel to heal it, so arguments that using mp on a fighter is invalid , in anyway.

5) that heal trick takes practice ^^


@@@NOTE@@ shock trooper is the role i normally play as with rdm/drg

Pros:
1)RDM weakenings tend to stick even if rdmis the sub,
2) you will make an effective buffer for your PT.

cons
1)I ve noticed as you get hogher inlevles and using this tactic it gets harder to get taunt off you when using this tactic.
2)Takes experience and practice to use this effectively.

[tazirai]

heres the shock trooper macro

SHKAWE
/p Myturn <t>, Shock and awe time yosh....
/ma dia
/wait 5(6)
/ja jump
/wait 5(6)
/ma bio

Once the drg/rdm = level 30 youll need to twink this macro as casting time is lowered.

THE puller

The puller like the shock trooper has two roles.
Its job is to fish out the monster
the second is to weaken and hurt it.
I reccomend you use the shock awe macro but remove the bio at the end or give it a longer wait time.
if you are runing while it is casting itll fail.
The reason whyyou remove is thatyou dont wanna engage the foe until you get past line one. You mayalso needed healing. and running while locked on a monster sucks.

So your goal is to cast dia>jump>run.
the difference between this and shock trooper is that you are now line one and line two needs to have a good taunter.
also sicne you havent engaged it you are not damaging it atall until you lock combat.

combat viability
1) less aggro on you
2) less damage to you
3)less consumption of juice
4)less healing to you from mages
5)less all around damage from you

I hate being a puller, not enough damage from me in that role.

Pros
1)early refresh of jump so on a tote2 you may be able to use it more than once
2)effective and lasting pre combat taunting.
3)early weakening that will be reinforced by a full rdm.

cons
1)not enough damage and all the things listed under combat viability.

[tazirai]

TAUNTING AS A DRG/RDM

Contrary to popular belief a drg/rdm makes an effective taunter ,at 30 plus this becomes a lot more evident.

two things about monsters.

they hate magic and hate seeign it cast or feeling it affect them.
Monster hate when we are being heeled.
see a trend...?
whats a drg/rdm? drg with rdm sub , rdm does what ?
exactly...:)
when a drg/rdm casts multiple spells ,ESPECIALLY cures the monsters will switch focus to you.
the great thing is if you out heal the damage being done to it.

heres how to pull it off

Feelgd
/p Oh mr monster I feel great.. hehe
/ma cure <me>
/wait 6
/ma cure <me>

and sometimes in between cures you will also hit the monster causing more hate towards you.
now admittidely this is not as fast as taunt but still helps.

another great taunt

by casting spells of the damaging type in succession you can piss it off also.
/ma water
/wait 6
/ma dia
/wait 6
/ma stone

basically what that translates to is too much magic at none time.
also you will hit the monster druing those waits increasing the hate on you.


well if i learn or figure out anything else Ill tell you .
useing rent ahamsters guides and cibbis suggestions can make you a great drg/whatever.

thanks guys see ya.

[Rent-A-Hamster]

Wow, you really put a lot of thought into this. Very impressive ^^
Can you really afford all that food? I hear my wallet crying even after I buy a few stacks of Mithra kabobs, heh heh heh.

[tazirai]

Well im a cook and have a dedicated juice maker , thanks taco ^^as far as mithra kabobs, vanpysann sells them for 150-198 gil injueno.
also I took some IMT and final alliance members on powerlevel trip and showed them how skilled I was playing as this combo , My wa ras of now is level 9 ,I showed reihn how to taunt as drg/rdm and he was impressed, that it work , and the fact that I spent little down time also impresed them and our healer.
kelenae was doing the heals and I had to stop and wait a few times foe her mp to come back. it was so cool.
The thing about our mp and tp when you rest to regain mp you only lose about 30% tp, which during the first jump and swing you ve gotten most of that back.
I was able to WS at least twice per tote2, and jump twice.

[Garrath]

Great posts tazirai! Thanks for all the info! :biggrin:

[Shuketsu]

Hm.. I still can't say I agree with the drg/rdm combo :sweat: It just doesn't fit my playing style. But it's amazing to see how well you've got it worked out... great job, hope you keep leveling Dragoon. :biggrin:

[repori88]

You make the tactics of it great! I think I might do that when I get FFXI (I've already decided to waste tons of my gil on guilds. Especially Culinatians)

[tazirai]

thanks for the input so far ,
I know mage jobs asas subs arent looked on favorably but once you get in game try it out and see for your self .

