Hey guys! Here I'm going to briefly go over some tips and tricks I like to use when DPSing as a NIN. Please note that I don't by any stretch of the imagination consider myself to be excellent at this class, but I have done my fair share of studying, and some of the information I've uncovered can be useful to aspiring NINs of all levels, or perhaps even relatively advanced NINs that wish to touch up their game a bit. So without further ado, let's touch on some of the more obvious stuff:

Ninjutsu Priorities:
Huton - This must remain up at all times, only allow it to drop if your target will be dead within the next 2 GCDs or so.

Suiton - For that Trick Attack! Helps the whole party's DPS. Happy day.

Raiton - A solid potency, and a great attack for many reasons.
First Reason: It can be used from a decent range, so maintaining DPS while dodging is less difficult.
Second Reason: This attack is registered as magic damage, and is buffed by Foe's Requiem! Neato.

(AoE Only) Doton - If I see you using this on a single target, I'm going to call it an STD, and intentionally drop mobs on you. (This move is not buffed by Kassatsu)

(AoE Only) Katon - Instant Magic damage within a medium AoE of the target. It's not bad, and this is what you should be using your Kassatsu for in larger pulls.

Tip on the use of Ninjutsu: Your AoE Ninjutsu become more effective than single target at the 3 mob mark.


GCD Rotation Priority:

Dancing Edge - Slashing debuff. This is extremely important to keep up at all times due to the fact that it essentially makes the enemy weaker to not only all of your attacks, but the one's the tank does as well. I won't go into specifics on it here, but this is by far your most important skill, rivaled only by Huton.

Armor Crush - ONLY IF HUTON IS AT 20 SECONDS OR LESS. Do not use this move more than you have to, as it is only really effective at maintaining Huton.

Mutilate - The most DoT damage for your GCD

Shadow Fang - more immediate DoT damage than Mutilate, but if given the full duration, Mutilate becomes stronger. Use this liberally on mobs, as it becomes worth it's GCD after about 3-4 ticks (9-12 seconds)

Aeolian Edge - Yeah that's right. It's at the bottom. Don't let this move fool you, it isnt as amazing as it would have you think. At the end of the day, it requires having everything else up before it starts to shine. If you have to decide between this and anything else, do not use it.



I'll leave you folks with that for now, but I'll be sure to include an overview of my opener, as well as some tips and tricks for maximizing uptime on bosses, when to use your pots, stats weights and priorities, etc. at a later date.