Choosing Dancer may sound like playing with fire. One day the fire may be too strong, on another day weak, but never too weak, and that’s the beauty of it.

Hailing from Near Eastern nation of Thavnair, the origin of Dancer martial discipline. It is said that their elegant and beautiful movements are bewitching to those who watch. These graceful steps are not only precise but eloquent, removing any who would obstruct the endless beat of the dance. With chakrams on each hand, they flourish from their enemies. As beautiful as a rose, but deadly as its thorns. How can one be charming and dangerous at the same time? This guide will help you on achieving that delightful Dancer everyone admires!

Single Target Rotation

Dancer doesn’t have a complicated rotation, it is just between Cascade and Fountain.

• Cascade delivers an attack with a potency of 250.
• Upon using Fountain after Cascade, you will get extra damage from Combo Action. When done without Combo Action, Fountain will only deliver an attack with a potency of 100. With Combo Action, the potency increased to 300.
• When attacking with Cascade, there is a 50% chance of granting Flourishing Cascade, which will allow you to use Reverse Cascade (potency attack: 300).
• The same goes for Fountain, there is a 50% chance of granting Flourishing Fountain, allowing you to use Fountainfall (potency attack: 350).

Isn’t it simple? Now let’s move on to AoE.

AoE Rotation

Same with the single target rotation, for AoE, you also have 2 skills ready for use. The AoE for dancers has the same radius that goes AROUND the player.

• Windmill delivers an attack with a potency of 150 to all nearby enemies.
• Upon using Bladeshower after Windmill, you will get extra damage from Combo Action. When used alone, Bladeshower has a potency of 100, but when executed after Windmill, the potency increased to 200.
• When attacking with Windmill, there is a 50% chance of granting Flourishing Windmill, which will allow you to use Rising Windmill (potency attack: 300 to the first enemy, and 50% less to the rest).
• The same goes for Bladeshower, there is a 50% chance of granting Flourishing Shower, allowing you to use Bloodshower (potency attack: 350 to the first enemy, and 50% less to the rest).

Do you see the pattern? Great! Now that you have understood the basics, let’s move to Fan Dance!

Fan Dance

There are 3 Fan Dances, 1 for Single Target, the other 2 considered as AoE. All the ‘Flourishing’ abilities (Reverse Cascade, Fountainfall, Rising Windmill, Bloodshower) have a 50% chance to trigger Fan Dance or Fan Dance II. While Fan Dance or Fan Dance II, have a 50% chance of triggering Fan Dance III.

• Fan Dance: Delivers an attack with a potency of 150. 
• Fan Dance II: Delivers an attack with a potency of 100 to all nearby enemies.
• Fan Dance III: Delivers an attack with a potency of 200 to the first enemy, and 50% less to the rest enemies.

You can choose not to use your Fan Dances immediately, as you can keep up to 4 Fan Dances. With the Fan Dance done explained, let’s move to the main course.

Step Actions

Dancers have 2 Dance Step abilities, Standard Step, and Technical Step. These step actions are to be used as frequently as possible during a fight. Not only because it is a beautiful sight to see, but also because it deals heavy damage and gives Damage Up party utilities. Here are some descriptions of the skills.

Standard Step/Finish: Delivers an attack to all nearby enemies. Potency varies with number of successful steps, dealing full potency for the first enemy, and 75% less for all remaining enemies. Recast in 30s.

• 0 steps: 500
• 1 step: 750
• 2 steps: 1,000

Step Bonus: Grants Standard Finish and Esprit to self and party member designated as your Dance Partner Damage bonus for 60s. Standard Finish effect varies with number of successful steps.

• 1 step: 2%
• 2 steps: 5%

Technical Step/Finish: Delivers an attack to all nearby enemies. Potency varies with number of successful steps, dealing full potency for the first enemy, and 75% less for all remaining enemies. Recast in 120s.

• 0 steps: 500
• 1 step: 750
• 2 steps: 1,000
• 3 steps: 1,250
• 4 steps: 1,500

Step Bonus: Grants Technical Finish and Esprit to self and party members Damage bonus for 20s. Technical Finish effect varies with number of successful steps.

• 1 step: 1%
• 2 steps: 2%
• 3 steps: 3%
• 4 steps: 5%

Use the Standard Step continued with Technical Step for maximal outputs. When you enter your dance mode, Cascade, Fountain, Reverse Cascade, Fountainfall becomes the dance step, Emboite, Entrechat, Jete, and Pirouette respectively.