[Dolabil]

I thought your post on DRG/RDM was excellent and it prompted to consider other more daring sub jobs for DRG. I was wondering if have any opinions what the pro's and con's of a DRG/WHM would be VS. a DRG/RDM. Anybody's opinion would help

[overkill69]

thanks for the info taz

[Agrent_Eternal]

Awesome info, i was thinking of playing this combo once i get the game and you have pretty much summed up exactly what i want to provide for a group. Excellent info i am sure from an excellent player.

Thank

Agrent

[Aaramis]

Taz - you didn't touch on the use of the wyvern.

As a DRG/RDM I'd assume it can use breath weapon as well as heal.

Is the wyvern multi-role ability really worth it over straight offense? (i.e. DRG/WAR)

[pug]

as far as i know any of the mage classes(whm, blm, rdm) when subbed with dragoon you get the healing wyvern breath only. it's only pld and drk that get the combo breath

[vXvalentine]

thanks so much, what a great post. i was thinking about this combo from the beggining and was unsure because of the limited mana pool. but i think you have set me straigh and im gonna do rdm/blm and drg/rdm

[Clavo Grandeza]

OK well I felt this needed to be bumbed for hey I am one too,


I was a RDM full on to 30, then something told me that being a DRG would be so cool, So I upped the War as a sub for a bit (lvl7) for the DRG. But then I realized that I can't be a 20+ drg with a sub of 7 on the war. So I brought in the RDM. It is a great combo I think (with you healing yourself and others if needed only once I am afraid) It is a tough combo tho. Being 38/19 my mana is only 49 I think, which is just enough for the 'Magic Pull' Macro and one Cure 2 The food that Taziari has told us bout is a god send, and those Kabobs are something that is lovely period even if you aren't a RDM sub.

Taziari my only question to you is this, With the Penta Thrust, is it better with the WAR sub or no ? What is your take on it ?

Also I can see that most of the DRG will sub Sam. You will more then less have to Sub a war sooner or later with the sam. I will try the WHM for a bit at the early lvls but for some reason I can see having a SAM/RDM not doing as well as a DRG/RDM. And besides, Just lvl you war to 20, Perfect lvl I think for a sub, you will not past 30 anyways so why bother =)

Edit: Aramis The Wyv still heals with the RDM. Along with getting rid of the aliments of other pt members as well. and the WYV does it well too, I do think it is a FULL heal of someone at 1/4 hp

Edit NO. 2: DRG's are not tanks period. Do not have ppl say oh you are a higher lvl you be the tank. The DRG are damage dealers and that is it.

If any New DRG's are on Rag and want any advice please Look up Hidetora I will be more then happy to help you out.
And Please do not be discourged when ppl say a DRG/RDM BAH BAD COMBO !!!!1111

Not only was I a puller last night but I saved many a RNG, Pal and a Sam =) Keep your head up!

[tazirai]

umm okay , only reason im doing this is because alot of people seem very interested in this thread so, hopefully, it doesnt look like im bumping a topic for self.
SO if at anytime anyone feels that way ,it may be unstuck.... thx

:stuck:

[shaunathan]

this just decided my sub class!!

I've been leveling theif all this time but after reading this I think it fits my play style better.

"hit and away is my style" (you get an extra cookie if you know what game that's from)

my only question is, does this style get adversely affected by me being a taru taru??


p.s.

taru taru + dragoon = KAWAIII!!!!!!!

[Clavo Grandeza]

I am not the Greatest DRG/RDM by any means but I would think that you being a taru would help you in the Mana dept. At 45/22 I only have 61 mana points (Elv). And in the PT I had last night it helped. Regen is a god send, But Damn I need refresh badly. But if you have a good RDM or a BRD who can cast refresh or the song to gain mp you should be ok.

Tazirai Do you plan on Subbing SAM with your DRG at any point ?

[shaunathan]

thanks for the info, yeah with the added mana I should be able to toss some regen's on myself to compensate for the hit points.

[KingTonberryIV]

hi, thanks for the info tarza. a couple questions if you don't mind: i was just wondering about the dragoons heal breath ability if we use drg/rdm. so the heal breath would cure all pt members in a certain radius and remove their status effects? how much hp would it heal as a percentage? do you think this is a very useful thing to have that would make it a very useful addition to a party, comparable to a drg/war? there are lots of enemies that give area of eefct damage andstatus effects so i was thinking this could be a very useful thing to have. on the other hand how does this compare to the drg/whm? wouldnt the drg/whm be a better choice if we a re going down this path? more mp, stronger spells, and auto regen? I just would have to hate leveling up a new whm since i already have a rdm though :(

what do you think?

