News from Vana'Diel.

OK, I know I don't say much here. Ever. Bear with me. My Vana'Diel days are pretty boring most of the time. Don't get me wrong, I love being there, it's just standing around looking for party for hours doesn't get high acclaim from me. Recently I have laid down the role of Samurai, and put thief and blue mage on the backseat. (interesting note: as I type this, Spell-check informs me that 'mage' is not a word." I have been playing as my 2nd favorite class: Dragoon.

Dragoon makes me tingle in a number of ways, most of which are good. Lances, for one, are always fun. And then there's the delight of jumping on your enemy's head, striking them down with said lance. But, lo, most of my enjoyment from dragoon comes from my personal pet: the wyvern. A low maintenance pet (by Vana'Diel's standards) that is so versatile that it makes me giggle with glee.

He can act as a healer or damage dealer, or both if I so desire. I know that doesn't sound like alot, but he really is one of the best pets the game has, right up there with Puppetmaster's Automaton. Now, I say low maintenance because he needs neither parts to upgrade (Automaton) nor MP to maintain (summons), and isn't likely to turn on me and beat my ass in the middle of a fight. (Beastmaster Charmed pets. Of course, they have "Jug Pets" too, but those have a time limit on how long they stick around.)

Now, don't get me wrong. Dragoon isn't perfect, but it suits me fine. If I sub Blue Mage to it, I can solo decently. Bad points: Decent equipment is retardedly rare for dragoon until your high 50's. Even then, it's sparse. Halfway decent dragoon equipment post 70 is so expensive you'll have to mortgage your moghouse to afford it. And don't even ask about GOOD equipment. It's no wonder most dragoons spend 90% of their post 60 lives in Artifact Armor. (Which, in and of itself isn't that bad if you rely on your wyvern, like I do. That, and it's stylish to boot.) Getting experience parties is really slow for dragoon too. I see alot of "Everybody wants to be one, noone wants to be WITH one." Which is sad, because Dragoons tear Aht Urghan mobs to pieces. Sub samurai to a post 60 dragoon, and you have an uber killing machine. I'll tell you that's true, it's how I roll. Dragoons also boast some of the best Multi-hit weapon skills in the game. (Penta-Thrust. Divine punishment on all things flying.) And who can forget the 'save my ass' Super Jump? When you're like me and run Penta-Thrust, Meditate, Penta-Thrust, you need a way to get rid of that hate before you give the tank and the healer a heart attack. BAM! Super Jump. Erase the hate.

Bleh, I've gone on too long now. You get the idea. Dragoons are your friends. Show them some love.

~Gensoden