Gauge

Dancer has 3 Gauges and 2 of them in one fan. The gauge is called Step Gauge, Fourfold Feathers and Esprit Gauge. Here is the easy explanation for each gauge:

• Step Gauge shows you the step you should follow for your Standard or Technical Step.
• Fourfold Feathers, showing how many feathers you have for Fan Dance.
• Esprit will be granted to you and your dance partner upon executing Standard Finish. Or to all nearby party members upon executing Technical Finish. When you are under this effect, executing skills will increase your Esprit Gauge, which allows you to use Saber Dance (potency attack of 600 to the first enemy, and 50% less for the rest).

There, I hope it’s easy for you to understand! Now we move to other skills.

Other Skills

Dancers have a lot of party utilities to offer, so remember to use them when available and needed. Here are the other skills for Dancers:

• Closed Position: Grants you Closed Position with a party member of your choice, allowing you to share the effect of Standard Finish, Devilment and Curing Waltz with the respective party member.
• Curing Waltz: Restore HP and nearby party members, with a cure potency of 300. Recast in 60s.
• Shield Samba: Reduce damage taken by self and nearby party members by 10%. Recast in 120s. Cannot be stacked with Bard’s Troubadour or Machinist’s Tactician.
• Devilment: Increase your critical and direct hit rates by 20% to you and your dance partner. Recast in 120s.
• En Avant: Quickly dash 10 yalms forward. Recast one every 30s. Can do up to 3 En Avant upon reaching level 80.
• Flourish: Grants you the effects of Flourishing Cascade, Flourishing Fountain, Flourishing Windmill, Flourishing Shower, and Flourishing Fan Dance.
• Improvisation: Dance to the beat of your own drum, granting Improvisation to self. Improvisation Effect: Continuously increases Esprit Gauge while in combat for 15s. The speed at which the gauge increases varies with the number of nearby party members. Furthermore, HP recovery via healing actions for self and nearby party members is increased by 10%. The effect ends upon using another action or moving (including facing a different direction). Cancels auto-attack upon execution.

When starting in the dungeon, the first step is to always check whether Closed Position is available or not. If available, pick your Dance Partner. Dancer is a support DPS, the party utilities are at your disposal, remember to use them well! Flourish allows you to add more damage, so be sure to use it as often as possible. Using Improvisation is tricky, you must be certain that you are safe from AoE, but upon use, it will help you boost your gauge and the healing effects of your teammates.

Role Actions

Role Actions are shared for each Classes’ Category, as a Ranged Physical DPS, here are Dancer’s Role Actions:

• Second Wind: Instantly restores HP, cure potency: 500. Recast in 120s.
• Peloton: Increase movement speed of self and nearby party members for 30s. Effect ends when enmity is generated. Has no effect in battle. Recast in 5s.
• Leg Graze: Afflic target with Heavy+40% for 10s. Recast in 30s.
• Head Graze: Interrupts the use of a target action.
• Arm’s Length: Creates a barrier nullifying most knockback and draw-in effects for 6s. Additional effect: Slow+20% when barrier is struck for 15s. Recast in 120s.

As DPS in general, you can help your tank and healer by using these Role Actions. Help your tank when they forget to interrupt an ability that can be interrupted. The difference between interruptible ability and not is on the casting bar. When you notice the casting bar is blinking it means you can interrupt it. Use Second Wind in a pinch when your healer can’t keep up with the healing, that's the least you can do.

Dances Your Way

Now let us put what we have learned to practice.

• Use the Closed Position when available. Your current best partner, for now, is either Samurai, Black Mage, Machinist, Summoner, and Monk respectively.
• Execute Step Actions on enemies, and remember to use them well when available. You need to keep track of these cooldowns for your optimal damage: Standard Steps, followed by Technical Steps, and end with Devilment.
• Use the single target rotation for the single enemy, and AoE rotation for a group of enemies. Remember to use and execute ‘Flourishing Abilities’ and Fan Dances when available and before running out of time.
• Use Flourish every one minute, remember to use the “Flourishing Abilities” first, and be careful not to accidentally press the non RNG skills, or this skill will be for naught.
• You have party utilities, use them well.
• En Avant to quickly dodge enemies attack, but do mind your step, do not fall to the pit!

There you are set as a Dancer!

Tips & Tricks:

Practice makes perfect, in dancing included. You have to get used to using both Standard Step and Technical Step whenever the cooldown is over. With practice, you will get used to using it. I suggest making a big Hotbar where you can see if your Step Action has finished cooldown.

Help your healer, you have the power to do so. Activating Shield Samba when available during the fight will help a lot. Or when you see your team in the pinch, and your healer trying hard to keep up with the heal, Curing Waltz may help even just a little.

Use Peloton to reach the next pull faster. People often forget this skill, whilst it helps to clear the dungeon faster when you can move faster.

Overall Dancer is full of excitement and surprise. It is a fun and enjoyable job to play. With all the party utilities, Dancers can not only deal damage but are useful for the team. Now let’s dance your way!

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