[KingTonberryIV]

and another thing, at the very highest levels of redmage couldnt i cast stoneskin, phalanx, blink, enthunder, on myself? stoneskin and phalanx are spells you can only cast on your self correct?wouldnt this make me much stronger stat wise, or will i still be weaker taking damage and dishing it out than a drg/war, drg/sam?

thanks.

[Niexist]

By the time you get those defensive spells as RDM you will have super jump, and pentathrust. So you'll be acting exclusively as dmg. Oh, and a public service message for those who have missed it the past seventeen million times.

!!!!!DRAGOONS ARE NOT TANKS!!!!!

[KingTonberryIV]

:mad: Hey niexist, did you hear me say dragoon was a tank? if you read my post, all I was asking was that wouldnt the enhancing spells of the redmage make up for the lower defense and attack bonus of drg/rdm as compared to a drg/war. its either yes or no.

[Josielyn]

Excellent thread, tazirai! :handsdown

[Ayako]

Why this doesn't work.

Your stats will be gimped, and you lose the abilities you would get from warrior or samurai (or even Thief). RDMs have ass dex to begin themselves, why would you want to handicap yourself even more? If you're soloing something, sure, but in a party you are just being a detriment. Stoneskin, Phalanx, etc are all well and good, but you aren't supposed to be getting hit in the first place. Phalanx would be level 66, by then it wouldn't be necessary. Using enfeeble spells is also useless, because your skill will be halved. Throwing around half skill Dia 1 while your mages can use full strength higher level versions. All these things that you are talking about doing are things your mages should be handling. If they aren't, then you have bad mages.
Losing the bonus from Wyvern attack breath is a detriment, too. 150-180+ damage isn't worth losing to the outside chance of using Heal Breath once or twice in a party.
I don't want to come off like I'm totally hating on this thread, but mage subs on DRGs are just not viable. I've played this game long enough to know that anything that sounds good in theory, doesn't work. I was a high level WHM before the expansion came out, and I *hated* leveling warrior and to a lesser extent, Samurai, but you have to do it if you want to get the most out of your job.

[tazirai]

Originally posted by Ayako
Why this doesn't work.


I don't want to come off like I'm totally hating on this thread, but mage subs on DRGs are just not viable. I've played this game long enough to know that anything that sounds good in theory, doesn't work. I was a high level WHM before the expansion came out, and I *hated* leveling warrior and to a lesser extent, Samurai, but you have to do it if you want to get the most out of your job.

Dun worry you're not you just came to balance the post and give another side to it.

I do however know that for levels 18-31 its done very well in a levelup PT with little to no downtime. outside when we pull a tote2 mob that has aoe attack. after 31 I cant say but will try soon. I have yet to use this combo with a NA PT since many jp snatch me when I online...or I make my own PT based on ranks.
BUt will keep you updated.


Thanks for the post ayako.
DRG/RDM may not be viable for the longhaul but for the short term its well used.

[FR3YA]

Shaunathan - Area 88 / U.N. squadron, from Greg Gates... I still love that game :D

[FR3YA]

By the way, I'm thinking a bout leveling DRG up too, since Dragoons were my favorite class in all FF's. The lances in this game look menacing too!

But, I'm having fun with my thief now, I can yokodama for 300 on easy stuff, wonder how much with viper bite?

[FR3YA]

What's the fun-factor of Dragoons by the way, Thief right now, for me is ultra high on the fun-factor scale.

If it's no fun, why do it? ;)

[shaunathan]

Shaunathan - Area 88 / U.N. squadron, from Greg Gates... I still love that game :D


YAY someone got it!!!


but it's so true...

being a dragoon is like "oh look there's a little thing over there, it cons even.." "bio and other random enfeebling, JUMP, pentathrust, DEAD"

hit and away IS my style... mua hahahahaaaa

:spin: :spin: :spin: :spin: :spin: :spin: :spin: :spin:

