FFXIV Dragoon (DRG) Basics Guide & FAQ – Shadowbringers Updated!

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See:
Viper STARTER Guide / Rotation | Pictomancer Starter Guide / Rotation


 

Diving into Dragoon? Don’t distress! Devote a little time to digest about the DRG job! Find basic information and FAQs in our Dragoon Basics Guide. Read on if you’re expecting to learn about unlocking DRG, Dragoon Job Identity, trait and skill list, crafters and gatherers related to DRG, and link to other important Dragoon info!

Dragoon is a Melee DPS job, and one of the starting nine jobs released in 2.0 A Realm Reborn. DRG’s came out alongside another melee DPS, Monk.

How to become a Dragoon? Unlocking DRG:

First and foremost you need to have a Level 30 Lancer, and have completed the L30 LNC class quest, “Proof of Might”. After doing this you can unlock the actual quest to become a Dragoon, “Eye of the Dragon” issued by Lancer guildmaster Ywain at Gridania – Old Gridania.

You also have to complete a Level 20 MSQ, “Sylph Management”, which realistically should be completed by the time you’re looking to unlock Dragoon. 

Note that, upon completing Eye of the Dragon you MUST EQUIP the “Soul of the Dragoon” to actually formally BECOME a DRG. Interestingly, in the old days, unlocking Dragoon required L15 MRD – that’s no longer the case.

Rushing to or want to know how to unlock a certain class? Learn more:
FFXIV Job Unlock & Requirements Guide.

Dragoon Playstyle & DRG Job Identity

If you’ve asked yourself, “Why play, try, or choose Dragoon?” – here’s my attempt at selling you the DRG class.

Heavy hitting, extreme looking, high flying (animation locking) goodness – this embodies the DRG in theory and in practice. Dragoons have the longest combos in the game – it’s one of the most unique aspects about it. They also have quite a few positional requirements. 

They’re the slow side of the GCD which can be good or bad for some, but they have MANY off-gcd weaving skills. While Dragoons have a mid to high tier personal DPS, historically they improve overall raid DPS quite a bit via raid buffs.

Aesthetically and thematically, there’s no mistaking that trademark “FF Dragoon look” and that satisfying “Dragoon feel”. The job plays how you expect with the flashiness and heaviness of the jumps. The FFXIV Dragoon hits it home IMO, paying great homage to the general Final Fantasy Dragoon!

DISCLAIMER

DISCLAIMER: This is not meant to be a blurb that aligns with the current meta. That changes from patch to patch. Our goal here is to provide you with an idea of what the job is trying to be, getting cues from both the Developers’ concrete decisions on job design, as well as our own feedback.

What Crafters & Gatherers should Dragoon level?

While it’s common in MMORPG’s to think you want to craft your own gear as you level up your DRG… I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT.

Leveling up your DoH and DoL jobs should be thought of as a different activity completely. To be honest, if you’re a newer player, simply ensure that you DO NOT OVERCAP Levequests (always have less than 100).

The only relation a combat job has to a crafter or gatherer class is “which classes do you need to repair your gear”? My advice, ultimately, is pretty much all or nothing – level up all DoH classes in tandem. As a separate project, level up all DoL classes in tandem (with the optional Fisher).

What’s the best race for Dragoon?

Racial stats are (was?) a thing. However, I highly recommend not caring about it. The difference in performance between the “best” and “worst” race for you is not even 0.1%.

My advice? Pick for aesthetics. Will you stay the same job forever? If you change mains, will you race change? Ultimately, the difference is so microscopic that I cannot in good faith tell you that racial stats are an integral part of your character.

I won’t even link the Racial Stats Guide, as I haven’t checked up on this in a while – and I don’t want to cement the idea that the “best race” really matters.

Related Dragoon Guides – Read More!

Here are a few useful links for you:

Upcoming Odds and Ends

Here’s a few things we’ll be adding on here in the near future:

  • Adding a “links to further resources”, we’re doing a site restructure so once those links are set, they’ll go in here.
  • Human-readable, newbie-friendly skill and trait list.
    > I used to have the in-game skill list here, but I found it useless as the in-game one is better… I’d rather have a new player friendly rundown.
  • More descriptive job identity? Pics?
    > I dunno… pictures of the job gauges? A gif of some flashy skills?
  • Feel free to suggest anything else via comment or socials!

Summary & Outro

Well that’s about it for a really, really basic guide that hopefully points some lost souls in the right direction, or answers some of your questions regarding Dragoon.


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