Leveling Rotations and Tips for Dragoon — Dawntrail 7.1

When leveling up, you should always choose the piece of gear with the highest item level. You can exchange Allagan Tomestone of Poetics for gear in Mor Dhona at level 50, in Idyllshire at level 60, in Rhalgr's Reach at level 70, and in Eulmore at level 80.

Lancer starts at level 1, turning into Dragoon from level 30 onward. Lancer and Dragoon are functionally identical up until level 30, so all content is applicable to both Lancer and Dragoon leveling as long as you equip your job stone after level 30.

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• True Thrust
• True Thrust → Vorpal Thrust
• True Thrust → Disembowel → ( True Thrust → Vorpal Thrust) x6
• True Thrust → Disembowel → ( True Thrust → Vorpal Thrust → Full Thrust) x4
• True Thrust → Disembowel → Chaos Thrust → ( True Thrust → Vorpal Thrust → Full Thrust) x3
• True Thrust → Disembowel → Chaos Thrust → ( True Thrust → Vorpal Thrust → Full Thrust → Fang and Claw) x2
• True Thrust → Disembowel → Chaos Thrust → Wheeling Thrust → ( True Thrust → Vorpal Thrust → Full Thrust → Fang and Claw) x2
• True Thrust → Disembowel → Chaos Thrust → Wheeling Thrust → Drakesbane → True Thrust → Vorpal Thrust → Full Thrust → Fang and Claw → Drakesbane
• Raiden Thrust → Disembowel → Chaos Thrust → Wheeling Thrust → Drakesbane → Raiden Thrust → Vorpal Thrust → Full Thrust → Fang and Claw → Drakesbane
• Raiden Thrust → Disembowel → Chaotic Spring → Wheeling Thrust → Drakesbane → Raiden Thrust → Vorpal Thrust → Heavens' Thrust → Fang and Claw → Drakesbane
• Raiden Thrust → Spiral Blow → Chaotic Spring → Wheeling Thrust → Drakesbane → Raiden Thrust → Lance Barrage → Heavens' Thrust → Fang and Claw → Drakesbane

• Openers start at level 70. Prior to that, your opener does not matter; just push buttons.
• Elusive Jump
• Piercing Talon
• True Thrust → Current Tincture of Strength
• Disembowel → Lance Charge → Battle Litany
• Spiral Blow → Lance Charge → Battle Litany
• Chaos Thrust → Geirskogul
• Chaos Thrust → Geirskogul
• Chaotic Spring → Geirskogul
• Wheeling Thrust → Jump → Life Surge
• Wheeling Thrust → High Jump → Life Surge
• Drakesbane → Dragonfire Dive → Nastrond
• True Thrust → Mirage Dive
• Raiden Thrust → Mirage Dive
• Raiden Thrust → Stardiver
• Vorpal Thrust
• Vorpal Thrust → Life Surge
• Lance Barrage → Life Surge
• Full Thrust
• Full Thrust → Mirage Dive
• Heavens' Thrust → Mirage Dive
• Heavens' Thrust → Rise of the Dragon → Mirage Dive
• Fang and Claw
• Drakesbane

• Life Surge should be used as often as possible to buff Vorpal Thrust.
• Life Surge should be held when ready and used on the next Full Thrust.
• Life Surge should be held when ready and used on the next Full Thrust or Drakesbane.
• Life Surge should be held when ready and used on the next Heavens' Thrust or Drakesbane, prioritizing using it during buff windows.
• Lance Charge should be used on cooldown after the opener, whenever it is ready.
• Battle Litany should be used on cooldown after the opener, but make sure to position yourself to catch the entire party with the buff.

• Jump should always be used on cooldown.
• High Jump should always be used on cooldown.
• Mirage Dive has a 15-second timer to use it. Always be sure to use it before this timer expires.
• Dragonfire Dive should be used on cooldown for damage. It can be held in some instances when more enemies will spawn soon in order to collect additional damage from its area-of-effect ability.
• Geirskogul should be used on cooldown.
• Nastrond can only be executed once in your Life of the Dragon window.
• Stardiver can only be executed once in your Life of the Dragon window.
• Rise of the Dragon has a 30-second timer to use it. Always be sure to use it before this timer expires, ideally under your buffs.