[Zanar4]

i am a taru, and i am a blm right now, but im planning on being a DRG, i am sick of thinking of what to sub to lvl 30, but i now want to be a DRG/RDM i can make it work, it just takes time. I was wondering about lvling WAR to 30, but as a Taru i just dont want to be a hack and slash character with a dragon. I want variety, and i dont really care about getting tons of levels i just want to have tons of fun with the game, i think i could mix things up more with DRG/RDM than DRG/WAR i really dont want to be shut down about this, i would appreciate more positive feedback about these ideas considering that my head is going to explode. I just want to have fun, thats not too much to ask, im pretty sure aout my decision, and i will proably stick with it. Just.. is it going to be fun?? u can give me pros. cons. if you want id appreciate it , thank you

[LegendaryFire]

I had an arguement with my friend at school yesterday

He is a paladin/white mage And I told him I'm going to be a drg/rdm and he laughed at me. He told me because I would have very few mp that it would suck. I told him about the strategy that I read from your posts, thanks tazirai

I think he's going to try now. ;x

[Tidane]

Originally posted by LegendaryFire
I had an arguement with my friend at school yesterday

He is a paladin/white mage And I told him I'm going to be a drg/rdm and he laughed at me. He told me because I would have very few mp that it would suck. I told him about the strategy that I read from your posts, thanks tazirai

I think he's going to try now. ;x

I would've laughed at him for going PLD/WHM. :P I would do this, but that would require me to level up 2 additional jobs. Already leveling DRK, WAR, SAM, and THF, so...heh. I'm level DRG once I get DRK up there abit. 65+

[LegendaryFire]

he's pld/whm because apparently the jp's on his server hate him, probably because he acted like a prick.

Can't wait to try out the combo, though it will take me a few months to get to 30, but my friend Lone Dragon will help me get through the quest.

[Kailea]

thanks for the info ......but now I have a problem.......DRG/WHM or DRG/RDM :\

[Viev]

You'll have to weigh the advantages of more mp and getting stoneskin and blink earlier over phalanx and dispel.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I do not believe that a drg/caster will have an important role in a party. You will never want someone being under 50% hp. Your enfeebs are useless.

Drg/caster more for HNM fights or solo play.

[Skelington]

HAHAHAH!!!! Nice post Taz. PLD/WHM!?! That must be the sole worst combo ever. YOU WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE PROVOKE!!! I realize that later on you have Flash, but a PLD without voke is like a WHM without cure!

[Weezingpipes]

This coming from the DRG/RDM. Its a combo with no real practical applications to a party. PLD/WHM *could* work in a party, its just an extra effort kind of thing, following this logic : if you can hold agro with a warrior sub, without having to spam spells for agro (which translates into greater downtime), why sub WHM when WAR serves the same purpose, only substantially less effort.

On the other hand, this is what a DRG/RDM offers to a party : enfeebles that never land, nukes that never land, enwhatever spells which add inconsequential amounts of damage due to your low enhance skill, enough mp to cast a handful of cures, competing with your own tp gain resting for mp to get remote use out of the sub. Sounds pretty uber. Oh and that sweet healing breath when under 33% hp, which if your party doesn't suck is likely to never happen at low levels. Thats what healing jobs are for.

Its a handy soloing combo, chaff in a party. Dragoons already deal with being an average damage dealer at best for many levels, and that average does rely on having a suitable sub.

[JexIntrepid]

First, i really doubt anywhere in this entire thread that someone mentioned that this combo was "uber". It's just about making a combo work, and it has been proven that this combo works well, actually. TP gain is usually not an issue, as i've noticed that ALOT of drg's don't go with /sam at lvl 60, because pentaspam = no real help to renkei, more hate, and if they've used super jump already, they have to hope they have a good pld and thf. so majority still has /war subbed.

Maybe alot of them just aren't far enough to lvl sam to 30, but i doubt that's the case.
So then comes the question, does the extra dmg from zerk and, double attack really outdo the occasional healing spells, enfeebling, and en-dmg spells to add dmg to every attack? Well, that's obviously the case. (I haven't tested it yet, but i'm pretty sure double attack kicks in like 2-3 times per fight? some would really beg to differ.)

So does that mean that you must be /war to enjoy the life of a dragoon? No. In fact, Rdm sub seems to make alot of sense, and it's viable, so there's no point in bashing it as gimp or whatever. Maybe /rdm right now isn't as popular as it will be when cap lvl is raised (to like 85 where a /rdm can do refresh :)) but for those that do use it, don't give up because you're not "uber". Nothing says you have to be doing an uber subjob to get far in this game. What you don't wanna do is work on a subjob that just doesn't work at all.

[Jugend]

Hey, this thread is really helpful. I've been thinking of this specific combination, and I'm glad that it can work. Much appreciated.:)

[Exarius]

Thanks Tazirai;

This post alone makes wading through the rest of the site worthwhile...

:thumbsup:

[KillerQueen]

I agree with Ayako

with DRG/RDM you will take forever to find party,I think you must make your own party everytime,I mean get invite by NA player not count,...

for debuff mob and use magic...your int and mnd are both low so it's hard to get full damage and sucess in debuff,...and normally in full party should have real RDM or WHM or BLM anyway so /RDM is useless for me,...

but it's nice to know another style of playing

[Matkun]

To point out also, Dia and Bio override each other, so if your casting both, your just wasting the mp of whichever first one you cast.

They also do not scale with level, so by the time you get them, they are not very useful at all.

The only real benefits you get out of /RDM is the ability to heal yourself. Everything else is too innefective either due to being outdated, or due to low sub magic skills.

Not to even mention with the pathetic MP pool, you'll be extremely dependent non-stop on juices and/or refresh.

And if you have a RDM in your party doing refresh anyways, why would you be enfeebling when it's his job to do so?

/RDM Might be okay for soloing, but in party play, it's just making a supporting damage dealer even weaker..

[Ungerpurr]

Why in god's name is this still stickied? Drg/rdm is a *horrible* combo, and was even at the time this was originally posted (a month and a half before NA release, when the level cap was 65...).

[Seldzar]

Nice thread Tazirai, but it's not how I see Drg/Rdm...Heres my veiw.

From what I've seen/experienced, Drg/Rdm works beter at higher lvls, but only really for soloing or other non exp pt perposes, there can be exceptions though.

One example of Drg/Rdms effectiveness is the AF helm "Wyvern uses breaths more effectively" Healing breath works at 50% HP with this. Also the helm adds +5 mnd O.o

Other reasons Drg/Rdm is better for soloing is that you get spells like Phanlax (However its spelt) etc at higher lvls, at lower lvls I dont think it's worth it since you have a limited choice in spells and your wyverns healing breath only works when your pretty much going to die...

Heres 2 things I've heard about Healing Breath:

Your wyverns healing breath gets stronger with lvl.
Healing Breath >> Healing Breath II >> Healing Breath III >> Healing Breath IV, I don't know about Healing Breath V.
BUT...
I've also been told the healing breath depends on what Cure spells you know. So If you have Cure IV (even though you can't use it with rdm sub your wyvern can do Healing Breath IV) I still need to confirm which statement is true...I'm more into beleiveing the lvl based one though.

I've experimented a little bit with Drg/Rdm and I think it works perfectly fine, regen helps slow downtime when you have to heal, I have yet to play with Healing Breath since I don't have my AF helm yet (Only lvl 53 ; ; ) and I haven't managed to get under 33% HP. TP isn't normally a problem when I'm soloing so I don't have to worry about losing it when I heal.

For pts sub a melee job unless the pt is in dire need of you subbing a mage, the new Spirit Link Ability is good for pts since it means you can heal your wyvern and get a cure from the whm, thus keeping your TP, You attacks are stronger too.

[tazirai]

Originally posted by Ungerpurr
Why in god's name is this still stickied? Drg/rdm is a *horrible* combo, and was even at the time this was originally posted (a month and a half before NA release, when the level cap was 65...).


Dont knwo abotu God's name.. and I respect your opinion..
BUT there is no correct way to play this game.. eahc will have their own style.. However I have never stated that you play drg/rdm to cap
..sorry If you think that..

DRG/RDM is vaiable at low levels in a PT and for solo hunting.
its also good for solo hunting at all levels.. Need to see beyond its PTness. You should realize like I do that for levels 1-30 it is good
If you are one who wont invite based on the combo thats fine for you. Dont speak for others.

Wanna skill up do drg/rdm or drg/whm. up to you
Huntign coffers and need sneak/invisi.. same thing..

GET away from PT's all the time..
Open your mind to possiblities..


DRG/RDM 1-30 PT is viable
30+ I dont know since I stopped at 30.

horrible ..no.. your opinion and you're entitled to it.