• Piercing Talon should only be used when forced away from the target for longer than one GCD spin. Also very useful to engage new enemies in the overworld or dungeons.
• Piercing Talon should only be used when forced away from the target for longer than one GCD spin. Elusive Jump can enhance it, and as such the two should generally be paired when downtime is forced.
• Piercing Talon should only be used when forced away from the target for longer than one GCD spin. Elusive Jump can enhance it, and as such the two should generally be paired when downtime is forced. It can be coupled with Winged Glide to spin your GCD prior to engaging against trash mobs, and not feel any delay on the subsequent GCD.
• Elusive Jump can be used to engage a boss without sacrificing damage. You can use it as your go-to gap closer for most mechanics in the game, after you successfully run out of harm's way to return to the boss. Just be careful, as it sends you backwards, not forwards. It also enhances your next Piercing Talon, mitigating the loss of potency when forced to use it.
• Winged Glide is a free movement dash ability. It can lock on to a boss and get you back to them instantly. It should be your primary movement tool in situations where a boss is targetable.
• Dragonfire Dive can be used to travel long distances, but it is optimal to use it for damage and rely on Elusive Jump and Winged Glide for movement.
• Stardiver has 20 seconds in which to use it. If you need to chase the boss in that window, you can safely hold the skill to chase for minimal loss of damage, though it is still preferred to rely on your zero-damage options.
• All of the off-global attacks that Dragoon learns (besides Starcross are also ranged attacks, and can therefore be weaved between Piercing Talon if you are kept away from the boss for extended periods of time. Just be careful to not prematurely kill yourself with the gap closers.

• Identical to the above single-target rotations.

• Two-Target Rotation
  • Identical to the above single-target rotations.
  • ( True Thrust → Disembowel → Chaos Thrust) x2 → True Thrust → Vorpal Thrust → Full Thrust
  • ( True Thrust → Disembowel → Chaos Thrust) x2 → True Thrust → Vorpal Thrust → Full Thrust → Fang and Claw
  • ( True Thrust → Disembowel → Chaos Thrust → Wheeling Thrust) x2 → True Thrust → Vorpal Thrust → Full Thrust → Fang and Claw
  • True Thrust → Disembowel → Chaos Thrust → Wheeling Thrust → Drakesbane
  • Raiden Thrust → Disembowel → Chaos Thrust → Wheeling Thrust → Drakesbane
  • Raiden Thrust → Disembowel → Chaotic Spring → Wheeling Thrust → Drakesbane
  • Raiden Thrust → Spiral Blow → Chaotic Spring → Wheeling Thrust → Drakesbane
  • Alternate using your Chaos Thrust on each of the two targets, making sure neither falls off.
  • Alternate using your Chaotic Spring on each of the two targets, making sure neither falls off.

• Three-Target Rotation
  • Doom Spike
  • Doom Spike → Sonic Thrust
  • Doom Spike → Sonic Thrust → Coerthan Torment
  • Draconian Fury → Sonic Thrust → Coerthan Torment
  • Use Life Surge on cooldown on Doom Spike.
  • Use Life Surge on cooldown on Sonic Thrust.
  • Use Life Surge on cooldown on Coerthan Torment.
  • Your main area-of-effect actions target a line in front of you, not a cone. As such, the best way to line up is to pick a distant target and line up so the pack of enemies is between you and that enemy. This costs you auto-attack damage, but is much easier for proper alignment until you get a proper feel for the width and trajectory of your line-base skills.
  • Your main area-of-effect actions target a line in front of you, not a cone. As such, the best way to line up is to pick a distant target and line up so the pack of enemies is between you and that enemy. This costs you auto-attack damage, but is much easier for proper alignment until you get a proper feel for the width and trajectory of your line-base skills. Of note, all of your skills with damage fall-off will deal the initial hit to whatever enemy you currently have targeted, and all others hit will take the reduced amount. As such, you may want to cycle through enemies to keep the one with the most remaining health targeted. Your line does not stop at the selected target.

• Use all single-target actions aside from Life Surge the same for multi-target encounters as you would in single-target content.
• Geirskogul will empower all of your area-of-effect actions, so be sure to use it for trash packs.
• Geirskogul will empower all of your area-of-effect actions, so be sure to use it for trash packs. It also grants access to Nastrond, which is a very high-power area of effect action.
• Geirskogul will empower all of your area-of-effect actions, so be sure to use it for trash packs. It also grants access to Nastrond and Stardiver, which are very high-power area of effect actions.
• Dragonfire Dive can be held in dungeon boss battles to save for the next group of trash, as it is one of your strongest area-of-effect actions.
• Dragonfire Dive can be held in dungeon boss battles to save for the next group of trash, as it is one of your strongest area-of-effect actions, and has Rise of the Dragon following it up, which is further area-of-effect damage.