[Deodorant]

Sorry, but there are better subs at all levels than drg/rdm. When people post stuff like "war/whm is ultimate combo," and "mnk/drk is teh pwn," they're laughed at and ridiculed, but drg/rdm is stickied? Being a mod doesn't automatically make you more knowledgeable about the game; if anything judging from this thread it makes you less so. Be a man, admit that drg/rdm isn't as good as you make it sound, and unsticky this. There's no shame in admitting you're wrong; hell I used to think thf was the highest dmg dealer of all :zzz:

And yes, drg/rdm is a kickass solo'er but really, nobody gives two cents about solo'ing combos (not to mention the guide is 95% about drg/rdm in a party, anyway).

[tazirai]

Originally posted by Deodorant
Sorry, but there are better subs at all levels than drg/rdm. When people post stuff like "war/whm is ultimate combo," and "mnk/drk is teh pwn," they're laughed at and ridiculed, but drg/rdm is stickied? Being a mod doesn't automatically make you more knowledgeable about the game; if anything judging from this thread it makes you less so. Be a man, admit that drg/rdm isn't as good as you make it sound, and unsticky this. There's no shame in admitting you're wrong; hell I used to think thf was the highest dmg dealer of all :zzz:

And yes, drg/rdm is a kickass solo'er but really, nobody gives two cents about solo'ing combos (not to mention the guide is 95% about drg/rdm in a party, anyway).

actually this was stickied before I became a mod ^^.. and I dont know everything..

I do know that people like options.... and thats all I'll say .. DO not flame in this thread as I see that's where youre going..

Or I will exercise my modness and remove your post

[kuu]

I hope all the nay sayers in their thunderous laugher of self patting on the back keep in mind that drags were significantly changed resently.

As with the TP change, spaming berserk pent, or med pent med doesn't work anymore.

At the same time they get a new ablity to heal their own pet with hp, also to call and dismiss.

So now it is suggested that the drg role is to keep wryern around, always.

And guess what, that's a pain for mages, to stand, heal drag after he spirt links, and sit back down, effectively resetting the mp tick cycle(longer better) That just cut down mage effectiveness.

Mage subjob does not "sucks". Whether the pro's outweight the con's though will require some careful thinking on party, equipment, and teamwork.

A possible tactic would be to abuse AF helm, heal breath and spirit link combo.Spirit link one self to 49%ish, and get healbreathed

[Sparow]

Thanks A Lot, I love being rdm and ive been waiting to try drg, but I didnt think it would make a good combo, this helped me a lot!
thanks :)

[TheMidg]

During a level up PT...

DRG/RDM = NO

[aticanxi]

Since im bored i guess ill add my 2-cents.

As a 68 drg ive found that the most effective subs are war and sam. Sam if im in a pt with a job who builds TP quickly like a rng, and Warrior if im in a pt that might need a voke for SATA or just a bit of extra damage.

Now as far as drg/whm drg/rdm drg/nin drg/brd or any other combo that has a defensive or multipurpose wyvern... i wouldnt take it any further than solo'ing usage. Perhaps at lower lvls it can cut back downtime in pt's, but later on it really is useless(unless your in an all drg pt, which rox!!!). I prefer drg/rdm over drg/whm simply for the rdm exclusive spells. As long as you have a few melon juices in the inventory, mana shouldnt be too much of an issue.

P.S.- idk if anyone cleared this up already, but wyverns can only learn up to Heal Breath III, which does about 220hp for me.

[_TrAkA_]

DRG/RDM work's Oo ?

[Hereaux]

DRG/RDM works well for soloing and can be alright in low level pt's. For all you closed minded people who think anything other than /WAR is stupid are truly newbs. Experience the game for all its worth and try new things. There is alot more to this game than PTing and hurrying to level cap.

[Anaki]

go go drg/blm :D or drg/blu o.o

[Kailea]

I know this thread is old, but others have pposted so I though I would join in, DRG/RDM acualy still works for both soloing and PTing atleast till lv60

I am DRG58 right now, and have been leveling off and on with DRG/RDM DRG/WHM DRG/DRK DRG/WAR and DRG/THF, and they all work well. I never got a complaint about "sucking" and I never had trouble doing anything, and as tazirai said....for some odd reason (must do with my MND) that most of my enfeebles still stick decently well with RDM or WHM sub. DRG was designed to be a flexable Melee class, and is the reason why it can sub RDM, WHM , and the upcoming BLU well.

[Ugilotine]

I was wondering tactics for DRG/RDM soloing.. I've never enjoyed WHM but I have RDM to 33 so I just sub that. I'm curious about When wyvern breaths will activate and at what Health% I've also tried DRG/RDM in a party but It wasen't for me.